Zucchini Fritters (low-carb)
My garden is finally thriving! I planted really late this year because we had snow well into May. It really threw me off and I didn't get my garden in until early June. I wasn't sure what to expect from my little garden and prepared myself for a small harvest. Luckily the plants are doing great and I am happily left with the dilema again of what to do with all the zucchini!!
Instead of the usual zucchini noodles or zucchini bread (which are amazing and already a staple in this house), I wanted to make something a little more fun, savory and with a bit more flavor...Zucchini Fritters!!
I had tried my hand at them last year and Jake gobbled them up so fast I barely got a second one myself. They make a delicious side to any meal and can also be used to make a tasty breakfast, just cook an egg anyway you like and pop it on top of the fritter!
The secret to a great zucchini fritter is getting as much moisture out of the zucchini as possible. The drier the zucchini, the crisper the fritter. And no one likes a soggy fritter my friend!
To start, grate your zucchini. I had about 3.5 large ones to use up so I grated them all. And I used the larger grating side of my grater.
Then put all the zucchini into a colander, toss with about 3-4 pinches of salt, mix and let sit to drain off extra moisture for at least 15 minutes up to an hour. The longer the better!
After you have let it sit awhile, put the zucchini into a kitchen towel and ring out even more liquid. I mean squeeze the hell out of it! Look how much liquid came out of mine and I could have taken the time to ring out more!
Once you have the zucchini nice and dry transfer to a bowl. Add in the scallions, garlic, eggs, almond flour, cayenne, salt and pepper. Mix until it is well combined. At this point you can choose to add anything else you may like such as parmesan cheese or herbs or even diced ham would be yummy!
Next you will want to heat up a pan with enough avocado oil to really cover the bottom of the pan. These are fritters remember and a little extra oil is OK here. Once the oil is shimmering and nice and hot, scoop out 1/4 cup of the mixture, pat into a flat disk in your hand and add to the pan. Take care not to burn yourself! Thickness is key here! You want them thin enough to cook through but not too thin to burn. Cook until gold to dark brown on both sides.
If you are eating them right away I would recommend cooking darker so you know they are cooked all the way through. If you are making these ahead of time you can cook to a lighter brown as they will crisp off and finish cooking when reheating. I strongly recommend only reheating these on the stovetop or in the oven for optimal crispness! The microwave will leave them soggy.
When they are done cooking, transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to drain off excess oil. Enjoy right away or if saving them for later, cool completely and store in an airtight container, stacked with wax paper between fritters for up to 7 days.
Happy fritter making!! I hope you enjoy them as much as I do! Feel free to change up the seasonings to suit your tastes. The cayenne in this recipe gives them a nice heat at the end but you could choose Italian seasonings to keep it more kid-friendly.
Zucchini Fritters (low-carb)
Prep time: 40-60 minutes
Yield: 12 fritters
3-4 large zucchini
3 scallions, chopped small
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup almond flour
1 tsp cayenne
Salt, TT
Pepper, TT
Avocado oil
1/2 cup parmesan, optional
Grate zucchini. Place grated zucchini into a colander and toss with 3-4 pinches of salt to draw out extra moisture. Let zucchini rest to drain into another bowl or your sink for at least 15 minutes up to 1 hour. After zucchini has drained, transfer to a kitchen towel and ring out any extra moisture.
Place zucchini in a bowl and mix in the rest of the ingredients.
Pour enough avocado oil to cover the base of your pan and heat over medium heat. Once oil is hot (should be shimmering) scoop out 1/4 cup zucchini mixture at a time, flatten between your hands into a disk and place in the pan. Take care not to crowd the pan. Press each fritter flat with the back of your spatula to ensure they cook all the way through and are a uniform thickness. Cook until dark brown on each side if serving immediately or golden brown if you plan to save and reheat later.
Once the fritters reach desired color, transfer to a paper towel lined plate or pan to drain.
Serve right away or if saving them for later, cool completely and store in an airtight container, stacked with wax paper between fritters for up to 7 days.
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