Zucchini Fritters (Air Fryer Recipe)

Name: zucchini fritters air fryer recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 3 cups shredded zucchini (about one medium); 1 clove garlic; 1/4 cup chopped onion; 1 egg; 1/4 cup flour; 1/4 cup parmesan cheese

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This zucchini fritters air fryer recipe is so easy to make! It’s the easiest way to make zucchini fritters that are crispy and packed with flavor.

zucchini fritters on a white plate with a small bowl of sour cream in the center

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Zucchini fritters are perfect for a delicious snack or appetizer dipped in sour cream, ranch dressing or your favorite dipping sauce.

Why you will love this recipe

It’s easy to make with just a few simple and fresh ingredients.
They taste amazing! Everyone will love them.
Zucchini fritters are healthy and a great way to enjoy more vegetables!

Here is what you will need

Ingredients

Fresh zucchini
Garlic
Egg
All purpose flour
Onion
Parmesan cheese
Olive oil
Olive oil or avocado oil cooking spray

Equipment

Food processor or box grater
Large mixing bowl
Sk illet
Air fryer

How to make this air fryer zucchini fritters recipe

Prepare the ingredients: Rinse and dry the zucchini, chop the garlic and onion, and shred the parmesan cheese.

zucchini fritters zucchini in a strainer with a wooden spoon

Step 1. Strain the zucchini

Place the shredded zucchini into a strainer over a bowl and press down on the zucchini to release the excess liquid. Remove it from the strainer and place it on a clean kitchen towel or paper towels, and pat dry.

Step 2. Cook the onion & garlic

Heat olive oil in a skillet over high heat. Once the oil is hot, reduce to medium heat and cook the onions and garlic until they start to soften and remove them from the heat.

zucchini fritter batter mixed together in a bowl

Step 3. Make the batter

Place the eggs, flour, grated zucchini, onion and garlic into a large bowl. And combine all of the ingredients.

zucchini fritters on an air fryer tray not cooked

Step 4. Form the fritters

Scoop out portions of the zucchini mixture and form them into patties or fritters. Arrange the fritters in a single layer in the air fryer basket or tray.

zucchini fritters cooked on air fryer tray

Step 5. Air fry the fritters

Spray the fritters with avocado or olive oil and air fry for 20 minutes until golden brown and crispy.

Ingredient Notes & Substitutions

The complete list of ingredients to make zucchini fritters in the air fryer is above. Below are notes about some of the ingredients along with ideas for substitutes.

Zucchini – Medium zucchini is the best to make zucchini fritters. If the zucchini is too small, you will need to use a lot of them! Alternatively, if the zucchini is too large, you will have to cut away the larger-sized seeds.

Yellow zucchini or summer squash can be substituted for zucchini.

All-purpose flour – I like to use whole wheat all-purpose flour, but you can use white if that is what you prefer.

Onion & garlic – Add a nice flavor to the fritters. You can replace them with 1/2 teaspoon each of onion powder and garlic powder, but keep in mind that the fritters won’t taste as fresh.

Cooking spray – Helps to make the fritters taste crispy, my preference is avocado oil spray, but you can use whatever you have on hand.

Cooking spray can be substituted with a quick brush of olive or avocado oil before placing the fritters into the air fryer.

overhead view of zucchini fritters on a plate with sour cream in the center

Variations

Here are some suggestions to change up your crispy zucchini fritters:

Add more vegetables – add diced sauteed mushrooms, bell peppers, shredded carrots, olives, sundried tomatoes or a 1/4 cup black beans to the batter.
Cheese – Instead of parmesan cheese try, feta cheese, shredded cheddar cheese, mozzarella cheese, provolone cheese or gruyere cheese.
Vegan air fryer zucchini fritters Replace the egg with a flax egg (1 tablespoon flaxseed meal mixed with 2 tablespoons water) and nutritional yeast or vegan cheese in place of parmesan cheese.
Gluten-free zucchini fritters in the air fryer – Replace all-purpose flour with an equal amount of gluten flour blend or almond flour.

What to serve with air fryer zucchini fritters

Serve your zucchini fritters garnished with green onions as a snack or appetizer with your favorite dipping sauce like this blue cheese dressing, homemade onion dip, Greek yogurt, tzatziki sauce or sour cream.

Zucchini fritters also taste great as a side dish with grilled chicken, pork chops or seafood.

How to store leftovers

Zucchini fritters taste the best right after they come out of the air fryer. But if you do have leftover fritters, you can store them in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to three days. Reheat them in the oven or your air fryer.

You can also freeze zucchini fritters by placing them on a baking sheet in a single layer and popping them into the freezer. Once they are frozen place them into a plastic bag or a stasher bag and freeze for up to three months.

Reheat them from frozen or thawed in a skillet, oven or air fryer.

zucchini fritters stacked on a white plate

Recipe tips

For the most crispy zucchini fritters, it is important to remove as much moisture as you can from the shredded zucchini, see tips above and below.
Save the reserved liquid from the zucchini and freeze it. Add it to your pasta water, or sauce, or use it to make vegetable broth.
If you have a lot of zucchini from your garden to use up, this is a great recipe to make a double batch of and freeze them.

What are the best ways to remove the excess water from zucchini?

Aside from placing the shredded zucchini into a strainer and pressing it, try placing it on a clean kitchen towel, cheese cloth, or paper towel and roll it up with the zucchini in it squeezing out as much moisture as you can. You can also try placing the shreds into a tofu press to release the excess moisture.

How do I keep the zucchini fritters from falling apart?

If your zucchini fritters are falling apart, chances are they have too much moisture in them. Try adding a little more flour to the batter to thicken it.