Air Fryer Zucchini Fritters — 💚🧡 Lightly crisped on the outside, tender on the inside, and makes use of summer’s most abundant vegetable! And air frying the zucchini fritters keeps them healthier than actual frying without sacrificing taste or texture! Perfect as an appetizer, side dish, or healthy main course. Oven baking instructions also provided.
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Air Fryer Zucchini Fritters Recipe
When summer is in full swing and zucchini is so abundant and you’re wondering what to do with it all, look no further than this super tasty recipe for air fryer zucchini fritters.
The zucchini fritters are lightly crisped on the outside, tender but not mushy on the inside, and there’s carrots and onions for extra flavor.
I also add a bit of cheddar cheese to make them extra tasty, plus garlic, salt, and pepper, of course.
Rather than frying them in oil, which isn’t the healthiest option apart from frying anything stinks up your kitchen for days, I air fried these zucchini fritters.
Air frying keeps them healthier without sacrificing flavor which is key!
If you don’t have an air fryer yet, oven baking instructions are provided if you don’t want to actually fry them either.
Ingredients in Air Fryer Zucchini Fritters
To make these crispy zucchini fritters, you’ll need the following easy-to-find common fridge and pantry ingredients including the following:
- Zucchini
- Carrots (or omit and use all zucchini)
- White or yellow onion
- Garlic
- Salt
- Egg
- Shredded cheddar cheese
- All-purpose flour
- Fresh parsley
- Pepper
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
How to Make Zucchini Fritters in an Air Fryer
Making air fried zucchini fritters is so easy and the results are so worth it! Follow these straightforward steps for best results:
- Grate the vegetables with a box grater, add them to a colander, salt them, let the water drain out, and wring them as dry as possible.
- Add the egg, flour, cheese, parsley, and pepper to the vegetables and stir to combine.
- Make 2 tablespoon-sized patties using a medium cookie scoop to keep them uniform.
- Add the fritters to a preheated air fryer sprayed with olive oil cooking spray and spray the fritters, too.
- Air fry them for 10 minutes.
- Flip, spray them again, and air fry for about 3 minutes before serving.
Love Air Frying?
Try making my crispy air fryer Brussels sprouts next! They’re tossed in a sweet and spicy sauce that everyone loves.
Recipe FAQs
Yes you sure can make zucchini fritters without an air fryer. Simply bake them in the oven — detailed instructions have been provided in the recipe card at the end of this post.
There is no way to get a crispy zucchini fritter made in an air fryer if you don’t remove as much of the natural water and liquid from the zucchini and carrots before air frying or oven baking if you’re going that route.
1. In a large colander, combine the zucchini, carrots, onion, and garlic and set the colander in your kitchen sink.
2. Add salt and stir.
3. Wait 1 hour. During this time moisture will start to drain out the holes of the colander and into the sink.
4. After 1 hour, wring out the vegetable mixture in a clean kitchen towel such as a tea towel or cheesecloth.
You want to make sure that your zucchini fritter batter is on the drier rather than moister side. That’s because it’s impossible to get crispy zucchini fritters if there’s too much moisture in the batter as I mentioned.
I haven’t experimented specifically with making air fryer zucchini fritters vegan and gluten-free, but you could try one of the following solutions:
-Using flax egg or egg replacer for the egg called for.
-Swap vegan shredded cheese for the real shredded cheddar cheese.
-Use gluten-free 1:1 flour that’s intended for baking in place of the all-purpose flour.
If you have tons of extra zucchini on your hands to use, or don’t want to use carrots, simply omit the carrots in this recipe and use all zucchini.
I cook mine in a preheated 375F air fryer for 10 minutes on the first side, flip, and another 3 minutes on the second side but again watch your fritters and not the clock.
Storage Instructions
In the fridge: extra zucchini fritters will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can eat them at room temp, nuke them in the micro, or intend to re-crisp them up in the air fryer for about 3 minutes.
In the freezer: Freezing and thawing won’t bode well for the zucchini nor the crispiness level, so I don’t recommend freezing them.
What to Serve with Air Fried Zucchini Fritters
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Air Fryer Zucchini Fritters
Ingredients
- 3 cups zucchini, grated (about 1 1/2 pounds)
- 1 medium carrot, peeled and grated (or omit and use all zucchini and add 1/2 cup extra zucchini)
- ½ white or yellow onion, peeled and grated
- 2 or 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese, or another shredded cheese blend
- 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon fresh parsley, finely minced; optional
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Using the coarsest blade of a box grater (or use the grating attachment of a food processor), grate the zucchini, carrot, and onion and add them to a large colander along with the garlic and set it inside your kitchen sink.
- Add the salt and stir to combine. Wait 1 hour. During this time moisture from the vegetables will begin to release.
- After 1 hour, tightly wring out the vegetable mixture in a clean tea towel or cheesecloth. Tip – Do not use paper towels because even the best ones will shred and rip and you'll be picking out paper shreds from your vegetable mixture.
- Place the wrung out vegetables in a large bowl and add the egg, cheese, flour, optional parsley, pepper, and stir to combine.
- Preheat the air fryer to 375F.* (See Notes for Oven Baking Instructions)
- Using a 2-tablespoon medium cookie scoop for uniformity, scoop out and form the fritters and lightly pat each fritter into a semi-flattened round shape but don't overly flatten.
- Spray the basket of the air fryer with olive oil cooking spray or a similar cooking spray, add the fritters to the basket, and lightly spray them too. Tips – They need a bit of oil to actually "fry" so don't skip this. Don't overcrowd the air fryer basket. You will likely need to air fry the fritters in two batches.
- Air fry for 10 minutes.
- Open the air fryer, flip the fritters, lightly spray the top side with cooking spray, and air fry for 3 additional minutes, or until done.
- If desired, serve with sour cream, ranch or blue cheese salad dressing, or try one of these easy Homemade Sauces and Dips. Zucchini fritters are best hot and fresh. Extra fritters will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days. Either eat at room temp, gently reheat in the microwave, or place into the air fryer for about 3 minutes if desired. I don't recommend freezing these.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Hi. I use small sweet pepperes in my fritters with red onions, whole wheat flour and motzerella cheese!
Try it this as well. Eat em up!
Sounds like a great idea!
Made these a real change delicious
Made these a real change delicious
Thanks for the 5 star and glad they were delicious!
great