Greek Zucchini Fritters Recipe (Kolokithokeftedes)

These traditional Greek Zucchini fritters are a summertime staple in Greece. They're fresh, herby, with salty feta cheese, and a rich, deep-fried flavor balanced by the creamy, tangy yogurt dip on the side.

Greek zucchini fritters are one of the best ways to use up all that delicious summer zucchini. The best part is the feta cheese that melts into little pockets of salty creaminess inside the crisp, golden crust of each fritter. And contrasts the sweetness of this sweet summer vegetable.

Each bite is crispy, herbaceous, and perfectly balanced with the tang of yogurt that's served on the side. These are truly one of the best zucchini fritters to make!

Table Of Contents

• Preparation
• Deep-Frying
• Pan-Frying
• Baking and Air-Frying
• To Make Gluten-Free
• Serve With
• Recipe

Preparation

To make Greek zucchini fritters (or courgette fritters, they're the same thing), first, you grate the fresh zucchini on a box grater. Not too fine. Then mix it with salt and allow it to sit for a couple of minutes to drain its juices.

The next step is to squeeze the zucchini very well. I do it simply by hand without using a cloth, etc., as I don't find it necessary. What's important is to have the remaining ingredients ready to mix into the batter, so the zucchini won't sit too long because it will keep releasing its water, making the batter runnier.

To make the zucchini fritters batter, mix together in a bowl the grated zucchini, minced onions, spring onions, fresh herbs (dill + spearmint), eggs, crumbled feta cheese, and self-raising flour.

Deep-Frying

To deep-fry the zucchini fritters, heat plenty of vegetable oil in a sauté pan or a frying pan. The oil should cover the walls of the pan by at least 2 cm in height.

And as for the oil type, I use a mixture of olive oil and sunflower oil. Olive oil gives deeper color and extra flavor, while sunflower oil gives a lighter, crisper texture. If we used just olive oil, they would turn out too heavy and spongy. Unless you pan-fry them, see the tips below!

The temperature of the oil should be about 170°C / 340°F. If you don't have an instant-read thermometer, that's okay, just wait until the oil gets sizzling hot and toss in a small drop of the mixture. It should bubble and fry right away, but without getting too dark a color instantly (that means the oil is too hot).

To fry the zucchini fritters, add a spoonful of the batter, one at a time, into the hot oil. Don't fry more than 5-6 fritters at a time. Otherwise, they won't cook properly inside and out. Flip using two forks, and don't flip too often, so they won't soak up too much oil.

Once they turn golden and crispy on both sides (takes about 3-4 minutes overall), drain on paper towels for a minute and then serve warm.

Pan-Frying

To pan-fry these Greek zucchini fritters with feta, coat the bottom of a non-stick pan or cast-iron skillet with olive oil. Heat the pan over medium-high heat and add spoonfuls of the batter, pressing each spoonful to spread into a flattened patty (pancake-thick). Wait until it forms a crust on the bottom, and then flip with a spatula to cook on the other side as well.

Baking and Air-Frying

To either bake or make these Crispy zucchini fritters in the air-fryer, you will need to add more flour to the mixture to make them shapeable by hand. Then shape into flattened little balls.

If you want to bake them, line a sheet pan with parchment paper and brush it generously with olive oil. This will give color and make them more crusty/crispy on the outside. Brush also on top with olive oil and bake in a well-preheated oven at 200°C / 390°F.

If you want to air-fry them, use air-fryer sheets and spray or brush with olive oil. Place the fritters without overcrowding them, and spray or brush with olive oil on the top as well. Cook for 10-12 minutes, flipping them halfway through.

To Make Gluten-Free

To make gluten-free zucchini fritters, you can use all-purpose gluten-free flour.

Or if you want a healthier option, the best flours to substitute for flour in this recipe are: millet flour, corn flour (Maize flour, not corn starch), and chickpea flour. If you want to make these Greek zucchini fritters gluten-free and bake them at the same time, it's best to use one of the above flours mixed with almond flour so they won't end up dry.

Whichever flour you use, don't forget to mix it with a teaspoon of baking powder.

Serve With

Serve them with a spoonful of Greek yogurt or try my simple 2-minute-to-make Greek yogurt dip with fresh dill and lemon for extra freshness (recipe below). Although not a Greek side, these crispy zucchini fritters go extremely well with Homemade Labneh.

Recipe