My crispy vegetable fritters featuring zucchini and carrots, along with a few other favorite veggies, are pan-fried until crisp around the edges. These fritters are a little cheesy, and you can have them on the table in about 30 minutes. I included a simple creamy dipping sauce, but the possibilities to dip, dunk, and drizzle these little guys are endless.
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This is also one of my favorite end-of-summer clean-out-the-fridge type recipes. Keep the zucchini as your base, then use those odds and ends in the vegetable drawer rather than letting half a bell pepper slowly become a science experiment.
You can serve veggie fritters as an appetizer, vegetable side dish, or light lunch, and change the whole personality of the plate simply by switching up the dipping sauce.
📖Why My Recipe Works
- Moisture control is the secret to crispy fritters. Salting and squeezing the zucchini pulls out excess water. Too much moisture is one of the biggest reasons fritters fall apart.
- Flour keeps the ingredient list practical. I use flour instead of breadcrumbs because this combination of vegetables has less moisture than my air-fryer zucchini fritters. And based on reader feedback from that recipe, most people already have it in the pantry.
- A short chill is optional, but worth it. Giving the mixture about 15 minutes in the refrigerator makes it easier to scoop and helps the patties hold together when they hit the skillet.
🧾Ingredient Notes
- Zucchini - This is the base of the fritters and the vegetable where moisture matters most. This is an ideal recipe for using up those over sized giant zucchinis.
- Vegetables - Carrots, red bell pepper, and red onion add color, texture, and flavor without contributing as much water as zucchini. This is also where you can make use of compatible vegetables hanging around in your fridge.
- Mozzarella - Shredded mozzarella melts into the patties and helps give the centers a tender, cheesy texture without taking center stage.
- Flour - Regular all-purpose flour or a 1:1 gluten-free flour works. You can swap for breadcrumbs if you prefer.
- Neutral oil - Choose an oil suited to skillet cooking, such as avocado or vegetable oil. You only need enough to lightly coat the pan rather than deep-fry the fritters.
- Seasoning- I am using Italian seasoning, but you can change it up. Try my Cajun spice mix recipe for a twist.
⏲️How to Make Veggie Fritters on the Stovetop
- Toss the grated zucchini with salt and leave it in a colander for 10 minutes. Squeeze firmly. When you think you're done squeezing it, give it another squeeze.
- Take your time thoroughly mixing the ingredients.
- Preheat the oil in the pan before adding the fritters; it needs to sizzle. Don't flip the patties too soon, they need to fully cook on one side so they don't fall apart during the flipping motion.
- The sauce can be made in advance and gets better with time.
Air Fryer Vegetable Fritters
If you prefer not to pan-fry, I recommend using an air fryer over oven baking them. You get a better crispiness this way.
Preheat your air fryer to 375°F and cook for 7 minutes, then flip and cook for another 7 minutes until golden and crispy.
The Best Sauces to Serve with Fritters
For something cool and herbaceous, try my Greek yogurt dill sauce, creamy chimichurri, or buttermilk ranch dressing. All work especially well with zucchini and the carrots pepper.
Want more punch? My horseradish aioli adds some bite, while spicy harissa aioli or this classic Cajun remoulade recipe can take the fritters in a bolder direction.
Or browse my sauce recipes and pick whatever sounds good. The fritters are intentionally flexible, so there is no reason to commit to the same dipping sauce every time.
👩🏻🍳Jen's Testing Notes
- While the zucchini drains, prep your other veggies.
- A drier mixture browns better and is less likely to give you soft, soggy fritters. Put a little muscle into squeezing out the zucchini.
- Resist the urge to add more breadcrumbs or flour. The mixture will look dry but chilling formed patties can help with this.
- Keeping the fritters relatively thin helps the vegetables cook through while the outside develops a golden crust.
- For easier-to-handle patties, cover and refrigerate the mixture for 15 minutes. This step is optional, but I recommend it if you have the time
Did you enjoy making this recipe? Show it some love with ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and leave a comment! Hungry for more FLAVORFUL recipes?
📖 Recipe Card
Crispy Vegetable Fritters
Ingredients
- 2 cups zucchini grated, about 1 large zucchini or 2 small
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt divided
- ½ cup carrots grated
- ½ cup red bell pepper finely diced
- ¼ cup red onion finely diced
- ½ cup mozzarella cheese shredded
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour or 1:1 gluten free flour
- 1 egg beaten
- 1 Tablespoon fresh parsley chopped
- 2 teaspoons garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 Tablespoons neutral oil
Garlic Dipping Sauce
- ½ cup sour cream
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic minced
- ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
- ⅛ teaspoon onion powder
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Place the zucchini it in a colander. Toss with ½ teaspoon salt and let sit for 10 minutes to draw out excess moisture. Transfer the zucchini to a clean tea towel and squeeze firmly to remove as much liquid as possible.2 cups zucchini, 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Add the drained zucchini to a bowl with the remaining vegetables and cheese. Toss to combine. Then add the remaining patty ingredients, excluding the oil. Stir until well combined. Form the patties by scooping ¼ cup of the zucchini mixture onto a plate and gently flattenng into an even layer. Chill while you prep the pan.½ cup carrots, ½ cup red bell pepper, ¼ cup red onion, ½ cup mozzarella cheese, ¼ cup all-purpose flour, 1 egg, 1 Tablespoon fresh parsley, 2 teaspoons garlic, ½ teaspoon black pepper, ½ teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- Heat a griddle or skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil. Cook for 4 to 6 minutes per side, or until golden brown and crisp. Add additional oil to the skillet as needed.1 Tablespoons neutral oil
- Serve with the garlic dipping sauce or sauce of your choice.
Garlic Dipping Sauce
- Stir together all of the sauce ingredients in a small bowl until smooth and creamy. Refrigerate until ready to serve.½ cup sour cream, ½ cup mayonnaise, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon garlic, ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder, ⅛ teaspoon onion powder, ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt, ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
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