Zucchini Fritters Recipe
If you enjoy fritters that are crispy on the outside and perfectly moist on the inside, you'll absolutely LOVE these Zucchini Fritters! The secret to achieving that extra crispness and delightful flavor is a hint of parmesan.
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Servings: 6 servings
Ingredients
- 500 g/1 lb zucchini 2 medium, about 23cm/9" long
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 large egg
- 2 green onions finely sliced
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan fresh or store-bought
- 1 large garlic clove minced
- 1/2 cup / 75 g flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- Pinch of pepper
- 4 tbsp olive oil divided
For Serving
- Yogurt or sour cream
- Extra chopped green onions
Instructions
For Zucchini:
- Grate the zucchini diagonally using a box grater to get long strands.
- Transfer to a bowl, sprinkle with salt, and mix well. Let it sit for at least 10 minutes.
- Squeeze out the excess water using your hands or by bundling it in a tea towel. Place the zucchini back into the bowl.
Batter
- Preheat your oven to 200F/100C to keep the fritters warm. Place a rack on a tray to help them stay crispy.
- Add the egg, green onions, parmesan, and garlic to the zucchini. Stir to combine.
- Gradually scatter the flour and baking powder over the mixture, avoiding dumping it all in one spot. Add a pinch of pepper. Mix until the flour is just incorporated; the batter should be thick yet soft.
Cooking
- Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a non-stick pan over medium-high heat (use medium if your stove is particularly strong). Drop 1/4 cup of batter into the pan (an ice cream scoop works perfectly). Cook 3 or 4 fritters at a time.
- Lightly flatten each mound with a spatula to about 1cm / 4/5" thick.
- Cook for about 3 minutes until the bottom is a deep golden color. Adjust the heat if they are browning too quickly. Flip and cook the other side for another 3 minutes. Transfer the cooked fritters to the tray in the oven to keep warm.
- Repeat with the remaining batter.
- Serve immediately with a dollop of yogurt or sour cream and garnish with extra chopped green onions, if desired.
Notes
- Batter Consistency: Achieving the right batter consistency is crucial for perfect fritters. If the batter is too runny, add a bit more flour to avoid soggy fritters. If it's too thick, add a small amount of water. The consistency depends on how juicy the zucchini is and how well you’ve removed the water. I usually squeeze the zucchini with my hands, leaving some moisture to contribute to the batter's texture.
- Adaptations: This recipe is adapted from Simply Recipes via Smitten Kitchen. I've added parmesan for extra crispiness and flavor, and garlic because it enhances every savory dish in my kitchen.
- Flavor Profile: Zucchini has a mild flavor, so it's not the dominant taste in these fritters. The overall flavor is savory with a subtle hint of zucchini. The golden crust provides much of the flavor. If you salt the zucchini and use parmesan, additional salt in the batter is unnecessary. However, if you skip the parmesan, add a pinch of salt to the batter.
- Reheating: Fritters are best served fresh, but if you need to reheat leftovers, place them on a rack in a very hot oven (250C/480F) or as high as your oven will go for 5 minutes. Alternatively, re-crisp and rewarm them by pan-frying lightly in a bit of oil.
- Nutrition: Each fritter (from a batch of 6 large ones) has its nutritional value calculated, assuming that 3 out of the 4 tablespoons of oil are absorbed during cooking.