Greek Zucchini Fritters (Kolokithokeftedes)

Stack of zucchini fritters with a dollop of yogurt on top.

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4.88 from 24 votes

Greek Zucchini Fritters (Kolokithokeftedes)

Light, crispy, and packed with nutritious zucchini, these Greek Zucchini Fritters are the perfect summer dish!

Prep Time30

Cook Time15

Total Time45

Course: Appetizer, Side Dish

Cuisine: Greek

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings: (Makes 16 fritters)

Calories: 140kcal

Author: Dr. Sonali Ruder

Equipment

Cast iron skillet

Ingredients

2 lbs. zucchini (about 4 medium)
Kosher salt
4 scallions, sliced (about ¾ cup)
2 tablespoons fresh, chopped dill
2 tablespoons fresh, chopped parsley
2 eggs
⅔ cup crumbled feta cheese
½ cup flour (I use white whole wheat)
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ cup breadcrumbs
Black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
Lemon wedges for serving

Tzatziki:

½ cup 2% plain Greek yogurt
⅓ cup finely chopped or grated cucumber
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon fresh, chopped dill or mint (can use ¼ teaspoon dried dill or mint)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

To make the Tzatziki, mix the yogurt, cucumber, garlic, lemon juice and dill together in a bowl. Refrigerate until ready to use.
To make the fritters, grate the zucchini (with skin on) on a box grater. Grate the zucchini at an angle to get longer strands.
Place the grated zucchini in a colander lined with cheesecloth. If you don’t have cheesecloth, you can place the zucchini directly in the colander. Sprinkle 2 teaspoons salt on the zucchini and toss to combine.
Let the zucchini rest for 20 minutes, then gather up the ends of the cheesecloth and wring all of the liquid out. If you’re not using cheesecloth, you can squeeze the water out of the zucchini with your hands in batches or use a kitchen towel. It is important to squeeze out as much water as possible so that the fritters aren’t soggy- you’ll be amazed at how much water comes out!
Place the zucchini in a large mixing bowl and add the scallions, dill, parsley, and eggs. Mix with a fork to combine.
Add the cheese, flour, baking powder, breadcrumbs, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Mix with a fork to combine all ingredients well. If the mixture seems too wet, add a few more tablespoons of breadcrumbs.
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large cast iron skillet or nonstick frying pan over medium heat. Place 8 dollops (about 2 tablespoons each) of the zucchini mixture into the pan and flatten them slightly with a spatula. The more you flatten them, the crispier the fritters will be.
Cook 3-4 minutes until a golden brown crust forms, then flip them over. Cook another 2-3 minutes until browned underneath again.
Remove the fritters from the pan. Pour the remaining tablespoon oil into the skillet and repeat the process with the remaining batter.
Serve fritters hot and garnish with fresh herbs and lemon wedges. Serve with Tzatziki or plain Greek yogurt.

Notes

It’s important to squeeze out as much water from the zucchini as possible so that the fritters are not soggy. If the zucchini is very moist, you'll need to add more flour and breadcrumbs, and your fritters will be dense and heavy.

Don't cook the fritters over high heat otherwise they will brown too quickly on the outside and the zucchini will be undercooked on the inside. Cook them over medium heat instead.

The more you flatten the fritters out in the skillet, the crispier they will get.

Nutrition