Zucchini fritters with dill are a perfect way to use up some summer squash while making a fantastic little snack. Full of fresh dill, parsley, onion, garlic, and loads of zucchini, they’re even better served with a yogurt dip on the side.
These little fritters are a very popular mezze dish in Turkey, and are often served at room temperature. They also make a great family supper, hot and crisp from the pan and served with lemon wedges and a yogurt-based sauce. Better still, they’re a great way of using what otherwise can be a rather dull vegetable.–Greg and Lucy Malouf
HOW DO I KEEP ZUCCHINI FRITTERS FROM FALLING APART?
One of the biggest disappointments is watching your perfectly formed fritters fall to pieces after they hit the pan. The biggest reason for this is that they’re just too wet. Too much moisture in the mix and the hot oil just can’t sear the outside properly in order to hold it all together. Step 1 is making sure that you’ve gotten your grated zucchini as dry as possible. Salt, drain, and blot. Then blot again. Next, don’t skimp on the flour, eggs, or cheese. All of those ingredients are binders that help to hold it all together. And finally, make sure that your oil is hot enough when you add those precious little fritters. Take the time to let the oil come up to temp every time you add a fresh batch, it makes all the difference.
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Zucchini Fritters with Dill
Ingredients
- 1 1/3 pounds zucchini
- Sea salt
- 1 small onion grated
- 1 small clove garlic finely chopped
- 4 ounces feta crumbled
- 1/4 cup finely chopped dill
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves
- 2 large eggs well beaten
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons rice flour
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Olive oil
Directions
- Mix the zucchini with the onion, garlic, feta, herbs and eggs in a large bowl. Sift on the flours, then season with pepper and stir to combine.
- Heat a little oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium heat until sizzling. Drop small tablespoons of batter into the hot oil and flatten gently. Cook for 2 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Drain on kitchen paper and serve piping hot.
Show Nutrition
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Recipe Testers’ Reviews
These are definitely worth making as the flavor was very good. These little fritters were filled with grated onion, feta, garlic, and dill. What I liked most was the subtle onion flavor dispersed throughout, which is what happens when you use grated onion (I love that trick). I left the feta in little chunks as I desired pronounced bursts of feta.
The first few fritters quickly burned slightly before the interiors were cooked through, so I turned down the heat. The recipe recommends flattening the fritters slightly, and I flattened them quite a lot, actually, so rather than ending up with puffy balls they were far flatter, but this was necessary to cook the centers through. No matter—the great taste redeemed this recipe.
As I really, really like mint with this particular flavor profile, I would make these again with lots more mint. Just make sure the oil is not too hot or the exterior will cook too quickly and definitely do flatten them or they will be raw in the center. The recommended yogurt for serving is necessary as the fritters are a little dull on their own. We served them with other mezze-type dishes.
You know a recipe is good when your son is eating the fritters as they’re coming out the pan. I had to stop him so we would have some for the rest of the family. It’s a good way to use the bounty of the garden.
What was very surprising was the amount of liquid from the salted zucchini. Previously, I’d placed zucchini in a towel and squeezed the liquid out but the salt drew out much more liquid from the zucchini. This is a good technique I’ll use for future recipes. After salting the zucchini the recipe comes together very quickly.
I fried the zucchini-like pancakes (not rounded like the picture) and it took approximately 2-3 minutes per side. As I said, my son was eating them as I was taking them out of the pan to drain on paper towels. They were very good and I particularly liked the dill and feta cheese flavor combination. Served with sour cream but they really don’t need any topping.
Since zucchini is such a prolific crop, it’s always good to find new ways to use it. These fritters are definitely more flavorful than other similar recipes I have tried. Both the dill and the feta give these a distinctive flavor.
This is a quick, easy recipe that results in a tasty side dish for any meal. I didn’t serve them with any sauce or condiment and didn’t feel like they needed any. However, they would be delicious with a little tzatziki or similar sauce. The recipe makes quite a few fritters, but they were quite good the next day warmed in the convection oven.
Originally published June 08, 2009
HUNGRY FOR MORE?
If you make this recipe, snap a photo and hashtag it #LeitesCulinaria. We'd love to see your creations on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
Hi Linda, It’s possible I should have squeezed a bit more, but I think that a little wet (really it was just a little) is right for this batter. The results were perfect. I meant my comment more on the order of “don’t be afraid to drop this mixture in hot oil” advice. They didn’t spatter excessively or fall apart and they fried up nicely golden and crisp.
Aha! Thanks for the clarification. When you said your fritters weren’t neat little balls, I thought you were attributing it to the mixture being too wet. Got it now.
But there is a word of warning to anyone putting a wet mixture onto hot oil. Be careful as it might spatter and spit a bit.
Recent rains having produced a garden surplus, I needed a new zucchini recipe. Since I had dill, too, this was a natural. The fritters made a great side dish, but they could also serve as a light lunch. Martin, the veggie-phobe, gobbled them up. The mixture seemed a little wet, but I fried them anyway. My fritters were not the neat little balls in the photo, but they were so good I didn’t care.
Hi Cindi, if I didn’t know that you are a professional cook, I’d ask if you squeezed the zucchini out sufficiently. So instead I’m wondering if 2 eggs were too many? I can’t imagine what else the wetness could have been attributed to. Any thoughts?