Zucchini Fritters {Video}

These zucchini fritters are crispy on the outside and light and tender in the middle. They take on any flavor you pair them with, in this case fresh and aromatic, coming from the green onions and chives. This zucchini fritters recipe is vegan (dairy-free, egg-free), grain-free (gluten-free), soy-free, nut-free, and refined sugar-free.

When it comes to cooking with what’s fresh and in season, few things beat the versatility of summer vegetables. Among the array of seasonal produce, few vegetables offer the understated elegance and adaptability of zucchini.

You can slice it into a salad, spiralize it into zoodles, blend it into a smoothie, and, of course, shred it. With such a mild flavor, zucchini really allows the other ingredients to shine. 

That’s why these fritters are a favorite: they let fresh herbs take center stage, all while delivering that satisfying crunch.

Tips for Making Zucchini Fritters

Ingredients

You only need two base ingredients to start with these fritters:

• Zucchini: you can use green zucchini or yellow zucchini (also called summer squash). Choose zucchini that are small to medium, 6–8 inches/15-20 cm long. These are tender, with thinner skin and fewer seeds. Bigger ones can be tougher, watery, and seedy. Also, look for smooth, shiny, and bright green skin (or yellow, if it’s that variety).
• Chickpea flour: this recipe doesn’t call for eggs, cheese, or breadcrumbs to hold the fritters together; the main binding ingredient is chickpea flour. I like to use ½ cup as it yields fritters that are still moist but crisp up on the outside. You can adjust the amount of flour according to your preference. Less flour will yield more moist patties, while more flour will yield firmer, crispier patties. 
• Fresh herbs: I typically use green onions and chives, but fresh parsley, dill, or cilantro could all be finely chopped and added to the zucchini fritters for extra flavor. While I prefer fresh herbs over spices in this recipe, ½ teaspoon spices like ground cumin and coriander would be delicious, too.
• Salt: this is a key ingredient for drawing moisture out of the grated zucchini. You can also add a pinch to the batter for extra flavor.

How to Make Zucchini Fritters

1. Grate the zucchini. Shred the zucchini on the large holes of a box grater. Sprinkle the zucchini with salt and allow it to sit until the zucchini releases moisture, for about 15 minutes. Temperature and zucchini freshness can affect how much water comes out, but the salt is the key trigger. Water naturally moves from an area of lower concentration (inside the cells) to an area of higher concentration (outside, where the salt is) through the cell membranes to balance things out. This pulls the zucchini juice out, leaving it to pool around the grated zucchini.
2. Squeeze the zucchini. Scoop up a portion of the grated zucchini—about what fits in your palm—cup your hands together, and press the zucchini tightly over a bowl to catch the liquid. The zucchini should still feel a little moist after squeezing. Keep the zucchini juice in case the batter ends up being too dry.
3. Make the fritter batter. Place the zucchini in a bowl, sprinkle in the flour, add the green onions and chives, and mix to combine. If the mixture is too dry, add some of the zucchini juice back in. If it’s too wet, add more chickpea flour.
4. Cook the fritters. Heat olive oil in a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Scoop a portion of the batter (about ¼ cup) onto the skillet and use a spoon to flatten it into a fritter shape. Cook on one side until golden, for 2-3 minutes. Flip and cook until golden on the other side and cooked through, for another 2-3 minutes. If the zucchini fritters are browning too quickly, reduce the heat to medium to allow the centers to cook more fully.

How to Serve Zucchini Fritters

These zucchini fritters are best served hot off the stove, while they’re still nice and crispy. Though delicious on their own, the fritters pair well with a dipping sauce, such as tzatziki, hummus, or sour cream.

You can serve them as an appetizer or a side dish, but they also make a great light meal, especially when served with my Mediterranean quinoa salad or Garden salad. Yet another option is to stuff the fritters into pita bread and top them with any of the sauces listed above.

How to Store Zucchini Fritters

• Refrigerating: allow the zucchini fritters to cool to room temperature. Place them in an airtight container and refrigerate them for up to 5 days.
• Freezing: allow the zucchini fritters to cool to room temperature. Place them in an airtight container, separating each row with a piece of parchment paper, and freeze them for up to 1 month.

Did you make this recipe? I would love to know how it turned out! Please let me know by leaving a review and rating below.