Sweet Corn & Zucchini Fritters
The trick to fritters that stay crisp instead of steaming is squeezing every last drop of water out of the zucchini — skip this step and you'll get soggy, dense cakes. Fresh sweet corn cut straight off the cob gives these a juicy pop that frozen kernels can't match. A lemony yogurt sauce on the side cuts through the richness. Serve these with Grilled Chicken or pile them on greens for a quick summer lunch.
Side · Vegetarian, Quick, Summer • 25 min
Ingredients
- 2 medium zucchini (about 1 pound), grated on the large holes of a box grater
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- 2 ears fresh sweet corn, kernels cut from the cob (about 1½ cups)
- 2 scallions, thinly sliced
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 3 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil, for frying
- For the lemon-yogurt sauce:
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill or chives
- Pinch of salt
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Steps
- Place the grated zucchini in a clean kitchen towel or a double layer of cheesecloth. Sprinkle with ½ teaspoon of the salt and let sit for 5 minutes. Gather the towel into a bundle and twist and squeeze over the sink with both hands until you've extracted as much liquid as possible — you should get about ½ cup of green water. Transfer the dry zucchini to a large bowl and fluff it apart with your fingers.
- Add the corn kernels, scallions, eggs, flour, Parmesan, garlic, the remaining 1 teaspoon salt, black pepper, and smoked paprika to the bowl with the zucchini. Stir until everything is evenly combined. The batter should hold together when pressed — if it's too wet, add another tablespoon of flour.
- Make the sauce: Stir together yogurt, lemon juice, dill or chives, and a pinch of salt in a small bowl. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Working in batches, drop ¼-cup scoops of the batter into the pan and flatten gently with the back of a spatula into 3-inch rounds. Don't crowd the pan — cook 3–4 at a time.
- Fry until the bottoms are deeply golden and crisp, about 3 minutes. Flip carefully and cook the other side until golden, another 2–3 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and sprinkle with a pinch of salt while hot. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil between batches if the pan looks dry.
- Serve the fritters hot, topped with a dollop of the lemon-yogurt sauce and an extra scatter of fresh herbs.
Tips & Variations
Make Ahead
The zucchini can be grated, salted, and squeezed dry up to 1 day ahead — store the squeezed zucchini in the fridge in an airtight container. Mix the batter just before frying. The lemon-yogurt sauce keeps for 3 days in the fridge.
Storage
Fritters are best fresh and hot, but leftovers keep in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat in a 375°F oven or toaster oven for 5–7 minutes to recrisp — skip the microwave, which makes them rubbery. The sauce keeps separately for 3 days.
Substitutions
Frozen corn kernels work well — no need to thaw, just stir them in straight from the freezer. Swap Parmesan for crumbled feta or nutritional yeast for a dairy-free option. Add a finely diced jalapeño or a pinch of cayenne to the batter for heat. Use gluten-free all-purpose flour blend to make them GF. Turn these into a main dish by topping with a fried egg.
Reviews
Reviews coming soon! In the meantime, let us know what you think of this recipe.
