This is a super easy recipe for crunchy and delicious fried zucchini fritters! These frittelle di zucchine, as they’re called in Italy, are one of our favorite ways to use up the amount we accumulate each summer.
The funny thing is, we don’t grow zucchini. We just keep buying and hoarding them throughout the summer. Next thing we know, we’re making these fritters 2x a week, and this yummy pasta that includes pancetta.
Regardless of the quantity we acquire of this delightful veggie (it’s actually a fruit), we end up eating it all!
How to Make Fried Zucchini Fritters
The key to making crunchy on the outside but soft on the inside fritters is removing as much vegetable water as possible. We achieve this by salting the zucchini and leaving them to release water for 20 to 30 minutes.
We like to use a big colander and allow the water to drain into a bowl or the sink. After pat down the veggies to remove any lingering moisture. You can take things a step further by gently wringing them out in a thin kitchen towel.
Whatever you do, do not skip this step!
Flat vs Sparkling Water
We prefer cold sparkling water for this recipe because it creates a crunchier exterior. If you really want to have some fun, you could try beer!
If you don’t have sparkling water, regular flat water is fine. Giuseppe’s mom, Lina, switches back and forth regularly between flat and sparkling water depending on what’s in the pantry. This recipe is quite forgiving.
Batter
This is not a batter you can make and leave for an hour. It needs to get into the pan as quickly as possible. We recommend gently heating the oil right before you add the zucchini in order to reduce the amount of time it sits in the batter.
Frying in Olive Oil
We use extra virgin olive oil for frying. We particularly love EVOO for this recipe because the flavors complement each other perfectly. However, that’s not always an option. You can use regular olive oil, sunflower oil, or another preferred frying oil.
Adjust the cooking temperature according to the type of oil you’re using, and remember ANY oil will smoke if placed and left on high heat.
Read more about frying with extra virgin olive oil here.
Related: How to cook with olive oil
Make these as an appetizer or side dish
These work super well as an appetizer. But they can also be served as a side dish.
This recipe usually makes between 22 to 26 fritters (about 2 ½” x 2 ½” each). We measure using a large kitchen spoon, so it’s not exact. As a finger food, you could easily cut the zucchini even smaller and then make the fritters smaller, stretching the recipe so there's enough for 8 to 10 people.
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