Don’t Fry Your Zucchini Fritters, Bake Them This Way Instead

Zucchini fritters sound simple until a batch comes out wet in the middle, falls apart on the pan, or absorbs more oil than expected. Zucchini holds a surprising amount of water, and what you do with that moisture before cooking makes the difference. Squeeze it out, add a handful of basic ingredients, and the fritters can go straight into the oven instead of a frying pan.

Fresh dill and red onion give these fritters plenty of flavor, while an egg and a small amount of flour hold the grated vegetables together.

The recipe makes about 12 to 15 fritters.

Start by getting the water out

Grate two large zucchini and half a red onion.

Transfer both to a clean kitchen towel, gather the towel around the vegetables, and squeeze. A lot of liquid should come out.

Don’t rush this step.

Excess water can leave zucchini fritters soft and wet rather than giving them the structure needed to brown in the oven.

Add dill, flour, and egg

Put the squeezed zucchini and onion into a bowl and add 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh dill.

Mix in 1/2 cup spelt flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and one egg.

Add a small splash of almond milk or regular milk and mix until everything holds together.

Regular all-purpose flour can also be used if spelt flour isn’t available. A suitable gluten-free flour blend offers another option.

Shape the fritters on a baking sheet

Heat the oven to 425°F.

Grease a baking sheet and drop the zucchini mixture onto it in small rounds. Flatten each portion enough to create a fritter shape rather than a thick mound.

Keeping them relatively thin also gives more surface area a chance to brown.

Flip them once

Bake the fritters for 16 to 20 minutes, then turn each one over.

Return the pan to the oven for about 10 more minutes, or until both sides have developed a golden surface.

There’s no pan of hot oil to manage, and the fritters cook together on one baking sheet.

Serve them with a cool dip

Greek yogurt makes a simple contrast to the warm zucchini, onion, and dill.

They can be served as an appetizer, snack, or vegetable side. Leftovers can also be refrigerated and eaten over the next few days.

The same basic idea leaves room for other vegetables and herbs, but zucchini comes with one rule worth remembering: get the water out first.

Grate, squeeze, mix, and bake. That kitchen towel step is what turns a pile of watery zucchini into fritters that can brown in the oven without a frying pan.