Zucchini Fritters

Name: Healthy Side Dish Snack Zucchini Fritters Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 1/2 cup or so of semolina flour; 1/3 cup parmesan, grated, plus more for topping later; 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder; About 5 fresh basil leaves, chopped finely, plus more for topping later; 1 large egg; Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste; 1/2 cup water, roughly; 2-3 medium-thin zucchini, washed and sliced into medium-thin slices; Olive oil for frying

by Pharm-to-Table

4 servings

20 min

These little bundles of joy are reminiscent of the fried zucchini my grandmother made when I was growing up. As I have mentioned before, I love zucchini and I haven’t met a fried item that I don’t adore too! This simple batter is easy to prepare and this is an impressive appetizer or a delicious side dish. The texture from the semolina flour is wonderfully crunchy without the heaviness from a breadcrumb coating. Highly recommend. Enjoy!

Just a few ingredients are all you need to create this delicious recipe perfect as an appetizer or side dish.

Test a few of these fritters for salt as they drain and cool on the paper towel. Consider it your right as the chef.

This is just two zucchini, enough for two of us to have for lunch. Look how beautiful they are!

To round out our lunch I served some triple creme brie, cured meat and a freshly baked baguette. Highly recommend the bottle of red too!

Zucchini Fritters

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Recipe details

Yield 4 servings
Time spent: Prep time: 10 Minutes Cook time: 10 Minutes Total time: 20 min

Show Nutrition Info

Per serving

% Daily value

Ingredients

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup or so of semolina flour
1/3 cup parmesan, grated, plus more for topping later
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
About 5 fresh basil leaves, chopped finely, plus more for topping later
1 large egg
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup water, roughly
2-3 medium-thin zucchini, washed and sliced into medium-thin slices
Olive oil for frying

Instructions

INSTRUCTIONS

Prepare the batter in a large bowl, eventually all the ingredients go in here, so make it big. Combine the flour, parmesan, garlic, basil, egg and season with salt and pepper. Slowly add water, continually mixing until you have a loose batter that will coat the zucchini slices.
Add all those slices of zucchini to the batter. Use your hands to make sure all the slices get coated on both sides. They will try to stick together. Once carefully mixed, set aside while you wait for your oil to get to the right temperature. *Read the tips below to help with oil temp.
Prepare a large platter with paper towels and set aside.
In a large skillet, add enough olive oil to come up an inch in the pan. Heat the oil over medium-high heat until a drop of batter in the oil starts to bubble and brown nicely. See the tips above about the heat of your oil.
Begin adding your zucchini slices and allow to cook and brown until the zucchini begins to soften and the batter is a golden color. You will be surprised how the barely coated zucchini start to turn a beautiful golden brown.
Initially the fritters will sink in the oil, but as they brown they will float to the surface. Flip them to ensure they are golden on both sides. Transfer finished zucchini to your prepared paper towel lined platter. Sprinkle salt on the finished fritters while you add another batch.
Once drained, transfer the fritters to a clean platter and sprinkle more parmesan and basil on top and serve.

Tips

When you heat the oil, keep in mind 2 things. The temperature will lower when you start to add the zucchini, so make it a little higher initially. Also, the thickness of your zucchini will determine how hot the oil should be. If you cut the zucchini on the thicker side, like I did, you want a slightly lower temp than a very thin cut. You want the outside to brown, but also the inside to cook and soften.
The measurements are very grandma-like. You want to add enough water to the batter to be able to coat the zucchini. It’s pretty loose. but not watery.
Sprinkle lots of salt on the zucchini as they are hot and draining. Taste a few to test:)

Comments

DebbiAnn Layfield on Sep 14, 2020

Air frying would be very good as well. Use a mister filled w olive oil.

23 Reply
- See 8 previous
- Pharm-to-Table on Sep 15, 2020
  
  I don't have an air frier, but would love to hear how that works out.
  
  1
- Ana Colic on Dec 30, 2020
  
  What’s a mister
  
  Like
- Sandra Byrd on Dec 30, 2020
  
  A spray can or bottle producing mist
  
  Like
- DebbiAnn Layfield on Dec 30, 2020
  
  A mister is a refillable canister w a spray nozzle. You pump air into them by pressing on the top, and tha creates pressure that propels the oil out the nozzle spray top. You can find them online, or in the kitchen department of most stores.
  
  Like
- Kumar Barve on Dec 29, 2021
  
  How long and what temp?
  
  Like
- Mary on Dec 29, 2022
  
  I was wondering if there was a way to Air Fry to avoid the “frying” on stove.
  Thanks
  
  2
- Brenda on Dec 29, 2022
  
  Step #2
  
  Like
- Anthony Firriolo on Dec 30, 2022
  
  what temp and time to set air fryer for frying zucchini
  
  1
- DebbiAnn Layfield on Dec 30, 2022
  
  I've air fried potato lakes with no issues, but I did not document time or temp. My air fryer is an oven style, i have heating elements on both the top and bottom, so I preheated my baking pan with a light coating on oil til it was super hot. Then I quickly dropped my mixture by tablespoons and let them bake til the bottoms were browned, then flipped.
  
  For a traditional air fryer, with forced hot air only from the top, I'd add a few T oil to the mix itself and blend that well. Then add a layer of parchment paper or a silicone inset and drop the mix again by tablespoons, and air fry at between 350 and 400 to get the top browned, then flip and repeat. Or, you can mist w oil each side and see how that goes. With either silicone or parchment paper, your mix won't stick, but you want the bottom cooked so it's firm enough to flip, so you'll have to try/test as all air fryers are slightly different due to size, wattage and heat conduction. Reheating, especially from frozen, I'd go with 350° for 3-4 minutes and check at 3.
  
  1
Cloudcap on Sep 14, 2020

You left out the step of adding the zucchini into batter...minor but for me I was confused. And then do you scoop out the zucchini from the batter? Or dump it all into the oil?

Like Reply
- See 6 previous
- Lao28949991 on Sep 14, 2020
  
  I would assume that you would add the zucchini to the batter. Then you would drop in individual zucchini slices into the oil.
  
  5
- Lily on Sep 15, 2020
  
  I would say this means dip the zucchini in the batter "continually mixing until you have a loose batter that will coat the zucchini slices."
  
  2
- Pharm-to-Table on Sep 15, 2020
  
  Thanks for pointing that out. Hope it's more clear now.
  
  Like
- Sandy Porto on Sep 15, 2020
  
  please reread 2. Add all those slices of zucchini to the batter
  
  2
- Mia Lugar on Dec 29, 2020
  
  STEP FIVE!!!
  
  3
- Setxmuma on Dec 29, 2020
  
  In step 2 it did say "Add all those slices of zucchini to the batter"
  
  3
- VALERIA on Dec 30, 2020
  
  It was not omitted, it's listed in step 2
  
  5
- Mel22465404 on Jan 02, 2024
  
  Duh
  
  Like