Easy Air Fryer Zucchini Fritters Recipe

Fritters are various types of fried foods, usually consisting of things like meat, vegetables, fruit, or dough that’s deep-fried until crispy.

While this is a beloved and delicious snack enjoyed by many, it’s definitely not high on the list of healthy food options. Traditional fritters are typically fried in oil, but by using an air fryer you’re cutting out the fat and calories.

If you’re looking for a healthy, quick, and easy snack option that’s going to give you your daily serving of vegetables, here’s how to make these delicious zucchini fritters. All you need are a few ingredients and an air fryer!

 Prep Time: 30 minutes
 Cook Time: 10 minutes
 Total Time: 45 minutes
 Yield: 6 servings 1x

What You’ll Need

• 2 Zucchini (medium-large) 
• 1 cup parmesan cheese
• 2 eggs 
• ¼  cup flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ¼ cup corn starch
• ¼ cup breadcrumbs
• ½ tbsp garlic
• 1 tsp dried parsley
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• ½  tsp crushed red pepper (optional)
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper

Ingredient Notes

Parmesan

I like to use authentic Parmigiano Reggiano for this as the flavor profile is more nutty and rich, pairing well with the zucchini.

If you want to opt for a cheaper option, regular parmesan will do just fine, though I strongly encourage you not to use the grated parmesan you get in those green tubes – it will compromise the flavor and texture of your fritters. 

Flour

My favorite brand of flour is by King Arthur, their flour is made with limited pesticides and chemicals, unbleached, and ultimately unmatched in quality compared to other brands. You can use any flour you have on hand though as it doesn’t make much of a difference.  

Eggs

Using eggs acts as a binder for your fritters, holding everything together and helping to keep its shape. 

Baking Powder

Using baking powder will not only lighten your fritters and make them less dense, but also gives the exterior that nice golden, crispy texture. 

Cornstarch

Similar to baking powder, adding cornstarch to your fritter mixture will serve in making your fritters crispier and adding a nice texture. 

Breadcrumbs 

Using breadcrumbs in this recipe will add depth of flavor and texture to your fritters, while also aiding in binding the mixture together. 

Crushed Red Pepper

If you like a little heat in your food, adding crushed red pepper pairs really well with zucchini and adds a depth of flavor to your dish. 

How To Make It 

Step 1: Get Your Ingredients Ready

Start by getting out all of your ingredients and portioning out the exact amounts you’ll need. If you don’t want to measure your ingredients out ahead of time and save dishes, you can skip this.

Trim the ends of your zucchini off and shred it. Once shredded, season zucchini with salt and place it in a colander set over a bowl. Let it sit for 15-20 minutes. 

Step 2: Combine The Ingredients

While your zucchini sits, in a medium-sized bowl combine the rest of your ingredients and mix well. 

Step 3: Squeeze Out The Liquid

Using either cheesecloth or a clean dish towel, squeeze as much liquid out of the shredded zucchini as you can, then spread it out and pat dry with a paper towel until most of the moisture is gone. 

Step 4: Combine Zucchini with mixed ingredients

Combine zucchini with your mixed ingredients, and mix well. Start forming the mixture into 1-2 inch size patties, you should have about 6 fritters.

Step 5: Coat The air fryer with nonstick spray

Spray the bottom of your air fryer with nonstick spray. Place enough fritters in the basket that it fills the bottom of the tray, but leave enough space in between each so that they aren’t crowded. Cook at 400℉ for 10 minutes. Continue until all the fritters are done. 

Step 6: Plate & Serve

Garnish with more parmesan, and some crushed red pepper if you like more spice, or leave as is and enjoy!

Can I Use Another Kind of Cheese?

Yes! You can use ricotta, the sweetness of it pairs well with the mild flavor of zucchini, or you can use pecorino romano.

It’s similar to parmesan except it’s sharper and saltier, so if you opt for this cheese just be sure to dial back on any additional salt you add to the mixture.

Cheddar cheese is another great option and adds a level of sharpness and flavor depth that will elevate this dish.

Can I Omit Cheese From This Recipe?

You can, but it might not be as good. Adding cheese gives this dish a lot of different flavors that work together and give it depth, and the parmesan cheese is a huge component of this. If you really want to though, go ahead -it just might taste delicious anyways!

Other Alternative Ingredients

How To Make It Gluten-Free

Simply swap out your flour for 1:1 gluten free flour (I like King Arthur), almond, or coconut flour.

Using almond flour will add a nutty flavor profile to your fritters and using coconut flour will, well, add a coconut flavor.

For the bread crumbs, a lot of grocery stores carry gluten free versions and you won’t even notice a taste difference.

How To Make It Vegan

While this recipe is not vegan, it’s very easy to do so. To make this dish vegan you can simply choose to completely omit the eggs from this dish.

The fritters won’t come out as fluffy, but they will still taste good. Just add another ¼ cup of breadcrumbs to help keep the mixture binded and you’ll be good to go!

As for the parmesan, you can substitute this with nutritional yeast, a flaky powder with a naturally cheese-like flavor. Use the same amount you would for the parmesan.

How To Make It Keto Friendly 

To make this recipe Keto substitute both the flour and cornstarch for almond flour using the same ratio you would if you were to stick to the original recipe. It’s high in fat, and moderate in protein.

For the breadcrumbs, you can either order them from Amazon or Walmart, or make your own. There are lots of keto-friendly breadcrumb recipes on the internet. Here is a good one; https://thebigmansworld.com/keto-bread-crumbs/#recipe

Can I Use Different Seasoning?

Of course! Other seasonings that work great are cilantro, chives, dill, coriander, and oregano.

A majority of herbs will go great with this dish so you really can’t mess it up. Whatever you like, go for it!

Different Ingredient Combinations 

• bell peppers + goat cheese
• sun dried tomatoes + mozzarella
• eggplant + parmesan 
• pecans + pecorino cheese 
• potatoes + parmesan
• butternut squash + ricotta

Can You Make/Prepare This Ahead of Time?

Absolutely! Simply follow the instructions up until you’re about to form the mixture into patties, instead placing the mixture into an airtight container where you can store in the fridge for up to a week, or the freezer for up to 3 months. 

What To Serve With This Dish

• Roasted Carrots with Butternut Squash 
• Garlic Yogurt Dipping Sauce 
• Any type of fish pairs great with these fritters!
• Steamed Broccoli
• Tzatziki sauce for dipping 

General Tips and Tricks:

• Don’t overcrowd the basket- your fritters won’t fry evenly and therefore won’t be as crispy.
• Use fresh zucchini – using zucchini that’s about to go bad will result in mushy zucchini with too much liquid and you won’t get crispy, crunchy fritters.
• Use a colander- salting your zucchini and then letting it sit in a colander for a little bit will draw out excess liquid from the zucchini making your fritters crispier and less soggy.
• Don’t grate your zucchini too fine or too big!- grating your zucchini too fine will make your mixture a huge clump of ingredients resulting in a mushy fritter, and grating it too big will make it harder for the ingredients to combine and stick together so try for a happy medium between the two.
• Make sure you get as much water as you can from the zucchini, this will prevent your fritters from becoming soggy and making them more crispy!

Cooking Times By Air Fryer Model

You may have to reduce the cooking time by a minute or two when cooking the last batch of fritters as not as many will be in the basket so they will cook faster. 

Cooking times may vary slightly based on the air fryer so be sure to check on your fritters halfway through cook time to ensure they’re cooked properly.

Storage

These taste best when eaten fresh but you can keep them in the fridge for up to three days, and just reheat in the air fryer, keep in mind they will be dryer after you reheat them.

If you want to freeze them I recommend wrapping them individually in aluminum foil and then placing them in plastic bags to prevent them from sticking together, they will only last about a month and you may notice a little flavor loss as well as it being drier once reheated. 

When you’re finished making this recipe, comment down below how it turned out, we’d love to hear from you! This recipe yields 6 large fritters or 12 mini fritters.

Air Fryer Zucchini Fritters

Yield: 6

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Learn how to make the perfect fritters with this comprehensive guide! This is the perfect recipe if you’re looking to make a quick and easy snack that’s healthy for you too.

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Ingredients

• 2 medium sized zucchini
• 1 cup parmesan cheese
• ¼ cup flour
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ¼ cup corn starch
• ¼ cup breadcrumbs
• ½ tbsp garlic
• 1 tsp dried parsley
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• ½ tsp crushed red pepper (optional)
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper

Instructions

1. Trim the ends off your zucchini and shred. Toss in salt and place it in a colander set over a large bowl. Let it sit for 15-20 minutes. 
2. Meanwhile, shred your parmesan and combine all of your ingredients into a bowl.
3. Take your zucchini shreds and use either a cheesecloth or clean dish towel, squeeze out as much liquid as you can. Spread zucchini out on a paper towel and pat dry with another paper towel, getting as much excess liquid as you can.
4. Combine zucchini with the bowl of your ingredients and mix well.
5. Form mixture into 1-2 inch size patties, you should have about six. 
6. Spray the bottom of your air fryer tray with nonstick spray, and place fritter patties in without overcrowding the basket. 
7. Cook at 400℉ for 10 minutes. Continue until all your fritters are cooked.

Notes

Read above to see how to swap out any of these ingredients to create something new with our recommended ingredient combinations above, or make this dish gluten-free.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 165Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 76mgSodium: 1605mgCarbohydrates: 17gFiber: 1gSugar: 2gProtein: 9g

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