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These zucchini fritters with corn are the perfect side dish or snack. They’re crispy on the outside, tender and moist on the inside, and so easy to make.
Fritters are such a great food. They’re a wonderful side dish for almost any meal, but they can also be eaten by themselves as a snack. Unfortunately, they’re usually super greasy and really heavy. Not these zucchini fritters with corn! They’re light, crispy, and packed full of veggies.
These fritters have corn and cornmeal in them, so they’re loaded with corn flavor. And they have a lot of buttermilk, which helps them stay nice and moist. Plus, they’re so easy to make! You’ve got to try them.
Table of Contents
- Why You’ll Love These Zucchini Corn Fritters
- Ingredients Needed
- How to Make Zucchini Fritters With Corn
- Tips, Tricks, and Variations
- What to Serve Corn and Zucchini Fritters With
- How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
- Can You Freeze Veggie Fritters?
- More Easy Zucchini Recipes
- Zucchini Fritters With Corn Recipe
Why You’ll Love These Zucchini Corn Fritters
I make these zucchini fritters all the time. Here are a few reasons why I know you’ll love them as much as I do.
- Quick and easy to make. These veggie fritters are restaurant quality, but they’re surprisingly easy to make. Even though they’re packed with flavor, the recipe only takes about 25 minutes. And you won’t make a mess of your kitchen, either.
- Versatile. One reason I make these corn fritters so often is because of how versatile they are. I usually make them as a side dish, but sometimes I make them just to eat as a snack. You can even add some toppings to them and serve them as a main course.
- Light. Most fritter recipes are heavy, greasy, and taste like they’re bad for you. This recipe is the opposite. You’ll be shocked at how light and crisp these zucchini corn fritters are. And they’re full of vegetables, so you’ll feel good after eating them.
Ingredients Needed
Here’s everything you need to make these crispy and moist fritters. Make sure to check out the recipe card at the bottom of the page to see the exact amount for each of the ingredients.
- Olive oil
- Onion – A yellow onion is best for this recipe, but you can use a white or red onion if that’s what you have around.
- Garlic
- Zucchini – You’ll need to shred and remove the liquid from the zucchini.
- Corn – You can use fresh, frozen, or canned corn.
- Cornmeal
- All-purpose flour
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Black pepper – Make sure to use freshly cracked pepper.
- Buttermilk
- Egg
- Canola oil – You can use any kind of neutral oil.
How to Make Zucchini Fritters With Corn
These corn fritters only take 25 minutes to make. Here’s how to make them.
- Sauté the aromatics. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and garlic and sauté until the onions start to get soft, which should take about 3 minutes.
- Add the corn. Put the corn in the skillet, and continue to cook for 3-4 minutes.
- Mix the dry ingredients. Add the flour, cornmeal, baking soda, salt, and pepper to a bowl, and stir to combine.
- Mix the wet ingredients. Place the egg and buttermilk together in a bowl or measuring cup, and stir until combined.
- Add all the ingredients together. Add the buttermilk and egg mixture to the dry ingredients, then add the sautéed corn mixture and the zucchini. Mix until everything is combined.
- Scoop the fritters. Wipe the skillet clean with a paper towel, then coat the bottom of the pan with canola oil. When the oil is hot, scoop the batter into the skillet in ⅓-cup portions.
- Fry. Cook the fritters for about 3-4 minutes, then flip. Cook for about 3-4 more minutes, until cooked through.
- Dry. Remove the fritters from the skillet, and place them on a plate covered in paper towels to drain the grease.
- Finish cooking. Repeat until you’ve cooked all the fritters.
Tips, Tricks, and Variations
Here are a few tricks for when you make these fritters, and some variations you can try.
- Really dry the zucchini. It’s important that you get the shredded zucchini very dry, or else the fritters will be a little mushy and soggy. The best way to do that is to wrap the zucchini in paper towels and squeeze the liquid out. Keep replacing the paper towels until all the liquid is out of the zucchini, then let it air dry for a few minutes.
- Don’t crowd the skillet. When cooking the fritters, make sure that you’re not crowding them in the skillet. Leave space between each fritter. That way they’ll crisp up better, and you won’t lower the heat in the pan too much.
- Control the temperature. It’s really important to keep the skillet at the right temperature. If it’s too hot, the fritters will burn before they’re cooked. If it’s not hot enough, they won’t crisp up, and the fritters will be soggy. Keep a close eye on the fritters. If they’re browning too quickly, add a little more oil and turn down the heat. If they’re not browning, increase the heat.
- Keep warm in the oven. These fritters are best served while still hot. If you’re cooking multiple batches of them, you’ll want to keep them warm until you’re ready to eat them. The best way to do that is to immediately place them in an oven that’s turned on to the lowest setting.
- Add some heat. Some people really like spicy fritters. If you want your zucchini fritters to have a little kick, add some fresh or pickled jalapeños to the batter. Or you can add chili powder or cayenne powder.
- Use herbs. Another fun variation is to add some herbs to the fritter batter. You can add any herbs you want, but I especially like thyme, oregano, and rosemary. Chives and green onions are also a great addition.
What to Serve Corn and Zucchini Fritters With
My favorite way to eat these fritters is by serving them as a side dish alongside a hearty and comforting entree. Here are a few dishes I regularly pair with zucchini corn fritters.
- Beef Kebobs
- French Onion Pork Chops
- Smoked Pork Tenderloin
- Chile Lime Flank Steak
- Slow Cooker Chicken Drumsticks
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
You can store leftover fritters in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 days. Then you can reheat them in a toaster oven, in a skillet over medium heat, or wrapped in aluminum foil in a 350F oven for 7 minutes. However, the fritters will lose some of their crispiness and get a little dry after spending time in the fridge. For best results, only make the number of fritters you plann on eating, then store leftover batter in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Can You Freeze Veggie Fritters?
Definitely! These fritters will last in the freezer for up to 6 months. I like to store them in a double layer of airtight bags. You can reheat them straight from the freezer in the oven or the toaster oven, or thaw them and reheat them in a skillet.
More Easy Zucchini Recipes
I love zucchini. It’s so delicious and healthy, and really easy to cook with. Here are some more of my favorite zucchini recipes.
- Grilled Zucchini
- Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
- Creamy Zucchini, Tomato & Ricotta Pasta
- Zucchini Muffins
- Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread
Zucchini Fritters With Corn
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic, grated
- 1 large zucchini, shredded and squeezed to remove liquid (about 2 cups packed, after the liquid is removed)
- 1 cup corn kernels
- 1/2 cup cornmeal
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
- 1 whole large egg
- canola or avocado oil for frying
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and garlic, and sauté for 3 minutes or until the onions are starting to soften. Add the corn, and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes.
- In a large bowl mix together the cornmeal, flour, baking soda, salt, and pepper.
- In a 1-cup measuring cup, mix together the buttermilk and egg until well combined.
- Add the sautéed corn mixture, shredded zucchini, and the buttermilk mixture to the cornmeal. Mix until everything is combined.
- Wipe your skillet clean. Pour in enough canola oil to just coat the bottom of the pan. Once hot, scoop the fritter batter into the pan in 1/3-cup portions.
- Let cook for 3-4 minutes per side. Remove from the pan and place on a paper towel lined plate.
- Continue cooking the fritters. You may need to add more oil as needed.
Notes
- Slightly adapted from Tracey's Culinary Adventures
- Use an ice cream scoop to gently scoop the fritters into the oil, so they are all the same size and cook evenly.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 days, or leftover batter in an airtight container in the fridge for 4 days. Reheat in a toaster oven, in a skillet on medium heat, or in a 350F oven for 7 minutes, wrapped in foil.
- You can freeze the fritters for up to 6 months in a double layer of airtight plastic bags.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I had an enormous zucchini from the garden so I doubled the recipe, I didn’t have buttermilk so I substituted it for milk/lemon juice, and tried to oven bake them. They were too liquidy and took forever to bake. Didn’t turn out the best sadly but probably because of those changes.