Easy Air Fryer Zucchini Fritters

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These air fryer zucchini fritters are so easy to make and delicious to eat! They use simple pantry staples and make a healthy light meal or a delicious snack.

Zucchini fritters are a great way to utilize zucchinis went they are in season. Fresh zucchini (or marrows if you let them grow too far!) are first shredded and drained of excess water.

Then they’re combined with simple ingredients – seasonings, onion, garlic, flour, and egg and formed into zucchini patties.

Why air fry them?

Usually, zucchini fritters are fried in a pan, but like many air fryer recipes, using the air fryer cuts down on mess and time and the taste is perfect. Enjoy them as a quick snack, a light lunch, or a great side dish.

The ingredients

You only need a handful of ingredients for these delicious fritters. The exact amounts are written in the recipe card below but here is a rundown.

• Shredded zucchini. You can also use larger marrows if your zucchini got a bit big, or other summer squash varieties. Large zucchinis will contain more water than small or medium zucchinis, so take extra time squeezing out as much water as you can.
• Onions – These can be regular yellow onions, green onions, or shallots. You can also use onion powder.
• Garlic – Fresh garlic or garlic powder.
• Egg – for binding
• All-purpose flour to help hold the air fryer zucchini fritters together.
• Baking powder – Gives a little rise to the fritters
• Parmesan cheese – This helps to hold them together and adds great flavor.
• Salt and black pepper to taste.

Draining the zucchini

Zucchini has a lot of water which can make soggy fritters so it’s important to first drain this away. This is done by sprinkling shredded zucchini with salt. Salt draws out the excess moisture from the zucchini.

Use a box grater (cheese grater) or a food processor with a shredding attachment with large holes to grate the zucchini. If you grate it too finely the zucchini will lose all its texture. Place it in a colander or a sieve and sprinkle over some salt, then toss it to coat. Let this sit for 10 minutes and let the salt draw out the liquid.

Tip the zucchini into a clean kitchen towel or cheesecloth and squeeze out the excess liquid. Take your time doing this. Remove as much moisture as you can, then it’s ready to use.

Method

Grate zucchini and drain it(as described above.) Add the grated zucchini to a large bowl.

Finely dice the onion and mince the garlic. Add them to the bowl along with the egg, flour, seasonings, parmesan, and baking powder. Mix it together well into a sticky mixture. It’s going to be a wet mixture, this is normal.

Line your air fryer basket with parchment paper and spray or brush the parchment with olive oil. Fry the fritters in batches in a single layer. Using 3 tablespoons worth of zucchini mixture per fritter, dollop the mixture into 3-4 fritters onto the parchment paper.

Use the back of the spoon to push the mixture into a fritter shape. Brush the tops of the fritters with a little oil.

Fry for 6 minutes on one side, then flip the fritters and fry for a further 6 minutes until deep golden brown. Continue with the remaining mixture.

Serving

Serve fritters hot with your favorite dipping sauce. They are delicious with sour cream, sweet chili sauce, or hot sauce. A sprinkling of fried shallots adds a little extra crunch.

If the fritters cool down too much, they can be rewarmed in the air fryer again for a minute.

Storing

Leftover fritters can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days. They will become soft when stored in the fridge but they can be rewarded and slightly crisped in the air fryer again.