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    Home » Recipes » Side Dishes

    Zucchini Fritters with Bacon and Cheese

    Published by Melissa on July 12, 2022 | Updated July 18, 2022 | 31 Comments

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    Simple pan fried zucchini fritters that are bursting with flavor thanks to the addition of cheese and bacon. These will be a hit all summer long. via @barbarabakesSimple pan fried zucchini fritters that are bursting with flavor thanks to the addition of cheese and bacon. These will be a hit all summer long. via @barbarabakesSimple pan fried zucchini fritters that are bursting with flavor thanks to the addition of cheese and bacon. These will be a hit all summer long. via @barbarabakesSimple pan fried zucchini fritters that are bursting with flavor thanks to the addition of cheese and bacon. These will be a hit all summer long. via @barbarabakes

    Zucchini Fritters with bacon and cheese are a fun simple way to use up summer’s favorite vegetable. You’ll be surprised at how easy they are to make and how nicely they go with other summer dishes.

    three zucchini fritters in a skillet

    Zucchini Fritters

    Zucchini is one of the best vegetables of summer because you can turn it into no less than one million different things. Sweet, savory, healthy, butter loaded, and everything in between; you can do it all with zucchini.

    These zucchini fritters are extra delicious because they have bacon and cheese added to them. Serve them as a side or the main dish, both work great.

    How to make Zucchini Fritters:

    1. Remove the extra moisture from the zucchini (salting it first is a trick to make sure you get lots of that water out!).
    2. Mix all of your ingredients together in a bowl.
    3. Press the mixture into patties.
    4. Cook the patties in a little oil in a hot pan until they are perfectly crisp.
    5. Serve warm and enjoy. It’s really simple!
    all the ingredients in zucchini fritters in different bowls

    Tips and Tricks for this recipe:

    • Patty mixtures should be kept as cold as possible while preparing them, and kept cold until you cook them. The cold helps bind the ingredients together. Usually patties should be rested (about an hour) before cooking they “firm” up during this time, a good technique to use if your patty is soft. Always wrap patties they can dry out if left in the fridge uncovered.
    • Don’t over-mix the ingredients the resultant mixture will be heavy and dense.
    • Make all the patties the same size so they will cook at the same rate. To get even-sized patties, use measuring cups or spoons to measure out your mixture.
    • Dampen your hands when shaping patties so the mixture won’t stick to your fingers.
    • Do not overload the frying pan which allows steam to be trapped near the cooking food which might lead to the patties being steamed instead of fried.
    • When the raw patty hits the hot cooking surface it will stick. And will stay so until the patty crust forms so causing a non-stick surface on the patty at this point you can lift the patty easily without sticking. So wait until the patties (with a gentle shaking of the pan or a light finger-twist of the patty) release themselves naturally from the frying pan surface (maybe a minute or two for meat patties maybe 3-6 minutes for a vegetable patty). If you try to flip it too early the burger will fall apart. The secret is to wait for the the patty to naturally release itself from the pan surface then flip it over once.
    • Check the temperature of the oil by placing a few breadcrumbs into the pan they should take 30 seconds to brown.
    • If you need to soak up excess oil place the patties on a rack to drain, do not place onto paper towels since steam will be trapped which can make the patty soggy, if you need to just press off the excess oil with paper towels then place onto a rack.
    zucchini fritter on a plate

    Frequently Asked Questions:

    Why are my zucchini fritters soggy?

    Two options – you might have put them in the pan too soon. Let your oil get hot first so that the fritter doesn’t just absorb the oil while it is heating. Another option is that you cooked it a little too hot, cooking the outside but not the inside well. You’ll want a balance between the two!

    What do you eat with zucchini fritters?

    You can pair them with simple but Perfect Steak Kabobs or Air Fryer Chicken Tenders. I normally add a little seasonal fruit or a fruit salad to the table and call it a meal. So easy.

    Are zucchini fritters healthy?

    It’s all relative right? Looking for low carb and keto zucchini fritters? Swap out the flour for ¼ cup coconut flour. I think everything is “healthy” if you want it to be… these are packed with fiber, a green veggie is the star, and they taste great. Big 5 stars in my book.

    bowl of zucchini fritter ingredients from the top

    More Zucchini Recipes:

    • Stuffed Zucchini Boats
    • Farmers’ Market Tomato and Zucchini Quiche
    • Chocolate Chip Chocolate Zucchini Bread
    • Cinnamon Zucchini Coffee Cake

    If you’ve tried this easy zucchini fritter recipe or any other recipe on Barbara Bakes, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below! I would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some pictures of it, share it with me on Instagram so I can repost on my stories.

    three zucchini fritters in a skillet
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    5 from 2 votes

    Zucchini Fritters with Bacon and Cheese

    Simple pan fried zucchini fritters that are bursting with flavor thanks to the addition of cheese and bacon. These will be a hit all summer long.
    Prep Time20 mins
    Cook Time10 mins
    Total Time7 mins
    Course: Side Dishes, Vegetables
    Cuisine: American
    Servings: 8 two inch fritters
    Calories: 116kcal
    Author: Melissa Griffiths
    Prevent your screen from going to sleep

    Ingredients

    • 8 oz. zucchini two medium
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • ½ cup grated cheese I prefer sharp cheddar
    • 5 slices bacon cooked and crumbled
    • 2 large eggs lightly beaten
    • 2 green onions finely chopped
    • 1 teaspoon chili paste optional
    • 1 teaspoon black pepper freshly cracked
    • ½ cup all-purpose flour
    • ½ teaspoon baking powder
    • 3 tablespoons oil for frying

    Instructions

    • Grate the zucchini with a box grater or food processor. Place into large bowl, add 1 teaspoon salt, wait 10 minutes.
    • After 10 minutes, wrap zucchini in a cloth and squeeze dry with as much force as you can (you will get a lot of liquid over ½ cup) discard liquid as it will be too salty to use.
    • Return pressed zucchini to bowl add cheese, bacon, eggs, green onion, chili paste, and pepper and stir to combine. Add the flour and baking powder and stir to combine.
    • If the batter is too thick you can add water or milk or another egg; if too wet add more flour. It should be thick and should not flow when placed onto the frying pan.
    • Preheat a frying pan (cast iron is best) over medium heat, add ⅓ of the oil (1 tablespoon) and wait until it shimmers.
    • Place dollops of batter (about 2 tablespoons each) onto the fry pan widely spaced out, with the back of a spoon smooth out each dollop to about 2 inches (5 cm) wide, do not make the fritters too thick. You should get three or four fritters in the average-sized fry pan.
    • Fry for 3-4 minutes on the first side, flip, then fry the other side about 2-3 minutes until golden brown. Repeat for the remaining batter. Adding additional oil as needed.
    • Place cooked fritters into a 200 degree F. oven on a baking dish to keep warm as you cook the other fritters.
    • Serve hot with a little additional salt on top as needed.

    Notes

    Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1g | Calories: 116kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 367mg | Potassium: 102mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 160IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 74mg | Iron: 1mg

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    about us

    About Melissa & Barbara

    As of June 2022 Melissa Griffiths now is the one adding recipes. So think of it as Barbara Bakes, and Melissa too! Melissa and Barbara have been blogging friends for over 10 years and when Barbara was ready to retire and spend more time with her family, Melissa took over the site. Read more...

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Kelley Schafer

      July 17, 2022 at 9:04 pm

      5 stars
      So easy! Loved them! I used the air fryer

      Reply
    2. Linda

      August 13, 2013 at 12:05 pm

      I have to pin this! I love fritters. When I make them I’ll link back to you, Thanks so much, I know I’m going to LOVE these.

      Linda

      Reply
    3. Katherine Martinelli

      February 20, 2012 at 10:53 am

      These look awesome! I loved this challenge and I love where you went with the rosti.

      Reply
    4. Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella

      February 20, 2012 at 1:27 am

      These are great tips for making pattys and I have noticed that when you don’t chill them they fall apart on the way to the pan so easily!

      Reply
    5. Blond Duck

      February 17, 2012 at 6:08 am

      I may try these this weekend!

      Reply
    6. Kitchen Belleicious

      February 17, 2012 at 5:45 am

      Love me some fritters and these look amazing. Never thought to add bacon to mine along with the cheese. YUMMMM!

      Reply
    7. Lynda

      February 16, 2012 at 9:28 pm

      Both of these look delicious Barbara, but I’m may be more partial to the bacon and cheese additions in the zucchini patties. Can’t go wrong with such a tasty combo!

      Reply
    8. gloria

      February 16, 2012 at 6:11 pm

      look really nice and tasty barbara!

      Reply
    9. sandie

      February 16, 2012 at 5:40 pm

      I’ll say it again; if it has bacon in it, I’m eating it. One of these days I must start doing the cooking challenges. It looks very tasty! Best, Sandie

      Reply
    10. Jo

      February 16, 2012 at 4:32 pm

      Love your heart shaped patties! Both versions sound delicious, you can never go wrong with bacon and I love the color the sweet potato gave to your rosti.

      Reply
    11. Lisa

      February 16, 2012 at 12:12 pm

      Well, we have something in common – I always look forward to your challenge posts, but then again, I always look forward to ‘Barbara Bakes’ posts 🙂 When I saw your fritters and rosti in the forum..I literally salivated, not to mention they look so pretty – love the heart shapes for V-Day. The bacon, cheese and zucchini in the fritters is pure manna!

      Reply
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