Fried Zucchini Flowers are a beloved Italian delicacy. Light, crisp, and packed with a delicate garden flavor. Harvested in the peak of summer, zucchini blossom are gently dipped in a simple batter and quickly fried until golden.
This traditional dish is often served as an appetizer or snack, especially in southern Italian households.
If you like zucchini, you'll love my recipe for Easy Air Fryer Zucchini Fries, Simple Eggplant and Zucchini Sauté Recipe and my Momma's Fluffy Italian Zucchini Fritters.
Visit my recipe box for some more great recipe ideas inspired by Italian tradition!
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Here's Why You'll Love this Dish
You'll love this recipe for fried zucchini flowers not just because it's a recipe passed down from generation to generation, but also because:
- crispy, light and with a delicate flavor
- impressive but simple to make
- traditional Italian appetizer or snack
- versatile because it can be fried with or without stuffing
- great way to use zucchini flowers from the zucchini plant
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How to Pick Zucchini Flowers from the Zucchini Plant
The zucchini plant has both male and female zucchini flowers. They cross pollinate to create more beautiful zucchini babies.
When picking zucchini flowers, you'll want to pick the male flowers. Both will grow from a stem of the plant, but the female will have a small pickle shape just below the flower, which is a baby zucchini. Do not pick the female zucchini flowers, let them grow into zucchini.
Picking a few of the male flowers can help the plant focus its energy on growing zucchini.
Try to pick only the male zucchini flowers being mindful not to pick them all otherwise it may stump the growth of any more zucchini vegetable.
Did You Know?
Zucchini flowers have been a prized ingredient in Italian kitchens for centuries. In roman cuisine, they're often stuffed with cheese or anchovies and lightly fried.
Fried Zucchini flowers are most popular in the southern provinces of Italy, Calabria and Sicily. My mother who is from Calabria, Italy made these all the time growing up. Just another way my parents didn't let anything go to waste.
zucchini plant , male femal flowers how to tell the difference
Ingredients
This fried zucchini flowers recipe uses simple ingredients including: all purpose flour, parmesan cheese, carbonated water, salt and vegetable oil for frying.
For exact measurement details and directions see recipe card...
How to Make Fried Zucchini Flowers
Prepare your zucchini blossoms by inspecting them for insects.
Place cold water in a bowl and gently bath the zucchini flowers, but don't soak. Rinse gently with more cool water and lay them flat on paper towel and pat them dry.
Mix an egg in a small bowl. Sed aside. In a medium bowl, mix flour, cheese and salt. Add the egg and mix. The mixture will be course and dry. Start adding Perrier and mix with a whisk by hand, continue adding Perrier until you get a runny batter, similar to pancake syrup.
Prepare a frypan with oil and heat on medium high. Gently dip the zucchini blossoms in the batter, flip and then hold up above batter to let any excess batter run off.
Let them fry on one side for about 30 seconds, flip and let fry for another 30 seconds or until golden. Fry 5 to 6 at one time, leaving a little bit of space to avoid over crowding. If the batter is to thick, add more Perrier. If the batter is too thin, add more flour.
Transfer cooked zucchini flowers to a plate lined with a paper towel to soak any excess oil.
Serve with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese and a sprinkle of course salt if desired.
Storage:
If you have fried zucchini flowers left, store them in an airtight container. If you are refrigerating them, you may want to line the bottom of the container with a paper towel to absorb more of the oil from frying. Store refrigerated for 3 to 4 days.
You can also freeze fried zucchini flowers in an airtight container for 2 to 3 months. Thaw and place in a toaster oven to crisp up again.
Top Tips
Pick Fresh and use the freshest blossoms possible, same day picked from the zucchini plant
Clean gently clean, don't soak
Fry in hot oil and don't overcrowd
Eat immediately for best texture and taste
Variations
You can make zucchini flowers with or without stuffing, here are a few combinations for stuffing zucchini flowers:
- Ricotta and Anchovy (Roman Style)
- Ricotta and Mozzarella
- Ricotta and Parmesan
- Prosciutto and Cheese
- Crab and Ricotta
The perfect recipe isn't that far away. I'd love to know how you substituted ingredients to fit your dietary needs. Drop a comment below and let me know!
Answers to Commonly Asked Questions
In Italian fried zucchini flowers are called "fiori di zucca fritti". Fried zucchini flowers are often served as an appetizer.
Serve Zucchini Flowers with a Main Dish
Serve your zucchini flowers with a main dish like:
Recipe Details
Crispy Fried Zucchini Flowers
https://easyhomemaderecipes.caIngredients
- 2 oz zucchini flowers
- 1 medium egg
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- ⅓ cup parmesan cheese optional
- 11 oz Perrier water or club soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
- Prepare your zucchini blossoms by inspecting them for insects. Place cold water in a bowl and gently bath but do not soak the zucchini flowers, rinse gently with more cool water and lay them flat on paper towel and pat them dry.2 oz zucchini flowers
- Mix an egg in a small bowl. Sed aside.1 medium egg
- In a medium bowl, mix flour, cheese and salt. Add the egg and mix. The mixture will be course and dry.1 cup all purpose flour, ⅓ cup parmesan cheese, 1 tsp salt
- Start adding Perrier and mix with a whisk by hand, continue adding Perrier until you get a runny batter, similar to pancake syrup.11 oz Perrier water
- Prepare a frypan with oil and heat on medium high.1 cup vegetable oil
- Gently dip the zucchini blossoms in the batter, flip and then hold up above batter to let any excess batter run off. Carefully place them in the hot oil.
- Let them fry on one side for about 30 seconds, flip and let fry for another 30 seconds or until golden. Fry 5 to 6 at one time, leaving a little bit of space to avoid over crowding. If the batter is to thick, add more Perrier. If the batter is too thin, add more flour.
- Transfer cooked zucchini flowers to a plate lined with a paper towel to soak any excess oil.
- Serve with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese and a sprinkle of course salt if desired.
Notes
Top Tips
Pick Fresh and use the freshest blossoms possible, same day picked from the zucchini plant Clean gently clean, don't soak Fry in hot oil and don't overcrowd Eat immediately for best texture and tasteNutrition
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Food Safety
Note that the storage guidelines provided on this page and site are estimates from personal experiences. We are all adults and as an adult you are responsible to ensure that the food you eat is safe to eat. Since, I'm not a food safety expert, you are responsible to review your local guidelines on food storage prior to storing any food left-overs.
Remember to:
- Not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
For Canadian Guidelines check the Government of Canada Food Safety Guidelines or see more guidelines at USDA.gov.
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