Zucchini Fritters with Homestyle Ranch Sauce
The Inspiration…
This recipe was born out of desperation. Desperation that resulted from drowning in zucchini and summer squash the first summer my husband and I planted a vegetable garden. We may or may not have planted enough of those two vegetables to feed an entire neighborhood. By may or may not, I mean we absolutely did. So, I had to get creative and start finding uses for all of it. We had our fair share of zucchini muffins, zucchini bread, grilled zucchini, sauteed zucchini, stuffed zucchini boats. You name it, I made it. I was like the Bubba of summer squash. (If you don’t understand my reference, please go watch Forrest Gump immediately.)
These zucchini (or summer squash) fritters are a perfect way to use up your harvest. They are light, fluffy, and packed full of delicious and nutritious goodness. Dip them in my Homestyle Ranch and your kids will devour their vegetables and not think twice about it! If you still have squash leftover after making these fritters (a few times), try my Summer Squash Spiral recipe.
The first thing you’ll need to do is shred up a few of your zucchini. I used my food processor to shred it, but you can also use a hand grater. This week I used some summer squash I had on hand. Either works great for this recipe. Sprinkle some salt over your shredded squash and let it sit in a colander or sieve for at least 30 minutes. I liked to mix up my Ranch while the zucchini drains. Then I stick it into the fridge to let the flavors muddle.
After you’ve waited at least 30 minutes, squeeze out as much moisture from the squash as you can. The longer you let this sit, the more moisture you’ll be able to squeeze out. I let my salted squash sit for about 90 minutes this time. Squeezing out the excess liquid will ensure that you have light fluffy fritters, instead of heavy and soggy. You’ll be amazed at how much liquid comes out!
Once your zucchini is drained, you can mix it with the other ingredients. The batter should be a little bit wet. The baking powder will help these fluff up and stay light.
Heat a skillet with a couple tablespoons of oil over medium heat. Once the skillet is hot, drop your batter by about 1/4 cup at a time. Wait approximately 3 minutes and then flip. The cooked side should be golden brown. Cook for another 3 minutes and then remove from the pan. Repeat until the batter is used up.
Serve with my Homestyle Ranch. These are so easy to eat! So light and delicious! Try not to eat the whole batch yourself! Such a great way to get your vegetables in and use up your squash from the garden. This recipe yields about 8 fritters. I suggest doubling the fritter recipe because they will be gone in a flash!
Zucchini Fritters with Homestyle Ranch Sauce
Ingredients
- 3 zucchini, shredded
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 3 scallions, chopped
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 tsp dried dill
- 1/2 tsp parsley
- 1/2 tsp chives
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 TBSP lemon juice or white vinegar
- fresh cracked pepper, to taste
- 2 TBSP olive oil, for cooking
Instructions
- Shred up your zucchini using either a food processor or a hand/cheese grater.
- Sprinkle the salt over your shredded squash, mix, and let it sit in a colander or sieve for at least 30 minutes. The longer you let this sit, the more moisture you will remove from the squash, and the lighter the fritter will be. I let mine sit for about 90 minutes.
- After you let the salted squash sit, squeeze it out in a cheese cloth or just using your clean hands. Dispose of the liquid.
- Take your squeezed zucchini and add a slightly beaten egg. Stir until thoroughly combined. Then add in all of your dry ingredients and mix well. The batter will be wet.
- Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add 1 TBSP oil. Once the skillet is hot, drop the batter by the 1/4 cup full onto the skillet. Let cook for about 3 minutes and then flip.
- Cook on the other side for another 3 minutes. Remove from the pan. Repeat with the remaining batter.
- In medium sized mixing bowl, combine all ingredients.
- Cover and place in the refrigerator for at least an hour to let the flavors come together.
- Serve with the cooked fritters for dipping.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
432.47Fat
36.2Sat. Fat
8.2Carbs
20.96Fiber
2.27Net carbs
18.69Sugar
6.59Protein
7.07Sodium
1161.64Cholesterol
73.3Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.