Mom’s Zucchini Ricotta Fritters

5 from 7 votes

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My mom’s zucchini ricotta fritters are wildly delicious! Cakes, fritters, patties…no matter what you call them, these are pillowy soft and so very easy to prepare. You simply combine the ingredients, form them into patties, and air fry. This dish is on rotation in my household and requires no fuss or mess at all when using the air fryer. These pair perfectly with a refreshing yogurt sauce or a nice green salad on the side. See the recipe notes below for making these in a standard oven or on the stovetop.

Mom’s Ricotta Fritters

Delicious, savory patties made from plump zucchini, tangy ricotta, and fresh herbs.
5 from 7 votes
Servings: 3
Author: The Modern Nonna
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients 

  • 1 medium zucchini, (100 grams)
  • ¾ cup ricotta cheese, (100 grams)
  • 1 large egg
  • pinch of salt
  • ½ cup grated parmigiano reggiano , (50 grams)
  • ½ cup Italian breadcrumbs, (50 grams)
  • few basil leaves, sliced, ripped or chopped

Instructions 

  • Grate the zucchini; you should have about 1 cup. Place the zucchini into a nut milk bag or use your clean hands and squeeze out as much water as you can. You can save the zucchini water for smoothies if you wish.
  • In a bowl, add the ricotta, egg, salt, grated zucchini, parm, breadcrumbs, and basil. Mix well until fully combined.
  • Using a 1/4 cup measure, scoop out a portion of the mixture into your hands. Roll the mixture into a ball and then flatten into a disc. Repeat this step for the rest of the mixture; you should have 6 discs in total.
  • Spray the discs with cooking spray and cook in a 400F air fryer for about 10 minutes, or until lightly browned all over. Be sure to preheat the air fryer first, if you have that setting, and make sure you check on the fritters around the 6 minute mark. Serve and enjoy.

Video

Notes

The customizing options are endless here: instead of parm, you can use any low moisture cheese, such as pecorino romano, grated manchego, or gruyere. 
You can substitute basil with fresh dill, parsley, or any herb of your choosing. 
These fritters can also be baked in a 400F standard kitchen oven. They will likely take more time to cook than in the air fryer, so watch them carefully to ensure they do not burn, checking on them every 5 minutes or so. 
To make these on the stovetop, cover a skillet in a thin layer of neutral oil, such as avocado oil, and warm over medium-high heat. Cook the fritters for about 5 minutes on each side, or until lightly browned all over. 
Try these topped with a poached or fried egg for a balanced savory breakfast. 
This recipe can easily be doubled and cooked in batches in the air fryer. 
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Hi! I'm Sneji. Nice to meet you!

I am more commonly known as “The Modern Nonna” on social media where I create easy home cooked meals with a modern twist. I was born and raised in Sofia, Bulgaria and learned how to cook at the best culinary school in the world – my grandma’s kitchen. I lived in Greece on the Island of Crete with my parents for a while and then moved to Toronto, Canada when I was in grade 5. I started to really cook and experiment with food 11 years ago when I was 21 years old. Everything I currently know is a reflection of some part of my life…

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20 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    The flavor was very good, they took longer than expected to cook and needed to be flipped more than once. I recommend making them pretty thin.

  2. The breadcrumbs alone add 36g carbs. Divide by 6 patties, and that’s 6g carbs in each patty from only the breadcrumbs. Plus the carbs from all the other ingredients (numbers you don’t provide). Is there something I can use as a substitute for the breadcrumbs?!

    1. Hi Michelle, this may not be the right recipe for you if you don’t want to consume carbs. The breadcrumbs are necessary for binding and balancing moisture.

  3. Thank you, AWESOMENESS !
    Do you know which is better air fryer/convection oven fry pan for most crispy and golden brown fritters? What type of air fryer do you use? Can you deep fry them too? Can you also use butternut squash? Love it!!

    1. These would be incredible deep-fried; you just need to be super careful about slowly suspending the fritters into the oil. Maybe try making them small and bite-size so you don’t risk a piece of batter falling off and splashing in the oil. I have not tried butternut squash, but since it’s more dense than zucchini, it may not cook at the same rate.

  4. 5 stars
    Zucchini from my garden 6-7 inches long made 2 cups.

    Sooooo Good. Drizzled a little sour cream on them. Delish!!!

    Thank you! Air Fryer was quick and they were crispy just the way I like them.

    Forgot to spray my basket even though I sprayed the discs…they got a little stuck!

    1. One medium zucchini should produce about 1 cup of grated zucchini. 100 grams is 1/4 pound, so try weighing the zucchini at the market and aim for purchasing one 1/4-pound zucchini or two 1/8-pound zucchini.

    1. Hi Susan, I don’t think these will freeze well. They are best made and enjoyed fresh the same day.

  5. 5 stars
    Made them as a main course. I used the air fryer at 400 for 10 minutes, flipped them after 5 min. Quick and easy to make. I doubled the recipe.