Zucchini Fritters - A Delicious Recipe Using a Super Food

Some fun facts about zucchini:

Zucchini is in season, so if you have a garden, you are no doubt harvesting zucchini or perhaps you have a neighbor that is growing zucchini and giving it away. Zucchini is easy to grow, and if it isn’t picked when it should be, can become quite large. Yes, zucchini is quite prolific. We want to pick it and use it before it gets too big. Zucchinis will be the most flavorful when they are small to medium sized.

According to Ripley’s Believe It Or Not, the longest zucchini on record was 8 feet 4.79 inches, grown in Ontario, Canada, and the heaviest weighed 115 pounds, grown in Vermont. August 8 is “Sneak some zucchini onto your neighbor’s front porch.” You’d have to be pretty strong to put zucchini that heavy or long on your neighbor’s porch.

In researching the nutritional benefits of zucchini, I learned it is considered a superfood because it is packed with vitamins, antioxidants, and nutrients. It contains more potassium than a banana as well as lutein and zeaxanthin, which protect eyes against age-related degeneration. Since I am struggling with macular degeneration, zucchini has become one of my favorite veggies. This summer squash is 93 to 95 percent water so it makes a great low calorie snack and is highly hydrating.

Interestingly enough, zucchini is technically a fruit because it comes from a flower. Botanically, fruits come from the flower of a plant and contain seeds or pits. If that plant produces any other edible parts, like roots, leaves, stems, or bulbs, those foods are considered vegetables. From a culinary standpoint, foods that are sweet or sour are considered fruits, while foods with a mild, savory flavor are vegetables. Technically, the avocado, tomato, cucumber, pepper, eggplant, olive, pumpkin, peas, zucchini, squash, okra, and beans are fruits, but they are classified as vegetables, because of their flavor profile and how they are used in the kitchen.

Following is my recipe for Zucchini Fritters. Made with mozzarella and Parmesan cheese, Zucchini Fritters make a crispy, cheesy summer side dish or appetizer. Serve with Creamy Dill Sauce on the side.

Zucchini Fritters

Makes about 12 fritters

3 cups grated zucchini (about 1 pound)

1 cup mozzarella, shredded

½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated

1 ½ cups Panko breadcrumbs

¼ cup all-purpose flour

1 cup green onions, thinly sliced

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1 teaspoon lemon zest

2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon large grind black pepper

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

Using a box grater, grate zucchini using the largest holes. Place grated zucchini on a kitchen towel or paper towels and squeeze out the excess moisture.

In a large bowl, place grated zucchini, mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses, breadcrumbs, flour, green onion, garlic, lemon zest, dill, salt, pepper, and eggs and fold to combine.

For frying:

Zucchini fritter mixture

¾ to 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs

Vegetable oil for frying

Using a ¼-cup measuring cup, scoop out the zucchini mixture and form into thin patties. Place each patty into the remaining breadcrumbs and coat well.

Preheat a cast-iron skillet over a medium heat. Place enough vegetable oil into the skillet to cover it completely, about ⅛-inch deep. Cook the patties in batches so as not to over crowd 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until well browned. Transfer to a paper-towel lined baking sheet to drain.

Serve with Creamy Dill Sauce on the side.

Creamy Dill Sauce

Beau Monde is a seasoning blend made by Spice Islands Trading Company®. I have been using it for years and love the flavor it adds, especially to sauces. Manufacturers are not require to include spices on their labels, but Spice Islands claims that Beau Monde contains celery seed, onion, salt, and sugar.

¼ cup sour cream

¼ cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon minced garlic

¼ teaspoon Beau Monde

1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped

In a small bowl place sour cream, mayonnaise, lemon juice, garlic, Beau Monde, and dill. Mix thoroughly. Cover with plastic wrap and chill until ready to serve.

Tips on selecting zucchini and summer squash: Select small to medium squash with shiny, taut skin. Smaller squashes are normally more tender and have fewer seeds. If the skin is lightly scratched or bruised, it will not compromise the quality of the squash. Do not buy overly large squash or ones with pitted skin or a spongy texture. Soft spots or wrinkled skin are signs of age or rot.

Tips on storing zucchini and summer squash: When placed in reusable, paper, or plastic bags and stored in the vegetable crisper of the refrigerator, summer squash will keep 1 week.

Carol Ann

Carol Ann Kates is the award-winning author of cookbook, Secret Recipes from the Corner Market, and international Amazon best-selling and award-winning author of Grocery Shopping Secrets. She’s an expert in how to shop, select, and store produce for maximizing home cooking outcomes and minimizing time and money spent. As a former supermarket and deli operator, Carol Ann shares grocery-insider wisdom—the same expertise you used to receive when patronizing a mom-and-pop establishment. Contact her at CarolAnn@CarolAnnKates.com and explore her website, www.CarolAnnKates.com.

Copyright 2026 All Rights Reserved Carol Ann Kates