Crispy Zucchini Fritters
A simple and delicious way to make that summer squash shine.
Even if you’ve only grown one zucchini plant, you know that means that there’s no amount of zucchini recipes that will be enough to use up all your squash. That’s just the way it works. One plant = seemingly endless supply of zucchini. We’ll call it zucchini math. Whether I’m growing my own squash or not, fritters are one of my very favorite ways to get a zucchini fix. Like pancakes but MUCH more fun, these Zucchini Fritters are crisp around the edges with a tender interior that’s full of flavor. And it comes with a delicious creamy lemon-dill dip. I don’t know about you but I’m always happy about food that lends itself to dipping.
You don’t need a ton of ingredients to make fritters. In essence, you’re making a quick batter and folding the zucchini into but there are a couple of keys to success. One of those — the main one, really — is getting as much liquid as you can out of the zucchini. I like to do this by grating my zucchini and then placing it in a bowl, towel, or colander and sprinkling it with salt. If you let it sit like that for just ten minutes or so, the salt helps draw out some of the moisture, and then you can squeeze all of the excess liquid out. (Which I like to do by bundling it up in a clean towel.)
Then, you’re just mixing that zucchini with a couple of eggs, flour, and baking powder. That binds them together and fluffs things up a bit. They’re flavored with green onion, garlic, and salt and pepper. Pretty simple, but enough to make that zucchini shine without overpowering it.
Cooking them is simple too. Just heat up some oil in a skillet, plop a dollop of the batter in the hot oil, and then spread the batter out a bit with a fork or spatula. In about three minutes, it should be nice and golden-brown on the bottom so you can flip and brown the other side. You’ll want to work in batches so the fritters have plenty of room — if you crowd them they’ll steam instead of crisp up.
That’s it! Easy peasy. You could skip the sauce, I guess, but why on earth would you do a thing like that? I like to make mine first so it has time to chill and meld while I’m cooking the fritters. It’s just lemon, dill, and garlic stirred into some Greek yogurt and it’s delicious. If you’re anything like me, you’ll want to spoon it over everything. (Pro tip: It’s great with grilled chicken skewers too.)
Crispy Zucchini Fritters
Ingredients
- 1 lb zucchini (about 2 large or 3 medium)
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 2 green onions, chopped
- 1-2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Olive oil, for frying
For the sauce:
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Preparation
- First, make the yogurt sauce:
- Stir together the Greek yogurt, garlic, dill, lemon juice, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and chill at least 30 minutes and up to 3 days.
- While the sauce rests, make the fritters:
- Using a box grater, grate the zucchini. Place in a bowl and sprinkle with salt. Stir and then let rest for 10 minutes.
- Transfer zucchini to a clean kitchen towel and squeeze out any excess liquid well. Place zucchini in a medium bowl.
- Add eggs, green onion, and garlic to the bowl. Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and pepper and add to the bowl as well. Stir until combined.
- Coat a cast iron or nonstick skillet generously with oil and place over medium heat.
- Once oil is hot, spoon about 1/3 cup of fritter mixture into skillet and flatten with a spatula. Repeat with more batter, but don't overcrowd skillet. Let cook until golden brown on the bottom, about 3 minutes, then flip and continue cooking3 minutes more. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate, then continue cooking remaining batter.
- Sprinkle with a little extra salt and serve with lemon-dill sauce, if desired. Enjoy!