Pantry-Friendly Zucchini Fritters with Greek Yogurt “Ranch”
Pantry-Friendly Zucchini Fritters with Greek Yogurt “Ranch” — these easy-to-make fritters are made with only a few ingredients and fry up tender and fluffy with a crisp exterior. The homemade greek yogurt ranch dressing is a versatile dipping sauce, too.
Oh, friends. How the world has changed since we last chatted. Nearly every facet of this global pandemic has been delved into across social media and many a blog post, so I won’t spend much time on it here other than to say we’re attempting to make the very most of this unprecedented opportunity to spend so much time together as a family. It’s been…an adjustment, let’s say. (I expound greatly on the personal struggle in this article). And never have I ever felt so fortunate to live on the coast, surrounded by plenty of open space and, wonder of all wonders, the ocean. I’d be hard-pressed to name a more steadying element in our natural world.
How to Make Zucchini Fritters
Our approach to cooking and eating these past few weeks has been — out of sheer necessity — super simple, and this recipe is the perfect reflection of that. Very few ingredients, most of which could be swapped for what you have on hand or are able to find stocked in the stores. One bowl. One spoon. A quick fry on each side. Like I said: simple.
Texturally, these zucchini fritters fry up tender and fluffy with a crisp exterior. And the flavor profile is very mild — in my opinion, the perfect vehicle for using up what we do have plenty of in this house: hot sauce, salsas, sour cream, homemade and bottled dressings. Lana enjoys them as a hand-held snack (these are the things our previous snackbox dreams were made of!), but we use them as a topper to bulk up salads and easy bowls. I’m tempted to attempt a baked version, too, in which I roll them up into balls and bake them off into something that could eventually find itself swimming in a tomatoey sauce. Stay tuned for that.
Zucchini Fritter Recipe Tips and Add-Ins
If you’re looking for zucchini fritters with a little more oomph, try folding in a few chopped green chilies or fresh jalapenos, or swapping the jack cheese for feta or — *gasp* — something with a funky blue vein running through it. (Very funny, but my aging legs don’t count here.) You can dial up the flavor with just about any dried spice you fancy, too. Chili powder and cumin would lend a bit of taco spice, or load them up with very finely minced fresh parsley, garlic powder and a pinch of cumin and you’re dang near falafel territory. In flavor, obviously, as there are no chickpeas here; we’ll save that modification for another day.
I know it’s becoming almost stale advice at this point, but stay safe and well, friends. Wash your hands. STAY HOME. (As someone who’s beach town has been repeatedly overrun with folks who still consider this to be an extended spring break, I can’t stress this enough.) When you’re in the grocery store, stand on the damn X. You know the drill.
More than anything, though, give yourselves grace. Create space in your day for mental wellness — so much easier said than done, I know. Stay connected (I’ve never DM’d more Instagram friends in my life, and it’s strangely satisfying. Seriously, drop me a line…).
Or, hell, disconnect entirely. Hole up at home. Read a book. (Ha!) Make zucchini fritters.
There’s no right or wrong here, guys.
xo,
Em
Like these Pantry-Friendly Zucchini Fritters with Greek Yogurt “Ranch”?
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- For the Fritters
- 2 medium zucchini
- ¾ tsp pink Himalayan or sea salt
- 1 egg
- 1 cup flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 2 oz jack cheese (or any melting cheese), grated
- 2 T grated pecorino cheese (or parmesan)
- freshly ground black pepper
- light oil for frying, such as avocado
- fresh lemon, for serving
- For the Greek Yogurt Ranch
- 1 cup greek yogurt
- large handful each fresh parsley, dill and/or cilantro, finely chopped
- 2 T finely chopped scallions or chives
- ½ tsp onion powder
- pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper
- juice of 1 lemon
- Using the holes of a large box grater, grate zucchini. Add to a medium bowl with salt and egg. Stir to combine, then stir in flour, baking powder, cheeses and pepper. Stir well to combine. Mixture will seem thick and almost doughy, but give it a minute or two. As the salt draws the moisture out of the veggies, it will come together. Texture will be akin to that of drop biscuits.
- Heat a skillet to med and add enough oil to coat bottom of pan. When oil is shimmering but not smoking, drop fritter batter into pan using two tablespoons, loosely shaping into rounds, about 4 fritters at a time. Gently press batter down to make contact with pan but do not smash.
- Cook fritters for 5 mins per side, ensuring they remain sizzling but do not brown too quickly. (We're not looking for a quick fry here -- we need the full 5 mins to ensure the batter cooks through, so play with the heat as needed.) Flip fritters and cook another 5 mins. Remove fritters and set aside on paper towels or to a warm oven while you cook remaining fritters, adding more oil to the pan if needed.
- While fritters cook, stir together all ingredients for Greek Yogurt Ranch in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Serve fritters over greens, lentils, or grains (we used them to top a salad of spinach, marinated cabbage and watermelon here) topped with Greek Yogurt Ranch and a squeeze of lemon. Enjoy!
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