Corn and Zucchini Fritters
These corn and zucchini fritters are incredibly versatile and make a great breakfast, appetizer, or snack. They can be served as is or dolloped with copious amounts of pesto, chimichurri, or hummus for added flavour.
A seasonal treat
Sweetcorn and zucchini are in season here from late Spring to early Autumn. You’ll see them everywhere you turn, and at great prices so snap them up. And the bonus is, if you do use fresh corn for this recipe, you can save the cobs for your chicken stock, which makes it lovely and sweet. However, if you want an easier option here frozen corn kernels work just fine too.
Ingredients
This does require a few ingredients but nothing outlandish, and you’ll likely have everything you need in your pantry. I have only tried this with brown rice flour though am confident most would work. If you do use a different flour, I recommend only adding the milk one tablespoon at a time. Each flour absorbs liquid differently and you don’t want a very runny batter. The only flour I would skip is coconut flour, as it can make the fritters too dry and gritty.
- Corn kernels – Fresh or frozen corn kernels are equally fine to use. You will get more crispiness in your fritters and a touch more flavour with fresh corn, but the frozen is more convenient so the choice is yours. If using frozen, be sure to defrost first and pat the kernels to dry much as possible before using.
- Zucchini – When prepping the zucchini squeeze out as much of the water as you can. A very important step again to ensure the fritters don’t go soggy.
- Shallots / spring onions / scallions – To add a bit of spice to the dish.
- Garlic – Adds a lovely earthy flavour to the mix.
- Brown rice flour – The addition of flour helps ensure the batter is not too wet, a good thing as a wet batter can produce soggy fritters.
- Arrowroot or cornflour – Helps to give the fritters a crispy outer coating.
- Egg – Helps to bind the batter so the fritters don’t fall apart as they’re being flipped.
- Lime zest – Gives the fritters a light and fresh flavour and goes well with the sumac and mint.
- Sumac – Adds to the citrus flavour of the lime to make these corn and zucchini fritters extra zingy.
- Mint – Adds to the freshness of the flavours in the recipe.
- Salt and Pepper – I’ve given a guide in the recipe, but always add to your taste.
- Milk – Helps to create a batter.
- Baking soda – Aerates the batter so it’s not too dense.
If you’d like to, you can also add a little cheese into the batter too. Something like feta is a great choice for the other flavours here.
How To Make Corn And Zucchini Fritters
The top tip here is not to make your fritters too big. They can become very difficult to flip if you do. Also ensure you’re adding them to hot oil on a hot pan, so they don’t stick. This is another thing that will make them soggy. But remember – the stickiness can also be an indication that they’re not ready to be turned yet. Let the sides of the fritters slowly browning be your guide for that.
- Chop each of the ends off the zucchini and grate it straight into a clean tea towel. Twist the zucchini up in the towel and squeeze several times over the sink to extract as much of the liquid as possible. Set the zucchini aside.
- Mix together the two flours, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl then mix well to combine.
- Next add in the egg and milk and stir to make a batter.
- Now toss in the lime zest, sumac, pepper, mint, garlic, corn, zucchini, and shallots/spring onions/scallions. Stir well to combine and form a thick batter.
- Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a frying pan over medium heat. Do not add the batter before the oil is hot enough! This can lead to fritters sticking to the pan.
- Scoop up 1/4 of a cup of the batter (or use a large ice cream scoop) and pour it into the oil. Flatten it out with the back of a spoon so it’s thin and round. Repeat with 1 or 2 more fritters, or as many as is suited to your pan. Cook for 3.5 – 4 mins per side – or until golden – then remove to a plate with paper towel to drain any excess oil. Once this batch is complete, repeat the process.
- Keep each batch warm in the oven until they’re all complete. I do this by sitting them directly on the oven rack, which ensures they don’t go soggy. I had my oven on 100ºC/250F.
- Serve with your toppings of choice.
Any leftover fritters can be kept in the fridge and reheated over the next few days.
FAQ
Moisture is the enemy of a nice crispy fritter. Squeeze the grated zucchini until no more liquid is coming out of it. If using frozen corn, be sure to pat that dry too. And when adding milk to the batter, start with 3 tablespoons only adding the 4th if you need it. Also ensure you’re adding the fritters to a HOT pan with hot oil.
Given these are made in batches, they can lose that lovely crispness if they cool before being served. If that happens, place the fritters directly on the oven rack and cook at 180ºC/350ºF for 15 mins to crisp them up.
Watch How To Make This Recipe
Corn And Zucchini Fritters
Equipment
- 1 Frying pan
Ingredients
- 1 cup corn kernels defrosted if using frozen
- 1 medium zucchini, grated 1 cup when grated
- 1/2 cup brown rice flour
- 1/4 cup arrowroot or corn starch
- 2 shallots/spring onions/scallions thinly sliced
- 1 egg
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 3-4 Tbsp milk any is fine
- 1 Tbsp fresh mint finely chopped
- 1 tsp sumac
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- Zest of 1 lime
- 1 tsp salt
- Pepper to taste
- 2 Tbsp Olive oil for pan frying a little extra if you need it
- Toppings of choice – things like pesto, avocado, more shallots, and mint.
Instructions
- Chop each of the ends off the zucchini and grate it straight into a clean tea towel. Twist the zucchini up in the towel and squeeze several times over the sink to extract as much of the liquid as possible. Set the zucchini aside.
- If using frozen corn, ensure it's defrosted and also pat this dry with paper towel or a clean tea towel. No need to do this with fresh corn.
- In a large bowl mix together the two flours, baking soda and salt, then mix well to combine.
- Next add in the egg and milk and stir to make a batter. Don't worry if it's not liquid, it shouldn't be.
- Now toss in the lime zest, sumac, pepper, mint, garlic, corn, zucchini, and shallots/spring onions/scallions. Stir well to combine so the whole mixture has formed a thick batter.
- Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a frying pan over medium heat. Do not add the batter before the oil is hot enough! This can lead to soggy fritters and they'll also stick to the pan.
- Take 1/4 of a cup of the batter (or a large ice cream scoop) and pour it into the oil. Flatten it out with the back of a spoon so it's thin and round. Repeat with 1 or 2 more fritters, or as many as is suited to your pan. Cook for 3.5 – 4 mins per side – or until golden – then remove to a plate with paper towel to drain any excess oil. Once this batch is complete, repeat the process.
- Keep each batch warm in the oven until they're all complete. I do this by sitting them directly on the oven rack, which ensures they don't go soggy. I had my oven on 100ºC/250F.
- Serve with your toppings of choice.
Notes
Nutrition
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So fluffy and delicious, we can’t live without cheese and added to the batter, came out wonderful!
We’re a bit the same Julia! I will often add cheese to these because – cheese! So glad you enjoyed them.
Beautiful fritters, we particularly enjoyed a hint of fresh mint in them! Tried them with chimichurri and hummus and both work beautifully! Thanks for the recipe 🙂
Thanks so much Leva! They go so perfectly with both those dips.
Love the combo here. corn and zucchini. I will try this soon.
Thanks, Kushigalu – hope you enjoy them!
these fritters are our new favorite snack! they’re so simple to make and so delicious!
Thanks, Chenée, so glad you enjoyed them!
These make such a great lunch with a salad. Thanks for the tips on the zucchini too, nothing worse than soggy fritters!
Definitely the worst! You want them nice and crisp for sure.