These cheesy Zucchini Fritters are crispy, golden and ready in 25 minutes flat.
Just 4 ingredients and one bowl - if fritters are a regular in your house too, my Halloumi and Zucchini Fritters and Cheesy Quinoa, Zucchini & Sweet Potato Fritters are worth trying too.
A Quick Look At The Recipe
🥒 Recipe: Cheesy Zucchini Fritters
⏰ Ready In: 25 minutes
🍽️ Serves: 8 fritters
🔥 Calories: 100 per serve
🧀 Main Ingredients: zucchini, self-raising flour, parmesan, egg
🌱 Dietary Info: Vegetarian • Thermomix or conventional method • freezer-friendly
💛 Why You'll Love It: just 4 ingredients, genuinely crispy (not soggy), and a great way to sneak in extra veggies
SUMMARIZE & SAVE THIS CONTENT ON
"So easy to make for an easy Friday night dinner."
Judy Kealy
These are one of the few veggie recipes that disappear off my kids' plates without a fight - the trick really is getting the zucchini properly dry first. They're great alongside my Corn and Zucchini Fritters if you want to double up the batch for a crowd.
Jump to:
Why You're Going To Love This Recipe
- Just 4 ingredients and ready in 25 minutes
- Genuinely crispy, not soggy - as long as you dry the zucchini properly
- A sneaky way to get extra veggies into fussy eaters
- Freezer-friendly, so there's always a batch on hand
Fritters Ingredients
Just 4 main ingredients, but the technique matters more than the ingredient list here:
- Zucchini - the most important step is removing the liquid (see the method below). Skip this and you'll end up with soggy fritters that fall apart in the pan.
- Parmesan - finely grated, not the shaker kind. It's what helps the fritters crisp up as they cook.
Variations
- Corn and zucchini: stir through a handful of drained corn kernels for extra texture and sweetness.
- Feta swap: use crumbled feta instead of parmesan for a saltier, tangier fritter.
- Dipping sauces: serve with sweet chilli sauce, tzatziki, or sour cream mixed with lemon juice and chopped chives.
- Leave out the garlic if you're making these for little ones who aren't fans of the flavour.
How To Make Cheesy Zucchini Fritters
- Step 1: Remove the liquid. Place the grated zucchini in a strainer, mix through the salt, and let it sit for 10 minutes. Squeeze out as much liquid as you can and discard it.
- Step 2: Mix the batter. Combine the zucchini, self-raising flour, parmesan, egg and garlic (if using) in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
- Step 3: Cook. Heat oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Spoon in tablespoons of mixture, flatten slightly, and cook for 2 minutes each side until golden and crispy.
- Step 4: Repeat and serve. Repeat with the remaining mixture, adding more oil as needed. Drain briefly on paper towel and serve warm.
Team Thermomix? Grate the roughly chopped zucchini using Turbo, 5-10 times. Strain with the salt as above. Grate the parmesan for 10 seconds, Speed 10, then add the flour, egg, garlic and zucchini and mix on Reverse, Speed 5 for 10 seconds, scraping down and repeating until combined. Cook as above.
Recipe Tips
- Removing the liquid from the zucchini is the single most important step - skip it and the fritters will be soggy and prone to falling apart.
- If the mixture feels too runny, add a touch more flour. If it's too thick to spoon easily, add a splash of water.
- Don't overcrowd the pan - cook in batches so each fritter has room to crisp up properly.
- Reheating: skip the microwave, which makes them go soft. Reheat in a hot oven (220°C) for 5 minutes, or pan-fry briefly in a little oil to bring the crispiness back.
- Storage: keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 5-7 days.
- Freezing: freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months, with baking paper between each layer so they don't stick together.
Cheesy Zucchini Fritters FAQs
Remove as much liquid from the grated zucchini as you can before mixing - salt it, let it sit for 10 minutes, then squeeze out every bit of liquid you can. This is the single most important step for a crispy fritter.
Yes - bake at 200°C (fan-forced) on a lined tray for about 20-25 minutes, flipping halfway, until golden. They won't be quite as crispy as pan-frying, but a light spray of oil before baking helps them brown nicely.
Avoid the microwave, which makes them soft and a bit rubbery. Reheat in a hot oven (220°C) for about 5 minutes, or pan-fry briefly in a little oil to bring back the crispy edges.
Yes - here in Australia we call them zucchini, while other countries use courgette or summer squash. Same vegetable.
Yes - place them in an airtight container with a sheet of baking paper between each layer, and freeze for up to 3 months.
More Zucchini Recipes
If you loved these, here are a few more zucchini recipes worth trying next.
Zucchini Fritters
Ingredients
- 400 g zucchini approx 3-4, grated
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 75 g (½ cup) self raising flour
- 40 g (½ cup) parmesan finely grated
- 1 egg whisked
- 2 teaspoon minced garlic optional
- salt and pepper to season
- 2 tbs olive oil
Instructions
Conventional Method
- Place grated zucchini into a strainer and add the salt. Stir then leave for 10 minutes. Squeeze out all of the excess liquid. Place the zucchini into a bowl.
- Add the self-raising flour, parmesan, egg, garlic and season with salt and pepper. Stir until well combined.
- Heat 1 tbs of the oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Place tablespoons of the mixture into the pan.
- Flatten out with a spatula and cook for 2 minutes on either side or until golden and crispy on the outside (they'll still be deliciously soft on the inside).
- Repeat with the remaining mixture.
Thermomix Method
- Place roughly chopped zucchini into the Thermomix bowl. Grate by pressing Turbo 5-10 times or until coarsely grated.
- Place grated zucchini into a strainer and add the salt. Stir then leave for 10 minutes. Squeeze out all of the excess liquid. Place the zucchini into a bowl.
- Place the parmesan cheese into the Thermomix bowl and grate on Speed 10 for 10 seconds.
- Add the self-raising flour, egg, garlic, zucchini and season with salt and pepper.
- Mix on Reverse, Speed 5 for 10 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and repeat for a further 5 seconds.
- Heat 1 tbs of the oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Place tablespoons of the mixture into the pan.
- Flatten out with a spatula and cook for 2 minutes on either side or until golden and crispy on the outside (they'll still be deliciously soft on the inside).
- Repeat with remaining mixture.
Evelyn See says
Hi..Lucy, can this fritter be oven bake instead of pan fry? If so, what temp & for how long?
Lucy says
Hi Evelyn, I havent personally tried that yet!
Kim says
A perfect recipe. So easy to prepare and cooked and devoured within a few minutes.
I made sure the moisture was removed from the zucchinis before adding to the flour mix...it certainly makes a difference to the finished product.
Thank you for the tip.
Lucy says
Yay!!! That's so great to hear!
Judy Kealy says
So easy to make for an easy Friday night dinner
Lucy says
Thank you!