Crispy Zucchini Fritters (Air Fryer Recipe)
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These crispy air fryer zucchini fritters are so easy to make! They are crispy, packed with flavor, and perfect as a quick snack, appetizer or side dish. Dip them in sour cream, ranch dressing, tzatziki, or whatever sauce you love — they are so good you might not even need a dip.
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Recipe Highlights:
Here is what you will need
Ingredient List
How to make zucchini squash fritters in the air fryer
Prepare the ingredients:
- Rinse and dry the zucchini
- Chop the garlic and onion
- Shred the parmesan cheese
STEP 1: Use a box grater to grate the zucchini over a bowl. Once shredded, press the zucchini down to release the liquid. Then transfer it to a clean kitchen towel or paper towels, roll it up and squeeze out even more moisture. (this step is key for crispy fitters!)
STEP 2: Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook the onion and garlic until soft, then let them cool.
STEP 3: In a large bowl, combine the shredded zucchini, cooked onion and garlic., egg, flour and parmesan cheese. Stir it all up until its well mixed.
STEP 4: Scoop our spoonfuls of the mixture in the bowl and shape into little patties and lay them in a single layer in your air fryer basket or tray. Spray them lightly with oil.
STEP 5: Place the fritters into a t 375°F (190°C) preheated air-fryer for 20 minutes flipping halfway through. They should come out golden and crispy.
Tips & Tricks for Crispy Fritters
- Get rid of the water: The more moisture you remove from the zucchini, the crisper the fritters will be.
- To wet? Add flour: The batter should be thick enough to hold its shape when formed into a pattie. If your batter feels to watery, sprinkle in a little extra flour until it holds together better.
- Double the batch: If you have a lot of zucchini, make extra and freeze for later.
- 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.
What to serve with zucchini fritters
These fritters work great as a snack, appetizer or side dish. Serve them with your favorite dipping sauce like this blue cheese dressing, ranch 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.
Variations
Here are some suggestions to change up your crispy zucchini fritters:
- Add more vegetables – Add any combination of diced sauteed mushrooms, bell peppers, shredded carrots, olives, sundried tomatoes to the batter.
- Cheese– Parmesan is classic, but feta, cheddar, or mozzarella cheese can keep things fun.
- Vegan – 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-free flour blend or almond flour.
Leftovers and storage
If you have leftovers, here’s how to keep them fresh:
- In the fridge: Store them in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat in the air fryer or oven to crisp them back up.
- In the freezer: Freeze the fritters in a single layer on a baking sheet. Once frozen, transfer them to a freezer bag or container. They will last up to 3 months. Reheat frozen fritters in a skillet, oven or air fryer – no need to thaw first.
Recipe FAQs
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.
Yes, these can easily be cooked in the oven. Follow the instructions in the recipe card, but place the patties on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake in a preheated 400°F oven for 12 minutes; cook for another 10 minutes until golden and crispy.
You might also like these easy zucchini recipes
- Easy Zucchini Refrigerator Pickles
- Quick and Easy Zucchini Noodles with Chicken
- Stuffed Zucchini Rolls Recipe
- Zucchini Bread Recipe (Bread Machine)
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zucchini fritters air fryer recipe
Equipment
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
Instructions
- Shred the zucchini over a strainer and press down to release the excess liquid (make sure you have the strainer over a bowl of the sink). Remove it from the strainer and place it on a clean towel or paper towel and pat it dry.
- Heat olive oil in a skillet over high heat. Once the oil is hot, reduce the heat to medium and cook the onions and garlic until they begin to soften.
- Place the eggs, flour, zucchini shreds, onion and garlic into a large bowl; and combine all of the ingredients.
- Scoop out portions of the zucchini mixture and form it into 12 patties. or fritters. Arrange the fritters in a single layer in the air fryer basket or tray.
- Spray the fritters with avocado or olive oil and air fry in a preheated air fryer at 400 degrees f for 20 minutes flipping halfway through.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and can vary based on cooking methods and ingredients used
