Corn and Zucchini Fritters

While summer is not my most favorite season for the temperature and the sweat, I love me some fresh summer produce. These corn and zucchini fritters really do the trick as far as combining two of my favorite veggies to eat in the hotter months. Not only are the fritters kid friendly (both my boys devoured them with dinner), they are great to prep ahead, reheat in the air fryer, and call it a win.

Zucchini is one of my favorite vegetables to grow in the garden, and yields a TON. Whether I am making my zucchini taco boats or linguine with garlic and oil, there's always room for fresh zucchini. Corn is also a staple, as it's versatile and can be thrown on the grill, boiled, or cut straight from the cob and made into homemade creamed corn. These fritters bring out all the natural sweet flavor of corn, and when paired with zucchini, it has the perfect mouthfeel that you'll feel good about eating more than one.

Corn Fritter Tips and Important Reminders

1. Remember to squeeze as much liquid from the zucchini as possible. The moisture from the zucchini will make the fritters soggy and will not get that crisp and crunch as you'd expect.
2. You do not need to use a cheesecloth to squeeze out the liquid from the zucchini. Double (or triple) the paper towel and squeeze using your hands. If the paper towel breaks, use one hand under the towel and squeeze directly into your hands. This is how I did it for the second recipe runthrough.
3. Remember to season the batter with salt and pepper, these two ingredients together will balance out all the other flavors.
4. Use a cast iron for frying! Cast iron skillets create an even distribution of heat throughout and typically don't have any "hot spots" when frying, thus the corn fritters will fry evenly every time.

The Main Ingredients

1. Corn: Corn adds sweetness, texture, and bite to the fritters.
2. Zucchini: Shredded zucchini adds moisture while helping the fritters stay soft on the inside.
3. Flour: Flour binds the ingredients together so the fritters hold their shape.
4. Egg: Egg helps hold everything together and gives the fritters structure.
5. Garlic Powder: Garlic powder adds a simple savory flavor that complements the vegetables.
6. Diced Yellow Onion: Yellow onion adds flavor and a slight sweetness as it cooks.
7. Salt and Pepper: Salt brings out the flavor of the ingredients, while black pepper adds balanced seasoning.
8. Olive Oil: Olive oil helps the fritters cook evenly and creates a golden, crisp exterior.

Simple Fritter Swaps and Substitutions

• Swap out the all purpose flour for gluten free flour if you need this recipe to be gluten free. This is the only ingredient that is gluten.
• I would not take out any of the egg and this is a very necessary ingredient in binding the batter.
• You can easily throw in other seasonings like dried herbs or even crushed red pepper for a little kick.
• If you want to make this even meatier use a half scoop of protein powder for some added protein benefits.

How to make zucchini and corn fritters

Step 1: Grate the zucchini using a box grater. Place the grated zucchini in a clean kitchen towel or cheesecloth and squeeze out excess moisture. This step is crucial to prevent soggy fritters.

Step 2: In a large bowl, combine the corn, grated zucchini, flour, eggs, shallot, Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper. Mix until well combined. The batter should be thick but not dry.

Step 3: In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Using a spoon or cookie scoop, scoop about 2 tablespoons of the batter and form it into a patty. Place it gently into the hot oil. Repeat, making sure not to overcrowd the pan.

Fry the fritters for about 3-4 minutes on each side or until golden brown and crispy. Adjust the heat as needed to avoid burning.

Once cooked, transfer the fritters to a plate lined with paper towels to drain excess oil. Repeat the process with the remaining batter.

Check out these incredible summer produce recipes:

Corn and Zucchini Fritters

Morgan Peaceman

Two classic summer vegetables marry together in these easy corn and zucchini fritters. Tender, crispy, and flavorful, packed with flavor.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 20 minutes mins

Course Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine American

Servings 8 servings

Calories 466 kcal

Equipment

• ▢
  cast iron skillet

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 2 cups Corn
• ▢ 2 Zucchini grated
• ▢ ½ cup All-Purpose Flour
• ▢ 2 large Eggs whisked
• ▢ ½ Yellow Onion minced
• ▢ ¼ cup Parmesan Cheese grated
• ▢ Salt and pepper to taste
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
• ▢ 1 ½ cups Olive oil

Instructions

 

• Grate the zucchini using a box grater. Place the grated zucchini in a clean kitchen towel or cheesecloth and squeeze out excess moisture.
• In a large bowl, combine the corn, grated zucchini, flour, eggs, shallot, Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper. Mix until well combined. The batter should be thick and slightly wet.
• In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat.
• Using a spoon or cookie scoop, scoop about 2 tablespoons of the batter and form it into a patty. Place it gently into the hot oil. Repeat, making sure not to overcrowd the pan.
• Fry the fritters for about 3-4 minutes on each side or until golden brown and crispy. Adjust the heat as needed to avoid burning.
• Once cooked, transfer the fritters to a plate lined with paper towels to drain excess oil. Repeat the process with the remaining batter.

Notes

Remember to squeeze as much liquid from the zucchini as possible. The moisture from the zucchini will make the fritters soggy and will not get that crisp and crunch as you'd expect.

You do not need to use a cheesecloth to squeeze out the liquid from the zucchini. Double (or triple) the paper towel and squeeze using your hands. If the paper towel breaks, use one hand under the towel and squeeze directly into your hands. This is how I did it for the second recipe runthrough.

Remember to season the batter with salt and pepper, these two ingredients together will balance out all the other flavors.

Use a cast iron for frying! Cast iron skillets create an even distribution of heat throughout and typically don't have any "hot spots" when frying, thus the corn fritters will fry evenly every time.

Nutrition

Calories: 466kcalCarbohydrates: 17gProtein: 6gFat: 43gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 30gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 49mgSodium: 74mgPotassium: 255mgFiber: 2gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 291IUVitamin C: 11mgCalcium: 56mgIron: 1mg

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!