Crispy Zucchini Fritters (Squeezed Twice, Never Soggy)

Crispy zucchini fritters fail for one reason, which is water, and this recipe deals with it before the pan is even hot. The shreds are salted, drained and squeezed twice in a towel, then bound with egg, flour and parmesan and fried until the edges turn lace brown. The result is a fritter with a crackling rim and a tender middle, not a limp pancake. It makes 12 fritters and serves 4, in about 41 minutes. Supermarket zucchini works fine, and so does frozen shredded zucchini once it is fully thawed and squeezed the same way, so this is a fall weeknight dinner as much as a summer one.

Why this works

• Salt pulls water out of the shreds by osmosis in 10 minutes.
• Dry shreds hit hot oil and brown. Wet shreds drop the pan temperature and steam.
• Two squeezes get out more water than one, and the shreds end up fluffy instead of matted.
• Parmesan adds salt and a savory crust, and the flour and eggs hold it all together.
• A rack, not paper towels, keeps the bottom crisp after cooking.

What to know about the ingredients

You need 4 cups of shredded zucchini after squeezing, which is 4 medium zucchini and about 480 g. Shred them on the large holes of a box grater. Fine shreds turn to paste once the salt hits them.

Use a block of parmesan and grate it yourself if you can, since pre-grated cheese is drier and does not brown the same way. Scallions give a mild onion bite that does not burn in the pan. Olive oil is the frying fat here, and the recipe uses 3 tablespoons in total across both rounds.

The recipe uses two separate salt amounts, one to draw water from the shreds and one in the batter. Do not combine them. Most of the first salt leaves with the water.

If you want a lighter topping, plain yogurt stands in for sour cream with no change to the method.

Crispy Zucchini Fritters

Print recipe Save to Pinterest

Salted, drained, and squeezed twice, which is the only reason these fry crisp instead of soggy.

Prep25 min

Cook16 min

Total41 min

Serves4

Scale1x2x3x

Ingredients

• zucchini, shredded and squeezed dry — 4 cups (4 medium) (480 g)
• all-purpose flour — ½ cup (60 g)
• eggs — 2 large (100 g)
• parmesan, grated — ½ cup (40 g)
• scallions, sliced thin — 3 scallions (30 g)
• garlic, minced — 2 cloves (6 g)
• olive oil, for frying — 3 tablespoons (45 ml)
• salt, for drawing water — 1 teaspoon (5 g)
• salt, for the batter — ½ teaspoon (2 g)
• black pepper — ½ teaspoon (1 g)

Instructions

1. Shred the zucchini on the large holes of a box grater into a colander. Toss with the 5 g (1 teaspoon) of salt and let it sit 10 minutes. Water beads on the shreds and runs out, which is the whole trick.
2. Gather the shreds in a clean kitchen towel and twist over the sink until the stream stops, then open the towel, refold, and squeeze again. These are the shreds. You want 480 g (4 cups) of dry, fluffy shreds.
3. Stir the shreds, eggs, flour, parmesan, scallions, garlic, the 2 g (1/2 teaspoon) salt, and pepper in a bowl until every strand is coated. This is the batter. It holds together when you press a spoonful against the side of the bowl.
4. Heat 22 ml (1 1/2 tablespoons) of the olive oil in a 12 inch (30 cm) skillet over medium heat until a shred dropped in sizzles on contact, about 2 minutes.
5. Drop 6 mounds of batter, 60 g (1/4 cup) each, into the pan and flatten each to 3 inches (8 cm) with the back of the spoon. Do not crowd them.
6. Cook 4 minutes, until the edge you can see is lace brown and the fritter lifts off the pan without sticking. Flip and cook 3 to 4 minutes more, until both sides are deep golden.
7. Move to a rack, not paper towels: a rack keeps the underside crisp. Repeat with the remaining oil and batter.
8. Serve hot with sour cream or plain yogurt.

Nutrition per serving

261Calories

10 gProtein

17 gCarbs

17 gFat

Estimated per serving from standard nutrition reference values; will vary with brands and substitutions.

Tips for getting it right

1. Let the salted shreds sit the full 10 minutes. You will see water bead on them and run out.
2. Twist the towel until the stream stops, then open it, refold and squeeze again. The shreds should feel fluffy, not damp.
3. Test the oil with one shred. It should sizzle on contact, which takes about 2 minutes over medium heat.
4. Flatten each mound to 3 inches (8 cm) with the back of the spoon, and do not crowd the pan. Six mounds fit a 12 inch (30 cm) skillet.
5. Wait for the underside to turn lace brown before you flip. A fritter that sticks is not ready.
6. Move cooked fritters to a rack, then repeat with the rest of the oil and batter.
7. Check the batter before you cook. It should hold together when you press a spoonful against the side of the bowl, and every strand should look coated.

How to store, freeze and make ahead

Leftover fritters keep 3 days in the fridge and 2 months in the freezer. Reheat them on a rack in a 400 F (205 C) oven for 8 minutes, or in an air fryer at 375 F (190 C) for 5 minutes. Never use the microwave, which steams the crust soft. These are refrigerator and freezer items only, so cool them on the rack before you pack them away.

What to serve with it

Serve them straight from the pan while the edges are still loud, with sour cream, lemon and flaky salt. They also work as a side next to Crispy Zucchini Schnitzel on a night when you want two textures of the same vegetable. For a snack plate, set out a few next to Zucchini Tots and a bowl of yogurt.

Variations

• Swap the sour cream for plain yogurt with a little lemon juice.
• Add extra sliced scallion on top for color, as in the photo.
• Finish with flaky salt right out of the pan, while the surface is still hot.
• Serve them with lemon wedges on the side so each person can add acid to taste.
• Try the baked route with Baked Zucchini Fries when you do not want to fry.

For more zucchini ideas that work in any season, see the guide to Zucchini Recipes and Small-Batch Preserving.