Zucchini Fritters

These zucchini fritters have the delicious flavor of an array of summertime produce. Loaded up with a colorful combination of veggies such as freshly grated zucchini and carrot, sweet corn, plus a sprinkle of herbs and cheese, this delicious zucchini fritters recipe comes complete with a herb yogurt sauce on the side!

Zucchini Fritters Brimming with the Flavor of Summer

During June through late August, when zucchini is at its peak of freshness and flavor, many of us are looking for easy and creative ways to incorporate this abundant produce into delicious recipes.

Whether it's making multiple batches of zucchini bread or muffins, preparing zucchini boats, ratatouille, or using it in vegetarian pasta dishes like my vegetable pasta with mozzarella or this Mediterranean pasta, zucchini is an ideal ingredient to use in a variety of ways.

This season, I got a hankering for fritters, so I created my recipe for zucchini fritters to showcase the colors and sweet-savory flavors of the summer season.

We're talking freshly grated zucchini as the star ingredient, along with colorful and sweet carrots and corn kernels as supporting characters to give that “garden patch” flavor and texture to these tasty fritters.

I even sprinkle in a touch of fresh herbs and either grated parmesan or asiago cheese for added savoriness, then serve up these tender and golden zucchini fritters with a dollop of herb yogurt on the side and with a sprinkle of micro greens.

These fritters are so beautifully rustic and colorful, not to mention healthy and delectable!

My Recipe for Zucchini Fritters with Herb Yogurt Sauce

When it comes to preparing zucchini fritters, what you're looking to create is a thick, scoop-able batter-like consistency.

And I like to add lots of seasoning to my fritter batter to make sure each bite is irresistibly delicious.

So for my grated veggies and corn, I sprinkle in some fresh dill and chives, a clove of garlic, lots of salt and pepper, plus a generous scoop of either grated parmesan or asiago cheese for savoriness.

Then, all that's needed is the binding ingredients to hold the veggies together, and for that I use a couple of eggs and some flour.

And while you can serve these fritters “naked”, I like to mix up a quick herb yogurt sauce to dip them into—so delicious!

Here's a glance at my zucchini fritters recipe: (or just jump to the full recipe...)

1. To get started, I whisk up my ingredients for my herbed yogurt sauce and keep that cold until ready to serve.
2. I then sprinkle a touch of salt over my grated zucchini, and allow it to drain of excess water in a colander or sieve for 10 minutes. Then, I squeeze it very well of its liquid, and pat dry with paper towels.
3. Next, I add my grated zucchini, carrots and corn to a large bowl, season with garlic, salt, pepper and my fresh herbs, then add my whisked eggs and gently combine. I then add grated cheese and flour, and mix that in to incorporate and form a batter-like consistency.
4. To fry my zucchini fritters, I add a small amount of oil (2 to 3 teaspoons worth) to a non-stick skillet, and lightly fry up 2 tablespoon-size scoops of the batter for about 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until golden-brown.
5. I either plate the fritters directly from the pan, or place them onto a wire rack over a large baking sheet placed into a “warm” oven to hold. Then, I transfer the zucchini fritters to a serving platter and serve with the herbed yogurt sauce and micro greens.

Recipe

Zucchini Fritters

by Ingrid Beer

Print Recipe

These zucchini fritters are filled with a medley of veggies and a sprinkle of cheese, and come with an herb yogurt sauce for dipping!

Category: Appetizer
Cuisine: American

Yield: 12 zucchini fritters

Nutrition Info: 349 calories per serving (3 fritters with ¼ cup sauce)

Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Total time: 40 minutes

Zucchini Fritters Ingredients:

• 3 cups grated zucchini (about 2 medium-large zucchini)
• 1 ½ cup grated carrot (about 2 large carrots)
• ½ cup fresh corn kernels from a cob (or frozen and thawed)
• 1 clove garlic, pressed through garlic press
• 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoons minced chives
• 2 teaspoons chopped, fresh dill (or 1 teaspoon dried dill)
• 2 large eggs, whisked
• ½ cup grated parmesan or asiago cheese
• ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons (level) flour
• Avocado oil or olive oil, for frying
• Micro greens, or extra herbs, for garnish

Herb Yogurt Sauce Ingredients:

• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt (full-fat is best)
• 2 cloves garlic, pressed through garlic press
• 2 tablespoons minced chives
• 2 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper

Preparation:

1. Begin by gathering and prepping all of your herb yogurt sauce ingredients according to the ingredient list above to ready and organized for use.
2. To prepare the herb yogurt sauce, add all ingredients to a bowl and whisk together until well blended. Check the seasoning to see if any additional salt/pepper is needed. Cover with plastic and keep chilled in fridge until ready to serve.
3. Next, gather and prep all of your zucchini fritter ingredients according to the ingredient list above to have ready and organized for use.
4. Sprinkle a little salt over your grated zucchini and toss to combine, then place the zucchini into a large sieve or colander, and allow it to drain of liquid for 10 minutes. Then, squeeze out the zucchini and place it onto paper towels, and blot it well of any remaining moisture.
5. Then, to a large bowl, add the blotted zucchini, the carrot, the corn, the garlic, the salt, pepper, minced chives, dill, and the whisked eggs, and using a large spoon or your clean hands, gently combine.
6. Next, add in the parmesan or asiago cheese, plus the flour, and once again, combine to completely blend and incorporate the ingredients into a light batter.
7. To fry the zucchini fritters, drizzle into a non-stick skillet about 2 to 3 teaspoons of oil. Turn the heat on medium to medium-high, and once the oil is hot, drop 2 tablespoon-size portions of the fritter batter into the pan (I usually work with a batch of 4 fritters), spreading out the batter a bit with the back of your spoon or spatula to create a thinner, rustic fritter shape.
8. Fry on the first side for about 2 ½ to 3 minutes or until golden-brown. Then, flip the fritters and fry for an additional 2 minutes on the second side.
9. Once fried, serve the fritters hot out the of the pan, or keep them on a wire rack-lined baking sheet placed into a “warm” oven to hold warm.
10. Serve the zucchini fritters with some of the herb yogurt sauce, and a sprinkle of the micro greens or herbs as garnish.

Tips & Tidbits for my Zucchini Fritters recipe:

• Fresh, firm zucchini: Make sure you choose zucchini that are firm and fresh, with no soft spots. Just cut a small portion off the top and bottom, then proceed with grating.
• Grate the zucchini in long swipes for fritters: I use my box grater to get the job done when it comes to grating the zucchini (and carrots) for these fritters. I find that if I go more the long way, or use the length of the zucchini (and the carrots) rather than the width of it, this creates longer “shreds”—that gives more character to the fritters, making them look rustic and craggy.
• Use a 2 tablespoon size scoop to portion things out: While you can certainly make these zucchini fritters a little larger by using a ¼ cup portion of the batter, I like to make these slightly smaller, and use a 2 tablespoon size scoop for convenience and easy release of the batter.
• Favorite cheese to sprinkle in: My recipe here calls for either grated parmesan or asiago cheese, both of which work really well here for added savoriness. You could use a combo of the two, or choose your favorite. Even get creative and choose your own cheese to add.
• How to reheat zucchini fritters: These are so good to reheat the next day and enjoy in a wrap, or on their own. Typically, I'll just reheat them in a dry, non-stick skillet for a moment or two per side, or use the toaster oven set to 400° and bake for a few minutes.

Hungry for more cozy recipes? Check out these Corn Fritters, these Zucchini Boats, these Crispy Delicata Squash Rings, this Spaghetti Squash Casserole, this Cauliflower Casserole, or this Stuffed Acorn Squash!