Table · field guide
Crispy Zucchini Fritters
One zucchini plant hands you about 2 pounds a week, so you need fast ways to use it. Fritters are the best of them. You grate the squash, squeeze it dry, bind it with egg and flour, and fry until crisp. Ten minutes of work turns two big zucchini into a snack the whole table fights over.
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Why this one works
Zucchini is 95 percent water, which is why so many recipes turn to mush. Fritters win because you pull that water out before it hits the pan. Dry squash browns and crisps. Wet squash steams and falls apart.
The whole thing is one bowl and one skillet. No special gear, and the batter comes together while the oil heats.
Pick and prep the zucchini
Use medium zucchini, about 6 to 8 inches. Big baseball-bat squash has tough seeds and watery flesh, so save those for bread. A firm, glossy skin means it was picked fresh.
Grate the zucchini on the large holes of a box grater. Salt it, let it sit 10 minutes, then wring it out hard in a clean towel. You want to squeeze out at least a half cup of liquid. This step is the difference between crisp and soggy, so do not skip it.
Make it your own
Once you have the base, the mix-ins are open:
- Add crumbled feta and chopped dill for a Greek turn.
- Stir in a half cup of corn cut fresh off the cob.
- Swap in grated carrot for up to half the zucchini.
- Serve with a dollop of sour cream, plain yogurt, or garlic aioli.
Save the extra
A glut is more than you can fry in one night, so freeze the surplus squash before it spoils. Grate it, squeeze it dry, and freeze in 1-cup portions in freezer bags. Then fritters are a 10-minute job any month of the year.
One honest note: frozen grated zucchini gives off a little more water when it thaws, so squeeze it again before you use it. It works for fritters, bread, and soups, just not for a fresh salad.
Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 medium zucchini (about 1 lb), grated
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
- 2 green onions, sliced
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 3 tbsp olive oil for frying
Method
- Grate the zucchini, toss with the salt, and let it sit 10 minutes.
- Wring the zucchini out hard in a clean towel until it stops dripping.
- In a bowl, mix the dry zucchini with the egg, flour, Parmesan, green onions, and pepper.
- Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high until it shimmers.
- Drop heaping spoonfuls into the pan and flatten each into a patty.
- Fry 3 minutes per side until deep golden and crisp.
- Drain on paper towels and serve warm.
Questions, answered straight
You left too much water in the zucchini. Salt it, wait 10 minutes, and wring it out hard until it stops dripping. Dry squash is the whole secret to crisp fritters.
Yes. Bake on an oiled sheet at 425F for about 20 minutes, flipping once. They are lighter but less crisp than fried.
Swap the flour for chickpea flour or a cup-for-cup gluten-free blend. The bind holds fine either way.