It’s so easy to get in a rut with your keto side dishes. It happens to the best of us! That’s why I try to come up with easy but creative recipes like these Spinach and Ricotta Fritters.
I love fritters of all sorts and so do my readers. From the classic keto zucchini fritters, to the ever-popular Cheesy Chicken Fritters, they make tasty appetizers or snacks. Now we’ve got a new recipe to add to our collection!
I had some leftover ricotta I needed to use and I wanted to make something a little different. After a little searching on Pinterest, I spotted a recipe for savory ricotta fritters and I knew I could make a low carb version.
I made mine in the air fryer and they were absolutely delicious, but these could easily be fried in a pan on the stovetop too.
Why we love this recipe
My husband was a huge fan of these tasty fritters. I had to fight him to get a few for myself!
- Appetizer or side dish: We paired the fritters with some Chipotle Lime Chicken we were making for dinner. But these would make great appetizers too!
- Easy ingredients: This recipe uses basic keto ingredients that you can find at any grocery store.
- Delicious flavor: I added some Italian seasoning, garlic, and red pepper flakes. You could also use fresh herbs like basil if you have some.
- Creamy texture: These fritters have a wonderful creamy interior from the ricotta.
- Great macros: With only 5.7 grams of carbs and 10 grams of protein, they are great for low carb and keto diets!
Ingredient Notes
- Frozen spinach: I recommend frozen spinach rather than fresh for simplicity. It’s easier to remove more of the liquid from frozen spinach.
- Ricotta cheese: Use whole milk ricotta cheese and drain off any liquid that has accumulated around the top.
- Almond flour: You could also use sunflower seed flour for a nut-free alternative.
- Parmesan: Make sure the parmesan is finely grated so that it mixes in better.
- Egg: You do need an egg to help hold the fritters together properly.
- Butter or oil: Lightly brushing the fritter with oil makes them brown more nicely in the air fryer. If you fry them in a pan, you will need additional oil.
- Seasonings: Italian seasoning, garlic, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper.
Step by Step Directions
- Squeeze the spinach: Place the thawed spinach in a kitchen rag or tea towel and twist to release as much moisture as possible. This is best done over the sink!
- Mix the ingredients: In a large bowl, stir together the ricotta, almond flour, parmesan, garlic, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper.
- Stir in the egg: Add the egg and work that in until well combined. Use a silicone spatula to work everything together like a dough.
- Form into patties: Using about 2 tablespoons of the mixture at a time, form into balls and then flatten the balls into patties. You should get at least 12.
- Air fry: Preheat the air fryer to 400ºF and lightly grease the rack(s). Place the fritters in a single layer on the racks and brush lightly with melted butter or oil. If your air fryer is small, you may need to work in batches. Air fry for 10 minutes, flipping over partway through and brushing the second side with butter or oil.
Tips for Success
Ricotta can sometimes have a lot of liquid. I always find that it pools at the top of the cheese when you’ve already removed some. Make sure to pour off any of that liquid before measuring it out, or your mixture will be too wet.
If the ricotta you use is quite liquidy as is, consider straining it through a sieve lined with paper towel before using.
I recommend frozen spinach for recipes like this because it’s easier to work with. You can easily squeeze out all the extra moisture once it’s thawed. Fresh, uncooked spinach may work but I didn’t test this recipe with it
Stovetop Directions
Follow the directions for forming the fritters. Heat 2 tablespoon of oil in a large non-stick pan over medium heat. 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
For most recipes, you can substitute cottage cheese for ricotta cheese. Do keep in mind that cottage cheese can contain more liquid. For these Ricotta Fritters, I recommend draining the cottage cheese for an hour or so before mixing them up, to help remove the excess liquid.
Store the fritters in a covered container in the fridge for up to 7 days. They can be reheated gently in the microwave or the oven.
Each serving of two fritters has 5.6 grams of carbs and 2.2 grams of fiber. If you count net carbs, each serving has 3.4 grams.
More Keto Appetizers to Love
Spinach and Ricotta Fritters
Equipment
Ingredients
- 8 ounces chopped frozen spinach, thawed
- 1 cup whole milk ricotta
- 1/2 cup almond flour
- 1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, optional
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1 large egg
- 1 tbsp melted butter or olive oil
Instructions
- Place the thawed spinach in a kitchen rag or tea towel and twist to release as much moisture as possible. This is best done over the sink!
- In a large bowl, stir together the ricotta, almond flour, spinach, parmesan, garlic, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper.
- Add the egg and work that in until well combined. Use a silicone spatula to work everything together like a dough.
- Using about 2 tablespoons of the mixture at a time, form into balls and then flatten the balls into patties. You should get at least 12.
- Preheat the air fryer to 400ºF and lightly grease the rack(s). Place the fritters in a single layer on the racks and brush lightly with melted butter or oil. If your air fryer is small, you may need to work in batches.
- Air fry for 10 minutes, flipping over partway through and brushing the second side with butter or oil.
- Serve with marinara or other favorite dipping sauces.
Notes
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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Im happy to have found a side dish ..I’m trying to cut on carbs and my down fall sweets so far so good. Much appreciated
I wonder if ypu could use coconut flour instead? I was thinking I might start with 1-2 tablespoons.
I have made this recipe a few times. When I used the air fryer it burnt a little so I tried 350 degrees. It still burnt a little. Then I thought of putting it in the oven at 400. It took a while but it worked fine! Why does the air fryer burn it?
These tasted really good! Not sure exactly where I went wrong but I tried both the air fryer and the pan and they both took much longer to cook and were a bit of a gloppy mess but again, they tasted really good. I will be trying again!
Sounds like your mix was too wet… perhaps from the ricotta or the spinach. Did you drain your ricotta?
Almost the same thing happened to me. I had to cook them much longer than 5 minutes. Probably too much liquid in the frozen spinach. Next time I will put the spinach in the microwave and squeeze it more. I used the pan on the stovetop but yet have an air fryer which I can use.
So yummy! I don’t have an air fritter so I fried them in a little olive oil. So delicious
Great to hear!
I bet you could make these with pork rind panko instead of almond flour. My son doesnt like the taste of almond flour and it would be lower in carbs. What do you think?
Something I started doing to squeeze the liquid out of spinach for recipes is using a potato ricer. It’s seriously a game-changer!!!
I was going to make that same suggestion. It’s so much less messy and easier to clean up. And it gets more water out of the veggies than using a towel. 🙂
What a great idea! Never thought of doing that.
What a great idea! I don’t have a potato ricer, so here’s what I do: Put the thawed spinach in a sieve/strainer over top of a bowl to catch the liquid, then put a round bowl (like those metal ones) on top of the spinach and press down. This pushes most of the liquid into the bowl below, and then I’m left with just the drained spinach in the sieve.
Could fresh spinach be substituted?
Please read the blog post, I already discussed this.
could I use a flaxseed egg?
I have no idea! 🙂
I assume the drained spinach is added in along with the egg (like the zucchini fritters).
Fixed it. It’s added before the egg.