Zucchini Fritters

01Ingredients

500g zucchini, grated
1 tsp salt, for drawing out moisture
2 eggs
100g self-raising flour
50g feta, crumbled
2 spring onions, finely sliced
2 tbsp fresh dill, chopped (or mint)
Black pepper, to taste
3 tbsp olive oil, for frying

02Method

Grate zucchini into a colander, toss with the salt, and let sit 10 minutes to draw out moisture.
Squeeze the zucchini firmly in a clean tea towel to remove as much liquid as possible - this is the step that determines whether the fritters hold together.
Whisk eggs in a large bowl. Add flour, feta, spring onion, dill, and pepper, then mix in the squeezed zucchini.
Heat oil in a large pan over medium heat. Drop heaped tablespoons of mixture into the pan and flatten slightly.
Cook 3-4 minutes per side until golden and cooked through.
Drain on paper towel and serve warm.

03Notes & substitutions

Swap feta for parmesan or halloumi if that's what you have - both hold up well to frying.
No self-raising flour? Use plain flour plus 1 tsp baking powder instead.
Swap dill for mint, parsley, or coriander depending on what's growing.
Vegetarian as written.

04Common mistakes

Skipping the salting step — zucchini is mostly water, and salting first pulls much of it out before you even start squeezing; skip it and no amount of squeezing fully catches up.
Overcrowding the pan — cook in batches with space between fritters, or they steam instead of crisping.
Flipping too early — wait for a golden, set edge before flipping, or they'll break apart.

05Storage & leftovers

Fridge

Airtight container, up to 3 days.

Freezer

Freeze in a single layer before bagging, for up to 2 months.

Reheating

Dry pan or oven to keep them crisp - microwaving makes them soggy.

More About This Recipe

06Ingredient notes

Zucchini. Larger, more mature zucchini holds more water than young ones - if using a large marrow-sized zucchini, expect to salt and squeeze out noticeably more liquid than the times given here allow for.

Feta. Adds salt as well as flavour - taste the mixture before adding extra salt beyond what's already in the ingredients.

Self-raising flour. Provides just enough lift to hold the fritters together without making them cakey - a heavier hand with flour makes them dense rather than crisp.

07Troubleshooting

Fritters fall apart when flipping. Almost always leftover moisture - squeeze the zucchini harder next time, and wait for a properly golden, set edge before flipping.
Soggy rather than crisp. The pan probably wasn't hot enough, or too many fritters went in at once, dropping the temperature and steaming them instead.
Fritters are dense, not light. Usually too much flour worked in to compensate for a wet mixture - squeeze the zucchini again rather than adding more flour.
Burning outside, raw inside. Heat is too high - drop to medium and flatten the fritters a little more so they cook through evenly.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why are my fritters falling apart?

Almost always leftover moisture. Zucchini holds a lot of water, and squeezing it dry in a tea towel is the step that actually matters most - skipping or rushing it is the single most common reason fritters fall apart or turn soggy.

Can I freeze zucchini fritters?

Yes - cool completely, then freeze in a single layer before transferring to a bag, for up to 2 months. Reheat from frozen in a dry pan or oven to keep them crisp, rather than microwaving.

Can I make these without eggs?

A flax egg (1 tbsp ground flaxseed mixed with 3 tbsp water, rested 5 minutes) works as a binder, though the fritters will be slightly more delicate to flip.

Why is my mixture too wet to hold together?

The zucchini wasn't squeezed dry enough. If the mixture still looks loose after adding the flour, squeeze a handful of the grated zucchini again before mixing it back in, rather than adding more flour to compensate.