Crispy Keto Zucchini Fritters are one of my favorite ways to enjoy summer produce. I’ve been making this same recipe for ages and I look forward to them every year. Filled with melty cheese and seasonings, they take only 25 minutes to make. And they smell absolutely amazing while they’re cooking!
Like many home gardeners, my zucchini plants tend to go wild and I scramble to keep up. I give the summer squash away to friends and neighbors, and I make (and freeze!) batches of Zucchini Lasagna and Keto Zucchini Bread. These flavorful fritters grace my table several times a summer.
It’s fun to switch up the cheeses, herbs, and spices, too. Feeling a little more Mediterranean? Try the Feta & Green Onion. Prefer a Southwestern flair? Then the Cheddar Jalapeno Fritters are for you! Either way, they fry up to crispy, golden perfection.
Why you will love this recipe
No soggy fritters here! Squeezing out the excess moisture and stirring in pork panko and some coconut flour gives them the perfect tender-crisp texture.
Versatility: These fritters make an excellent keto side dish, but they can also be served as appetizers. And they are fabulous for breakfast or brunch with a fried egg on top.
Customizable: I’ve provided two flavor variations, but you can also strike out on your own. How about some Parmesan and a little Italian seasoning? You can also scale the recipe up to serve more people.
Low carb and gluten-free: Made without any gluten or grains, and each serving has only 3 grams net carbs.
★★★★★
Dawn says: “OMG! These were delicious. I doubled the recipe because I was sharing it with a neighbor. I can’t even begin to explain how delicious they were. Thank you for such an awesome recipe!“
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Zucchini: Make sure you squeeze it well to remove most of the moisture.
- Crushed pork rinds: You can also use almond flour.
- Coconut flour: This helps bind the fritters and soak up any excess moisture.
- Eggs: Eggs help hold the fritters together better.
- Fritter recipe option 1: Crumbled feta, green onions, ground marjoram, pepper and salt.
- Fritter recipe option 2: Shredded cheddar cheese, jalapeños, garlic powder, cumin and salt.
How to Make Keto Zucchini Fritters
- Prep the zucchini: Sprinkle the zucchini with salt and drain for 1 hour over the sink. Squeeze out as much moisture as possible.
- Combine the dry ingredients: Whisk the pork rinks, coconut flour, and seasonings. Stir in the cheese and green onions or jalapeños.
- Add the wet ingredients: Mix in the zucchini and eggs, and form 6 even patties.
- Pan-fry: Heat the oil in a medium skillet. Add the fritters and cook until golden brown. Carefully flip over and cook on the second side.
- Drain the fritters: Remove to a paper towel lined plate to drain a few minutes before serving.
Carolyn’s Tips for Success
Drain well and squeeze: The key to any successful zucchini fritter recipe is to reduce as much moisture as possible. Salt the shredded zucchini and let it drain for at least an hour. Then wrap it all up in a tea towel and make like a boa constrictor, squeezing it to death!
Keto fillers: Crushed pork rinds really make a difference to these keto zucchini fritters. Because they naturally contain collagen, they swell with added liquid, creating a thicker batter and better consistency. The fritters held together much better in the pan, especially when trying to flip them over.
Skip the butter: These fritters take a bit to cook through and butter browns too quickly. It leaves the outside too dark while the center is still a bit mushy. You want an oil that can withstand the high heat for 10 minutes without browning or burning.
Frequently Asked Questions
More Popular Keto Zucchini Recipes
Keto Zucchini Fritters Recipe
Ingredients
Zucchini Fritters with Feta and Green Onion
- 2 cups (248 g) finely shredded zucchini
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup (28 g) crushed pork rinds
- 3 tbsp (21.3 g) coconut flour
- 1 tsp ground marjoram
- 3/4 tsp pepper
- 1 cup (150 g) crumbled feta
- 2 medium green onions, chopped
- 2 large eggs
- 2 to 3 tbsp avocado oil, or olive oil
Cheddar Jalapeno Zucchini Fritters
- 2 cups (248 g) finely shredded zucchini
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup crushed pork rinds
- 3 tbsp coconut flour
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 cup (113 g) shredded cheddar cheese, (4 ounces)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 to 2 medium jalapenos, (finely minced)
- 2 to 3 tbsp avocado oil, or olive oil
Instructions
Zucchini Fritters with Feta and Green Onion
- Place the zucchini in a fine-mesh sieve and sprinkle with the salt. Toss a few times and let drain 1 hour, then tranfer to a tea towel and squeeze out as much moisture as possible.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the pork rinds, coconut flour, marjoram, and pepper. Stir in the crumbled feta and green onions.
- Add the zucchini and the eggs and mix until the batter comes together. Using your hands, form the mixture into 6 even patties.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, add enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Once hot, add the fritters and let cook until golden brown on the bottom, 4 to 5 minutes. Carefully flip over and cook on the second side until golden brown.
- Remove to a paper towel lined plate to drain a few minutes before serving. Delicious with sour cream or yogurt.
Cheddar Jalapeno Zucchini Fritters
- Proceed as above, replacing the marjoram with the garlic powder and cumin, and the feta and green onion with the cheddar and jalapeno.
Notes
Total fat: 14.1g;
Carbohydrate: 4.1g;
Total dietary fiber: 1.8g;
Protein: 16.4g
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.
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Happy Friday! Just letting you know I featured this recipe for my weekly Low-Carb Recipe Love on Fridays post. I hope a lot of my readers will click over and try your recipe; looks great!
Thanks, Kalyn!
I found the oregano over powered everything else. Couldn’t even taste the feta. Next time I will leave that out.
Excellent-made these just now and they are so delicious. I shredded the zucchini yesterday then got sidetracked and just made them now. Overnighting zucchini in fridge was no problem. I didn’t have marjoram on hand so I subbed thyme. Thanks for this yummy side dish that’s using up the summer zucchini.
We liked these so much I featured them on my blog promoting vegetarian and Krishna conscious recipes! Check it out here: http://discoveryourselfinyoga.blogspot.com/p/vegetarian-recipes.html
Thanks!
If you’re not vegetarian, add a can of drained wild salmon to make these into a main dish. Mix some crumbled feta with herbs (especially dill) and plain Greek yogurt for a quick and tasty sauce.
Oh yum, nice idea! I adore salmon. Did you see my salmon giveaway going on right now? Well, it’s not for the salmon itself, but for some cedar planks to grill it.
Hope you don’t mind answering a question from an older post. Do you remove the zucchini skin before grating?
Thanks.
No, I never do. I like it.
Thanks, Carolyn. Excited to make your fritters.
Served these with dinner tonight – they were delicious and filling, and prep was so quick and easy! We devoured ours with tzatziki sauce, but I think next time we’ll go with your suggestion, as the tzatziki was a little overwhelming.
Prepared these for dinner late last week and they were a huge hit. I even ate one of the leftovers cold, straight from the fridge. Yum! I thought I was making them small enough, but I only ended up with 8.
I will definitely be making these again soon.
8 big ones sounds good to me anyway!
I really, really don’t want to go to the store…I normally don’t like messing with a recipe the first time around but I don’t have coconut flour on hand. Do you have any suggestions for a substitution? I just bought some feta with Mediterranean herbs yesterday and I think it would be amazing in these!
How about 1/4 cup almond flour? I think that would work.
I ended of just making them with no binding agents other than eggs (the cheese helped too as it melted) they were great! I will be picking up some coconut flour to keep on hand the next time I go shopping though. Then I’ll make them again the proper way 🙂
The coconut flour is more for making them a bit drier, not as “eggy”…but so glad it worked your way too.
Nice. I may have to change a thing or two to make this Paleo.
I just made these for breakfast. YUM! What a fantastic idea to add the feta; that takes it over the top.
I’m a feta lover too, these fritter sounds right up my alley!
I made these last night – they came out great! Total hit – will make again. I only got 10 small fritters out of it though… Might add more zucchini next time.
That definitely doesn’t sound like enough fritters! 🙂
I am so hungry looking at these! I am loving your version of zucchini fritters, they look perfect!
Oh yes… these look so perfect and crispy. The feta is a lovely addition!
Do you have to us coconut flour for this recipe?
No, but I think the texture may change some without it.
I can’t get coconut flour. The texture may change but what about I use plain flour. I don’t need gluten free.
Sure, that would work!