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 finely shredded zucchini
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup crushed pork rinds
- 3 tablespoon coconut flour
- 1 teaspoon ground marjoram
- ¾ teaspoon pepper
- 1 cup crumbled feta
- 2 medium green onions chopped
- 2 large eggs
- 2 to 3 tablespoon Coconut oil or avocado oil for the pan
Cheddar Jalapeno Zucchini Fritters
- 2 cups finely shredded zucchini
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup crushed pork rinds
- 3 tablespoon coconut flour
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (4 ounces)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 to 2 medium jalapenos (finely minced)
- 2 to 3 tablespoon 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
Kathleen says
How much almond flour? The exact same as the pork rinds or a different amount?
Carolyn says
Same amount.
Vicki K says
These were quite good. I made a hybrid version based on on-hand ingredients which was cheddar and green onions. Used an all purpose season instead of cumin or marjoram. No topping. They held together quite well. Very tasty. Will be a regular dish in our house.
Carolyn says
Sounds great!
Jocelyn says
These were delicious! I made the cheddar version, but used green onions instead of jalapenos. Thank you for this recipe.
Linda says
were can I buy pork rind from
Carolyn says
I don’t know what’s available where you live.
Cecily Reading says
I see them in almost every grocery store. Try and find ones that don’t have a lot of additives and are baked, prefferably. and come from pigs that are pasture raised. they’re the healthiest. Also you can buy them on Amazon. I know Walmart carries them pretty much every major grocery store including natural food stores.
Victoria Johnson says
A most delicious recipe, had it for lunch today. Not enough feta so filled in with moz. Also used Italian seasoning for the marjoram. This I has become my fave
Lunch menu & I thank you
Cathy says
I’m sure these are good done in a small waffle maker too, I’ve done that before. Don’t forget your chocolate zucchini muffins, I made them this week and make them often all summer long. I love your recipes Carolyn!
Randy Williams says
Carolyn, are the pork rinds an integral part of the fritters? Is there a substitution you’d recommend?
Thank you
Randy
Carolyn says
Please read the blog post.
Cecily Reading says
Almond flour
Andrea says
For the zucchini fritters, is it 2 cups before or after the zucchini is drained of liquid?
Carolyn says
Before. Because I tell you the amount and then I give you the directions to salt and drain it, so it should be measure out first.
Mare aka Mary Haugen says
I would love these. I remember when I first moved over to Vancouver from Portland, it seemed like everybody had boxes of zucchini out in front of their homes for people to take what they wanted. At that time, I honestly was not a fan of vegetables. Now…. I can’t find anyone giving zucchinis away.
Your recipes for zucchinis look delicious and I’m hoping to attempt to make them. Bless you, dear Carolyn, you have the best recipes
Carolyn says
Thanks so much! You’re so close to me!
Beth says
Absolutely delicious! I am making the jalapeno ones next and will be making these again and again. Thanks so much for the recipe
Chrissy B says
delicious 😋
I made the jalapeno cheddar version in my air fryer and as suggested had for breakfast with my eggs…happy belly🥰
Nathalie says
Hi Chrissy, what temperature and time of cooking did you use for your fritters in the air fryer? Thank you!
Arlene Travnik says
Oh, this is what I came here to ask…if anyone has tried them in the airfryer! I’m going to give them a go today!
Dan says
We love just salt and pepper with a big handful of fresh chopped basil, you can’t use too much basil! I can’t fry them fast enough!
Helena says
I have been meaning to make these for LITERALLY years now. This year, our garden was quite bountiful with the zukes, and I had a bunch of shreds in my fridge waiting, so I decided to try it out. Pleased to say everyone LOVED them, and I was requested by multiple family members to make them wayyyyy more often. So a huge thank you, especially from my Polish husband who desperately misses potato pancakes since we went keto 6 years ago and says they hit the spot on that.
Lynn says
Can you freeze these? Either cooked or uncooked?
Carolyn says
I would freeze them cooked.
Harry says
Very good recipe, I did change up with the Marjoram, used 1/2 teaspoon and 1/2 Italian blend herbs, and used coconut oil mixed with lard to fry. I like your recipes, Thank You.
Christina says
I found this recipe under your dairy free recipe list but both versions have cheese 🙁
Will the recipe still work with no cheese added?
Carolyn says
I am so sorry about that. Yes, they can be made without cheese… I will fix the listing, it must be an error.
Taz says
Can you something other than pork rinds?
Carolyn says
Almond flour is your best bet.
DZee says
Made the jalapeño and chedder cheese version – so good! I have to control myself from eating them all! Perfect since now is the growing season for zucchini.
Judy says
Sounds delicious! Do you think these would work well in the air fryer?
Carolyn says
Yes! Brush them with a little butter on top for better browning.
Betsy Pedersen says
Do you think these would hold up without the cheese ? They sound delicious but hubby can’t have cheese.
Carolyn says
Yes… the feta one has chunks of cheese, not shredded, and it still holds together.