Everyone’s got their superheroes; I’m sure when I was younger they were things like Super Grover and later, Jem but these days, they’re decidedly more humble: I admire the hell out of people who manage to put homemade meals on the table everyday, as this has never been my strong suit. It probably doesn’t help that I’ve spent the last year or so developing recipes for very specific things — a side dish, a salad, a tart — that don’t exactly add up to be a dinner, and that NYC makes it quite easy to order in whatever parts of your meal you haven’t made at home. I’m a terrible multitasker — really, no fan of it at all — and when I’m making brioche, I’m making brioche, and not brioche with a side of a pot of beans with something braising in the oven, no matter how much I wish I were.
It also means that more often than not, I have a 4 p.m. panic as, whoops! someone will soon be hungry and I have no idea what’s for dinner and true to form, this happened last Tuesday. For the better part of two days, I’d been elbows deep in a truly epic cake I was making for the book but it turns out that even when you’re the grown-up in the house, cake does not equal dinner, which of course crushes all of my earlier hopes and dreams about adulthood. Often we’ll have something around that can become dinner — eggs for omelets, vegetables for salad or even flour for a quick pizza dough — but we’d just returned from vacation and the fridge was sparse. For once, however, what I scratched together exceeded my expectations, in the form of zucchini fritters from the zucchinis that seem to be growing in my fridge this summer; I never remember buying them but they’re always around.
The fritters were more or less like potato latkes, minus the potatoes. I followed most of the tips I’ve assembled over the years for making latkes — always in a cast-iron pan; using a food processor to shred if you have one, because it makes the rope-iest strands; vigorously wringing out the water in a cheesecloth — but have added one more, something I picked up from Melissa Clark last year: I add a little baking powder. I know that for latke purists this is probably heretic, but you wouldn’t believe how amazing it makes them, how they just lift off the pan when they’re flipped. They’re attention grabbers. Of course, latke purists probably aren’t making zucchini fritters in August anyway, and that’s their loss because these were such a delicious meal. I was in a rushrushrush (like I said, I never plan well) so I just stirred a little lemon juice into sour cream for a topping, but think a crushed clove of garlic would be delicious there too. If you want to make them more of a meal — and you know we did — they’re just begging for a fried or poached egg on top.
One year ago: Perfect Blueberry Muffins
Two years ago: Melon Agua Fresca and a Cubed, Hacked Caprese
Three years ago: Dimply Plum Cake and Crisp Rosemary Flatbread
Four years ago: Smoke-Roasted Stuffed Bell Peppers
Five years ago: Moules a la Mariniere
Zucchini Fritters
Adapted a bit from Simply Recipes
Yield: About 10 2 1/2 inch fritters
1 pound (about 2 medium) zucchini
1 teaspoon coarse or Kosher salt, plus extra to taste
2 scallions, split lengthwise and sliced thin
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Olive or another oil of your choice, for frying
To serve (optional)
1 cup sour cream or plain, full-fat yogurt
1 to 2 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon lemon zest
Pinches of salt
1 small minced or crushed clove of garlic
Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Have a baking sheet ready.
Trim ends off zucchini and grate them either on the large holes of a box grater or, if you have one, using the shredding blade of a food processor. The latter is my favorite as I’m convinced it creates the coarsest and most rope-like strands and frankly, I like my fritters to look like mops.
In a large bowl, toss zucchini with 1 teaspoon coarse salt and set aside for 10 minutes. Wring out the zucchini in one of the following ways: pressing it against the holes of a colander with a wooden spoon to extract the water, squeezing out small handfuls at a time, or wrapping it up in a clean dishtowel or piece of cheese cloth and wringing away. You’ll be shocked (I was!) by the amount of liquid you’ll lose, but this is a good thing as it will save the fritters from sogginess.
Return deflated mass of zucchini shreds to bowl. Taste and if you think it could benefit from more salt (most rinses down the drain), add a little bit more; we found 1/4 teaspoon more just right. Stir in scallions, egg and some freshly ground black pepper. In a tiny dish, stir together flour and baking powder, then stir the mixture into the zucchini batter.
In a large heavy skillet — cast iron is dreamy here — heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Drop small bunches of the zucchini mixture onto the skillet only a few at a time so they don’t become crowded and lightly nudge them flatter with the back of your spatula. Cook the fritters over moderately high heat until the edges underneath are golden, about 3 to 4 minutes. If you find this happening too quickly, reduce the heat to medium. Flip the fritters and fry them on the other side until browned underneath again, about 2 to 3 minutes more. Drain briefly on paper towels then transfer to baking sheet and then into the warm oven until needed. Repeat process, keeping the pan well-oiled, with remaining batter. I like to make sure that the fritters have at least 10 minutes in the oven to finish setting and getting extra crisp.
For the topping, if using, stir together the sour cream, lemon juice, zest, salt and garlic and adjust the flavors to your taste. Dollop on each fritter before serving. These fritters are also delicious with a poached or fried egg on top, trust me.
Do ahead: These fritters keep well, either chilled in the fridge for the better part of a week and or frozen in a well-sealed package for months. When you’re ready to use them, simply spread them out on a tray in a 325 degree oven until they’re hot and crisp again.
i make something similar, but i use garbanzo bean flour! adds great flavor too :). beautiful photography as always!
Fritters typically never work out for me but I can’t stop eating these, especially with the sour cream sauce. Thank you for the recipe!
Also, a trick to squeezing the liquid out of your zucchini – throw it into a salad spinner and give it a whirl. Does the same thing as squeezing it against a colander but with much less effort!
I used my old potato ricer to squeeze out water. You have to do it in batches but you get nicely dried zucchini shreds.
Great presentation…you know the third week of August is “National Sneak Some Zucchini on Your Neighbors Porch Week”? The recipe sounds wonderful.
As a home gardener in Portland, Oregon I can verify this!
Oh yum, I love vegetable fritters. I’ve never tried them with zucchini and these look amazing!
Just bid on your auction, was thrilled to see it. I think I have already been outbid though. Well, at least I have the recipes! This looks like another great one.
I was a big fan of Jem too, back in the day. Love the idea of a fried egg on top!
My Mom used to make green beans fritters (slicing the green beans very thinly and adding to a similar batter), and she always added the baking powder. Not sure why I forgot all about it (for 30 years!) until I read your post
brings me tons of memories…
A beautiful summer recipe – thanks Deb!
I love the idea of baking powder. An added PUFF! With zuchinnis growing in every direction and an egg to top it off – I will do my best to eat my fair share of the world’s zucchini.
These look amazing. I’m curious about the wringing out step. Will the zucchini give off water while it’s been cooked if you don’t? Or is it a taste issue?
Annie — If you don’t get the liquid out, they’ll be soggy and hard to set/get crisp. You’ll be amazed by how much water you can wring out; I swear, my pound lost a cup.
Looks delicious! You are helping me to love zucchini…I made your quick zucchini saute a couple of days ago and am now addicted!
Since the woodchucks seem to have eaten all the zukes – I may stop at the local farm stand because poached eggs and these fritters sounds fantastic!
We can no longer grow veggies outside because the groundhogs eat everything. Always stop at the farmer’s market now.
I had that problem too! Motion Activated Sprinklers!!
Minus onions and garlic, these look perfect. Will definitely try them some time!
Okay….now you’ve done it!! I’m in the process of s-l-o-w-l-y moving my whole life from Texas (booooring) back home to the northeast. You have managed to make me realllly, reallly homesick with your zucchini fritter recipe. Might I point out that nothing beats a zucchini fresh picked from the garden vs. one cold and weary from the grocers shelf? OK….I’m going to pack faster now. :) YUM!!
These were delicious. I topped with a slice of lox on the yogurt, and added a finely minced Serrano pepper along with the scallions.
These sound fantastic, I have some extra zucchini in the fridge, I think I’ll turn them into fritters!
Can almond flour swap out the all purpose flour to make it keto?
I was thinking of trying coconut flour. How did yours turn out?
PERFECT timing! My zucchini has exploded and I need something to do with them!
I absolutely LOVE fritters. I might love saying the word, “fritter” even more. Actually, it’s a tie.
YUM.
I’ve been making Elise’s zucchini pancakes for years, after you linked to them on another zucchini related escapade. The three (four on Monday!!) year old loves them as well. I add a touch of cumin, and go for lime in my sour cream instead of the lemon.
And if you think about it, you’re still eating a cake for dinner.
Good call on adding the baking powder! I love reading your posts as they always make me smile or laugh.
I adore making fritters! In fact I’m planning some pea/mint ones this weekend based on some sweetcorn ones I’m also obsessed with….so, obsessed all round then! These are getting added to the list. Thanks! And thank you for being part of the BWOB auction – so wonderful.
This is exactly what I can make with all the zucchini I have. They look delicious!
Perfect for the overabundance of zucchini at our house!
Did you read my mind? I have a whole colander full of grated zukes in the fridge!
dying to make these! they look wonderful!
Do these have the texture of zucchini? I have a few zucchini’s from my mom’s garden I need to use (but I dislike the texture, so I’m stuck to bread, cake, cookies, while nummy are a bit tired).
These look delicious. And so easy, that even a non cook like wants to try it out.
YUM – a fav. in our house and we’ll definately give baking powder a go. We also love to make these with shredded beets.
My mother makes the best zucchini fritters ever and during season she makes sure that there’s always a plate of them when I come to visit. I tried following her once as she made them, but she doesn’t measure anything, she just pulls flour out of the bag and dumps it in until it’s “enough”. I do know that she does toss in a dash of baking powder, so I’m sure it’s about the same as yours. I’ll have to give your recipe a spin and compare :D
I have a similar recipe from my aunt, but it includes a bunch of parmesan in the batter as well. Mmmmmmm… I have a hard time getting them into the freezer, as I keep wanting to eat them immediately out of the pan!
This is one of my very favourite lunches, i normally pimp mine with a bit of feta, mint and lemon zest.
Boy Deb, you really get into my head, every post makes me want to go make it instantly and eat a second diner
These look delicious. And healthy! Can’t wait to try it!
-Miriam
you know these look awesome and I bet, with some julienned spam they’d be awesome
I was just about to make fritters with the giant zucchini that appeared unannounced in my fridge! Something I’ve tried in the past with good results: I use a potato ricer to squeeze out the moisture. Works like a charm.
Yum, I love zucchini fritters! They are so fast–yes, definitely a great dinner for when you’re in a rush–and so satisfying! I usually like to throw some dill in mine (Turkish/Greek style), although I bet this would go just as well in the yogurt/sour cream topping.
These would be great with a little dill and smoked salmon on top to make them a full meal :-)
Do you think you can make these in an air fryer?
These look incredible!
Quick question: Can I bid on the baked goods to be delivered to someone else? I have a fiance a thousand miles away who’d appreciate it far more than I would.
Zucchini fritters are one thing I have always meant to make, but just never have. Now is the time! I better get crackin’! Yours look so fresh and beautiful.
Great looking fritters and I can’t seem to find enough ways to use up my zucchini – perfect!
That’s so awesome, what you’re doing for Jennie. I know your work, both food and photo, will be worth a lot the cause.
Deb, which cast iron pan would you recommend? The fritters look amazing – I can’t wait to try them!
YUM. Need I say more?
I was just going downstairs to fry up the fritters I’ve already prepared – thanks for the baking powder tip!
Can’t say I am a fan of Jem based on a childhood of repeating the words “no, I was born before that show existed and therefore my parents did not name me after Jem’s real name”…sigh… but I’ll forgive you as I grew up on “zucchini rounds” as my mother called them an I am excited to try this recipe and take a walk down memory lane!
Great..something else I can make that doesn’t need to be refrigerated..currently stockpiling food and water and battening down the hatches for Hurricane Irene. One can continue to eat well with no power if you set your mind to it..doesn’t need to be all peanut butter and cereal. Rice salad, roasted peppers, Ratatouille and now Zucchini Fritters..good luck to everyone in the path.
Wow! These are awesome. I just made some for dinner (they’re supper quick) and even my 5 year old son liked them.
These look so good. I love fritters because they feel sort of indulgent, but also good for you — sort of like french fries healthier, more interesting cousin! :)
I don’t have a cast iron pan! can I use a large nonstick pan instead? because I REALLY want to make these!
1 lb = 2 MEDIUM zucchini? You’ve got to be kidding! Guess I better pick mine smaller. Oh, and also I better make this ASAP.
The real question: Did Jacob eat them?
Wonderful recipe, Deb! Linking to some auctions on my blog- I’ll add yours!
We finally just tore out our zucchini plant because we were so sick of eating zucchini almost every night. Fritters are a good way to use them. I grate in come carrots and add some cornmeal to my batter. The flavor is really nice with the zucc’s.
Oh Deb, those look sooo good! I love the combo method of pan searing/frying, then baking. To ensure optimal crispiness level. YUM!!!!
My Whole Foods (which I go there to window shop, not really grocery shop!) sells zuke fritters. For like $2.50 EACH. At that rate, we’d have a $47 dollar dinner:) Love your creation way more!
These look excellent! I take the slightly lazier route and make zucchini pancakes – the zucchini doesn’t require squeezing since it just adds extra moisture to the batter. I always serve them with plain yogurt (I never have sour cream in the house), and they’re the perfect embodiment of summer.
Awesome! I make these all the time, and each time I think its your recipe so I check your blog. And each time I become resigned to the conclusion that either I can’t find it or that it wasn’t from smitten. Finally, my angst will be over!
Delicious! What a healthy, tasty way to treat guests!
I like how you snuck in the word latke amongst the fritters in the third to last paragraph.
I haven’t made a potato latke for Chanukah in a few years, having discovered the tastiness of zucchini ones. Pish tosh on those latke “purists.” The whole point is for it to be fried, who cares if there’s leavening or a machine involved? Fluffy and knuckle-free sounds perfect to me. I add about a 1/4 cup of feta to mine to spruce things up a bit, and to invoke the Greek roots of the holiday. Love the cheesecloth idea; that will be life-changing in my kitchen.
Also, my husband was just reading over my shoulder and when I clicked on your monkey on the bed, he kind of gasped over Jacob’s adorableness. Couldn’t care less about the recipe. Thought that was really sweet.
This is one of my absolute favourite dishes!!
Made them tonight~absolutely delish! Was happy my husband loved them :) Great photography.
Just made these…they were awesome! I didn’t have any scallions so I diced some sweet onion and tossed it in. My first ones were a tad bland (I definitely undersalted/was using a non-stick not cast iron) so I also added in garlic and grated parmesan and the flavour was phenominal!!
Trying out this recipe this weekend. Looks delicious and can’t wait to try it. Read through other comments and looks like it’ll be a keeper. Thanks for sharing!
These are delicious, I make something similar and am happy to see your recipe is almost like mine! I often add in corn, cheese and a bit of jalapeno and halve the zucchini. Either way, nom nom nom!
Ooh, yes, these. :-) I make them with feta and a pinch of nutmeg, and serve them with a squeeze of lime (or lemon). They’re fantastic. :-)
I’ve never had zucchini fritters! These sound very delicious!!!!
The fritters look so good! Also, it’s nice to know that i’ m not the only one who cooks all day but can’t seem to get dinner on the table. :)
I really need to get on this. I have so many people that keep giving me zucchini and I’m over making bread. Looks like we have a winner!
Want these. So much. Thank you.
I’ve been making these all summer! A superb way to get rid of all the zucchinis growing in my garden. I recommend, for a gluten-free version, using 1/4 almond flour and 1/4 quinoa flour instead of the 1/2 all-purpose flour – they turned out beautifully. Also, a dash of hot sauce on top makes them shine.
I love zucchini fritters. I make them every summer when I have an overload of zucchini!
This is pretty much the recipe I use, adding onion and garlic from the garden as well as a bit of lemon zest. I’ve also subbed or added yellow squash most deliciously. Also, if you have a potato ricer, it makes an excellent zucchini squeezer!
oh man… those look amazing.
Just made these for dinner! My veggie-hater toddler ate three to himself!
These look great Deb! And a great way to use all that zucchini.
In the directions, beginning with the paragraph “In a large heavy skillet. . .” the word “needed” is spelled incorrectly.
i love love and love these! a turkish version called mucver is made very similary but we also put fresh dill to the mixture
Any ideas for making these vegan?
Flax egg? (1 TBSP ground flax seed & 3 TBSP warm water, let sit to get a bit gooey)
cashew/or? yogurt?
vegan cheese?
I’ve found that I use flax eggs a lot for recipes that call for a lot of eggs (like some veggie patties). It does change the taste of things a bit, but I really prefer the nuttiness of whole wheat flour over reg white flour most days… And it’s quite an effective substitute for things made with b. soda or b. pwdr…
I think I might try making with potato starch instead of the flour. Looks fab!
For some reason I am seeing these with sauteed shrimp on top, and some fresh basil….That may really be gilding the lily, though….Reminds me of the most amazing Potato Latkes I had ON A TACO from Takosher, a Kosher taco truck I reviewed here in Los Angeles last Thanksgiving. Seriously, sounds awful-tastes AMAZING! :)
I keep trying to find ways to disguise zucchini in meals, this sounds like it could be tasty!
These look so good! I bet some carrots would be delish in the too. I wish I hadn’t just used all my zucchini trying to spiralize with a cheese slicer… LOL!
I just LOVE zucchini! As a vegetarian for 6 months, and now an almost vegetarian…haha…I eat a lot of it! Thanks for a fresh idea on how to cook it!
Whoo Hoo! Another yummy recipe for zucchini and just in time for the explosion has begun! Thank you! : )
What great use of zucchini – that earns superhero status for sure!
I love zucchini so these are right up my alley!! The presentation of the three fritters stacked on top of each other is gorgeous! Thanks for sharing :)
Just made this recipe tonight and I will need to double it next time because they were eaten and gone in no time! Even my super picky son loved them… in fact he finished his first and quickly asked for seconds! I used a homemade tomato sauce with fresh tomatoes from the garden to go with them and it was awesome!!!! Thanks for the great recipe… It is definitely a keeper!
This looks like the one for me to get my first does of zucchini. I have been eying them in the super market aisles for a while now and ask my husband if i can buy it. When he asks me what are you going to do with it, i draw a blank. Now i have an answer!
These look super yummy!
Two nights ago, in the same situation as you (an hour before dinner but what to make?) I made zucchini fritters (and panzanella), but this time I modified my recipe by adding some leftover bechamel to the batter. They were deliciously creamy and got big thumbs up from even the tiniest critics at the table, but more surprisingly, my decidedly carnivorous husband LOVED them — although he did suggest that they would be good as a side dish to a roast chicken.
Definitely saw these on Pinterest today. Yum yum. So vibrantly green!
What a fantastic idea – I’ve got a basket full of zuchinni here, and after making breads and countless parmigianas out of it, this seems like the perfect new dish to use up the rest! Also, if you read this post and have time to respond – what would you say is the difference between a fritter and a latke? Being jewish, I should probably know… but I’m tempted to dip these in sour cream and call them latkes!
I think you’re a pretty awesome multitasker – producing high quality blog posts (as always!) whilst writing a cookbook and being a mama? That’s some hardcore multitasking there, lady!
Mmmm. Those look so gooood…I’ve made zucchini pancakes a couple times in the past. They are delicious. I can’t wait to try these. I love the idea of dolloping them with a sour cream topping…
With some roasted cherry tomatoes, persian feta and mint, this would be such a peter Pan happy place. Gosh your writing makes me happy.
Great idea for using up zucchini! And I, too, loved Super Grover. Second was of course the Mexican waiter Grover who didn’t know what “uno” meant. :)
**sigh** these are gorgeous! Making them later! OH YEAH!
So happy to see this recipe here. Last week I had just finished 15 loaves of zucchini bread for the freezer and was trying to *disappear* a bowl of grated zucchini. This was the answer…my recipe included fresh parsley and oregano and I topped it off with greek yogurt and apricot jam. I ate the entire batch. I will definately be putting some in the freezer for winter.
oh lovely …. i`m make the latakas so i`m pleased to see the recipe for the courgette fritters … this i will be giving a try to… maybe even this evening
These look great! I think I will be making these tonight, but will be dipping them in ranch dressing. Mainly because, well, I dip EVERYTHING in ranch dressing :)
Super Grover was my all time favorite. I make a variation of these and add fresh chopped tomatoes on top.
yumyumyum. I am loving zucchinis this season. Last night we roasted them with some potatoes and spicy sausage and served them over brown rice – fantastic. Now I think I need to fry them up!
This IS a PERFECT meal. Even if it’s just zucchini in rushrushrush. We’re all in a rush, and zucchini fritters might calm us down. Who knows?
Thank you! Now I know what I’m making for Labor Day weekend. You rock & your kinda my superhero when it comes to incredibly yummy recipes.
Your quick simple dinner recipes are one of my favorite parts of your blog. I am a working mom and I *try* to get healthy home cooked dinner on the table everynight. It is nice to find simple healthy recipes that don’t take hours of braising to accomplish. Thanks!
Thank you for reminding me about zucchini fritters! These are healthy and budget friendly now that zucchini are in season.
Deb, I am longtime reader but have never commented. I felt compelled to thank you for this post. A great recipe indeed–following suit of all your recipes! Mostly I appreciate your acknowledgement of how hard it is to put homemade food on the table every night. As a fellow food writer, chef and mom to two little ones under age 4, I have become a reluctant multi-tasker. Needless to say, at least one dish usually suffers from the lack of undivided attention. My cooking has changed for sure, but I will say that even with a child on my back, two pots on the stove and bread in the oven, your work is still accessible and my go-to for ideas, inspiration and just plain getting-it-on the table, on time. Thank you!
I LOVE Zucchini Fritters! Try adding 1/2 cup crumbled Feta cheese, or shredded White Extra Sharp Cheese…no sour cream is needed!You can change it up too with a little diced onion, chives, chicken, and different seasonings: cajun, dill, garlic.
i’m going to make these while holed up in the house the weekend with Hurricaine Irene and my Jem DVD’s…. yes… i own every episode of Jem on DVD… you’re welcome to come over, but if you do, bring cake ;)
jeneva — Aah! You are so cool!
Renee — I totally forgot about that. He’d always go nuts and leave, like, a Grover-shaped hole in the wall, right?
Iris — Thanks!
Nicole — He liked them so much, we didn’t eat ANY so we could save them for his dinners that week. Thus, I need to make more.
Susan — Any old one. I have a Lodge a couple my in-laws bought me at a secondhand store (how awesome are they?) that I reseasoned.
Kawa — I don’t see why not. (And thank you!). Since I’ll be handling the gift, should you win, we can sort out the details any way that you’d like.
These look sooooo delicious!
Thanks for the recipe!
Our zucchini plant died and we’re rationing the last of the zucchinis for special recipes. This looks like it might be dinner tonight!
These look so delicious and beautiful! I just made a similar version this weekend, but found that the frying took a lot longer than I wanted it to. I really want to try to make this into a bake (is that what you call a crust-less quiche?) but haven’t yet figured out how (if at all) the proportions would need to change.
i’ve been looking for new ways to cook zucchini – we’re getting a ton in our CSA box now and from the front yard garden plot – perfect timing!
My mom made those when we were kids. They weren’t bad, either.
Just made them! Had some zucchini in the fridge. sooo yummy. especially the sour cream with lemon and garlic on top.
Thank you for posting this; I just made these for lunch!
I didn’t have scallion so I used more garlic, and I made my topping with a creamy nonfat plain Greek yogurt. The whole thing turned out heavenly.
These fritters are so scrumptious and very hard to control the need to devour it all! Cheers. :)
I thought you meant “To Kill a Mockingbird” Jem…
I tried making these for Passover with matzoh meal substituting for the flour. They fell apart ! Any reason why the one substitution would make a difference?
Susan — You tried to make them for Passover this week? Or did you make another recipe?
We have zucchini overload here, with two plants in our garden producing at least 2 zukes EVERY DAY…so good thing we love our zucchini “crab” cakes. Pretty much your recipe, but with Old Bay Seasoning added, served with tartar sauce. I like your baking powder idea!
Deb, I did a post in Jennie’s and Mike’s honor too last week. So sad…for her…and weirdly I had a heart attack of my own that same week…a rare-ish heart condition called SCAD that effects healthy women, pregnant women and may be hormone related…I wrote about that too. I am lucky enough to be recovering… I will bid…And those fritters…yes…I’ve made latkes in that fashion with baking soda (part of my winning dish on Chopped!) and they puff up so beautifully! I’m going to celebrate the hurricane with these and some zooks from my garden.
Mario Batali had a recipe for zucchini fritters in last months Bon Appetit with ricotta in the recipe. I had never come across them before, and now twice in the last month! Your version looks absolutely gorgeous and the idea of a fried egg on top just sounds so delicious.
Woohoo! Zucchini recipe! I swear all I’ve been doing this summer is trying to find creative ways to use up the result of 4 over-productive plants. I’m even brewiing rum with them.
I wish I lived close enough to bid on the cookies (you are cordially invited to England…) but a print of one of your pics would be pretty awesome too!
I just made ’em with zuchinnis picked fresh from our garden and we ate them all up without one to spare–even big smiles from the 7 and 9 year old!
I make something like this, except I shred some basil and add it in, along with some cornmeal. I also shred some aged Asiago and let it melt over the pancake as it cooks in the las several minutes. This is one of my favorite ways to use zucchini!
We love veggie fritters in this house and since I learned to wring the water out of grated zucchini, we love zucchini fritters. I have several recipes, one with feta, one with cheddar and all are delicious. This one looks great too. Need to convince my plants to keep producing those bats….(cute monkey jumping!)
You seem to gradually solve all my cooking problems one by one. I cannot fry. I tried these 3 years ago and they were raw inside and I quit. I did not know I could put them in the oven to complete the cooking process! I just made these complete with baby apple sauce recipe. Have not tried them yet but am very optimistic. Aesthetically they are very pleasing:-)
It may sound creepy, but we’re watching the National News coverage on hurricane Irene and they’re talking about NYC and I thought of you. Hoping you stay safe and sound wherever that might be. We’ll certainly be keeping an eye out here in Maine.
OK .. spoke to soon. They are delicious (we ate all but 3) but still a little raw inside. Where did I go wrong?
1. I fried them on medium heat
2. I put them in the oven for 10 minutes for 200
Should I have fried them on higher heat? Should I have fried them on medium but for longer then 4 minutes on each side? Left them in the oven for longer then 10 minutes or left them in the oven for 10 minutes but >200?
Please advise when you have a moment.
looks so good and healthy. i love your recipes. i hope you are out of Manhattan before Irene comes.
I cook everyday from scratch for my family.(I work, and have a vegetarian so I actually prepare two separate meals each time. I do not buy any prepared food. All from scratch. Even down to my stocks. It does not have to be so dreadful people. Plan your meals if your so busy, and shop for those meals. Take two hours out of your week and prep for the meals you will have. Come home take out your prep and bang. Dinner and lunch for the next day done. Not so difficult.
I so know the 4pm feeling you described. Funny enough, zucchini fritters is then one of my togo dinners, since zucchinis are my favourite veggis and so I have always some of them in my fridge, and I preapre them exactly the way you do. The only difference is that I use about 4 tbsof panko, so they do get more crisp.
KEEP THE MANUSCRIPT SAFE..
Add in some crumbled feta to the mix and you will be so happy!
I can’t multi task in the kitchen either. I could never be Rachael Ray. But I’m really posting to say good luck making it through the storm, and keep safe!
PS: I heard of a writer at a writing colony who kept his ms in the fridge because he figured that was the most resistant part of the whole enclave. Just in case you’re worried.
o Fritters my love. great for taking to work for lunch. I’ve also been enjoying the same ingredients substituting gram flour for the all-purpose flour and warm water for egg. Amazing.
Good luck with the writing!
I was wondering what to do with all the zucchini lying on my screen porch! I keep thinking zucchini cakes and voila you did it for me!
So delicious, I’m going to make these at dinner tonight! I’m always looking for new ways to use zucchini and you always have great ideas! Thanks! :)
And that’s why you’re awesome-SuperGrover and Jem.
Oh, and the recipes too.
Oh, those look gorgeous. If the heavens hadn’t opened while we were at the farmers market today I’d have zukes to use, too! (I did make spicy zucchini relish last week.)
I’m going to have to try this. They look delicious!
p.s. I hope you’re all safe & cozy in the City. Here in RI we’re told that Irene will have downgraded by the time she gets to us.
Made these last night – one of my favorite things – but the garlic-lemon cream was new to me. Holy moly! That made the dish. Many, many thanks to you and hope you are cooking away while Irene blows by.
They look gorgeous. This is a common dish here in Turkey and around the Mediterreanean. In order to make this lighter and healthier we make a baked version which I strongly recommend. The recipe is almost the same. I prefer grated potato instead of flour, add a generous amount of dill and mint and feta cheese. Just pour the mixture to an oven pan and bake for about 30-40 minutes. You can even add mushrooms if you like. Delicous !
Hope the hurricane goeas away without much damage.
Folks, Deb’s in New Orlean’s cooking up a storm (no pun intended) at the 2011 International Food Bloggers Conference. You can follow along with what we’re missing by searching for @smittenkitchen on Twitter.
Just found you and know that a)I will look forward to reading more of your posts and b) I will be making courgette (I’m British) cakes very soon. Thanks for a great blog.
I loved Jem!! Such a great post. And your fritters look awesome. My grandmother always used baking powder in her latkes (gasp!) and they were perfect.
I made these tonight. They were delicious! Thanks for the recipe! I served some with goat cheese and some with an aioli I make with Aleppo pepper. Wonderful!
Please do not beat yourself up over putting dinner on the table every night. You have excellent food-imagination – this post proves it. Can’t wait for your book.
As a procrastinating dinner-creator myself, I have to thank you for this recipe; it is a godsend. I made these tonight in anticipation of losing power due to Hurricane Irene. My only regret is that they may not last that long! I’ve always had zucchini in bread, or cut into tired little slices, and fried in a pan, where they release all that water and steam themselves into unremarkable, soggy circles. I was amazed at how much water the shredded zucchinis released! It’s like a whole new vegetable now… I am hooked.
Yum! I have been wanting to make zucchini fritters, before the summer is officially gone. Thanks for the recipe!
I ran out of eggs so this ended up being a zucchini hash for me, but O M G delish! The sour cream mixture is so yummy, and went perfectly with it! Thanks for the recipe and my apologies as well; I’m sure you can smell the garlic on my breath from all the way over there…
At our house, these are known as “green pancakes” because my grandkids (4 and 5) LOVE pancakes but not zucchini. No one has asked why they’re green. My recipe has feta cheese and fresh mint – from my trusty old Victory Garden Cookbook. If I had no feta, I’d top them with some Greek yoghurt.
I made these today and they. were. AWESOME. Thanks, Deb!
Made these for a dinner party on Friday night and they were absolutely gorgeous – everyone loved them! Plus I made them up a little early and were perfect timing wise as they could sit in the oven till everything else was ready.
Gorgeous!
This is one of my summer staples! I make mine with cumin, cayenne, and smoked paprika, and serve them with chutney, since I cook for someone with a dairy allergy.
Hi thanks for this I made mini ones and served them as hor d ourves with Smoked salmon and creme fraiche.
Mmmm… can’t wait till it’s summer so I can make these with HOME GROWN ZUCCHINIS… and just call that dinner. Oh, delicious.
My zucchini plant stopped producing and was very dead looking so I yanked it for my Fall garden. My yellow crookneck squash, though, is very productive! Deb, what would happen if I replaced the zucchini with yellow squash?
i just made these for breakfast. it was much faster than i thought it would be and they were AMAZING. i am always on the lookout for zucchini recipes other than in my stir fry veggie dinners.
this recipe is a keeper!!! and the baking powder makes them so light.
thanks!!!
Oh boy! These sound and look unbelievably good. Fritters of any sort are yummy. But I adore zucchini. And it is indeed zucchini season. Everyone has extra zucchini and no one knows what to do with them. Now I do!
DELICIOUS and just the inspiration I needed for the zucchini that were hiding in my fridge. I added a skosh of parmesan cheese. Yum…so light and and delicious.
Your fritters look amazing and I can totally relate to balancing the line between cook as a passion yet as a necessity to life. I am forever thankful that I do enjoy getting dinner to the table yet sometimes pray I attacked dinner with the vigor I do with a dish I am inspire to make. Brava on combining the two in this instance!
Absolutely delicious!!
Multi-tasking is overrated. I do not either how people cook homemade meals daily. The fritters look like something I could try.
These changed my life, baby! I feel a renewed interest in cooking again and it 111 in Austin today. Loved these fritters (and the sauce) so much.
I just made these for dinner and they’re fantastic! Instead of scallions I used sweet yellow onion. I put the fritters on a bed of mixed greens then topped them with a homemade marinara sauce and a dollop of plain goat milk yogurt. So good!
These were awesome! Made them last night and also made a batch that were yellow squash and yukon gold potatoes (inspired by another recent Smitten recipe: http://smittenkitchen.com/2008/07/herbed-summer-squash-and-potato-torte/) and both were outrageous. I must find a way to incorporate cheese in the next batch, a la the torte! Excellent, wholesome, and FAST dinner!
delicious! However, the fritters lost their crispy exterior in a 200 degree oven so I crisped them again under the broiler. That is my only complaint. They were fluffy and light and the lemon sour cream sauce was perfect. We ate them with smoked salmon (lox style). Thanks!!
Wow! These look delicious- I can’t wait to try making them!
I found a recipe for something like these in Bon Apetit a few months ago–they were so amazing! I added sheep’s feta and they were incredible. I also made a batch with summer squash last week and loved them! So glad you posted these! They are a wonderful way to use the abundance of summer squash!
I have been shredding and freezing my zuchinni. This is a great recipe to use it. Thanks, I can not wait to try it.
oh man, my mum has made these for years! we had them tonight, even. they’re great with feta in, too.
My God, I’d like to be a guest at your house if this is what you make when you’re on the back foot with nothing in ; )
Made this today. Eating it made me realize how similar this dish is to a Japanese Okonomiyaki. Both really yummy!!
Yum! Thanks for this recipe, now I have inspiration for all the zucchini I have in my fridge.
Thanks for your sharing.I like to eat zucchini.So I am very interested in cooking zucchini with a variety of methods.
You post so many wonderful vegetarian recipes – and i love it. Outside of indian and italian cuisine, I really struggle with ideas being the vegetarian that I am. But your recipes are just so creative and inspiring. I will definitely be trying out this one… :)
I just made these and am so happy that I did! They were so tasty and the sour cream (I used creme fraiche because I live in Spain and can´t find sour cream!) really finishes them off. I will make these again. Thank you!!
I know you have 179 comments saying basically the same thing, but holy CRIPES, I sat here reading this post with my mouth hanging open, a thread of saliva threatening to escape and drip on my lap, because they look SO GOOD. Somehow I stumbled across your blog this afternoon, and will never be the same- it’s food porn times a million. God, yum!
I’ve seen a few magazine recipes for zucchini fritters but these definitely look the prettiest/tastiest and by far the most substantial. Also like your suggestion for bumping it up a notch to a resemble more of a real meal, which is an issue I had with the whole vegetable fritter idea. I recently did eggplant fritters and encountered the same issues–they tasted great but needed something more to be passed off as a meal.
Just as an aside I wanted to mention I really like the “previous years’ recipes” feature at the bottom of each post. When we were trying to figure out what to do with our zucchini we made your zucchini and ricotta galette, and they came out so yummy!
I made these this weekend, added crumbled feta to the batter, which added nice, creamy bursts of flavor. Delicious!
I made a double batch of these on Sunday (some for freezing and re-heating later). They were excellent. Awesome recipe and a great way to use up the abundance of zucchini I’ve grown this summer. Can’t wait to try them de-frosted and re-heated.
Yum! I’ve made Simply Recipes’ version, and I’m looking forward to trying yours. My mouth is watering looking at your pictures!
My SIL and I made these for dinner last night, topped them with an egg and some asparagus poached in tomato sauce and a sprinkle of romano. Delicious!
Ooooh! These look so tasty and it takes me back to the zucchini pancakes my mom used to make. And I just so happen to have some zucchini in my fridge so I’ll have to give these a go!
Whoa. I was planning to make zucchini fritters for dinner and thought I would search your site for a recipe. Search was not necessary! Thanks!
Hi Deb! Same question as Stacey (#157): what would happen if I/we subbed yellow squash, or pattypan squash? Would it still work? These look delish, thank you!
Re, using other squash besides zucchini — I haven’t tried it but in theory, they should work the same.
Wow! These fritters look ah-mazing!! Nice and light :) CanNOT wait to try them out!
I made these tonight, and I was really excited about them, but they didn’t turn out for me. I think my main problem is that my grater was too fine, and they got too salty. They tasted okay with sour cream, but not well enough to dissuade my husband from ordering pizza. Oh well! I may try this again in the future, though, because I really love zucchini!
my first wedding anniversary was yesterday. i had year old top-tier cake for dinner. it was totally delicious, and i don’t feel the slightest bit guilty :)
I tried these last night with half zucchini, half carrot. The carrot came out a bit more al dente than I’d have liked, but the crunch was nice and they were so colorful! We fried them in chili oil, too, for an extra kick.Absolutely delightful. I’m going to be very sad when the zucchini disappears off the grocery store shelves for the year.
Glad to see these appear in summer – I freeze tons and use the shreds for latkes at Chanukah.
I just made these. I added a diced jalapeño and some garlic. I made them larger so they would be veggie burgers. Phenomenal!
What’s the secret to making these crispy? Made these after kids were asleep. So good, I’ll call it dessert.
Made these with a Sheboygan Steak sandwich, minus the Sheboygan hard roll, and they were really good! FYI on the cast iron; find them at flea markets, antique stores because their cooking surface is really smooth. Takes years of use to smooth out a new cast iron skillet. I have my mom’s and wouldn’t trade them for the world. Gonna pass them on to my granddaughters.
Delish! I stumbled across this recipe at the perfect time, as I too seem to have a constant surplus of zucchini in the fridge. I’m actually hoping for even more zucchini in my CSA box tomorrow so I can make this again.
These look really good!! I can’t wait to try them!
so, can i use previously frozen zucchini?
Made them tonight! They were too EASY to be that delicious! Will be a summer staple when the zukes are plentiful. THANK YOU for sharing!
This recipe looks and sounds great. I’m off to the market to buy some zuccinis.
I loved your website. I came here every day.
Sadly, that came to an shrieking stop when your oh-so-terrible-deadline became the topic number one in all posts. Please, please: You’ve got a beautiful and healthy kid, a nice guy, a first-class blog and a book deal. So stop whining please!!!
Sorry. Had to speak my mind.
More zucchini, please! We’ve had a great selection of zucchini around Florida this year. I’ve almost run out of recipe ideas, which is a problem since I have a few pounds in the bottom of the fridge. Anyway, when I make zucchini fritters, I put them on a griddle and try to save us from cooking in too much oil. They still taste fabulous. Just don’t come out that crispy-brown color. But I love that yours aren’t so much “deep” fried.
Love this recipe! It was part of our hurricane menu as we prepared for Irene. So tasty!
These were great! I used my salad spinner to remove the salted water, it worked really well, maybe to well as I had to add a couple tablespoons milk as the batter was to thick. Added some chives to the sour cream topping. Turbo Yummy!
i want you to know that i grew up with such a strong aversion to zucchini that it was the one vegetable my parents stopped forcing me to eat. most aversions i have gotten over by now, but this week marks a huge change in my attitude towards the dreaded zucchini. you made it look so delicious that i bought it, cooked it, and LOVED it. so did the husband. also good with apple sauce btw, just like regular latkes. thank you!
These were absolutely delicious! I used the food processor method, and based on how they came out I think the box grater would just produce mush. I also upped the amount of scallion in them, because I love scallions and my zucchini were really big.
I made the yogurt/garlic/lemon sauce too, which was delicious as well, but kind of overpowered the zucchini… granted I used a fair amount of garlic, but next time I’ll use way less than a dollop for each fritter. Thanks for the recipe!
Congrats for your appearance in Martha Stewart’s magazine! My mom used to make these in summer when zucchini were plentiful. Thanks for the reminder! I’ll have to try these out on my kids.
Have a great day!
Your pictures are always so perfect, thanks for sharing another great recipe.
These look you yummy! I love making potato latkes. So this is a recipe I will have to try!
We made them, they were delicious, and my oldest son (5) requested I make them again for breakfast on saturday. We had them with an egg fried over easy on top.
Due to my father’s serious health problems, he’s been forced to adopt a low-sodium, vegetable protein-only strict diet. It’s been really rough finding delicious recipes with these types of restrictions, but both my Dad and Mom agree – with is a REALLY good one! Thank you so much for this (easily converted to vegan) recipe…it’s perfect for a guy with some complex health issues.
These were delicious! We will definitely be doubling the recipe next time since the 2 year old loved these so much that the husband and I only got a little bit of dinner that night. I used patty pan squash since that is the one kind that took off in my garden this year. I shredded some extra squash and put it in the freezer for this and zucchini bread during the winter. Thanks, as always, for another wonderful recipe.
Making this right now! and posting it to my site, thanks!
holy cow!! these are sooo good! the only variation i did was used chopped white onion because i didn’t have scallions. oh baby, m a k e t h e s e s asap.
i’m commenting before the second pan is done… that’s how yum these are. oh yeah don’t skip the salt and squeeze…it’s crazy how much water comes out.
thanks,
chris
Yay – a new recipe for baby, I mean toddler!
Is it possible to get a temperature for the oil? My hunch is you aren’t getting hot enough to deep fry, since the smoke point of olive oil is generally lower. That would be very helpful. Thanks!
These were delicious. I even forgot the scallions and they were really tasty. I added some grated parm and it was deeeelicious. I am going to be eating these for a few days since I made a big batch and will be definitely eating them with a big fried egg on top for dinner tomorrow.
This may be a strange request but…..I love to roam through your site and I was wondering if you had a link to your first post that I can then work forward from. I can’t seem to find an easy way of getting to it. Thank you!
Hi Rachel — I’ve been meaning to add this link to the sidebar for a while: http://smittenkitchen.com/archives That should make it easier.
These fritters were so delicious!! Our entire family loved them and my hubby has insisted they become a staple in our rotation :) Thanks for another fabulous recipe!
i love these! but your recipe sounds a little better than the one i have so i’m excited to try it out!
Thank you!
Someone reblogged your photo (the first in this post) on tumblr and I didn’t even have to look at the credit to know it was yours. Your style is so distinct, either that or I’m just THAT loyal of a reader. Great recipe, as always.
Deb – I made these this past weekend and it was all I could do to force myself to stop eating them when stuck in the house from that stupid wench Irene (even with the threat of losing power, I decided these were a priority – even before finding a flashlight). I do wonder what other vegetables could work in such a recipe – I saw some tried this with a mix of carrots and wasn’t that successful. Does the water content of the veggie have anything to do with the fritter staying together so well? Or would this recipe be possible with something like sweet potato?
Becca
PS. Have loved reading more of your insights into the balance of work and motherhood – your interview on Cup of Jo was one of my favorites!
Becca — Thank you! I enjoyed doing the interview as well, as nobody really asks you that stuff and I think we’re all better off hearing how others pull things together. In the past, I have made an Indian-Spiced Vegetable Fritter. I prefer this formula here more for fritters these days (and the technique), but definitely think you could pull those flavors over here. For sweet potato ones, I’d just use my basic latke recipe and swap sweet potatoes. Chive sour cream with that?
Made these last night with yellow squash & carrots. Loved loved loved them…thank you!
Made these last night and added a fried egg. They were delicious!
I made these last night as well! Mine never got crisp, probably because I didn’t do a great job of squeezing the liquid out of the shredded zucchini, but they were still deliciously light and fluffy. I grew up eating – and loving – zucchini fritters/pancakes in Russia and my mom’s version was never crisp, or only barely, so soggy is fine with me! I enjoyed my fritters with a yogurt-based basil and garlic topping last night, and made a mayonnaise-based parsley and garlic topping for my husband. Thank you for inspiring a delicious supper!
Sorry, had to comment again after reading through all the comments left by people complaining about having too much zucchini on their hands: my mother-in-law taught me when she visited from Russia this summer that you can let the zucchini ripen on the vine longer than usual, so they develop a thicker, tougher skin, and then just keep them in the fridge or even at room temperature (preferably in a cool, dark place) until you need them. Apparently they can last up to several months this way. Zucchini do develop large and tough seeds if you let them get overgrown, so you’ll need to scoop out the seeds when you pull your zucchini out of storage.
I have some fresh zucchini from my parents yard! Will be making these soon!!
threw in some corn kernels and finely diced onion and it added a little sweetness to them, they turned out delicious!
I made these tonight (as a side dish with panini) and served them with plain sour cream. They are so. good. I didn’t quite get them crunchy enough (I was a bit lazy in the wringing out the zucchini step) but still. So good. They were unexpectedly creamy and fluffy.
I think next time I will add some asiago to them because asiago!
Made these for the second time tonight. The first time I made them a little too thick so I made sure to make these ones extra thin. I also added red pepper flakes, smoked paprika, and kernels from one ear of corn to make the fritters a tad more interesting. They’re delicious! Thanks again for a great recipe. :)
These look amazing – will be tonight’s dinner, I think!
I fell in love with zucchini fritters in Greece this summer. The greek version has a bit of feta cheese and some herbs like parsley and mint in it – absolutly scrumptious, especially with a dollop or two of tsatsiki :-)
These were a hit! I made them as an appetizer for a dinner party I had over the weekend :) Thanks for yet another great recipe Deb. And guess what we had for dessert!?! Hazelnut plum crumb tart…so good!
Mmmmm. I just made these. They were much better than the other recipe for zucchini pancakes I had been using AND they were much simpler to make, also more elegant looking. It took a few minutes to whip these up, that’s it! It was satisfying, healthy and delicious. I used the idea of topping it with a fried egg – and that was a good decision. My mom loved them too. Thanks for the recipe!!! I just discovered your blog and am really enjoying it!
Made them last night ~ spectacular! The sauce tasted fabulous on the beef tenderloin from the grill as well. Thank you!
oh yum, just finished dinner -added some grated parmesan and bacon crumbled up a bit. Just perfect – again! Thanks
BTW – made the plum tart last week to raves and raves, making again for a dinner party this weekend.
Enjoy Labor Day!
I did these again. I love the colors of the zucchini, scallions and egg together. I learned how to wring them very well by hand. I used medium high and I am waiting for the fire alarm to go off. Maybe you can offer some frying tips. I don’t know if they are raw inside again because they are still in the oven ‘finishing setting’ They are more browned the second time around but the house smells like a fire. Not one of my favorite scents.
Anna — My best frying tip is that stoves can range a LOT. The medium on my stove is a medium-very high on most (I adjust recipes accordingly). Try yours at a lower temperature next time and if you’re worried about them being set in the middle, an extra 10 minutes in the oven will always take care of it.
I really love the vivid green of these fritters. And thanks for the tip about freezing/re-heating… I’m trying to stock my freezer! But, so far, the only thing I’ve made and frozen is sugar cookie dough. It’s a process…
Deb, I can’t tell you how much I loved this post. Not only does it look delicious, but everyone needs new weapons for their zucchini arsenals. A zucchini plant really belongs in the Bible story of Elijah and the widow- it never stops giving!
But more than a fantastic recipe, thanks for the insight about multitasking. After finishing grad school, I found a job near my hometown and moved back in with Mom for a while. No rent to pay, but I took over the groceries and cooking and for the first time in my adult life have someone waiting for me to feed them. Every night. No more dinners of cap’n crunch (sigh).
It’s easy to throw together a dinner party for friends every three weeks when its the only time you cook. There’s been a sharp and steep decline in the number of dishes I make each meal. So thanks for letting us know that despite your superhero skill set, your mild-mannered alter-ego is human after all.
This looks awesome. I’ve been making zucchini pakora, but another method for zucchini that is both quick and doesn’t involve zucchini bread (I like, but really enough is enough) is a beautiful thing in CSA land.
I made these earlier this week and they were soooo tasty. The husband was even impressed. I see a fritter obsession coming on.
i love cooking and eating zucchini.
this looks super attratctive !
Ok, these are so good that as I made a batch, I realized I needed to make more. I doubled the next batch and everyone was happy. One batch I made with egg replacer for the vegan amongst us. Tasty good as well.
delicious! Thanks for sharing :) The fried egg was just the right touch
I made these last night — absolutely delicious. I substituted lime for lemon in the toppoing as I’m in Mexico and lemons are hard (impossible?) to come by and onions for scallions (same reason) and they were so good, I had to limit myself to two. Quite light, too, which is not what I think of when I think of “fritter”. Thanks!
Made these tonight – two versions – one with egg and one without (for the toddler who is allergic). Used a potato ricer to get the liquid out (we do the same thing for potatoes) which worked wonderfully.
Served them with poached eggs and a tomato salad and they were delicious! We both actually liked the toddlers version sans egg even better as they were cripsier (I used a glug of canola oil to help bind the zucchini together).
BTW – my Bubi’s recipe for potato latkes always had baking powder in it :)
These were delicious and earned a ‘save this recipe’ from my bf! I doubled the recipe and subbed half yellow squash. I didn’t have enough yogurt or sour cream so I did half and half – turned out great, very complimentary to the fritters.
Every recipe of yours I’ve made has been good – looking forward to the cookbook!
Yum, my friend keeps hounding me to take some zucchini off of her hands. After I make some zucchini banana bread, I’m definitely trying these! Thanks :)
This recipe sounds delicious. But the blurb about the auction is staying with me. I so feel for the fellow blogger who lost her husband, and I wish I weren’t a completely broke student so I could bid and contribute. Her situation just hurts.
Last summer I used a Mike Ruhlman recipe for my zucchini fritters. It was a disaster– apparently there wasn’t enough binding and the fritters fell apart in the hot oil. Your fritters held up a lot better but I wonder if you’re being overly cautious with the binding. The fritters tasted more like egg than zucchini and were a little flour-heavy, not as tender as my ideal. I wonder what would happen if you bumped up the zucchini to a pound and a half and kept the other quantities the same.
I made these on Friday night and they were FABULOUS!! Thank you for the recipe. My husband flat out will not eat zucchini or squash, save in zucchini bread and he loved these. He liked them better without the sauce (but I LOOOOVED the sauce, so more for me). I didn’t get a dozen, but maybe I made them too big? Either way, yum!
Fantastic. Made it last night, couldn’t believe my kids ate so much zucchini. Thanks!
So I have been eyeballing this recipe since you posted it and last night I had zucchini, squash, and white corn from the farmer’s market. Hence I decided to try a zucchini/corn fritter recipe I found on allrecipes. I SO wish I’d just added corn to your recipe because the ones I made were like veggie pancakes. Barf. I’ll be trying this for real soon.
I literally just made and ate all of these. I meant to save some for my husband later, but I couldn’t help myself! I’ll have to make another batch just for him.
Have you ever wondered if you were actually psychic? What with all the minds you’ve read, mine included. Thanks for the recipe!
Just saying: I saw a picture of you and you look like my mom! (That was a compliment of the highest order, don’t worry.)
Light, fluffy, and delicious. Could’ve been crisper, if I leeched it enough, but it was still good. I added a bit of garlic and used whole wheat flour.
These were a HUGE hit with our family, served as a side dish. Latkes are generally a once a year treat on account of them being a bit of a pain to do, and these are so darn close. I am wondering, though, if you have thoughts on why they tasted slightly undercooked in the middle? The batter was nice and dry (squeezed out tons of water as noted) and they were perfectly crisp on the outside. But the interior could have been more “finished” tasting. How do I achieve that without burning the exterior?
I was totally blown away by how much water came out of the zucchini!!
More importantly – these were amazing. My husband loves me just a little bit more after tonight’s dinner.
Re, water — 2 cups! I made a double batch of these this week and two cups of water came out of the zucchini. I really can’t get over it.
Lena — Zucchini is really just a damp vegetable, wetter than potatoes so it will always seem a tad soft inside even when it’s technically cooked through. Nevertheless, leaving it in a low temperature oven for additional time firm them up further.
We tried this recipe on Thursday and it was delicious – and surprisingly simple to make. I love this as a base for all sorts of flavors you could add either to the zucchini or in the sauce. I was equally amazed that ours looked almost as pretty as yours! so often recipes look better than you can achieve at home. Thanks for the awesome recipe, we’ll be heading out for more zucchini tomorrow!
Fried these in a little leftover flavored oil from the naked tomato sauce I made yesterday. Yummy!
I am so excited. I love potato latkes but they feel very much like fall to me. This is a good way to get rid of my rapidly-accumulating-against-my-will zucchini and enjoy the latke and sourcream dynamic I have come to love so much.
mmmm…I love a good zucchini fritter, I do mine a little thinner and serve for breakfast with a slightly runny fried egg – heaven!
An amazing surprise! Truly a delight. My wife nearly threatened divorce as I couldn’t help but say how delicious they were with every bite.
Gave these fritters a fry in my skillet last night and was not disappointed! Yum.
I am not ten minutes out from eating four of these and I heartily enjoyed them. I added a clove of garlic and dabs of Greek yogurt to the finished fritter and gobbled them with a heaping glass of iced tea. Wringing out the water was essential to actually tasting the zuke. When I’ve made fritters before without that step they ended up being bland and just doughy. Oh! Almost forgot…I used garbanzo flour, my new favorite flour, instead. I love a basic framework that can be tweaked and adjusted. This recipe was great.
I made these last week and they were fantaaaastic!! They came out absolutely perfectly!
I was a bit timid with squeezing out the liquid at first, then I just decided to go for broke and squeezed out a TON! I used a clean dishtowel and it was perfect!
Thanks Deb:) I will try again.
These would be perfect for breakfast or dinner! Especially when the garden is overflowing with zucchini. Thanks for sharinng.
Made these tonight & they were delicious! My kids (5 & 2yrs) loved them. Wringing out was definitely necessary! Thank you.
Make something very similar to this based on a recipe I got from Wegman’s. Mine adds corn to the batter. I use fresh when I have it, but frozen works just fine too. I cook them in an electric skillet (love it for any kind of frying) and add a bit more oil, pretty much as I make latkes at Chanukkah. My daughters love them.
Oh goodness, these look amazing! And perfect timing as well. It always seems like we have more zucchini than we can ever eat around here and I’ve grown tired of just sauteing it. This looks like just the ticket.
these are crazy good. forgot to look for scallions, so subbed in a small shallot. I actually want more squash to show up in my CSA box so I can enjoy more of these.
I made these for supper this evening. My daughter(whose other family is Jewish) was thrilled. She said they were just like latkes and ate them enthusiastically. The latkes were good, but the sauce(I used yogurt because I’m out of sour cream) was even better.
Hey, guess what I learned tonight? You can squeeze too much moisture out of shredded vegetables. I doubled the recipe so that we could have leftovers, and I think I got maybe 10 ounces of shredded, bone-dry zucchini, onion, garlic, and ginger out of the 2+ pounds of vegetables with which I began. That’s only half of it, though: I swapped out wheat flour for coarsely-ground chickpea flour, thanks to the two other commenters who mentioned it. Since I already had a pot of red lentil dal bubbling on the stove, the chickpea flour (which I use for pakora) seemed like a logical choice. Instead of those voluptuous fritters pictured above, I got five fat vegetable patties. They’re damn delicious, don’t get me wrong — but it was a valuable lesson in technique.
I’ll try it the Deb way next time. By the way, they are a delicious accompaniment to the dal, which I cooked from a Gourmet recipe (I finally got the 1000-page cookbook from the library). Sniff, single tear, sad clown.
p.s. I used the shredder set-up on my little, old Cuisinart for the first time and it made a helluva (funny!) mess. Considering that I got the thing for free 10 years ago from a former roommate (it was from her recently-deceased sister’s kitchen, and I also got my KitchenAid out of it), I ain’t complainin’.
I’ve been wanting to try making zucchini fritters since a friend of mine made some for me a month or so ago. My friend served them with a sour cream and sriracha sauce, which had a nice kick to it. I love the idea of making this into a dinner with a fried egg on top. Will be making this tonight, before zucchini season ends!
This is awesome! We brought in some of the last huge zucchini from the garden before frost! My daughter saw me looking at this and said “lets make some of those NOW!” Awesome coming from a teenager! :) The last of them are cooking now for a nice side dish for dinner..thanks Deb!
These are absolutely delicious. I have 3 large yellow squash from my CSA box and had no idea what to do with them. They are now happily made into fritters and filling up my freezer waiting to be after school snacks! Thank you :)
I make zucchini cakes all the time, I love playing around with the various ways you can go with them. I love medi-style, a little fresh thyme and mint, along with some crumbled feta and a bit of dijon. Middle eastern flavors are a good blend too.
These are soooo good! I coated them in a thin layer of stone ground cornmeal which added crunch & a nutty flavor to the outside & kept the inside soft and wonderful. They came out great.
I’ve made these twice now and they were awesome! The first time, I added feta, and the second time I also added some shredded beets. They came out a lovely pink and green mix and tasted heavenly. Thanks for the recipe!
Prettiest little fritters I have ever seen. The zucchinis really are showing off their green! xo
I ate these with applesauce and plain greek yoghurt–next time I might add some potato and use less oil. Delish!
AMAZING! I added a little shredded cheese for my kids’ benefit and I’ve never seen 2 pre-schoolers eat 2 zucchinis so fast. (Heck, I’ve never seen my kids eat zucchini at all before!) I’m devouring the last of a second batch as I type. Yum.
I made this and they turned out extremely well. These are now on my list of semi-regular recipes. Thanks!
The one meal my husband cooked regularly (other than hamburgers) when my son was a toddler was zucchini pancakes. We ate them at least once a week. It was an easy, healthy meal for a family. My son is now in college, and this recipe brought back memories of those meals. And by the way, by feeding him real veggies from the time he could eat solid food (ie not jar food) he never had a problem eating salad or vegetables.
Hi! I’ve been reading and salivating over your recipes for a few weeks now… finally decided to post! I’ve made a few delicious recipes and can’t wait to make more!
I made these fritters with a giant squash a neighbour brought us from her farm, and it was truly delicious. Crispy, and the texture is lovely. Was tricky getting the salt right (first time, I followed the recipe and found it under-salted, the second time I oversalted slightly) but a delicious recipe.
Thank you!
I made these for a dinner party the other night and just wanted to say they are totally delicious and surprisingly easy. Squeezing out all the water is fun for some reason! I made them the night before, they heated up great the next day, and were just marvelous with the yogurt. I will say that you should double or triple the recipe if making it for more than 2 people!
This recipe is amazing. It’s so simple, and really tasty. I cut the zucchini by hand into long thing strands to maintain that “ropey” feeling. I just wanted to say thanks for posting this, it inspired me to start my own food blog, and trying this recipe out was my first post.
My favorite! Looks appetizing..but we add cheese too. Thanks!
I just want to say thank you x 1,000,000! I loooooove this recipe. We’ve made it with zucchini a couple of times and it always came out wonderfully, so after a day of apple picking we decided to mix it up and did a double batch – one all apples and one apples with sweet potatoes. Both were fantastic, topped with sour cream and an egg. :)
made these today – gave them an Indian twist by adding cumin seeds, red chili powder and onions to the batter and topping with coriander chutney! pretty delicious, though they do soak up a lot of oil. might press them through a paper towel next time.
Amazing & addictive. I added sweet potato and cheddar because it was laying around to add a spin on it. love the cornmeal idea from JC.
Hi Deb!
Is it possible to replace the flour with bread crumbs? Or would this not “bind” the zucchini as well as flour?
Thanks for your help!
Hi Anna — I haven’t tried it, so can’t say for sure. It’s worth trying, though.
Wow this looks awesome. Have you tried making a vegan version before?
this looks fab! thank you for the post.
Made these last night and they were FANTASTIC! The cheesecloth idea – key!
Hi Deb!
I made these for dinner right after you posted the recipe and they were FABULOUS. Topped with a fried egg and they were bomb. Seriously, BOMB. One question– with the New Year here, I am trying to eat healthier and am wondering what your thoughts were about skipping the entire frying step… could you bake these little beauties instead? Thanks and Happy New Year!
I made these last night for the first time and they were delicious!!! I added 1/4 cup of freshly grated parmesan cheese! Yum!!
I made these and added some freshly shredded sweet potato as well and it was REALLY a treat, even my 5 yr old loved it. Gave me a great idea to try making zucchini and sweet potato hash brown. BTW awesome photos!!
Just tried this out, they came up amazing! Will try again with cheese and carrot and sweet potatoes.
Delicious- thank you! I’m assuming it is fine to make the batter ahead of time and fry up later?
I made these after discovering that my amazing super-saver huge bunch of zucchini was about to go bad (what a lifesaver recipe!). The fritters were, of course, amazing, but the thing that surprised me most was the topping–I loved it, and I typically don’t like adding sauces and creams to my food. I made a half-batch of the topping with yogurt, and was surprised at how much flavor it added. It was a very green eggs and ham experience.
All this to say: cooks who are in doubt about the topping, try it! You’ll like it!
Delicious! Added a good crumbling of feta cheese to mine.. Gives it a nice salty creamy binding…
I made these tonight and they were surprisingly delicious… My first for zucchini fritters and Smitten Kitchen, but definitely won’t be my last for either! I halved the recipe since I only had one zuke and I subbed almond meal for the flour. They turned out great! I’m excited to make these all summer!
I’m making your recipe as I type. I had to look up the equivalent of scallion, which is spring onion here in Australia.
We’ve had to grab one as it left the frypan – it’s never going to make it to the oven! Absolutely delicious – thanks for the recipe!
Now I’d better get back to guarding the rest of the fritters!
wow, so easy and delicious! we got zucchini from our csa and i expect we’ll be seeing a lot this summer. this will become a regular treat in our house. my 15 month old son loved it too :) thank you!
I just came across your website by Googling “zucchini fritters,” and, first, I love your website…secondly, I just made them and they were fantastic! I added a pinch of nutmeg which added some nice flavor. Thanks for the recipe!
Made these tonight with fresh zucchini from the garden. It was great only I would double it next time! definitely not enough for a meal, but a lovely appetizer.
I just made these with our farm zucchini. They were delicious! Thank you!
These were the perfect solution last night to an excess of zucchini. We subbed in gluten free flour and they came out delicious! And the extra yogurt sauce went perfectly with the lamb chops we had for dinner!
I grated my zucchini too finely, so mine ended up being more like pancakes than fritters, but they were still delicious. I also used whole wheat flour.
I stumbled on this site and thought I would try these out. They have become my go to recipe this summer, I can’t get enough of them! I added fresh parsley and it seemed to make the taste of these burst. I just used onion I had on hand, and tonight I added some pesto to the sour cream and loved it too! Thanks for sharing this one.
I added a half cup or so of grated Parmesan and they were wonderful……
I am so thankful for the effort you put into the smitten kitchen web site. Tried this recipe for the first time today and loved it. I substituted avocado for the egg (for the vegans among us…). I though it added a twist to the color, texture and taste. It also added some unique nutritional value relative to other possible egg substitutes.
These are amazing! Thanks for the great idea.
Thanks for a great recipe! Yum. Happy to have so much zucchini from our garden, will make again soon, love the grated Parmesan idea!
Thank you, thank you, thank you! I absolutely adore your amazing recipes and often kick myself when I’m hunting for an idea and forget to check your site first. This was definitely the case today! After searching the web for over an hour, I decided to just combine two of your recipes – this one and “potato pancakes, even better” – which resulted in the most perfect summer squash, new potato, and scallion latkes EVER!
we made them but used garbanzo flour instead of all purpose and it worked great..they were such a hit! i had to go to work and my daughter finished making them and i got a text later in the day wondering whether they should save the last 3 for dad…bc my teenage son and daughter couldnt’ stop eating them. she saved 3 for dad who ate them upon arrival and i never even got one. so yeah, they’re THAT GOOD.
Oh my word. THANK YOU for sharing this recipe. I have never tasted anything to heavenly. And I will never use plain sour cream again. Totally bliss happening over here.
Feeling very lucky… I just woke up to these, made by my husband, with garden zucchini. He used shallots in place of green onions, and topped them with his homemade rice wine mayo; served next to a yolk-y egg. FABULOUS! Thanks for the recipe! (I only wish we had the will power to make a bunch to freeze, but I’d probably just eat them for lunch.)
I added some horseradish to the lemon yogurt topping and that gave it a nice kick. The zucchini and broccoli fritters are now in my normal dinner rotation. Thanks, Deb!
i was wondering – do you fully cook these before freezing and then just reheat?
Heather
Today’s recipe for zucchini pancakes brought me here– fritters sounded like a better afternoon snack than pancakes. I used one yellow squash and one zucchini and couldn’t resist frying these in bacon grease….HIGHLY recommended!
Loved the flavor of the fritters and the topping. I added some milk to the batter since it seemed dry to me in comparison to the latke recipe that I make. That worked great. My first batch browned to fast on the outside and the inside stayed uncooked so I lowered the heat to medium for the second batch. I agree that a cast iron skillet is the way to go. They brown better than with other skillets.
Beyond delicious. I am a zucchini freak and needed more way to cook them. This recipe came out great. I used bread crumbs instead of flour and also added garlic powder. I meant to save some for the next day, but I ate them all (6) in an hour.
These were great! We had zucch to use and aren’t huge fans of how squooshy it gets on the grill, and these were delicious. We were impatient to wait for it to dry, so sauteed for a few minutes, squeezed, then followed instructions. I thought it was a bit bland, even with a clove of roasted garlic and some more spices. We’d kick it up a bit next time. Cast iron was *mwah* perfect!
I have searched countless food blogs for the right zucchini fritter recipe to try, and to no surprise, I was instantly attracted to yours. (I make your latke recipe every year since I found it one Hanukkah.) Your zucchini fritter recipe was one of the very few that didn’t use breadcrumbs. I tried it, and I think that the scallions were a touch of pure brilliance. These were so good! The only addition I made was some minced garlic. A little garlic never hurts. My husband and I devoured these. Thank you for another awesome recipe! (The first recipe of yours that a linked to my blog – I am sure there will be more to come.)
these were so yummy! I didn’t have scallions so uses some red onion. Also added to suite my taste buds: 1/2 c cornmeal, 2 spicy peppers, and 1/8 c parm cheese. i got the idea of using cornmeal from the comment section and the dish was sooo good with it. I am a gluten-free cook and thought these were very good using a AP GF flour. I don’t think you can really mess this one up… unless you forget to drain the zuccs.
Just made these tonight and they were deelish!! Thanks for this simple, but tasty recipe. We served our with runny eggs and tons of the yogurt sauce. Perfection!!
I am addicted! These fritters are just sooo delicious! I added a bit of garlic and they were phenomenal… I was planning on freezing some but sadly there are non left! Thank you for sharing!
These are fantastic!
I too used the AP GF flour with parmesan and they turned out amazing. Thank you for sharing.
Good idea! It never came to my mind that fritters can be such a healthy flavor!!
I’ve also done with some garlic & cumin, making a goood smell!
Thanks for sharing!!
These were to die for. I’m a huge zucchini fan to begin with and usually just cut them up and fry then with flour but oh my goodness. This way is so much better :). Never even thought of doing this. Sigh.
My family just polished off a double batch of fritters – ummm ummm good! I amended with a 1/4 cup per batch of freshly grated romano cheese, and used a non salt seasoning mix in place of salt since I’m supposed to cut back on sodium, so the Dr says. These fritters are so easy and fry up so quickly, I use half olive oil and half canola blend to fry with. Thanks for the best fritter recipe I’ve tried.
Made these tonight and they were wonderful, even my non-zucchini-lover boyfriend said that they were really good. I actually substituted diced shallots for green onion, which turned out quite well. I put some small curd cottage cheese on top since we had no sour cream, it was also delicious. Overall I’d say this is a fantastic recipe and it is simple and easy, the zucchini was easy to squeeze the water out of and the salt is SO necessary because it drew the water out and that really helped. Thanks! M
Just made these tonight and they were wonderful! I made the lemon sauce to go on top and added the suggested garlic and it was just what the fritters needed to cut through the crunchy exterior and make them seem lighter. I will definitely be making these again and again!
This recipe was AMAZING!!!!!! I will definitely make these again! I didn’t put them in the oven at all and they were fine. I recommend to zucchini lovers and non-zucchini lovers alike.
Love it. I had just made myself some zucchini fritters for dinner(I use rice flour because of wheat allergies)(used two eggs..almost an omelet) and wondering what I could use to put on them. Looked and found your recipe. S.Cream sounds lovely.Allergies again. But the egg should be good too. Also wondering if maybe an avocado sauce would work. Will try that.Thanks for the ideas.
Love your site. Tried these months back and they were delicious. Tried them again last night and I’m sorry to say they were awful. Clearly, I did something wrong and the only thing I can think of is that the shards of zucchini were too small. I cut up the zucchini in the food processor, per the recipe, but last time I made these, I cut them into long strips by hand. Last night, the processor over processed, me thinks. Following the recipe exactly, I turned out zucchini sponges, not fritters. These floppy fritters were bouncy and tasteless. Sigh….any thoughts on what happened? Going to try again with my lone left over zucchini.
Deb, you are a miracle worker! I previously hated zucchini and avoided delicious meals soley because it was zucchini ridden. Thanks to your ratatouille sandwich recipe (I use your cookbook as a coffee table book, and flip through it a few times, daily. Usually ending in a recipe or two being made) Anyways, I now love zucchinis. Fritters especially with creamy dreamy lemony yoghurt sauce. Thank you!
I am writing to let you know that the skillet has solved my problem with these fritters chronically being raw on the inside see my comments #124, #126, #237, #270 and #297 :) However this does not happen with the skillet just because it holds the heat better then the IKEA frying pan I generally use for everything. I am very happy to have finally solved this mystery. I can now experience a fully cooked zucchini fritter and I have to say they are totally delicious. I also would like to say that I do not think 200 oven does anything other then to keep them warm in my experience unless maybe they spend 24 hours in there.
I have made these a couple times and I always have raw centers on them. :/ does any one have solutions? They still taste good they are just.. you know, smooshy in the inside. Still edible but not the most appetizing texture. I may stick with the broccoli fritters because they don’t do that.
Stephanie — Just finish them longer in the oven and they’ll cook through. Also, a lower temperature on the stove will keep them from getting too brown before their centers are set or at least mostly set.
oh also, the yogurt sauce is the best! I double the garlic because – why not! mmm
UPDATE: I made these again today but instead of frying them, I put them in the broiler. They came out just as good and without the oil.
I make zucchini and feta fritters, with smoked chicken and fried bananas. Sounds weird, but it’s divine :)
Made these last night, cut the zucchini by hand and so worth it! Delicious and a great quick vego dinner. I didn’t bother with the oven though and just made the fritters a bit thinner instead.
I cooked this tonight, and we just finished eating them accompanied by smoked salmon,capers, and a fried egg. Delicious!
Yummm !! Making them with an egg on top tomorrow for brunch !
These were fantastic! I made them for my book club and all the women devoured them. My 2 year old loved them too. Thank you! Your recipes are fantastic!
Deb, I was at a Ruby Tuesdays with some friends – not the kind of place I would expect to have a stand out kind of meal – when I had veggie sliders which were zucchini-based fritters on small rolls. They were fabulous! I remembered that you have a fettish for fritters and found this recipe and used it as a base. I skipped the scallions and added red pepper in small dice and feta cheese, like the restaurant did. I put them on rolls and topped them with sour cream. Mmmmm is all I have to say. Thanks so much for the start and for all your wonderful recipes!
Thanks for this fantastic recipe! Made these tonight with the addition of some toasted almond slivers which added great taste and crunch. Big hit!
Awesome!
I just made these for lunch, with the addition of corn and topped it off with Sriracha cream cheese. Thanks for the inspiration – these were so delicious!
YUM! Just made these with the last of our zukes from last summer (shredded and frozen). Fluffy and crispy. Nice.
Deb~ For the first time this summer I am enjoying an abundance of scallions and zucchini. Thanks for being the only resource I checked that has a recipe that tastes as delicious as it looks! Love your cuisine cues!!
Made these last night and they are absolutely amazing. Thank you for a fabulous recipe.
Apparently I have been planning to make these for nigh on two years – kicking myself for not doing it sooner. Hubs, who normally varies all the way between “okay,” “good,” and “great” for meal descriptors, actually called these “spectacular.” Picky three and a half year old ate every bite. Served them with badly poached eggs and even with the shoddy/inexperienced “real” poaching technique, they were fab. Thank you, thank you, thank you! P.S. any egg poaching tips? Heading over to the archives to search…
Hi Ann — I have a post on poaching eggs here.
Wish me luck! Dinner for the date night. These fritters sound amazing and I love the reviews.
Thank you!
Our zucchini fritters were yummy but turned out flatter than the puffy, beautiful ones in your pictures. Any ideas why?
The yogurt sauce was perfect. I ended up making four sauces, one chili-based, one cilantro based, one that was a soy-sesame Korean thing, and the yogurt one, which was definitely the winner. No need to fuss with so many next time.
Abbie — How did you grate them?
This looks amazing. I’ve been searching for the perfect recipe since my fail at a different one tonight. I will definitely make these within the week. Can I use both a zucchini and yellow squash together in this? We have an over abundance from our neighbors garden, and I would like to mix it up. Do you think it would work the same?
Deb,
I just made these, and I feel almost disloyal saying this, but I weighed my zucchini, and it came in at a whopping 1.25#, when i made the batter it was way too dry, so I added another egg and half of another even larger zucchini to reach the proper consistency. My yield- four pancakes! (Though mine are larger).
Delicious nonetheless, and a great way to celebrate national zucchini day!!
Nancy — Nobody is disloyal for having trouble with a recipe. :) In hindsight, my zucchini were probably more like small (since the norm for zucchini around here is gargantuan). My pancakes were definitely small too; I find them easier to flip/manage/reheat that way. I do like batters on the dry side, with just enough egg to bind the strands, but not make it eggy or really pancakey. It will seem like it won’t work, but once it cooks, that light wetness (from the egg) will indeed firm up and hold them together, just enough. But there’s no reason not to tweak it so it works for you and so that you like it bitter. I’m glad you enjoyed the four you got!
These were delicious – I’ve made them twice. But I can’t seem to get them crispy … They are more like pancakes. I wrung them out quite a bit, even let them sit out for a large part of the day. What am I doing wrong?
Hi, I work at an organic veg farm/csa and had monster zuchs to use up…found this recipe, was very helpful and turned out great. I fried in grapeseed oil for the low smoking point and everyone flocked to the kitchen like salivating dogs. Wow all over especially when dipped in WI up norf maple syrup.
THANK YOU!!
I’m making them next w/sweet potatoes. holla.
This is silly- but I love this recipe desperately and cannot make the pancakes without it. Usually after a time or two I can “wing” it, but in this case…disaster! No worries, I can always come back and get sidetracked into Popsicles in the process. Thank you!
Just made these and they disappeared as quickly as they emerged. What a great way to feed yourself an entire zucchini (or two)!
I just did a variation on this using fresh corn instead of zucchini, and the funniest thing happened– popcorn! Some of the kernels got so hot in the oil that they started to pop. It was a little scary, actually. Everything’s fine though. :)
Just made these. Awesome! Thank you.
I quadrupled this recipe so I could have leftovers for the next day… well, I sort of have SOME leftovers… lol.
I wanted to comment to say that I make these fritters often. I have prepped these, frozen them and then brought them up to the lake house for the weekend. We reheated in the oven and they came out great!
They are great when we entertain vegetarian friends. They have become a freezer staple in my house. Thanks so much for a great, versatile recipe!
This recipe is fantastic. Thank you Deb.
I grated the zucchini with a mandoline, sideways. They looked very special :) I also added some feta cheese, just because.
I substituted Trader Joe’s gluten-free flour in these and they were fabulous!
These were fantastc! My son (7 y o) doesn’t think zucchini is fit for human consumption, yet ate a plate of these & asked for more. I substituted with spelt flour and since I didn’t have scallions, added grated onion (about half a medium yellow onion) after the squeezing zucchini water process.
Also didn’t have any sour cream or dairy product to serve these with, so I mashed an avocado with lemon juice & we dolloped this on top. Heavenly!
I love sour cream and zucchini this sounds like a heavenly combination to me can’t wait to try this for dinner. Bet it will be a great Hit!! Thanks for the recipe:))
This recipe makes divine zucchini fritters! Perfect!
I make these fritters all the time, great recipe, a family favorite. Thank you!
A friend made these for a dinner party recently but used 2/3 beets and 1/3 zucchini – SO GOOD!!! She prepared the beets as in step one of this recipe: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/27/health/nutrition/beet-and-beet-green-fritters-recipes-for-health.html?_r=0
You say you often add corn and cotija cheese, and jalapeno, but i never see where when or how, I have looked and re-looked. please help!
Made these fritters with a 2.5lb zucchini tonight. Yum! Even the zucchini haters in my family gobbled them up. No leftovers at all! We will definitely be eating these again soon. Oh, the addition of Parmesan was divine.
Still love these. Yum!!
This sounded so good, and even healthy, that I finally decided to try one of your recipes.
I added one teaspoon of salt to the shredded zucchini, then waited 10 minutes, then tried to press most of the excess water out of the zucchini (wooden spoon in a colander). The zucchini wouldn’t give up ANY water. I knew I had to do something to get the water out of the zucchini, so I added lots and lots more salt, since “most rinses down the drain.” After another 20 minutes or so, I started being able to press some water out of the zucchini, although it wasn’t very much. I went ahead with the recipe. The fritters didn’t hold their shape very well until we started shaping a patty by hand before putting it into the oil, probably because the zucchini was too wet. I used coconut oil for frying. When I finished, the fritters were really greasy from all the coconut oil, and were incredibly, almost inedibly, salty. If I ignore the grease (I tell myself that coconut oil is really healthy) and pretend I’m eating salty potato chips so I can tolerate the salt, they’re pretty good. I don’t know why my zucchini wouldn’t give up its water. I need to tinker with this recipe, if I ever have any spare time. Maybe I should put the grated zucchini under the broiler to dry it.
Fluffy! I added a little parm. YUM!
I added fresh corn (I had a leftover ear in the fridge). Also, did do the garlic clove in the yogurt, as well as a few chives and some horseradish. Oh-so-good!
Sue- I have difficulty getting the water out with a spoon as well, so I end up squeezing it in my fist. It works, but after making them for the fifth time tonight and still having them not be super crispy (obviously this doesn’t put me off!), I’m going to get some cheesecloth and try that method next time.
They are so, so good- even without the crispy edge, I can only imagine how they’ll be next time! Good thing my friend gave me two HUGE zuchinni this week! I’ll get to try again!
I took a few liberties with this wonderful recipe… used chickpea flour and added cumin seeds and chopped mint and served with a yoghurt dressing with mint, coriander, lime etc and they were nom nom nom.
I made these the other day, used a grater for the zucchini and turned out great!
I just made these last night and they turned out so very very delicious. My four-year old gobbled them up doused in yogurt sauce. I just wanted to post that I had some meyer lemons so I chopped up a small one and tossed in the yogurt sauce w/ the garlic and squeeze of lemon juice, too. The meyer lemon bursts were kinda pretty flippin’ awesome. Just FYI, if you’ve got some, use ’em.
I separated the egg and whipped the whites into stiff peaks, like I do for corn fritters. And served with sautéed mushrooms and marinara sauce instead of cream/yogurt. Nice lunch.
I find that putting the shredded zucchini in a salad spinner is the easiest way to get all the liquid out. It works great!
Made these last night. Yummy!
I love this recipe :)
Started with looking at Broccoli Fritters on this site….But wanted a cheese free dish….Could (well chopped) broccoli be substituted for the zucchini in this recipe??
Thank-you….
Literally the first time my 4yo son has asked for more vegetable…anything. He loves them, so I love them. Thank you!!!
I had 2 zucchini in my fridge and lots of chickpea flour in the pantry. I wanted to make gluten-free zucchini bread but nothing on the web looked trust-worthy. Then I thought of fritters – and here came Smitten Kitchen… As soon as I saw this recipe, I knew that I could adapt it to my liking. Flour replaced with chickpea flour, no scallions. Recipe doubled. Perfect fritters!!! Next time, perhaps even more zucchini….
Zucchini pan cakes are my life time favorites. I love them garlic mixed yogurt or with hot sauce. My mom adds carrots and I add feta cheese. Also Tray baked option is one of my favorite to also its so healthy.
Love your photos though.
I love your web site and come back to this recipe every summer, Thanks!
Made these, but halved the recipe. Gave the dogs half the beaten egg, only to end up cracking another open because there just wasnt enough moisture to hold this together! Maybe this wouldnt have been a problem if I had done the whole recipe? I ended up adding some parmesan cheese to the second half of the batch after eating the first ones. I think I also added more green onion than called for and a bit of garlic powder, but still found them very bland without the parmesan cheese. I will be making these again though, as its a tasty recipe with a few tweaks. The sauce of course made these :) Thanks!
So delicious! Tho I must admit that they look more like pancakes than fritters – so I will have to try again :)
I added some garlic & red pepper flakes & more flour (hence the pancakes) , what a great dinner. Thank you!
Made these tonight as I had zucchini given to me (why is it that gardeners are always so surprised when the zucchini invasion happens!!). Definitely need the extra salt after squeezing the zucchini, I doubted needing more and ended up salting them afterwards. I browned them and then baked them in the oven to finish. Will try them again for sure but will amp up the seasoning.
Picked up an assortment of baby squash at Costco and decided to try out my new KitchenAid food processor. Shredded those babies (literally) up and fried them up in my mom’s cast iron skillet. Didn’t go to all the trouble with the sour cream topping, just plopped a dollop on two of them. Then fried one of your super crispy eggs on the other one. Then topped the last couple of bites with applesauce! They were great in every way prepared!
Just made these for dinner (along with spaghetti) and they were perfect. I subbed/skipped a couple things:
-cold water for the egg (I’m used to using ice cold water for Korean style pancakes, but also because #collegestudentlife means our house goes through eggs faster than I can blink)
-had no baking powder
-green onions instead of scallions
Will definitely be keeping this recipe!
Made these for the 4th time today and they were delicious, as always. Belated thanks!
I have a party service here in Germany and make Zucchini Fritters very often. Since there are many Turks in Germany, I make them the turkish way: mixed with rice instead of flour and served with a spicy paprika-yoghurt sauce. I usually use cold cooked whole-grain (brown) rice to increase the nutritional value (no one notices the taste or texture of the rice, so even healthy-food-haters–some men, and many kids–will eat and love them). The rice firms them up a bit and makes them less watery in the middle. Mostly, I add cheese (Parmesan, Cheddar or Feta) and lots of fresh Dill, along with freshly-ground Cumin and something spicy (Chilli, Harissa or hot smoked Spanish Paprika). I either fry them in olive oil as fritters or, MUCH easier, bake them in well-oiled muffin forms (only 1/2 inch deep) in a hot oven for about 15 minutes.
Baking them helps keep the air in the kitchen less greasy, a real problem if you want to make 40 or 50 fritters for a big party without reeking with oil after frying so much! And they look very orderly, all one size and shape.
Thanks so much for your blog, I really enjoy it!
The fritters work well if you only use egg whites, too (whip them first to firm peak).
I normally waffle mine because I only want one or two. Crisping them up in the oven sounds like a good idea when cooler weather arrives.
I was looking for things to do with leftover squash and zucchini and I had always heard that zucchini pancakes/fritters were great so I came upon the beautiful photos of this recipe and fell in love. I followed the directions but I did add basil and I used half yellow squash and the other half zucchini and they turned out TO DIE FOR! I ate them with sour cream and a little extra basil and the flavors were outstanding. The pepper was such a nice note of flavor as well as that little bit of chive. If you are contemplating making these, go for it!
Hi,
I love to print out your recipes and your photographs are gorgeous…I don’t find a way to print them with a photo…is there an option on the recipe page I’m missing?
THANKS for the great food!!!
Lynn Mirassou
Napa, CA
Lynn — No, there isn’t an option to print the recipes with a photo at this time.
Your recipes are always great, I should’ve known better than to skip a step. I didn’t salt the zucchini cuz I was hungry and really, how much water could there be? well, my dinner today was zucchini pancake with a gooey center and a side of pickles. Taste great, just really shouldn’t have skipped that step, lol.
Just made these with a giant zucchini from the garden. They’re very good but a tad bland. Next time, I would add some bright herbs like basil, or maybe even curry powder to the batter. Parmesan or pecorino might also work. Using chickpea flour was also a good idea someone else suggested.
I love zucchini fritters! I make mine with feta and chopped mint. and cilantro. They are to die for!
I make these all the time but never thought to finish them in the oven. Great idea to make them nice and crisp!
These are so yummy- I just made a batch for a late lunch as I was famished and didn’t have much to work with other than a couple zucchinis! I initially forgot the baking powder so made the first skilletful without, and think I prefer them without baking powder personally so I’ll make them like that moving forward. Thanks for another tasty, easy recipe!
This is relatively quick, easy, and a great hit with my family. It’s on my regulars list!
I like to have them with some eggs, to add protein, and sometimes with ketchup.
This recipe finally made me figure out how to use the slicing blade on my food processor! “This zucchini smells like squash,” I told my husband dubiously as I was squeezing the extra liquid out (as a general rule I hate squash). I persevered and they were delicious! None of the overly-sweetness I associate with squash. We made a double batch because I had one monster zucchini from the farmers market and ate the first with creme fraiche and fried eggs and the second over a soft parmesan polenta. Definitely recommend for other green-vegetable-hating 30-year-olds.
Love these — especially when I don’t want to turn on the oven to make zucchini bread! Your zucchini bread is the BEST, but sometimes we don’t need two loaves of delicious please-put-butter-on-me perfect bread.
Today this was a fantastic lunch! I added hot sauce to the final product and that was not a bad thing. Thanks Deb!
Loved ’em ! Picked 2 off the vine and tried them for the 1st time. A keeper !!!
Delicious! We used a mix of zucchini and yellow squash for extra colour, and added finely chopped flat-leaf parsley and mint to the fritter batter.
Despite squeezing every last it of liquid from my zucchini shreds, I still have not been able to achieve a crispy fritter. Do you have any other recommendations? Also, as a side note, may I also suggest the addition of feta and fresh dill? so delicious!
Made these tonight using a 1/4 cup flour and 1/4 cup cornmeal for a little extra crunch. It was awesome! I might try all cornmeal instead of flour next time. Thanks for a great recipe Deb!
My courgette/zucchini phobic other half pronounced them nice this evening. It’s the equivalent of gushing displays of overwhelming emotion. I kid ye not.
I added some dried coriander, chilli flakes, garlic and tumeric to take his mind off how green they are and served them with sausages. Worked a treat – SK does it again! Thanks 💞
I can’t believe I never made these before! DELICIOUS. Loved the sauce (I used light sour cream and it was perfect)
just made these with 2% greek yogurt (plain) and also delicious!
I’ve been making these somewhat obsessively over the last few weeks; they’re a perfect lunch or dinner for a canning-marathon day. I started doubling the recipe hoping for leftovers, but somehow my husband and I still eat them all in one sitting… Love them with big slices of garden tomatoes, thick slices of sharp cheddar, and cold beer!
Made these last night for dinner and they were positively snorfed up by everyone! I was asked to make them again tonight. Since the neighbors now hide when they see me coming (having given them too much zucchini already) this is a good way to use up our bounty.
Hi! I made these with a gorgeous yellow zucchini and GF flour – It was good, but blander than I had expected – the zucchini didn’t come through as I had hoped, which I now suspect is because of the two substitutions from green to yellow zucchini, and the flour (an all purpose GF flour). When I am cooking for a non GF friend will try the original recipe, and hopefully it will remind me less of a falafel, and more of the crispy zucchini dream I have in my mind from all the other reviews!
Great tip about salting the shredded zucchini to get all the water out! So much water squeezed out.
These were super easy to make but turned out just mediocre for me… (and that’s a first for recipes on this blog for me!) I followed everything exactly but could still taste the baking soda. Even after 10 minutes in the oven they were not fully cooked on the inside so I cranked the heat up to 350 and let them go for about 10-15 minutes more. Also, this recipe does not make a lot, and they’re very small!
I think the recipe has potential for me, with some tweaking and maybe more seasoning. But definitely definitely squeeze the water out at the start!
I know this is a late response but the recipe called for baking powder, not baking soda! Maybe that’s what affected the after taste?
Just made these for the first time. WHY DID I WAIT SO LONG? Actually I had to sub out white flour with chickpea flour. I was a little worried because I don’t have great experiences with chickpea flour–and dog turned his nose up at the mixing bowl remains (and he’s a lab 😛). But they were terrific. Thanks for this keeper!
These were pretty good, but a little bland. Next time I would add some red pepper flakes or herbs.
I’ve cooked this recipe 100 times, and each time I decide to make it, I next think, “frankly, I like my fritters to look like mops.” It tickles me every time!
Just made this for dinner. When I first tested it, I was pleasantly surprised at how delicious it was! Great way to use up zucchini. I ate mine with a dollop of Greek yogurt.
I made these twice tonight – because my first batch wasn’t great. I followed the recipe pretty much to the word, including really wringing out the zucchini in cheesecloth. When I added the flour mix, it became apparent that my mix was to dry. But I made them anyway and I will say the flavor was fine. Soooo, I made another batch, leaving a bit more moisture in the zucchini and adding less flour – specifically 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon. Much better consistency, still good flavor.
BTW I make my own dipping sauce. Put a slug of good quality mayo in a bowl and add small amounts of sriracha and soy sauce until you get the desired balance of salty and spicy. Great sauce for just about anything!
I make them similar here in Italy, adding grated Parmigiano cheese and breadcrumbs instead of flour. I must try your recipe! ;)
I’ve made this twice now – So yummy! And I love the cream sauce on top! The yogurt makes it feel healthy & guilt free. Fritters are such a great way to use up all the extra zucchini I seem to accumulate in the summertime without turning on the oven.
Pro tip: If you tell your child these are zucchini hash browns, he will eat the serving on his plate and ask for seconds. If you tell him they are zucchini fritters, he will weep and hide under the table.
Or maybe it’s just my kid.
Nope, it’s all of them. ;)
I wish I could put a heart emoji on this comment. ;P
Lol! My zucchini hating 12-year-old loved it but only because I called it a vegetable fritter. If he’d known it was zucchini he would have gagged!
I made these last year, and I didn’t care that much for them. A large zucchini harvest made me try the recipe again last night. Fabulous! Used more zucchini than Deb called for (just because I had just picked three, not two, zucchini). I hand-squeezed the shreds, and perhaps that also made a difference. Whatever the reason, the result was an outstanding meal. I served them with the onion dip from another Deb recipe that was left over, and it was quite tasty.
Made these tonight with a mix week old zucchini and some fresh yellow zucchini from my mom and dad’s garden. Absolutely delicious, especially with a bit of cayenne! I’ll have to double the recipe next time, so I’ll have more leftovers to take to work for lunch. Yogurt sauce also makes great potato chip dip.
These were delicious! I needed something new to try with the zucchini from my CSA. I topped them with a zucchini hummus I made a few days ago mixed with some plain yogurt. They were super simple and quick to make. It made enough for dinner for two people with one left over. I added a tiny onion instead of scallion. I would maybe leave that out. A little too much onion flavor for my taste. I used one yellow summer squash and my husband thought there was cheese in them!
Delicious and so very simple! My normally very picky husband even went for seconds. But thankfully, there are still a few for tomorrow’s breakfast – cannot wait to do the egg on top. Thank you, Deb!
Really great. I added some Old Bay. I think the “lightly nudge” advice is right on. I squished some of them a little too much and they were pretty flat. Still delicious, but not as nice as the lightly nudged ones. A winner for sure and a great way to use up zucchini.
So…what was the point of preheating the oven? For real.
Just to keep the cooked fritters warm.
I’ve made these twice in the space of a week from our CSA zucchini! I also used a CSA leek in place of scallions, and tzatziki dip instead of the sour cream/lemon spread – delicious!
So far I’ve only had them for dinner, but I bet they’d make a killer breakfast with an egg on top :)
LOVED this is the height of zucchini season here in Pacific NW. I used the technique of salting then squeezing-dry the zucchini to add it to a double chocolate gluten-free muffin. Win-win! Thank you for being as devoted to your readers as we are to you.
These are even more wonderful if you replace half of the flour with grated parmesan cheese…..
these fritters look delicious! Deb, are they as good baked as they are fried?
I haven’t baked them; I’m sure they’ll work, but it will probably be hard to get them crisp.
Any recs on how to make these GF? Someone posted that all purpose GF flour wasn’t great and I’m not a fan of garbanzo bean flour. Thanks!
Any ‘flour alternative ‘ will work in these. The amounts may just need a little tweaking for some of the gf alternatives. It all depends on your own personal preferences and tastes really. I thougjt they were good with besan flour, but you said you didnt like that! I have also done them with brown rice flour successfully. Personally I dont think the flour type changes the end result taste very much!
I also usually use chives instead of scallions as I cant have onions. Also have tried these with cilantro and fresh jalapenos which really kicks the flavor up a few notches! As with most fritters, there is no right or wrong, anything goes! Especially if you not too concerned with final look and are instead focused on the taste! Lol
This was amazing. It truly is a lot of liquid that gets squeezed out. Like others, I didn’t have scallions, so I subbed in about half a yellow onion. I used leftover aioli from a restaurant doggy bag for the dollop, it was great. I kinda think you can do no wrong with this recipe. I might try to half the flour and add some breadcrumbs next time, just to experiment. This is certainly going into the rotation. Highly recommend.
I have made these all summer – my book club ladies swooned and my kids gobble them up. I go heavy on the squash and using grated onion for convenience. Topped off with a mix of sour cream and a local hot sauce from the farmer’s market. Yum!
I’ve made this several times in the past, as well as some of the other fritters. Today, we made a quick Asian dipping sauce (soy, sesame oil, black vinegar, and a pinch of sugar with a few scallion bits for decoration).
I’ve made these a couple of times and will continue to. It’s a great recipe. Mine were too dry with 1/2 cup flour so like another reader I used a little over 1/4 cup and added a 2nd egg; a small one. Great texture and flavor. My husband liked them and he normally doesn’t go for zucchini. Used yogurt/sour cream combo for the sauce. Thanks Deb!
I’ve made these many times… They’re great, but now I have a question. I shredded and squeezed out the water from zucchini and froze it in packages. Now I want to use that zucchini to make fritters. When I take the frozen package out of the freezer, do I squeeze out water again, or just let it defrost and use it with the water that was frozen? Thanks.
Hey Deb,
Could I just bake these in the oven and skip frying all together, or is that not recommended? Thanks, I’m a huge fan and cant wait for your new book!
You can; they may not get as crisp and brown on both sides but it’s otherwise fine. And thank you!
So I made this and was not a fan of the texture, but the flavor was on point. I have a feeling that I didn’t squeeze out enough water, but my fritters were flat and sort of… gooey??… in the centers, even though they were browned on the outsides. They also weren’t as craggy looking as yours.
Can anyone help and see where I went wrong? With a freezer full of zucchini, I want to love this recipe!
I dont make this often enough. I just got a food processor, and we have decided to try to eat fewer carbs, so I think this will be on the menu more frequently. What can I say, it is truly delcious! I add some chopped capers to the sauce and use a bit more salt.
Just made these erev Hanukkah… did half kosher salt and 1/2 Himalayan salt with white truffle… they’re amazing, like all your recipes!
Decided to try a new one from you, and went back pretty far in the archives for this! I’ll be honest, my husband was suspicious when I told him zucchini fritters were on the menu. Even halfway through making them I had second thoughts, thinking the batter was too dry. But they were AWESOME, and my hubby wolfed it down with a fried egg. We’re always trying to think of new ways to eat zucchini and squash, especially in the summer, and this will definitely be making it into the rotation!!! Thanks Deb, you never fail me!! I realized that this week, I’m making this, your baked potatoes with wild mushroom ragu, your pizza dough, your turmeric spiced meatballs, and your chili with cheddar sour cream biscuits. Obsessed much?! :)
I’ve been making these since this recipe debuted in 2011.
I make them when neighbors and family friends with gardens cannot get rid of their crops fast enough :)
They are a favorite of my kids. I just made them tonight and my eldest – 13 yo – said that this is her version of comfort food. Served with sour cream, of course. And I thought I should come back and comment – I make so many early-days Smitten Recipes and they are so well loved.
I love this recipe, but lately have been too lazy to make them–flipping all those small bunches and so on. So I finally decided to just make one BIG ol’ fritter. I just put the whole mass into the preheated skillet, nudged it around a bit to be approximately round, and then cooked till brown on each side. So delicious and so EASY!
Oh I like this idea very much!
Wow! It looks yummy. I have eaten Zucchini fritters for the first time from Besh Turkish Kitchen at Mall of the Emirates, Dubai ( http://www.malloftheemirates.com/dining/dining-restaurants/besh-turkish-kitchen ) and just loved it. After that I got their recipe from the website and tried myself. It came out tasty. They use carrots and cheese in the mixture. You could try that too.
Thanks for sharing this. I will try this one also :)
I have a similar recipe that I’ve been making for years and I’m addicted to. It also has crumbled feta cheese, fresh dill and Italian parsley. Fabulous. I make a sauce of yogurt, sour cream and a combination of fresh herbs. Could eat these every day!
I’m a fritter fan like you wouldn’t believe. I seem to make a lot of food in that general shape…And just like everyone else I have too much zucchini. Just this week I tried Anna Jones’s Courgette and halloumi fritters with chilli jam. Oooo la la…that’s are a keeper recipe. Give em a try if you haven’t already.
I didn’t realize till I saw a comment on here that you have or are on an auction? Please fill me in on that…??? Love most of your ideas and when you post a recipe featuring a food that I love, I always try it! Thanks for just being you ! <3
It was many years ago — a food blogger had lost her husband suddenly and some people were raising money to help her out.
This recipe is my zucchini averse family’s favorite recipe (other than in baked goods). We’ve made it many times over the years, and I even get a “yum, zucchini” when they are on the menu. Thank you!
I love your zucchini fritters!
I’ve made them twice. The second time
I put hemp seeds in them for protein
and ate them for lunch! Thank you!
Comments from my sons…
Matthew, age 18, “Dude! These rock!”
Two hours later, reheated, Jacob , age 23, “Have you made these fritters before? They are awesome!”
I will double it next time! Yum!
I made this without the egg. Substituted with a corn starch and water slurry. Delicious!
These were so yummy! A perfect way to highlight zucchini! I ended up double-wringing these out and lost just as much water as I did after the first time I squeezed out the water and waited 10 more minutes. I added garlic powder and chopped parsley for extra flavor and ended up using three medium zukes; the amount of flour was perfect. I ate these with a simple succotash and a fried egg for the best summer dinner ever! I’d love to make these again and try replacing some of the flour with parm, per a rec up above!
These have changed my life! My toddler gobbled them up and asked for more more more. They were super quick to make and are an excellent vegetable delivery system for the skeptical young one. I am making them, along with the other fritters on this site, all the time.
I made these last night using this recipe as a general base for what turned out to be some really delicious fritters! I added some deli meat ham that needed to be used and two handfuls of shredded mozzarella that also needed to be used, plus 2 chopped green onions because I didn’t have scallions. I also forgot the baking soda, but I didn’t notice any issues.
They were SO delicious, and plenty filling with the added meat and cheese!
These were delicious; I’ve made them twice now! Thank you!
Made these a a couple of times and we love this. Today I added a fair bit of grated cauliflower and finely chopped mushrooms (both of which would have otherwise gone bad in the fridge). I am going to try chick pea flour like someone above suggested.
Very pakoda like, but healthier :-)
So good. I should have made a double batch!
Is it okay to freeze them before cooking, or should they be cooked and then frozen?
Cook, then freeze.
Hi! I made these yesterday and they were great but I didn’t get even close to 10, 2 1/2 inch fritters, more like 5 and I am wondering if I maybe didn’t use enough zucchini. Is it possible to get a measuring cup measure for the amount of zucchini? Thanks!
My 18 month old loved these (as did we) and went so far as to give his fritter a kiss with an audible “muah!” before each bite. If that’s not worthy of a five-star rating, I don’t know what is. I made the recipe exactly as written (with the scallions) and served the kiddo’s with a dollop of yogurt for dipping and ours with a “sauce” of sour cream mixed with a dash of hot sauce.
I was very excited when a friend sent me this recipe. It did not dissapoint! I will be making these again! 😊
Have you ever used “pre-cooked brown rice flour” ? Its really good at absorbing moisture, making it really good for ‘wet’ vege fritters like these! (Plus it gluten free for those who need such things)
I have made this recipe so many times I’ve lost count. When I have leftover corn I add that too. We eat it with sour cream and (homemade) tomato jam.
I usually add 2 eggs, but today to mix it up I added some buttermilk to the batter and it was even better!
I am gluten-free. I put grated (not shredded) parmesan cheese in, instead. Other substitutions are fine, no scallions but finely chopped parsley is good.
Do you think these would work with almond flour?
Here’s a comment from someone who tried it: https://smittenkitchen.com/2011/08/zucchini-fritters/#comment-744545
SOOOOOOO GOOD! Made these tonight with our garden summer squash surplus. These will 100% be on the regular rotation. There’s lots of room for creativity … bacon? Sure! A little parm? Yes, please. But they’re also perfect the way they are. Thanks for this recipe!
Add some fresh dill to that sour cream!!
Best. Zucchini. Ever.
I’ve made these twice now, and they are ahhmaazing! Last night I made a double batch hoping to freeze some but I don’t think they’ll make it to the freezer. They’re even good cold straight out of the fridge. So I’m contemplating freezing the shredded zucchini for both these and the zucchini bread (also amazing!). Anyone know if it would be better to freeze before or after wringing out the water? I’m guessing leaving all the water is best for bread, but what about for fritters?
I had one of those massive end of summer zucchinis that I shredded in its entirety. I used 2 cups from it to make you amazing zucchini bread, but this recipe calls for a pound of shredded zucchini… and I of course do not have a kitchen scale. Any idea how many cups of shredded zucchini this calls for? I started with two cups and it seemed so meager so I upped it to three… does that sound right? I did get 10 little fritters, so hopefully that’s the right amount!
I have made these before, but found them a little bland. So, based on the comments, I made the following tweaks. Replaced half the flour with equal parts cornmeal and/or Parmesan. Added 1 clove of grated garlic and 1/4 tsp Aleppo pepper. They were amazing!! I’m thinking maybe a hint of lemon zest next time?
This has been on your website for literal years; I’ve made these fritters many times. But I just made them again, and they are SO delish (even using gluten-free flour!) that I just had to say, at long last, thank you.
i have made these a bunch of times! so far, i have used gluten free flour (just a store brand mix) and they were great, and i have also used besan (flour)/gram flour/chickpea flour and they were awesome with a bit of a nutty flavour. works perfectly fine as a double batch as well. thank you deb!
Made a double batch of these for the first time last night, adding potato and some cayenne. Delicious for these strange pandemic times!
Quick, perhaps dumb, question: will the sour cream mixture keep in the fridge? It really was just the perfect addition!
We had these with dinner last night, adding chopped chives and basil, but no yogurt sauce (out of yogurt) – delicious! But the real winner was breakfast this morning, when I reheated them in the air fryer and topped with a fried egg. They crisped up perfectly. Next time I might make these in advance, and then reheat them in the air fryer before serving.
I may have drained that zucchini a biiiit too aggressively! Ended up needing to add milk, the batter was so stiff haha
Thank you for the recipe!
Is it possible to use a different type of flour? Like spelt or oatmeal flour? Something gluten-free.
These look amazing by the way! :)
I used cassava flour to great success.
Hey this looks yummy!
Do you have any idea if/how you would make this without egg?
Thanks a bunch!
Did you ever try without egg? Also curious to know if it would work!
Would also love to know about an egg substitute – we have an egg allergy in the house *and* lots of zucchini.
It was good! I went with the fried eggs, yummy to have the yolks running over the fritters.
nice i like that
I was just “gifted” a rather large zucchini so gave this a go. Used 50/50 AP flour & grated Parmesan. I eliminated the scallion as neither of us are fans & added some dried mint. My husband ate 5. Did I mention he loathes zucchini?
Can I make the batter early and fry before eating?
Yes, although it can get a bit more watery. They reheat well if you want to cook them right away.
Made these for the first time ever today. Loved them. I used union powder as I didn’t have scallions and a homemade ranch for dipping. Definitely making again. Thanks!!
What about a flour substitute like almond flour or coconut? Would you use the same amount? Do you think it would change the flavor much?
Here are comments from people who have used non-wheat flours:
https://smittenkitchen.com/2011/08/zucchini-fritters/#comment-744798
https://smittenkitchen.com/2011/08/zucchini-fritters/#comment-744816
https://smittenkitchen.com/2011/08/zucchini-fritters/#comment-744863
https://smittenkitchen.com/2011/08/zucchini-fritters/#comment-744885
https://smittenkitchen.com/2011/08/zucchini-fritters/#comment-744545
https://smittenkitchen.com/2011/08/zucchini-fritters/#comment-744792
Well, I’m enjoying these fritters immensely. I made a batch to try and ate the whole thing. So much for making anything else for dinner. They couldn’t be easier. I may try making them with fresh corn that needs to be eaten. We’ll see!
These are so good, I make them all summer! I also throw in a handful of parsley, some dill, and feta. So so yummy!! Sometimes I use other flours, or gluten free. Very forgiving, delicious recipe
Why are these so good?! I trust you on everything, Deb, but these made me almost angry I hadn’t had them before :D And I was even out of eggs, so just subbed a bit of water and oil.
I make these just like this except with the addition of feta. Yummy.
These were delicious. I served them with the yogurt ( added the garlic) and put very generous dollops on the fritters. Still, probably could have halved the topping. For this time, any suggestions for what else I could use it for? Would go nicely on fish. Anything else?
Delicious! I used this recipe tonight after trying a couple other recipes that were more elaborate, but just didn’t quite get there (soggy and over spiced). I grated the zucchini coarser and added a second egg. I think the oven rest/finish was worth it. Fritters were not overcooked or soggy. Lots of praise from my wife!
I just made a double recipe and it wasnt nearly enough so I made another double recipe. SO so good!
Just made these last night and they were delicious! Thanks!
I have been making these all summer in several iterations. I HATE pan frying in batches so my first move was to sheet pan them. But even preheating they pan with oil a la the black pepper tofu/eggplant I’ve had trouble crisping them because my apartment smoke alarm goes off if I set my oven higher than 400. My latest version I did as a single large pancake in a cast iron, pre-heated for maximum crispness. And for ultimate efficiency/laziness you don’t even have to scoop individual pancakes. 🙌
I’ve been cooking my way through your vegetable fritters/savory pancakes recipes, and every time I try a new one, I think, oh this is my favorite!
These were simple, tasty, and my one regret is that I didn’t at least quadruple the recipe, because the rest of my family is devouring them. And also that I did not try them in the summer, when this would have been an in-season lunch.
Would love to see more recipes in the pancake/fritter vein!
These fritters are so yummy! 1 kid said “nope” & then proceeded to eat them all up. And ps the topping is fantastic as a dip for sweet potato fries In my opinion.
These are now a go-to make-a-ton-ahead meal in my household and they’re perfect every time! I’ve started adding a pinch of nutmeg and coriander to the flour+baking powder mixture, which seems to work really well with the rest of the flavors here.
Delicious! I added 1/2 c grated Parmesan + 1 extra egg. Served with tzatziki.
Second time I made these and they were just as bad as the first time. Followed instructions exactly as written. They never ended up being crispy but soft a soggy in the middle. Threw them all out.
These were delicious! Much easier to prepare than I expected, too. I added a handful of grated cheddar to make up for the fact that o had no green onions, and it made a tasty addition.
This is what I always do with those zucchinis that seem to turn into baseball bats overnight. Just used one that was 3 lb with the seeds removed. Great recipe, thanks!
This recipe is great! The only change I made was subbing flax eggs for the regular eggs and using yellow summer squash instead of zucchini. Usually zucchini fritters turn out too wet for me and don’t hold together, but I did not have that problem here! 5 out of 5. I have made them twice in the past month and have not regretted it!
These zucchini fritters were delicious and easy to make. I found that they needed more salt but that’s just me….
I made these a couple of weeks ago and they were great! Today they’re mushy and falling apart. Also sticking to the paper towel. I don’t know what I did wrong this time? Help!
SO good and easy! Nice way to use up extra zuch’s or ones that are getting a little soft.
We made these last week and the taste was delicious. But we had trouble cooking them through, almost to the point of burning, because the middle didn’t cook (too wet). We drained the zucchini prior to cooking. Any advice?
Also, 2 medium zucchini only yielded about 4 fritters. Is that accurate?
I have made these a bunch of times, but would love to know a way to scale it up for a crowd, maybe by brushing with oil and baking in the oven instead of pan-frying? I think they would be a hit for the annual convergence of my husband’s family, who lean heavily vegetarian (I usually make them with chickpea flour for extra protein).
I make these using the same quantity of courgettes, grated thin, with 40g wholemeal flour, 20g polenta and 2 eggs. Personally I think the best cheese to stir in is crumbled feta but I have tried them with cheddar and that works too.
I need to feed a crowd of hungry people – would this work in a 9×13 pan to make zucchini squares ?
Hi, looking forward to trying this recipe this evening. I’ve used with zucchini muffins – no flour – just cheddar cheese & eggs, a sweet chili yogurt dip. I tablespoon sweet chili sauce mixed with Greek yogurt.
A favourite in my house. Try adding some chopped dill.
These are amazing! I used a small salad spinner for the zucchini, it worked grate! Pun intended ;-)
I love these and usually make the individual fritters but today I made one big pancake in my cast iron pan. I follow the recipe as provided, flatten it out in the fry pan and cooked the bottom until crispy then tucked it under the broiler to crisp up and cook the top. It was wonderfully crispy top and bottom, the middle was nice and creamy. It would have been great to finely grate some parmesan over top before tucking under the broiler.
I made these using half flour and half Anson Mills quick grits, and some leftover cotija cheese. I forgot to add the baking powder (I’m not sure if this is for rise or for browning) but it turned out just fine. As long as these are well seasoned you can veer pretty widely from the recipe and they still turn out great. I made them ahead of time for a dinner party then reheated them in a 350 oven for 15 minutes. I will definitely make these again.
These fritters are delish!!! As zucchini is bountiful now, we just enjoyed our third fritter dinner of the week. Thank you so much.
Served this last night with some simple baked salmon, and my partner and I LOVED it. He was super disappointed there wasn’t more, so next time, I’m going to double the recipe! The only tweaks I did were to use extra-churned sour cream for the sauce and and add finely-diced cucumbers and chopped fresh dill weed. Delicious!!
Boy were these good. Mine came out looking just like your picture. They were light, not heavy like some fried foods can be. It made 11 and the 4 that are left are earmarked for an overeasy fried egg on top for supper.
These would also go beautifully with a feta cheese dip with a kick!
I wasn’t in the mood for frying, so I made them as waffles. Put a dollop of batter in each of the four quadrants of the waffle iron, oiled well. Got the idea from Mark Bittmans article about turning leftovers into waffles or pancakes. Batter was so thick it didn’t run together and they actually turned into small waffle fritters.
Or in the oven? 🙂
Hi all,
I checked the previous comments, and the recipe of course, but couldn’t find an ultimate quantity of grated zucchini for this recipe. My zucchini plants are super productive and I’ve already got two gallon-sized ziploc bags full of grated zucchini ready to be added to various recipes, but it would be hard to tell how much would have only been from two squash. I could weigh a pound grated, I suppose, but I’m not sure if that conversion works! How many cups of grated zucchini should I use in this recipe? Thanks so much!
So good! I’m trying to get more veggies in our diet, these were a home run! I let the shredded zucchini sit in the fridge for an our or so, then squeezed out the water. Really easy and delicious.
Do you yhonk fritters could be baked? Thanks!
Between the zucchini fritters & zucchini butter recipes, you have made a convert from a zucchini hater to zucchini lover. The only problem is that I CAN’T STOP EATING THEM. I only make them when I’m having company, but I always have to double the recipe or there won’t be anything for the guests to eat.
Thanks for everything Deb.
Love these fritters! I keep on making them all throughout zucchini season. I highly recommend adding some sunflower seeds to the batter for extra crunch.
Thank you for this recipe. I grew entirely too much Rampicante Zucchini this year and it has taken over the garden. We have been using all your Zucchini recipes to chip away and what we don’t give away.
Very good! Also adaptable! Just watch the ratio of wet to dry ingredients. I recommend adding grated parmesan and herbs (basil, chives, parsley).