Zucchini Fritters with Ricotta and Fresh Basil

Wring out the zucchini first — seriously, squeeze it until your hands hurt. Too much water and these fall apart in the pan. Everything else comes together in one bowl, and 35 minutes later you’ve got something crispy enough to snack straight off the paper towels, soft enough inside that you don’t need your molars to get through.

Why You’ll Love These Zucchini Fritters

Takes 55 minutes total but most of that’s sitting around. Hands-on time is closer to 20.

Vegetarian appetizer that actually tastes like something. Not a health thing disguised as food.

Works cold the next day — better cold, actually. Something about it overnight.

Pan-fried, not baked. The ricotta gets this almost crispy edge that baking just won’t do.

Uses herbs you probably have. Or can get. Basil and mint, nothing weird.

What You Need for Pan-Fried Zucchini Fritters

Grated zucchini. A pound and a half. Not prepped in a food processor if you can help it — too fine, too wet. Box grater works better.

Panko breadcrumbs. One cup. Regular breadcrumbs get dense. Panko stays light.

Ricotta cheese. Half a cup, drained. Not the kind that’s pooling in whey. Pat it dry with paper towels first. Matters more than you think.

Fresh basil. A third cup packed. Finely chopped. The kind you’d eat on its own.

Fresh mint. Smaller amount — heaping quarter cup. Same thing, chopped fine.

Scallions. Just the green parts. Three of them, sliced thin. White parts taste harsh here.

Kosher salt. A teaspoon and a half. You’ll taste it and add more. That’s normal.

Two eggs. They’re the binder. Nothing fancy.

Avocado oil for frying. High smoke point. Olive oil burns in the pan, turns bitter. Not worth saving fifty cents.

How to Make Crispy Zucchini Fritters

Start with the water. Grate your zucchini into a clean towel — cheesecloth works too, but a kitchen towel is easier. Bunch it up. Squeeze. Squeeze again. Your hands should be soaked and the zucchini should feel almost dry. This step kills half the failures people have with these.

Dump the squeezed zucchini into a big bowl. Add panko, ricotta, basil, mint, scallions, salt. Crack the eggs in. Mix with your hands until it looks like wet sand that holds together. Not smooth. Not a batter. Textured. Malleable.

Taste a pinch. Actually do this. Zucchini water content changes week to week. You might need more salt. You might need a bit more panko if it feels too loose. Trust your mouth, not a recipe.

Shape into rounds. Use a spoon to scoop roughly three tablespoons of the mix. Drop onto a plate. Pat it down firmly with your hands — you want compact discs, not fluffy mounds. They should hold their shape when you touch them. If they don’t, add more panko, wait five minutes, try again.

Let them sit for ten minutes. Just sit there. The breadcrumbs absorb moisture. They firm up. This makes them less likely to fall apart when they hit hot oil.

Getting the Pan-Fried Fritters Actually Crispy

Heat avocado oil in a heavy skillet — cast iron or stainless is better than nonstick here. You need about one centimeter of oil. Medium-high heat. Wait until it shimmers. Not smoking. Shimmering. Drop a tiny piece of batter in — should sizzle immediately, loudly.

Carefully lay fritters in the pan. Don’t crowd. Work in batches. You want space between them or they’ll steam instead of fry.

Watch the edges. When they turn golden and firm — really firm, you can see the color change creeping up the side — that’s when you flip. Usually four minutes if the pan’s at the right temp. Maybe three if it’s hot. Maybe five if you went medium instead of medium-high.

Other side gets about the same. Look for deep golden brown, almost like the color of old wood. Not pale gold. Not dark and crispy. Somewhere in between.

If they brown too fast and feel raw inside, lower the heat. If they sit there turning pale and oily, raise it. You’ll feel the difference after two or three go in.

Zucchini Fritters Tips and Common Mistakes

They fall apart in the pan? Batter was too loose or the zucchini still had water in it. Add more panko next time. Or let them rest longer before frying. Or squeeze the zucchini harder. All three would help.

Don’t cook them straight from the fridge. They crack. Room temperature batter fries better.

Drain on paper towels. Immediately. Oil keeps cooking them a tiny bit, but paper towels stop that.

Serve warm with something creamy. Tzatziki, garlic yogurt, sour cream with lemon. The cold cuts through the richness. Actually necessary, not optional.

Leftovers go in the fridge wrapped in foil. Re-crisp them under the broiler for a minute or two. Microwave makes them sad and rubbery. Don’t do that.

Pan-fried ricotta zucchini patties are best eaten the day they’re made, but they’re still good cold for lunch the next day. Just don’t expect them to be as crispy.

Zucchini Fritters with Ricotta and Fresh Basil

By Emma

Prep:

35 min

Cook:

20 min

Total:

55 min

Servings:

12 fritters

Ingredients

• 180 g grated zucchini (1 1/2 cups, squeeze excess moisture)
• 150 g panko breadcrumbs (1 cup)
• 115 g ricotta cheese (1/2 cup, drained well)
• 12 g fresh basil, finely chopped (about 1/3 cup packed)
• 10 g fresh mint, chopped (heaping 1/4 cup)
• 3 scallions (green parts only), finely sliced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 2 large eggs
• Avocado oil, for frying

Method

1. 1 Start by wringing out grated zucchini using a clean towel or cheesecloth. Too much water kills crispiness. Mix zucchini, panko, ricotta, basil, mint, scallions, and salt in a large bowl—texture should be malleable but not soggy. Eggs bring it all together. Adjust salt — zucchini’s water content changes every time.
2. 2 Shape batter into small rounds, roughly 3 tablespoons each. Pat firmly to compact. Don’t overload; too thick means uncooked centers. Let them rest 10 minutes on a plate to let crumbs absorb moisture, firming up for better pan contact.
3. 3 Heat 1 cm of avocado oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high. Use oil with high smoke point for clean fry; olive oil can burn and turn bitter here. When oil shimmers but doesn’t smoke, test with a drop of batter—should sizzle immediately.
4. 4 Fry fritters in batches, careful not to crowd. Flip once edges turn golden and firm — about 4 minutes per side if starting cold, shorter if your pan’s hot enough. Look for deep golden-brown crust, not pale. Adjust heat if they brown too fast or stay wet inside.
5. 5 Drain on paper towels. Serve warm with garlic-infused yogurt or store-bought tzatziki. Great contrast: creamy, cool dip cuts through fried richness. Try lemon zest or chili flakes mixed in dip for some edge.
6. 6 If they fall apart in pan, batter too loose or zucchini too wet; add more panko, rest longer, or add a pinch of flour next time.
7. 7 Store leftovers wrapped in foil; re-crisp under oven broiler, not microwave—or they’ll turn mushy and sad.

Nutritional information

Calories

120

Protein

6g

Carbs

9g

Fat

7g

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Frequently Asked Questions About Zucchini Fritters with Ricotta

Can I make these ahead? Shape them, stick them in the fridge for a few hours. Fry when you’re ready. They’re actually firmer cold so they hold together better.

What if I don’t have fresh basil or mint? Don’t use dried. Tastes like nothing. Just use more scallions instead. Or skip the herbs. The ricotta and zucchini are enough.

Can I bake these instead of pan-frying? You can. They won’t be crispy. They’ll be soft and steamed. Not the same thing.

How long do leftovers last? Three or four days in the fridge, wrapped. Broil them back to crispy — thirty seconds, watch them or they’ll burn.

What’s the difference between panko and regular breadcrumbs? Panko’s bigger, airier. Stays light. Regular breadcrumbs get dense and heavy. This recipe needs panko.

Do I really have to squeeze the zucchini that much? Yeah. It’s annoying. Do it anyway. Water is the enemy here.

Can I use a different cheese? Feta works. Ricotta’s milder so it lets the herbs come through, but feta’s fine. Just don’t use cream cheese. Too heavy.

Why pan-fried and not fried in more oil? You can do more oil if you want. These don’t need it. One centimeter works fine. Easier cleanup too.

How do I know they’re cooked through? Flip them when the edges are golden, fry the other side the same amount of time. They’re cooked through. You’ll feel it when you cut one — no wet center.

Can I freeze them before frying? Yeah. Freeze shaped and rested. Add a minute or two to the frying time. Don’t thaw them first.