These vegan zucchini fritters are seasoned up with garlic, dill and a hint of cumin, pan-fried to a crisp, and served with a sprinkling of fresh chives. Delicious on their own, but also perfect for dipping!
These vegan zucchini fritters were SO GOOD! This is one of those recipes I had to make a few times to perfect (vegan fritters are tricky!) but even the batches that turned out not quite right were seriously addictive.
Or maybe they were all right and I just wanted to make them again and again. In any event, I did finally perfect the recipe and today I'm here to share it.
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What You'll Need
- Zucchini.
- Salt.
- Fresh dill. You can leave this out if you'd like, but I don't recommend using dried dill or dill seed. Stick with fresh!
- Fresh chives. Scallions can be substituted for chives if you'd like. Again — make sure it's fresh!
- Garlic.
- Panko breadcrumbs. Any vegan breadcrumbs will do — I just find panko to be the most readily available.
- Flour. The recipe calls for all-purpose flour, but whole wheat will work too.
- Cumin.
- Olive oil. Any high-heat oil will work, but olive will give your fritters the best flavor.
How to Make Vegan Zucchini Fritters
The following is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll down if you'd prefer to skip right to the recipe!
- Coarsely shred your zucchini. If you have a grater with a couple different sizes of teeth, use the larger ones.
- Sprinkle your shredded zucchini with a teaspoon of salt. Give it a good stir to coat the zucchini with salt. Let it sit for 30 to 60 minutes. The salt will draw excess moisture out of the zucchini during this time.
- Now squeeze out all that excess water. You can either squeeze the zucchini by hand or press it into a fine mesh colander.
- Stir in chopped dill and chives, minced garlic, panko breadcrumbs, flour, and cumin.
- Begin heating up some olive oil in a skillet — you want a nice generous coating of oil.
- While the oil heats, begin shaping the zucchini mix into little patties.
- Place the patties in the hot skillet and fry them for about 4 minutes on each side, until they brown and crisp up.
- Let your cooked fritters cool very briefly before serving them — they won't stay crispy for long!
- Serve them with vegan sour cream or vegan tzatziki.
Leftovers & Storage
Vegan zucchini fritters are best served immediately, but if you end up with leftovers, simply store them in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat them for a few minutes on each side under a preheated broiler, until they start to sizzle.
Frequently Asked Questions
I haven't tried, so I'm not sure. If you'd like to give it a try, simply use an all-purpose gluten-free flour blend and gluten-free breadcrumbs.
I don't recommend it. I tried a few baked variations while developing the recipe, and they all came out gummy and soggy.
There could be a few reasons for this! First, make sure you squeezed out enough moisture from your zucchini. Really give it a good wringing out! Also make sure your fritters aren't too thick in the middle — this can prevent them from cooking through. Flatten them out a bit before placing them in the skillet.
Make sure you're using a good nonstick cooking surface (I really like cast iron), and plenty of oil. Also make sure your oil is getting nice and hot before you add the fritters to the skillet.
More Vegan Zucchini Recipes
- Vegan Zucchini Bread
- Beer-Battered Zucchini Tacos
- Vegan Stuffed Zucchini
- Vegan Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
- Vegan Pasta Primavera
Like this recipe? If so, please stop back and leave me a review and rating below if you try it! Also be sure to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram, or subscribe to my newsletter for more recipes like this one!
📖 Recipe
Vegan Zucchini Fritters with Garlic & Dill
Ingredients
For the Fritters
- 1 pound fresh zucchini, coarsely grated
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- ¼ cup panko breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour (whole wheat flour also works)
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more as needed
For Serving (Optional)
- Vegan tzatziki
- Cashew sour cream
- Chopped fresh dill and chives
Instructions
- Place the grated zucchini into a medium-sized bowl. Sprinkle with salt and stir to combine. Let the zucchini sit for 30 to 60 minutes.
- Transfer the zucchini to a colander and press out the excess water. Alternatively, wrap the zucchini in a clean towel and wring out the water.
- Place the zucchini back into the bowl and add the dill, chives, garlic, breadcrumbs, flour, and cumin. Stir to combine.
- Generously coat the bottom of a large nonstick skillet with about 2 tablespoons of oil and place it over medium heat.
- While the oil heats up, shape the zucchini mixture into 8 fritters (2-3 inches in diameter).
- When the oil is hot, add a few fritters to the skillet, being careful not to crowd the pan. Cook the fritters for about 4 minutes on each side, until browned and crispy, then transfer them to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
- Add oil to the skillet as needed and continue cooking the fritters in batches.
- Serve the fritters with cashew sour cream or vegan tzatziki and a sprinkling of dill and chives.
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Can these be done in an AirFryer?
I haven't tried, so I'm not sure.
how do they stick together
The flour holds them together!
These look sooooo gooooooood! Adding to my to-make list!
Thank you! Enjoy!!
These photographs are so stunning! It looks like the fritters came out beautifully. I so wish I had one right now!
Thank you!!