Keto Zucchini Fritters
Keto Zucchini Fritters are such a fast and easy recipe with only 0.7 net carbs per serving. With just 20 minutes of time needed and 5 simple ingredients, everyone is going to love the flavor. This simple side dish is also dairy free, low carb, gluten free, and delicious!
These healthy and delicious Keto Zucchini Fritters are full of flavor and so versatile. Serve them with different sauces and dips, or on their own! It’s a great choice for a low carb breakfast, lunch or dinner!
The great thing about cooking zucchini is that it takes on flavors and spices so well. I’ve found that if cooked properly, zucchini can almost have a “meaty” taste to it, too. Since these zucchini patties are fast to make, they’re the one side dish that I rotate in my meal planning quite a bit. I love them with simple entrees like this Garlic Herb Butter Roast Chicken.
This is because zucchini is affordable and a little bit really does go a long way. This low carb zucchini fritters recipe is also great to have on hand if you garden and are looking for simple ways to use up zucchini without letting any of it go to waste.
This low carb Keto Zucchini Bread and Zucchini Au Gratin are prime examples of other amazing ways that you can use this versatile vegetable to create a truly delicious dish. Or try a Keto Zucchini Casserole.
Ingredients Needed
Grated zucchini – Make certain that you grate it fine so that it binds well. Yellow squash will work in the recipe too.
Salt – Since the pork rinds are salty you only need salt to help the zucchini release its liquid.
Pork rinds – Pork rinds work perfectly in place of breadcrumbs in keto recipes and add so much flavor.
Green onions – Not only do the onions add flavor but they give the dish a nice pop of color, too.
Egg – Eggs bind all the ingredients together to help bind the zucchini pancakes.
Coconut oil – I fry these in coconut oil but you can use avocado oil, light olive oil, or ghee if you prefer.
How To Make Keto Zucchini Fritters
Since this entire recipe takes just 20 minutes max from start to finish, there really are not a ton of steps for you to remember. (This is a good thing!)
You do need to decide how you want to make these keto low carb fritters. Do you want to fry them or do you want to bake them? You’ll find directions below for both. Step one and step two listed below you’ll do no matter if you’re baking or frying.
Step One: Sprinkle the zucchini with salt. Let sit for 10 minutes. Wring out as much liquid as you can.
Step Two: Combine the drained zucchini, crushed pork rinds, green onions, and egg in a medium or large mixing bowl. Mix well.
Step Three: Heat a tablespoon of coconut oil in a large nonstick skillet to medium-high heat. Add about 1/4 of the zucchini mixture to the pan for each fritter. Depending on your pan you can cook 3-5 at once in a single layer.
Step Four: Cook for about 5 minutes until the bottom is golden and the egg has set enough to flip the fritter without it breaking. Flip. Cook on the other side for an additional 4-5 minutes. Add more oil as needed.
Expert Tip: These are a little delicate so flip gently. Even if they break they still taste great!
Step Five: Set them on a paper napkin once they’re done cooking to soak up extra oil.
Variations
Pork Rinds – If you don’t want to use pork rinds you can sub in a bit of almond flour, coconut flour, or parmesan cheese. Any of these work for gluten free zucchini fritters.
Cheese – As written, these are dairy-free. But if you don’t need them to be feel free to add some mozzarella cheese, cheddar cheese, feta cheese, and grated parmesan cheese are all great choices.
Seasonings – Use a flavored pork rind or add your favorite seasonings like garlic powder, Italian seasoning, or lemon pepper seasoning.
Spicy – Add some crushed red pepper for a bit of heat. Just 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon would be plenty for the whole batch.
Bacon – Bacon is always a welcome addition in my house. Feel free to mix some cooked crumbled bacon into the batter before cooking.
Sauce – You can easily vary this by serving the keto fritters with sour cream or a flavorful sauce. We like them with ranch or blue cheese dressing. Keto barbecue sauce or marinara sauce are nice choices too.
Broccoli or Cauliflower Fritters – Shred some cauliflower or broccoli (especially the stems). Stem those until just beginning to become tender and sub that for the zucchini to make keto veggie fritters.
Carrots – To make these gluten-free zucchini fritters a little more kid-friendly sometimes I’ll add shredded carrots like you can see below.
Tips for Zucchini Fritters
Excess Water in Zucchini
Once you shred the zucchini, you’re going to be amazed at how much water there is. You can get rid of excess water by actually squeezing the shredded zucchini. I will place it in a clean dish towel and twist it wringing out the liquid. Sprinkling the zucchini with a little salt and letting it sit for a few minutes before draining it is the best way to remove the most liquid.
Storage
Store cooked zucchini fritters in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Freezing
These can be frozen after cooking. Place in a single layer on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and freeze until firm. Once they are frozen they can be stacked with parchment between each layer and kept in the freezer in a storage container for 2-3 months.
Reheating
Reheat in the oven or microwave until hot. Thirty seconds in the microwave should be plenty. Or bake at 350 for 7-8 minutes.
Common Questions
Are zucchini fritters keto?
Most traditional fritters would not be keto as they are normally made with breadcrumbs.
Can I bake the zucchini fritters?
If you’d like to bake this keto zucchini fritters recipe instead of pan-frying here are easy instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 350. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Scoop twelve 4-inch circles of zucchini batter onto the pan.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes until they are golden and the egg has set to hold them together.
Can I use an air fryer?
Sure. Just place the fritters in a single layer in the air fryer basket. It is helpful to use a silicone or parchment liner so they don’t stick. Air fry for about 8-10 minutes at 400 or until they are golden brown.
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Keto Zucchini Fritters
Ingredients
- 3 cups shredded zucchini
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup pork rinds finely crushed
- 1/4 cup green onions
- 1 egg
- 2-4 tablespoons coconut oil
Instructions
- Sprinkle the zucchini with salt. Let sit for 10 minutes. Wring out as much liquid as you can.
- Combine the drained zucchini, crushed pork rinds, green onions, and egg. Mix well.
Fried Zucchini Fritters:
- Heat a tablespoon of coconut oil in a large nonstick skillet. Add about 1/4 of the zucchini mixture to the pan for each fritter. Depending on your pan you can cook 3-5 at once.
- Cook for about 5 minutes until the bottom is golden and the egg has set enough to flip the fritter without it breaking. Flip. Cook on the other side for an additional 4-5 minutes. Add more oil as needed.
Baked Zucchini Fritters:
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Scoop twelve 4-inch circles of zucchini batter onto the pan. Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes until they are golden and the egg has set to hold them together.
Notes
Nutrition
More Great Keto Zucchini Recipes
Zucchini Salad with Lemon & Feta
Originally Published September 17, 2021. Revised and Republished June 29, 2023.
these are great – no one even knows that pork rids were used instead of flour. And a bonus for me since many recipes suggest almond flour which I am allergic to. Can’t wait for summer to arrive and the zucchini to be ready to start making these again.
Loved these!