Crispy Zucchini Fritters

If you have garden zucchini coming out your ears, these Crispy Zucchini Fritters are the recipe you need right now! They make a delicious and quick side dish for any summer supper, or even a quick little appetizer for Happy Hour at Home.

Fresh zucchini is in season at the moment, so even if you don’t have a garden of your own, chances are you have a neighbor who’s practically begging you to take some off their hands, or you can buy it for a great price at the grocery store or farmers’ market.

How to Make Crispy Zucchini Fritters

Grate & Drain the Zucchini

Zucchini contains a lot of moisture, and since you want these fritters to be extra crispy, you’ll want to get as much of that moisture out as you can.

I usually just grate my zucchini quickly on a box grater, because it’s easier than dragging out (and cleaning up) the food processor.

Then, I make a thick layer of good quality paper towels (you could use a clean dish towel instead), wrap it tightly around the shredded zucchini, and squeeze, squeeze, squeeze.

See all that juice that comes out? That will give you soggy fritter, which is not at all what we are going for here! Crispy is the goal!

Mix It Up

Place the grated zucchini and carrots in a large mixing bowl, along with some finely minced garlic. I like to also add chives, because I have it growing in my herb garden, but sliced scallions or even grated Vidalia onion would be delicious in here.

Add the lightly beaten eggs, flour, and salt and pepper to taste. Go easy on the salt, because you will want to sprinkle a bit more on the fritters when they’re done.

Sauté in Olive Oil

Heat 3-4 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat in large sauté pan. Once the oil is shimmering, add scoops of approximately 3 tablespoons each of zucchini mixture to the pan, and flatten slightly with the back of your spoon.

Allow the fritters to cook for about 2-3 minutes on one side, until golden brown. Gently flip, and cook for another 1-2 minutes on the second side.

Remove to a paper-towel lined plate to drain excess oil, and repeat process with remaining zucchini mixture. You should end up with approximately 12 Crispy Zucchini Fritters.

Serve While Hot!

These zucchini fritters are best served right away, while they are still hot and crispy! Add a tiny sprinkle of additional salt to the top.

Garnish with extra chopped chives, and sour cream to dollop on top. I added chives to the sour cream as well. A couple of drops of your favorite hot sauce in the sour cream would also be fantastic if you like a bit of added kick!

Crispy Zucchini Fritters

Niky @ The House on Silverado

A delicious and easy side dish or appetizer to make with all that garden zucchini!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Servings 12 fritters

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 2 cups shredded zucchini squeezed dry
• 2 cups shredded carrots
• 2 cloves garlic finely minced
• ⅔ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 large eggs lightly beaten
• 3 tbsp fresh chives chopped
• salt & pepper to taste
• 3 tbsp olive oil for frying
• sour cream for dipping

Instructions

 

• Use a box grater or food processor to shred the zucchini and carrots.
• Place the shredded zucchini in a clean dish towel or stacked paper towels. Wrap towel around the zucchini, and using your hands, squeeze out as much liquid as possible.
• Transfer the zucchini to a large bowl, with the carrots, garlic, flour, eggs, chives, salt & pepper. Mix until combined.
• Line a plate with paper towels. Place a large sauté pan over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Once the oil is shimmering, scoop mounds (about 3 tbsp each) of the vegetable mixture into the pan, flattening the mounds slightly and spacing them at least 1 inch apart.
• Cook the fritters for 2 to 3 minutes before gently flipping. Continue frying an additional 1 to 2 minutes until golden brown and crispy. Transfer the fritters to the paper towel-lined plate, season lightly with salt and repeat the cooking process with the remaining mixture.
• Serve immediately while hot, topping with a dollop of sour cream mixed with more chives.

Notes

*This recipe is easily adaptable.  You can leave out the carrots and use all zucchini.

*I use chives in my fritters, because I usually have it in my herb garden, but sliced scallions would be delicious here too, or even grated Vidalia onion.  

*A couple of drops (or more!) of hot sauce in your sour cream topping would be great, if you enjoy a little spiciness! 

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

I love cooking at this time of year, when all my home-grown garden goodies are starting to be harvested. There’s nothing like summer suppers with ingredients you grew yourself.

These Crispy Zucchini Fritters are my favorite fritter recipe to make, because the addition of the carrots adds just a touch of sweetness, plus added color that makes them so pretty.

They are scrumptious, but the fact that they come together quickly with simple ingredients when I need a side dish for a summer supper makes them one of my go-to recipes for this time of year especially.

PS. If you still have a ton of garden zucchini to use up, check out my Peach Zucchini Muffins!