Keto

Serving

Keto Kid-friendly Quick & easy

Zucchini Fritters

Name: Zucchini Fritters
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Keto
Ingredients: 2 medium zucchini, grated; 1/2 tsp salt; 2 eggs; 1/2 cup almond flour; 1/4 cup grated Parmesan; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 2 tbsp oil, for frying; pepper to taste

Crispy golden keto zucchini fritters made with almond flour and Parmesan — great as a side or snack.

20 minutes

Serves 4

Side

9 min prep

15 min cook

Contains common allergens

Egg Dairy Tree nut

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Good to know

Crispy
Ready in under 30 minutes

Matched from this dish's own ingredients and timing. Browse more: crispy recipes 30-minute meals

Instructions

6 steps

1
Toss the grated zucchini with the salt and let sit in a colander for 10 minutes to draw out moisture.
2
Squeeze the zucchini firmly in a clean kitchen towel to remove as much liquid as possible.
3
In a bowl, mix the zucchini with the eggs, almond flour, Parmesan, garlic, and pepper until a thick batter forms.
4
Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat and drop in spoonfuls of the mixture, flattening slightly.
5
Fry until golden and crisp, 3 to 4 minutes per side.
6
Drain on paper towels and serve warm.

Zucchini Fritters — plated and served — Serving moment. How Zucchini Fritters looks plated and ready to eat — a representative photo, not a step in the recipe.

Listahan Family Score™

76/100

Good fit for most families

Allergen-friendly 70

Kid-friendly 85

Weeknight-easy 96

Budget-friendly 64

Great leftovers 56

Pantry-friendly 74

Score reflects how well this recipe fits a typical busy household. In the app, your Family Score is personalized to your household's allergens, kids, and pantry.

Nutrition

per serving

Calories

5 g

Protein

4 g

Carbs

3 g

Fat

Estimated per serving. Actual values depend on the brands and portions you use.

Listahan cooking guide

Chef notes & practical guide

Technique notes, ingredient swaps, serve-alongside ideas, storage guidance, and equipment for this recipe.

Cultural context

Vegetable fritters appear across many cultures under different names — Greek kolokythokeftedes, Turkish mucver, Middle Eastern ejjeh — all share the same logic: grated vegetable, egg, cheese or flour as a binder, pan-fried into crispy rounds. The keto version works with zucchini because it is naturally very low in carbs, and the main challenge is managing its extraordinary water content, which can turn a fritter batter into a soggy pancake rather than a crispy patty. Once that water is properly expelled, zucchini fritters require almost no adaptation for keto eating.

Listahan note

This version is built around the water-removal step as the non-negotiable foundation — aggressively salting and squeezing the zucchini is what separates a golden, crispy fritter from a steamed vegetable pancake.

Technique cues

Salt the grated zucchini generously, let it sit for 15 minutes, then wring it out in a clean kitchen towel with as much force as you can — you should extract about half a cup of liquid from 2 medium zucchini.
Use a generous amount of fat in the pan and heat it until shimmering before adding the fritters; adding to a cool pan causes the batter to absorb oil and become greasy rather than developing a crispy exterior.
Flatten each fritter slightly with the back of a spatula immediately after it hits the pan — the increased surface contact with the hot fat is what produces an even, golden crust rather than a dome that browns only at the edges.

Kitchen flow

Parallel prep: Let the salted zucchini sit and drain for 15 minutes while you prepare the other ingredients and get the skillet heating.
Make-ahead: Form the fritter patties up to 24 hours ahead and refrigerate on a parchment-lined tray; cook directly from the refrigerator so the cold batter holds its shape better in the hot fat.
Leftover move: Cold fritters are excellent at room temperature the next day — serve alongside a fried egg and sliced tomato for a fast, no-reheat breakfast.
Cleanup rhythm: Use a single large skillet and cook in batches; wipe out between batches if any cheese has scorched on the pan surface before adding fresh oil.

Ingredient brief

Role, handling, and swap guidance for each key ingredient.

zucchini

vegetable base

Purpose: Zucchini has a neutral flavor that takes on the character of the cheese, herbs, and seasoning, and its structure holds together after the water is removed.

Handling: Grate on the large holes of a box grater, salt generously, and squeeze out all visible moisture before combining with other ingredients.

Adaptation: Yellow summer squash works identically; a mixture of zucchini and grated carrot adds color and a slightly sweeter flavor, though the carrot adds a small amount of carbs.

feta cheese

binder and flavor

Purpose: Feta contributes salt, tangy flavor, and a binding quality that holds the fritter together without needing significant flour or starch.

Handling: Crumble finely so it distributes evenly through the batter rather than sitting in chunks that can cause the fritter to break.

Adaptation: Ricotta produces a creamier, milder fritter; Parmesan grated finely adds an intense umami note with stronger binding properties.

eggs

structural binder

Purpose: Eggs are the primary structural binder that holds the grated vegetable and cheese together into a cohesive patty that can be flipped without falling apart.

Handling: Beat lightly before combining with the squeezed zucchini and cheese.

Adaptation: A flax egg (1 tablespoon ground flax plus 3 tablespoons water, rested 5 minutes) works as a vegan binder, though the fritters are slightly more fragile.

almond flour

structure and texture

Purpose: A small amount of almond flour absorbs any residual moisture and helps the exterior crisp without the gluten that wheat flour would provide.

Handling: Add 2-3 tablespoons to the squeezed zucchini mixture and stir to combine before forming patties.

Adaptation: Coconut flour at one-third the amount works but absorbs more moisture; psyllium husk powder at 1 teaspoon provides binding without affecting the flavor.

fresh dill

flavor accent

Purpose: Dill is the classic herb pairing for zucchini and feta across Mediterranean cuisines, and its grassy brightness elevates the fritters from vegetable pancakes to something with a defined flavor identity.

Handling: Chop finely and stir in just before forming patties to preserve its color and freshness.

Adaptation: Fresh mint or chives work equally well; a combination of mint and parsley gives a more Middle Eastern character.

Technique notes

Form the patties to no more than 1/2 inch thick — thicker fritters take too long to cook through and the exterior over-browns before the center sets.
After the first flip, resist pressing down on the fritter; the golden side is already formed and pressure at this stage does not improve anything and risks breaking the fritter.
A yogurt-based dipping sauce with lemon and garlic served alongside transforms these from a side dish into a complete light meal that holds its own on the dinner table.

Ingredient swaps

Dairy-free direction: Replace feta with a dairy-free feta made from tofu or cashews and use a flax egg as the binder; the texture is slightly more delicate but the fritters hold together well.
Nut-free direction: Replace almond flour with 1 tablespoon of coconut flour or 2 tablespoons of sunflower seed flour; the flavor remains neutral and the binding is similar.
Weeknight shortcut: Use a salad spinner to remove moisture from the salted zucchini rather than the towel-wringing method; it is faster and nearly as effective.

Serve alongside

Tzatziki with cucumber and dill
Simple Greek salad with olives and pepperoncini
Sliced smoked salmon with capers
Sparkling water with cucumber and mint
Dry white wine such as Assyrtiko or Sauvignon Blanc (for those who include alcohol)

Serving suggestions only — check pairings for your household's allergens.

Storage & reheating

Refrigerate cooked fritters for up to 3 days; they are best eaten at room temperature or re-crisped in the oven rather than microwaved.
Re-crisp on a sheet pan at 400 F for 8 minutes, flipping once halfway through; this restores most of the exterior texture that refrigeration softens.

Equipment

Box grater for shredding zucchini
Clean kitchen towel or cheesecloth for wringing out moisture
10-inch nonstick or cast iron skillet for even browning

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