Thanks to my Mom for passing down this recipe for fluffy Italian Zucchini Fritters. A delicious side dish made of wholesome ingredients, like fresh zucchini, parmesan cheese, parsley and eggs.
Trust me that once you try this recipe for Italian Zucchini Fritters, you will be able to use up all those zucchini from your garden and make this recipe all of the time!
Try some of my other simple side dishes that are both simple and delicious like my Mom's Italian Potato and Tomato Salad, my Black Olive and Rosemary Focaccia or my Carciofi Ripieni Italian Stuffed Artichokes.
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These Zucchini Fritters are a great way to get your veggies portions in for the day. They taste so good that even your kids won't know that they are eating veggies.
If you like pancakes then you will love these zucchini fritters.
The summer is the perfect time to use the excess zucchini from the garden to make these Zucchini Fritters.
Now if you don't have a garden or know someone who grows zucchini, then you'll need to get them the old fashioned way - at the market!
This recipe was inspired by my mom who always seemed to make something out of nothing and make it taste absolutely wonderful. Like this Pasta al Forno recipe (Baked Pasta) that you can prepare ahead of time and bake just before you are ready to eat.
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Ingredients
It doesn't take much to make these zucchini fritters, just a few simple ingredients you have in your refrigerator.
- zucchini
- parmesan cheese
- egg
- white flour
- salt
- baking powder
- canola oil
- garlic
- parsley (optional)
See recipe card for quantities.
Where to Find Parmesan Cheese
I know that this might seem like a stupid section, but it's not written in vein. I know a lot of people who buy their pasta cheeses in the grocery isles. Please don't buy that brand or some no name parmesan cheese in a plastic jar in the pantry isle. Go to the Cheese and Deli counter to get "real" freshly grated parmesan or reggiano cheese. There is nothing more delicious than fresh grated cheese without extra unnecessary ingredients. Once you try fresh, you will never go back.
How to Make Fluffy Zucchini Fritters
Making these zucchini fritters does require a little bit of preparation work ahead of time.
This step is so important, don't skip this step. Using a grater, shred the zucchini and place them in a strainer and then place the strainer in a bowl. Add salt and mix the zucchini with your hands.
Allow the zucchini to sweat and squeeze. Let rest for 2 hours and return and squeeze the remaining moisture out of the zucchini. You'll find that some of the moisture will have already drained into the bowl before you start squeezing.
Give the zucchini one last squeeze and put them in a medium sized bowl, add egg, baking powder, cheese, flour and a little bit of salt.
You don't need to use a deep fryer for this next step. Just fill a frying pan with about a quarter inch vegetable oil. Once the oil is hot, spoon the zucchini patties into the oil and fry on one side. Once brown, flip and brown on the other side. The zucchini will turn a light brown on the outer edge and rise a little.
When they are cooked, you will want to place them in a plate lined with paper towels to soak up the oil. Let them cool completely, before taking a bite out of one of them.
Storage
These zucchini fritters store well in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days provided they are in a airtight container.
They also freeze very well for 3 to 4 weeks. Just take them out of the freezer and let them thaw out in the fridge 24 hours, then warm them up.
Top Tip
If you don't have enough time to grate your zucchini and let them sweat, here is a trick. Grate your zucchini, salt them and then get in their with your hands and start squeezing the living daylights out of them squeezing the moisture out. Toss and keep squeezing. Do this over and over again until there isn't anymore moisture left.
Substitutions and Variations
Unfortunately there is no "healthy" version of these zucchini fritters. I've tried substituting gluten free flour and omitting the cheese, but they just don't taste the same.
But if you want a little variation, here are some ideas:
- Spice - add some chilli peppers or cayenne pepper to spice things up!
- Cheese - add some mozzarella to make them more cheesy.
- Flour - use whole wheat flour to make them a touch more healthy.
If you can think of any other way to make these unique, go for it!
Reflection: Cooking is like science, you need to experiment with different combinations to come up with the perfect result (for you). But, don't worry if it's not perfect. Pat yourself on the back for trying, you deserve it! Just try and figure out what you did wrong and do it different next time.
Equipment
Equipment can have a big impact on how a recipe turns out. A grater will come in handy to grate your zucchini. I like mandolin type graters because they are perfect to catch grated vegetables in their container and reduce the mess.
A good non stick frypan is perfect for making this zucchini fritters. You won't need to worry about them sticking to the pan. Paper towel also comes in handy to absorb excess oil when you transfer them from the frypan to a plate.
And a spatula helps you to get the last bit of batter out of your bowls.
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Recipe Details
Zucchini Fritters - Pancakes
https://easyhomemaderecipes.caIngredients
- 2 medium zucchini about 3 cups shredded
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 egg
- ½ cups parmesan cheese
- 1 cups all purpose flour
- 1 ¼ tsp salt + ½ teaspoon
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 3 sprigs fresh parsley optional
- ½ cups vegetable oil
Instructions
- Shred the zucchini using a grater and place in a strainer and place the strainer in a bowl. Season with 1 ½ teaspoon of salt and mix. Place small plate on top of the shredded zucchini and press down to squeeze excess water. Make sure that the strainer is sitting on top of a bowl to catch water.
- Occasionally return to squeeze water out of the zucchini. Set aside for a couple of hours. If you don't have time to spare, just squeeze the life out of the zucchini until they reduce in volume by about half of what you had originally.
- Once the zucchini has drained of excess water, transfer to a dry bowl and add garlic, egg, cheese and parsley. Add the remaining salt if necessary. Be careful not to over salt.
- Add baking powder and flour until you get a thick consistency that you can spoon and slide into a fry pan.
- Place oil in a medium frypan and once heated to about 180°F degrees. Use a spoon pickup some of the batter and use your finger to push the fritter into the oil. Pat the fritter with your spoon to flatten as it begins to fry. Once you see the edges of the fritter get dark, you can flip it to cook the other side.
- Use a fork to pick up the cooked fritter and transfer it to a plate lined with a paper towel. Let it sit on the paper towel to absorb the excess oil.
- Repeat until you have finished with the dough mixture.
Notes
Top Tip
If you don't have enough time to grate your zucchini and let them sweat, here is a trick. Grate your zucchini, salt them and then get in their with your hands and start squeezing the living daylights out of them squeezing the moisture out. Toss and keep squeezing. Do this over and over again until there isn't anymore moisture left.Nutrition
Make this recipe for Zucchini Fritters now, or PIN it for later.
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.
Ms Meow says
I figured it out but the recipe instructions don't tell when to add the flour, salt, baking powder or parsley.
AmyG says
I appreciate your feedback. I've added the step where you would add the baking powder and the flour. The step where you would add the salt, baking powder and parsley were already there. 🙂