Italian Zucchini Fritters

Why This Recipe Works

• Sufficient sweating the shredded zucchini is really important for developing crisp fritter crust.
• A medley of herbs and spices flavors a somewhat-bland vegetable (sorry!) just right and along with Parmesan, provides Italian-style flair.
• Just a little baking powder in the batter results in fritters that rise beautifully.
• The recipe card below also includes tested steps to turn this batter into air fryer zucchini fritters, too!

Recipe Ingredients

• Zucchini: Look to use small to medium/medium-large zucchini with firm, unblemished skin. The recipe card measurement is given in shredded cups so the zucchini size doesn't need to be precise. Huge zucchini may be bitter and are generally considered less flavorful.
• Parmesan: Another hard Italian cheese, like Pecorino Romano, works just as well.
• Eggs & Flour: Necessary to bind everything together and give the zucchini fritters structure.
• Dried Spices: These include garlic powder, oregano, basil, and black pepper.
• Baking Powder: So the texture is not so dense.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Shred zucchini and place it in a large mesh sieve set over a bowl. Season with salt, stir, and let sit for 30 minutes.

2. Transfer zucchini to cheesecloth and wring out and discard as much moisture as you can. There will be a lot!

3. Beat eggs in a bowl, then stir in the dried spices, sweated zucchini, Parmesan, and parsley.

4. Stir in the flour and baking powder evenly.

I like to cook Italian zucchini fritters two ways - pan fried and air fried. Both are delicious and hold together well, though understandably the pan fried fritters win out on achieving the crispiest, tastiest crust.

5. Pan fry: Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat, then pan fry patties for 2-3 minutes per side, or until a deep golden-brown crust develops. Transfer cooked fritters to a paper towel-lined plate to absorb excess oil as they cool.
6. Air fry: Generally grease your air fryer basket OR line the bottom of your air fryer basket with parchment paper and shape the batter into equal patties. Spray the top of each fritter with olive oil, then air fry for 7-8 minutes. Flip, spray the new fritter tops with oil, then air fry again for 5-8 minutes, or until golden-brown. These don't require draining on a paper towel.

Recipe Tips and Tricks

• No Peeling - You do not need to peel zucchini before making zucchini fritters.
• No Rinsing - Do not rinse off the salt after sweating the zucchini.
• Pan Size - Don't use your largest skillet here as the oil will have a larger surface area to run off to and be thinner. I reach for my 10-inch pan, but one even smaller would be fine.
• Freezing Zucchini Fritters - Once cooled, you can freeze cooked zucchini fritters for 3 months in an air-tight container or bag with all excess air pressed out. Place a square of wax or parchment paper between fritters when stacking to prevent them from freezing together. Thaw in the fridge before reheating.
• Reheating Zucchini Fritters - Reheat in a skillet set over low heat, a low toaster oven, air fryer, or oven to best regain some crispness. Avoid the microwave as that will lead to soggy fritters.
• Dipping Sauce - I don't really measure on the occasions I make a zucchini fritter dipping sauce, but the one pictured here is a mixture of sour cream, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, chopped parsley and a bunch of dried seasonings to taste: garlic powder, thyme, chives, shallots, oregano, salt, and pepper. Absolutely delicious, and I will update this post with a link to the recipe once I detail the measurements.
• Prevent Air Fryer Sticking - Lining the bottom of an air fryer basket with parchment paper can be helpful to prevent soft doughs (like air fryer pigs in a blanket) or batters from sticking. This is especially true if you have a basket-style tray as it common with air fryer/toaster oven models. Follow the important tips in the box below, as well as all safety instructions relevant to your specific model.