Italian Zucchini Fritter Recipe

Piled crispy Italian zucchini fritters on wood board topped with chives.

Italian Zucchini Fritter Recipe

When you have too much zucchini on your hands whip up a batch of these easy Italian zucchini fritters. The secret to their crisp texture is carbonated water in the batter!

Course antipasto, Appetizer

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 15

Resting time 20

Servings 2.5 inch fritters

Calories 67kcal

Author Nadia Fazio

Ingredients

2 medium zucchini about 500 grams
¾ cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup Parmigiano cheese grated
1¼ teaspoon salt divided
1 large egg
½ cup plus 2 tbsp. carbonated water
¼ cup fresh herbs any combination of parsley, basil, chives or others of your choice
Black pepper as desired to taste
½ cup vegetable oil for frying, or enough to coat the bottom of your pan

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Prepare the zucchini

Shred the zucchini against the large holes of a box grater. A food processor may also be used.
Transfer the zucchini to a colander or fine meshed sieve and toss with 1 tsp. salt.
Place the colander over a bowl and let sit for 20-30 minutes. Liquid will begin to accumulate in the bowl.
The remaining water must be squeezed out either by pressing down on the zucchini with a wooden spoon until it is fairly dry. Alternately, transfer the zucchini to a clearn tea towel and squeeze out the water.
Set the zucchini aside while you prepare the batter.

For the batter

Stir together the flour, Parmigiano cheese, the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt and black pepper in a bowl.
Make a well in the center and add the egg and carbonated water. Stir with a fork to create a thick batter.
Stir in the shredded zucchini and herbs.

To fry

Heat enough oil over medium heat to cover the bottom of a non-stick skillet. I used ½ cup of vegetable oil.
Use 2 spoons to scrape a heaping tablespoon full of batter into the hot oil. With the back of the spoon spread the batter into approximately a 2.5 inch circle.
Fry for 2.5-3 minutes per side, until crisp and golden. Transfer to a paper towel lined tray while you fry the remaining fritters.
Serve hot for the best texture.

Notes

Best tips:

-Squeeze out as much water as possible from the zucchini to avoid soggy fritters. You will not believe how much water there is in zucchini. I squeezed out over 1 cup of water.
-Make sure your oil is hot before frying the fritters.
-Keep the heat at medium-low. If the oil is too hot the outside will brown too quickly and the interior of the fritters will be gooey and undercooked.

Substitutions and Variations:

-The grated Parmigiano cheese may be replaced with Pecorino Romano cheese.
-Add herbs of your choice.

To serve:

I enjoy my fritters as is but you may serve with a dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt.

Storage:

Keep leftovers refrigerated for up to 3 days. Reheat in a 350 degrees F preheated oven.

To Freeze:

Wrap well and freeze for up to 1 month. Defrost overnight or for a few hours in the refrigerator and reheat in a 350 degrees F preheated oven until warmed throughout and crisp.

Nutrition