Gluten-Free Zucchini Fritters

If you grow zucchini, you know how quickly a few plants can turn into more squash than you know what to do with.

That’s exactly why I love recipes like these gluten-free zucchini fritters. They use a whopping eight cups of shredded zucchini, taste great alongside just about any summer dinner, and freeze well for later.

I especially love recipes that allow me to deal with a large amount of garden produce at once. We can eat some fritters with dinner and tuck the rest into the freezer for another day.

And while I call these zucchini fritters, I often make them with rampicante squash from my garden.

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Why I Grow Rampicante Squash

For the past few years, rampicante has become one of my favorite squashes to grow.

It is incredibly productive, which is obviously helpful when you’re trying to grow a significant amount of your family’s food. But my main reason for growing rampicante is its resistance to squash vine borers.

Squash vine borers are one of my biggest summer squash challenges here in Virginia. Traditional zucchini plants can produce heavily and then suddenly collapse from borer damage.

Rampicante gives me a much more reliable harvest. And thankfully, it works anywhere I would normally use zucchini.

That includes these fritters.

If squash vine borers are a problem in your garden, read more about how I deal with squash vine borers without chemicals.

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Why You’ll Love These Gluten-Free Zucchini Fritters

These fritters check all my favorite summer-recipe boxes:

• They use eight cups of zucchini or summer squash.
• They’re naturally gluten-free.
• Cassava flour keeps the ingredient list simple.
• They make an easy side dish for summer dinners.
• They’re great for breakfast with eggs and breakfast meat, especially if you eat Paleo or prefer a higher-protein start to the day.
• They freeze really well.
• You can make a big batch while zucchini is abundant and enjoy it months later.

They’re especially handy when the garden is producing faster than we can eat.

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Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need.

• Zucchini or summer squash: Shredded zucchini works perfectly, but rampicante or yellow summer squash will work too.
• *Unrefined sea salt: Helps season the fritters while also drawing excess moisture from the zucchini.
• Eggs: Hold everything together.
• Onion powder: Adds plenty of savory flavor without additional moisture from fresh onion.
• Garlic powder: Because almost every savory zucchini recipe needs garlic.
• Oregano and basil: A simple combination that works especially well with summer squash.
• Black pepper: Adds a little extra bite.
• Cassava flour: Gives the fritters structure while keeping them gluten-free and grain-free.
• Avocado oil: For frying the fritters until browned and crisp.

*Use code KEEPITREAL for 15% off your order of my favorite unrefined sea salt, including tasty organic season salt and no-junk electrolytes.

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The Secret to Good Zucchini Fritters

Zucchini contains a LOT of water.

And watery zucchini does not make a good fritter.

The trick is to salt your shredded zucchini and let it sit while you prepare the remaining ingredients. The salt draws out excess moisture, which makes it much easier to squeeze the zucchini dry before adding it to the batter.

Don’t rush the squeezing step. You want to remove as much liquid as possible.

This gives you fritters that hold together better and brown much more nicely in the skillet.

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How to Make Gluten-Free Zucchini Fritters

Salt the zucchini

Start with shredded zucchini or summer squash. Toss it with unrefined sea salt in a towel-lined colander and allow it to rest while you prepare everything else.

Mix the seasonings

Whisk together the eggs and seasonings in a large bowl.

Squeeze out the zucchini

Gather up the towel and squeeze out as much liquid as possible. You may be surprised by how much water comes out.

This is the most important step for getting the right fritter texture.

Mix the batter

Add the drained zucchini to the egg mixture along with the cassava flour. Stir until everything is evenly combined.

Fry the fritters

Heat avocado oil in a large cast iron skillet.

Form the zucchini mixture into fritters and fry until nicely browned on the first side. Flip and cook until browned on the other side and cooked through.

Continue working in batches, adding more avocado oil as necessary.

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Serve Them Now or Freeze Them for Later

Of course, you can serve your zucchini fritters straight from the skillet.

They make an easy summer side dish for roasted or grilled meats, burgers, chicken, pork, or pretty much anything else you’re serving from the homestead.

They’re also great for breakfast. Pair a few fritters with eggs and breakfast meat for a hearty, savory meal. This works especially well if you’re aiming for a higher-protein breakfast or eating Paleo and want something besides the usual potatoes or toast.

But I almost always make enough to freeze.

Let the cooked fritters drain and cool completely before packing them into freezer bags.

We’re a paper-towel-free household, so instead of draining fried foods on paper towels, I use sections of old organic cotton sheets that I’ve saved specifically for kitchen purposes.

Once the fritters are cool, layer them in gallon freezer bags with parchment between the layers. I usually fit two layers into each gallon bag.

Then into the freezer they go.

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How to Reheat Frozen Zucchini Fritters

You want to bring back some of that crispy texture, so I recommend reheating zucchini fritters in the oven or toaster oven rather than steaming them or using the microwave.

Arrange the fritters on a baking sheet and heat until warmed through and crisp around the edges.

It turns a summer abundance problem into an easy side dish you can pull from the freezer months later.

More Ways to Use Lots of Zucchini

When zucchini season hits, I’m always looking for recipes that use more than half a zucchini at a time.

Here are some of my favorite ways to put a serious dent in the harvest:

• Make Savory Freezer Zucchini and stash ready-to-heat squash in the freezer.
• Bake Gluten-Free Zucchini Cheese Bread for a savory bread that also freezes well.
• Freeze shredded zucchini for baking, soups, chili, and other meals throughout the year.
• Bake Chocolate Zucchini Bread and freeze extra loaves for later.
• Make Potato and Zucchini Skillet Hash as a hearty summer side dish.
• Add zucchini to Chicken Taco Soup Starter and turn a pile of garden vegetables into freezer meals.
• Use it in Hearty Marinara with Veggies and Ground Beef, another one of my favorite ways to tuck zucchini into future dinners.

I’m always looking for preservation methods that help me deal with large quantities of produce efficiently. These gluten-free zucchini fritters fit right into that strategy.

Eat them tonight, freeze them for winter, or do what I do and make enough for both.

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Gluten-Free Zucchini Fritters

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• Author: Kathleen | Roots & Boots
• Prep Time: 25 minutes
• Cook Time: 25 minutes
• Total Time: 50 minutes
• Yield: 12-16 fritters 1x

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Description

Savory gluten-free zucchini fritters made with cassava flour and simple seasonings. Eat them fresh from the skillet or freeze a batch for easy future meals.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 8 cups shredded zucchini or summer squash
• 1 ½ teaspoons unrefined sea salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon oregano
• ½ teaspoon basil
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ½ cup cassava flour
• avocado oil, for frying

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Instructions

1. Line a colander with a thin kitchen towel. Add shredded zucchini, sprinkle with sea salt, and toss to combine. Let rest while preparing the remaining ingredients.
2. Whisk eggs, onion powder, garlic powder, oregano, basil, and pepper in a large mixing bowl.
3. Gather the towel around the zucchini and squeeze firmly to remove as much liquid as possible.
4. Add drained zucchini and cassava flour to the egg mixture and stir well.
5. Heat avocado oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium to medium-high heat.
6. Form zucchini mixture into fritters and add to the hot skillet. Cook until browned, then flip and brown the second side.
7. Transfer cooked fritters to a clean absorbent kitchen cloth and continue with remaining batter, adding more oil as necessary.
8. Serve warm, or cool completely before freezing.

To Freeze

1. Arrange cooled fritters in freezer bags with parchment paper between layers. I fit two layers into a gallon-sized freezer bag.
2. Freeze until ready to use, then reheat in the oven or toaster oven until hot and crisp.

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Notes

Zucchini holds a surprising amount of water. Squeeze it very thoroughly before mixing the fritter batter.

Rampicante or yellow summer squash can be substituted for zucchini.

The exact cooking time will depend on the size and thickness of your fritters and the temperature of your skillet.

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