Fried Zucchini Cakes Recipe (2024)

By Marjory Pilley Published May 28, 2021 · Updated May 28, 2021

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Fast and easy fried Zucchini Cakes have just 5 ingredients and are ready in under 30 minutes! It's the perfect recipe to enjoy summer zucchini.

Call them zucchini patties, cakes or fritters, just be sure to call me if you make them for dinner or as an appetizer!

The unbeatable Greek-inspired flavor combination of zucchini, red onion, and feta cheese will hook you. Make Zucchini Egg Muffins next. They share the same ingredients, but bake in the oven.

A slight aroma of the tasty goodness lingers in the air when you make them! Turn them into a sandwich, slider or enjoy them with a fork.

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Ingredients and Variations
How to Grate Zucchini
Directions with Pictures
More Zucchini Recipes
📋 Recipe

Ingredients and Variations

Here's what you'll need:

Zucchini (or courgettes) - Another option is to replace some of the zucchini with shredded carrot.
Feta cheese (crumbled) - Substitute with your favorite grated cheese if desired, but the flavor just won't be the same in my humble opinion.
Red onion (diced) - White onions or green onions can be used instead.
Panko breadcrumbs - If you're making these low-carb then use breadcrumbs from your favorite no-carb bread.
Eggs - Ingredient is needed to hold everything together.

How to Grate Zucchini

You'll need lots of shredded zucchini for this recipe. Below are two easy methods to prepare it.

Either way, there is no need to peel the zucchini first. The stem won't be used, but can be kept in place to hold on to during the process.

Grater - Use a box or flat grater. For less pulp, use a grater with large holes and pass the zucchini across it one direction (rather than back and forth.)
Food Processor with a grating attachment. This is a quick and easy way to make lots of shreds very quickly. There seems to be less pulp too. This is my preferred method!
- TIP: Make extra zucchini shreds to freeze and use in baked goods like zucchini brownies.

Press Out Excess Moisture

If the shreds are very moist, then spread them out on a towel and press out the excess moisture with another towel. Unlike, baked goods, a little moisture won't negatively impact the final result so you don't need to go crazy squeezing out the wetness.

Here's what the zucchini shreds will look like when you're done:

Directions with Pictures

Here's how to pan-fry zucchini cakes on the stovetop.

Combine zucchini shreds, crumbled feta cheese, diced red onion, panko breadcrumbs, and eggs in a bowl.
Scoop about ¼ cup of the mixture and compress it tightly with your hands into small, slightly rounded balls. (When you drop them in the pan, they will flatten.) Small cakes are easier to work with.
Coat the bottom of the frying pan with a very thin layer of olive oil. If you use too much, the patty will absorb the oil and become excessively soft and difficult to work with.
Cook the zucchini patties for about 2 minutes on each side. Try not to flip them too much. (Did I mention you should handle them with care because they're delicate?!) They should be lightly browned on the outside. If they seem to be spreading too much, push the sides back in with the spatula.
Remove cakes to a plate lined with paper towels (to absorb any excess oil.) They will firm up more as they cool if you wait for about 5 minutes!

You really don't need to top these crispy zucchini cakes with anything. But, a little yogurt dill sauce is nice.

To make it: Mix together ½ cup Greek yogurt, ½ Tablespoon lemon juice, 1 pressed garlic clove, pinch of salt, pepper, dried dill.

More Zucchini Recipes

Zucchini Chips in the Microwave or Oven
Zucchini Bruschetta - Low-carb and Gluten-free!
Zucchini Noodle Alfredo - Just 5 Ingredients!

Did you make this recipe?
Please leave a rating and tell us how you liked it!

📋 Recipe

Fried Zucchini Cakes Recipe

Fast and easy fried Zucchini Cakes have 5 ingredients and are ready in under 30 minutes!

4.58 from 7 votes

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Author: Marjory Pilley

Ingredients

▢ 2 cups shredded zucchini packed
▢ ¼ cup red onion finely diced
▢ 1 cup feta cheese crumbled
▢ ½ cup panko bread crumbs whole wheat
▢ 2 eggs beaten
▢ 1 teaspoon olive oil

Instructions

Spread zucchini shreds out on a towel. Place another towel over the top of the shreds and press out excess water.
Add zucchini shreds, red onion, feta cheese, panko breadcrumbs, and eggs to a bowl and stir to combine.
See Also
100+ AMAZING Keto Vegan Recipes For Weight Loss Paula Deen's Baked Acorn Squash with Brown Sugar - Recipe Diaries Laksa Soup Recipe | ChefDeHome.com Healthy Baked Eggplant Parmesan Recipe
Compress about ¼ cup of the zucchini mixture in your hands to form a small patty. It does not need to be flat at this point.
Spread a thin layer of olive oil in the bottom of a frying pan over medium heat.
Add zucchini patties to the pan and cook for about 2 minutes on each side. The patties are very delicate. Try to turn only once.
Remove to a paper plate lined with paper towels and cool for about 5 minutes. Cakes will firm-up more as they cool.

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Nutrition

Nutritional and Food Safety Disclaimer

This recipe was originally published 6/3/2014. It was updated to improve the reader experience.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

Rosa R
May 28, 2021 at 11:58 am
They look great but when you gave the ingredients for the dill sauce you wrote “1/2 Tablespoons” of what? Love your website I get so many ideas for dinners from you. Thanks for all the hard work.
Reply
- Marjory Pilley
  May 28, 2021 at 1:20 pm
  Thanks for letting me know and the nice comment! Lemon juice!!! I updated it now!
  Reply
Michelle
September 25, 2018 at 2:52 pm
I eat a cheese free diet. Would there be any substitution for the cheese that you can think of?
Reply
- Marjory
  September 26, 2018 at 6:56 am
  Hi! I haven't tried a substitution in this recipe. There are some vegan cheese substitutes that should work. Or, you might consider trying corn kernels and adding a pinch of garlic powder to replace the zing that feta often provides. Let us know how it works out if you make it!
  Reply
Kathleen
August 12, 2018 at 8:39 pm
Thank you for this awesome recipe, I am grain/gluten free so will replace Panko with Chickpea Bread Crumbs, cannot wait to make them??
Reply
- Marjory
  August 13, 2018 at 7:49 am
  That should work perfectly!!! I hope you enjoy them!
  Reply
Jo Ann Thompson
July 31, 2018 at 8:33 pm
Such a great recipe. Thank you for sharing. I let them cook 4 min. per side on med. heat to get a nice brown crust. They taste very good. I bet you could substitute parmesan cheese and white onion too if you didn't have the other ingredients.
Reply
- Marjory
  August 01, 2018 at 8:42 am
  Thanks for your comment! And, yes...Parmesan cheese and white onion would be delicious too...especially for Parm fans like me!
  Reply
  See Also
  Corn Fritters Recipe
libby
July 22, 2018 at 8:25 pm

These are delicious! Sub'd Vadalhia onions for red onion and added a little shredded red bell pepper. Will be making again soon!
Reply
- Marjory
  July 23, 2018 at 7:42 am
  I'm so glad you enjoyed them! 🙂
  Reply
Elaine Tsai
April 06, 2018 at 3:39 pm

Absolutely wonderful. I made these little goodies for lunch today! They were easy to put together and cook. I had all the ingredients on hand too. I’m always looking for quick and easy zucchini recipes and this fits the bill perfectly. Thank you for the recipe. This is a keeper.
Reply
- Marjory
  April 09, 2018 at 8:26 am
  I'm so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for your comment!
  Reply
Anagonzalez
March 01, 2018 at 7:16 pm

I have made it today for our dinner, my husband and I really like it, the taste of the feta cheese with the Zucchini made a so delicious Cakes. Also the recipe is so easy to follow, and the cooking time is so fast...Thank you for sharing it Marjory!
Reply
- Marjory
  March 02, 2018 at 7:09 am
  I'm so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks so much for commenting...made my day!
  Reply
Danie
March 01, 2018 at 6:45 pm

Hi could these be done with chickpea flour or coconut or ground flaxseeds flour instead of panko bread crumbs?
Reply
- Marjory
  March 01, 2018 at 6:51 pm
  Absolutely! I haven't tried those, but have been experimenting with different fillers (so far, some low-carb crackers.) I'd love to know how they turn out.
  Reply
BR
January 26, 2018 at 1:26 pm

These are delicious! I didn't have red onion and so I substituted yellow onion. Still excellent. The flavor of the feta cheese really shines through.
Reply
- Marjory
  January 28, 2018 at 11:53 am
  I'm so glad you enjoyed them! They are great with green onion too!
  Reply
Melissa
November 03, 2017 at 12:42 pm

I don't understand the nutrional info! How many patties are a serving? I'm trying to log my food and these were delicious but I don't know if I'm correctly logging these patties. Is it 179cal for one patty?
Again, these were fabulous and delicious!
Reply
- Marjory
  November 03, 2017 at 2:51 pm
  Hi! I'm so glad you enjoyed them!!! We did not calculate it per cake because everyone seems to make them a different size. Take the total amount of cakes that you made and divide the total by 4. If the yield was 8 cakes, then 2 would be a serving. I hope that makes sense and sorry for any confusion!!!
  Reply
Susan O
March 05, 2016 at 11:30 pm
The Zucchini cake looks pretty good and delicious, will try it. I hope it comes out good and taste good as it looks.
Reply
- Marjory
  March 13, 2016 at 4:03 pm
  I hope you enjoy them!
  Reply
Pamela
July 11, 2015 at 5:22 pm
MY GRANGMOTHER WOULD MAKE WHAT SHE CALLED ZUCCHIN PAN CAKE AND THAT WAS OUT 55 YEARS A GO AND WAS THEY EVER GOOD
Reply
Connie Trujillo
May 18, 2015 at 8:52 pm
Oh read again. . . .you meant COOL 5-7 min.
Reply
- Marjory
  May 18, 2015 at 9:07 pm
  Hi! Thanks for your comment! Should be "cool" for 5 minutes!
  Reply
Connie Trujillo
May 18, 2015 at 8:50 pm
Recipe states"Move to paper plate lines with paper towels and continue cooking additional 5-15 min. Cook on paper plate???Huh?
Reply
Priscilla - She's Cookin'
June 22, 2014 at 11:08 am
It is officially summer now and these zucchini fritters are perfect! The feta and red onion really amp up the flavors :))
Reply
foodwanderings
June 03, 2014 at 4:44 pm
OMgoodnness these zucchini feta 'latkes' as we call them look fabulous! Just mouthwatering!
Reply

FAQs

Does zucchini need to be peeled for baking? ›

Do You Need to Peel Zucchini? Our Test Kitchen has good news for you: You do not need to peel zucchini before using it in a recipe. Zucchinis have very thin, tender skin. “It cooks up well without being tough,” explains Mark Neufang in the Test Kitchen.

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Make the zucchini cakes: Mix the zucchini, breadcrumbs, parmesan, basil, oregano, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs with the buttermilk, then stir the egg mixture into the zucchini mixture. In a large skillet, heat the vegetable oil over medium heat.

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Salting your zucchini is the most important step in preventing it from getting soggy.

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Vegetables with high water content tend to become mushy and bland if they aren't rid of excess moisture before cooking. To do that, you need two things: salt and time. Salting these watery vegetables draws out extra water and flavor molecules.

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The secret to zucchini with the best flavor and texture is roasting it in a 450°F oven. Roasting zucchini at a high temperature instead of baking or sautéing helps develop browning and a slight char on the outside, which keeps it from getting soggy.

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Bad zucchini will feel rubbery or slimy to the touch. It may also have an off-putting smell and dark or fuzzy moldy spots. The interior of bad zucchini may be off-white to brownish with stringy, mushy flesh and large, hard seeds.

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Zucchini is made of over 90% water. When cooked, it gets soft and slowly releases that water into whatever dish you're cooking. If zucchini is overcooked, it will have a mushy, soft texture.

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On the other hand, they may simply be waterlogging if your garden is poorly drained. Another possibility is squash bugs have damaged them and rot has set in as a result. In the meantime, keep removing the infected fruit as soon as you see signs of the problem.

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This no bake dessert recipe includes a handful of simple ingredients that can be found in your pantry: biscuits (cookies), butter, sugar, and cocoa powder, combined together then rolled into a log in a plastic wrap, and served after freezing.

Why does my zucchini cake sink in the middle? ›

Assuming that her oven temperatures are accurate and her mixing is proper, the first thing that occurs to me is that the liquid-to-flour ratio is off. This could mean too much fat, zucchini that's too wet, too much sugar or too little flour. It could also, though, be that she's using the wrong size eggs.