Zucchini and Corn Fritters
Light, yet packed with so much flavor, these zucchini and corn fritters are a must in the summertime! So easy to make with simple farmer’s market ingredients.
If you love fresh corn, try our shrimp corn pasta.
Summer zucchini is such a versatile vegetable. We love making zucchini with mozzarella, chicken stuffed zucchini, roasted parmesan zucchini, and zucchini corn salad just to name a few.
Zucchini corn fritters are a staple too. They are made with fresh sweet corn, mozzarella cheese, and dried basil for an added punch of flavor.
I absolutely love how easy they are to make with simple ingredients that are now at their peak! Enjoy them warm or cold.
How to Squeeze Water Out of Zucchini
It’s important to squeeze out as much excess moisture from the zucchini, corn, and onion as possible before mixing it with the rest of the ingredients to get them to bind well.
The extra moisture dilutes the flavor and makes the zucchini fritters soft and floppy. You can use your hands, paper towels, cheesecloth, or a dish towel to do this.
Spread paper towels or cheesecloth on a baking sheet and place the shredded zucchini and onion on top. Sprinkle it with salt to help it sweat out excess moisture, and then either blot it with more paper towels or use the cheesecloth to wring it out.
You can also put the shredded vegetables in a fine-mesh strainer, sprinkle with salt, and let it sit for 10 minutes. Then press down on the zucchini to strain out the excess moisture.
Ingredients
For these fritters, you’ll need the following ingredients:
- Fresh sweet corn: Fresh in-season corn makes the best fritters.
- Zucchini: Make sure to squeeze out as much moisture as possible from the zucchini.
- Mozzarella cheese: Or any other soft cheese.
- White onion: Onion adds a lot of flavor.
- Egg: You’ll need 1-2 large eggs for this recipe.
- All-purpose flour: I have not tried a substitute.
- Baking powder: Not the same as baking soda. Each works differently.
- Basil: I used dry basil but feel free to use fresh.
Recipe Tips
Here are some tips to make the best zucchini corn fritters recipe!
- Make them gluten-free by using certified gluten-free flour instead of all-purpose flour.
- Make them dairy-free by leaving out the cheese and egg. Keep in mind that without another binder, the fritters will fall apart.
- Coarsely grate the vegetables to make the best patties.
- Don’t turn them over until they are crispy on the bottom, turning too soon can make them fall apart.
- Make each patty the same size by using a ¼ cup measuring cup to scoop the batter out of the bowl.
How to Make Zucchini Corn Fritters
- Using a box grater, grate the zucchini. Squeeze out excess moisture using your hands or few sheets of paper towels. Add the zucchini to a large bowl. Next, using the same box grater, grate the onion. Drain excess liquid and add to the zucchini.
- Combine the zucchini, onions, corn, eggs, and cheese. Then stir in the flour, baking powder, salt, and basil.
- Heat olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Once hot, spoon the zucchini mixture by a tablespoon. (I used a regular eating tablespoon to measure out the mixture). Flatten the tops with a spatula and cook until golden brown, about 3-4 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and repeat with the rest of the mixture.
Variations
These zucchini corn fritters are easily adaptable to fit your tastes and preferences. Here are some ideas you can try out.
- Substitute mozzarella with cheddar or parmesan cheese.
- Use breadcrumbs in place of the cheese for those that are lactose intolerant.
- Use frozen or canned corn instead of fresh corn if it’s not in season.
- Add other dried or fresh herbs like oregano, parsley, thyme, dill, tarragon, or chives. Or garnish the cooked fritters with them.
- Add seasonings like paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, or cayenne pepper.
How Do You Keep Fritters From Falling Apart?
Here are some steps to ensure that your patties stick together and you don’t need to eat them with a fork.
Excess moisture: The first culprit in your fritters falling apart and being too soft is that they have too much liquid.
Zucchini has a very high moisture content; for the fritters to stick together, that liquid needs to be squeezed out.
You may even want to squeeze out the excess liquid from the grated onions as well since grating brings out the moisture.
Binding: The next thing to be aware of is including a binding ingredient like egg whites, cheese, or breadcrumbs. Any or all of these can be added to the batter to get them to stick together better.
Flipping too soon: Once you place a scoop of batter on the skillet, let it form a crust on the bottom before carefully flipping it over with a metal or rubber spatula.
How to Cook Fritters in the Air Fryer
It’s easy to make these corn fritters in the air fryer as well. An air fryer with flat trays works the best.
To cook fritters in the air fryer, preheat it to start. Then, spray the trays with cooking oil and scoop the batter onto the trays.
Place the trays inside and rotate halfway through. You may also need to flip them over if the bottoms aren’t getting as crispy as you’d prefer.
How to Serve
These zucchini corn fritters taste delicious topped with little sour cream, crispy bacon, fresh tomato slices, or fried egg.
They also make a great addition to brunch, lunch, or as a light snack to pair with Jalapeno Turkey Burgers, Grilled Orange Chicken, Chicken Sliders, or Herb Roasted Chicken.
How to Store
To refrigerate: Keep leftover patties in an airtight container or plastic bag in the fridge for up to five days.
To freeze: You can also freeze cooked fritters to save them for later. The best way to do this is to lay cooled patties in a single layer on a silicone-lined baking sheet and freeze the whole pan for 15 minutes. Place the partially frozen fritters in a large freezer bag and back in the freezer for up to three months.
To reheat: The best way to reheat them from the refrigerator or freezer is to use an air fryer, making them crispy all over again. You can also use the microwave, which will warm them up but won’t make them crispy.
Frequently Asked Questions
The biggest reason fritters get soggy after cooking is because they have too much moisture in the vegetables. It’s essential to wring out the extra liquid from the zucchini and even the onion before creating the batter.
It’s best to make fritter batter right before cooking or it will thin out the longer it sits since zucchini is high in water.
To ensure your zucchini corn fritters are crispy and not greasy, make sure your oil is hot! You should hear an immediate sizzle the minute you spoon the batter into the skillet. Cook the fritters over medium heat.
Also after cooking the fritters, transfer them to a paper towel lined plate in a single layer to absorb excess oil.
More Corn Recipes
- Fresh Corn and Zucchini Chowder
- Creamy Zucchini Corn Salad
- Greek Corn Salad with Avocado
- Creamy Corn Pasta with Shrimp
Zucchini and Corn Fritters
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 40 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 6-8 1x
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Saute
- Cuisine: American
Description
Light, yet packed with so much flavor, these zucchini corn fritters are a must in the summer time! So easy to make with simple farmers market ingredients.
Ingredients
- 1 pound zucchini, shredded and drained
- 1/2 cup grated white onion or finely chopped
- 1 cup fresh sweet corn
- 1–2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp. dried basil (or 1 Tbsp. fresh)
- Olive oil or avocado oil, for cooking
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the zucchini, onion, corn, egg, and cheese. Then stir in the flour, baking powder, salt, and basil. Batter should be wet, spoonable, and hold shape.
- Heat olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. You need enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan. Once hot, spoon the zucchini mixture by a tablespoon. (I used a regular eating tablespoon to measure out the mixture). Flatten the tops with a spatula and cook until golden brown, about 3-4 minutes per side. Transfer in a single layer to a paper towel lined plate and repeat with the rest of the batter.
- Serve fritters warm or cold. We love them with sour cream but they also serve well topped with a thin slice of tomato and fresh herbs. Makes 12-14 fritters.
Notes
- Zucchini: Make sure to squeeze out as much excess moisture from the zucchini as you can before mixing in with the rest of the ingredients. A couple layers of paper towels, cheesecloth, or a dish towel works great for this step.
- Corn: Frozen corn can be used instead but make sure to thaw and drain well before adding to the batter.
- Onion: You can shred the onions using a box grater or finely chop the onion. If you shred the onion, make sure to drain excess liquid before adding it to the batter. Also, I found the batter is a little wetter when using a shredded onion, so an extra egg is not always needed. Whereas, if you chop the onion, another egg is most likely required to bind the batter. Use your best judgment. The batter should be wet, spoonable, and not expand too much.
- Leftovers: Store leftovers in an air-tight container for up to 5 days.
- Recipe originally published August 2017.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 fritters
- Calories: 151
- Sugar: 2.1 g
- Sodium: 475.1 mg
- Fat: 10.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 10.7 g
- Protein: 5.6 g
- Cholesterol: 32.7 mg
Hi! I'm Katya -- a former corporate paralegal turned full-time recipe developer and blogger behind Little Broken. Here you'll find family-friendly and seasonal recipes made from real ingredients.
I made these today and they tasted nice ????. I just used slightly less zucchini (about 50grams less) and I used cheddar cheese instead of mozzarella.
I served them with tomato relish.
Thank you for sharing your recipe.
Not sure I made these right – mine weren’t flavourful enough and very flimsy with the addition of the corn. Might try again another time.
They are supposed to be soft with crisp edges.
Hi
Can I substitute the Zucchini with another veggie ? Like frozen broccoli ?
I think broccoli could work. But I would use fresh instead of frozen as you don’t want any moisture in these fritter.
My family loves zucchini fritters, the addition of corn is a great way to incorporate more vegetables into these meatless fritters. My kids are die hard corn fans (like they will have a bowl of corn for dinner). So I know they will absolutely love these zucchini and corn fritters.
Thank you!
I am so happy summer farmers markets are around the corner. I have never tried using corn in zucchini fritters, I will give this recipe a try. I love the veggies in this dish.
Thank you!
Adding corn to classic zucchini fritters is genius! I love the added flavor the corn gives. Thanks for the step-by-step photos, so helpful.
These zucchini and corn fritters look like the summer itself! I love a touch of mozzarella in your recipe. I am sure it makes them extra delicious and savoury!
Loved, loved, loved these fritters!!! I made them the same exact day you posted on insta stories. Made them with almond flour- Deliciousness!!! I am thinking to make them next time in the waffle maker, hopefully my super picky eater would want to nibble (fingers crossed)