Keto Zucchini Fritters are an easy and delicious low carb side dish. They are crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. And I provide two two mouthwatering flavor variations!
I’ve been making these Keto Zucchini Fritters for over a decade now and I look forward to them every summer. Our zucchini plants tend to go wild toward the end of July and I scramble to keep up.
I make several and freeze batches of Zucchini Lasagna and Keto Zucchini Bread. And I never say no to some Keto Chocolate Zucchini Cake. But these easy fritters are a family favorite.
We also like to play with the flavors and add-ins. We always add some sort of cheese and some herbs and spices. So I am giving you two delicious flavor options. Feel a little more Mediterranean? Try the Feta & Green Onion. Prefer a Southwestern flair? Then the Cheddar Jalapeno Fritters are for you!
Why you will love this recipe
Not only is this recipe a great way to use up zucchini, but it’s versatile too! They make an excellent keto side dish, but they can also be serves as appetizers. And they are fabulous for breakfast or brunch with a fried egg on top.
They really aren’t hard to make, but you do need to take some care when flipping them. They also store nicely in the fridge and can even be frozen.
And these keto zucchini fritters have only 3g net carbs per serving. So you can dig in and enjoy!
Reader Reviews
“Absolutely delicious! I am making the jalapeño ones next and will be making these again and again. Thanks so much for the recipe” — Beth
“Those jalapeño fritters rocked my world! Such a great flavor and didn’t last long at our house. I will definitely be making these again.” — Julie
“These were fantastic! My kids ate them and had no idea they were eating zucchini!” — Stephanie
Ingredients you need
- Zucchini: Make sure you salt and drain the zucchini, then squeeze it to remove most of the moisture.
- Crushed pork rinds: You could 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. Oil for pan frying: Both coconut oil and avocado oil are good choices. Keep in mind that coconut oil has a stronger flavor while avocado oil is more neutral.
- 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.
Step by Step Directions
1. Prep the zucchini: 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.
2. Prep the dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the pork rinds, coconut flour, marjoram, and pepper. Stir in the crumbled feta and green onions (Option 1) or the cheddar and jalapeños (Option 2).
3. Add the zucchini: Mix in the zucchini and eggs until the batter comes together. Using your hands, form the mixture into 6 even patties.
4. Fry up the fritters: 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.
5. Drain the fritters: Remove to a paper towel lined plate to drain a few minutes before serving. Delicious with sour cream or yogurt.
Tips for Success
Drain well and squeeze: One of the keys to any successful zucchini fritter recipe is to reduce as much moisture as possible. So you want to salt that 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: Using crushed pork rinds really made a huge difference. Because they naturally contain collagen, they swell with added liquid and they get thick, creating a thicker batter and better consistency. The fritters held together much better in the pan, especially when trying to flip them over.
Interestingly, I found that the Cheddar Zucchini Fritters were easier to flip than the Feta Zucchini Fritters. I think the melting cheddar also helps bind them together.
If you prefer, you can still use almond flour and coconut flour. Just understand that they may not hold together quite as well.
Don’t use butter for frying: I tried a couple of different fats for frying the zucchini fritters. Since they take a bit to cook through, both butter and ghee went brown 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.
The fritters will soak up a lot of the oil so if you are doing them in batches, you will need to add more oil to the pan. You should be able to do all 6 fritters in one 12-inch pan.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! These keto zucchini fritters freeze very well. Transfer cooked and cooled fritters in a freezer safe airtight container and freeze for up to 6 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight. To reheat, you can warm in the microwave. You can also reheat in an oven, toaster or quickly pan fry on the stove with a little oil.
These keto zucchini fritters use crushed pork rinds instead of flour. You can also use almond flour. Either way, I like to add a little coconut flour because helps soak up excess moisture.
This keto zucchini fritters recipe has 4.8g of carbs and 1.8g of fiber per serving. That comes to 3g net carbs per fritter.
More savory 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 Coconut oil or avocado oil for the pan
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 Coconut or avocado oil for the pan
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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What a fun and delicious recipe! These will be great to serve with dinner tonight! My kids will love these!
SO yummy! Will be making these over and over!
These were fantastic! My kids ate them and had no idea they were eating zucchini!
Zucchini Time
The moisture can be greatly reduced by scraping out the seeks before shredding..
These are so good!
Those jalapeno fritters rocked my world! Such a great flavor and didn’t last long at our house. I will definitely be making these again.
These fritters are incredible! We served them up as appetizers and they were a huge hit! Thanks.
These sound amazing! I’m looking forward to trying them. I love pork rinds!
I tired the bread recipe I did add 1/4 c flax meal and replace Greek yogurt with ricotta and some cream ( weighed out).
so yes modified. bread rose well and I guess took out too soon. bread collapsed and bottom portion was wet.
so I cut bread part off and wet portion sliced and toasted in oven. dipping stick for hummus.
Can you tell me WHY the loaf fell.
Looked great and taste is fine.
These are the bomb!
HI,
What can I substitute for the pork rinds and keep it low carb?
Thank you.
Almond flour and 1 to 2 tbsp collagen powder.
I don’t eat pork either so I had wondered if almond flour might be a good substitute. so do you use the same amount along with the two tablespoons of collagen powder?
That’s what I’d suggest, yes.
Was trying to find a way to get my picky vegetable eater son to eat other things besides green beans or riced cauliflower… BRILLIANT– grate them into FRITTERS! I made the cheddar ones but not jalapeño just used ground spices of ancho chile, garlic& onion powder, cumin, ground chipotle pepper, tajin seasoning, and subbed in Lupin flour for the almond flour. Also added Nutritional Yeast flakes for the health benefits/Omega3/VitB, etc. Made 10. Were GREAT, he had 3., I could see these being made with almost any water removed minced/diced Keto friendly vegetable. Getting water out of veg is key– thanks again for the work done to aid our KETO journey!
So glad he liked them!!!
Is there something I can substitute the pork rinds with? These look so good, but I don’t eat pork and am not sure if they will stay together without that.
Almond flour and maybe a tbsp or two of collagen.
I made the Cheddar and Jalapeno Zucchini Fritters for lunch today and really enjoyed it! I will enjoy having one or two for breakfast or lunch.
Hi Carolyn, I have been wanting to make zucchini fritters. They sound so good, especially the feta ones. But, I have to be dairy free and it is easier to buy the dairy free cheddar. My other problem is I am allergic to eggs also. Do you think a flax egg sub would work in these fritters? Thanks for your help. It is so hard to bake and cook egg free!
I honestly do not think they would stay together very well with anything other than real eggs. Sorry.
I don’t have ground flaxseed on hand but would like to make these today. Any substitute?
Just more almond flour.
I’ve mad these twice. The first time I thought that the ratio of flax meal made it a little bitter. The second time I adjusted it by cutting the flax in half and using almond flour for the other half. I also add a bit more zucchini because I wanted it to be more veggie structured. I used an air fryer. and if you haven’t tried that yet, I’m saying run, don’t walk to purchase one!!! OMG!! I’ve been on a quest to find the perfect fritter, and I’ve tried them on the stove, but the air fryer takes it up to a completely different level!! To die for!!
Hi, Sandy! Can you tell me for how long and at what temp you did these in the air fryer? Thank you so much!