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Easy Greek Kolokithokeftedes (Zucchini Fritters)

Name: Easy Greek Kolokithokeftedes (Zucchini Fritters)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 3 zucchini (shredded/grated (about 3 cups)); salt; 1/2 cup red onion (diced); 3 garlic cloves (minced); 1 cup feta cheese (crumbled); 1/4 cup fresh mint (chopped); 1/4 cup fresh dill (chopped); 1/2 tsp salt; 1/2 tsp pepper; 2 eggs; 1 1/4 cup all purpose flour; 2 tsp baking powder

Last Updated: August 7, 2024

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Greek Kolokithokeftedes on a serving dish on the counter

Prep

20 minutes

Cook

15 minutes

Yield

8 - 10 fritters

These Greek Kolokithokeftedes are easy-to-make, and the perfect snack or appetizer. They're full of herbs which bring a flavor pop, and you won't be able to eat just one.

These easy zucchini fritters are the perfect snack, side dish, or appetizer. In a Greek household, these are called Kolokithokeftedes. “Kolokithi” means zucchini, and “Keftedes” means meatballs, so essentially when you combine the two, you get zucchini meatballs, or in this case, zucchini fritters. These are full of fresh herbs, and salty feta. They’re so good, and I promise you’re going to love them.

Close up of Kolokithokeftedes on a serving dish

❤️ Why You’ll Love Kolokithokeftedes

Easy: Kolokithokeftedes are really easy to make. You can make them with a few simple ingredients in under an hour
Flavorful: These fritters are popping with flavor with the fresh mint and dill. They’re so flavorful and delicious, that you won’t be able to eat just one
Versatile: I love these on their own, but they are great as a side dish, snack, appetizer, or even to throw on top of a salad for a little bit of crunch

🍲 Ingredients

Zucchini – Zucchini is really good for you, and it’s a really inexpensive veggie that can be eaten raw, or made into baking, and cooking. It is high in antioxidants and has nutrients that can support immunity, eye health, heart health, digestion, and even strong bones

Fresh Herbs – It’s very important in this Kolokithokeftedes recipe that you use fresh herbs. These pack the most flavor and will overall make the entire recipe taste and feel fresher. Fresh herbs are also loaded with their own healthy benefits too

👩‍🍳 How to Make Kolokithokeftedes

Grate the zucchini on the large side of a grater and place in a colander with a big pinch of salt. Give the zucchini a little stir to incorporate the salt. Let sit for 20 minutes. This will help with getting rid of some of the moisture and water in the zucchini before we cook with it.
In a small bowl mix together the flour, salt, pepper, and baking powder, set aside.
Once the zucchini has sat, squeeze out the juice from the zucchini and place the shredded zucchini into a medium bowl.
Add diced onions and minced garlic to the zucchini and stir with a spoon or spatula. Next, add in the herbs (chopped) and feta cheese and mix.
Beat the eggs with a fork or whisk, and once combined, add to the zucchini mixture and stir
Finally add the flour, baking powder, salt, and pepper. Stir together until the mixture is combined and set in the fridge for 10-15 minutes before frying – this helps keep a more formed fritter when you fry.
Once the mixture has been in the fridge for 10-15 minutes remove it and give it another stir
When ready to cook, add olive oil to a frying pan, covering the entire bottom. Turn to medium-high heat.
When the pan is hot, turn the heat to medium and cook the fritters in batches. Add the zucchini fritter mixture, 3 tbsp at a time (for one fritter) into the pan and gently press down with the back of a spoon once in the pan to flatten slightly, the fritter should be about 1/2 inch thick.
Fry for about 1 1/2 minutes per side, and then another 1 minute per side until golden brown on each side – you’ll know the fritter is ready to flip if the spatula can slide underneath the fritter easily. Add olive oil in between each batch and wipe out any overly browned bits from the pan.
Fry in batches until all of the dough is used. Enjoy dipping these in tzatziki sauce (recipe below).

How to Make with an Air Fryer:

Once the mixture has been in the fridge for 10-15 minutes minutes remove it and give it another stir.
*Don’t use parchment paper in the air fryer for this recipe as the fritters will be less crispy*
Scoop 2 tablespoonfuls at a time, roll into balls and then gently press down to flatten slightly, the fritters should be about 1/2 inch thick.
Place a few at a time in the air fryer, making sure to leave space between the fritters. Spray them with cooking spray and then cook at 400F in the air fryer for 8 minutes, flip and air fry and cook for 8 more minutes. They should be slightly firm and slightly golden brown when done.

Close up of a Kolokithokeftedes with a piece bit out of it and a fork

👩‍🍳 How to Make Tzatziki Sauce

Combine the following ingredients in a container and mix: 2 cups of Greek yogurt, 1/4 cup fresh dill chopped, 3 grated garlic cloves, salt & pepper, juice of 1 lemon, 1 cucumber grated (and squeezed to remove liquid), 3 tbsp olive oil
Store in a tightly sealed container in the fridge for up to 1 week

🪄 Tips and Tricks

Add olive oil into the pan between batches of fritters to ensure you always have the bottom of the pan entirely coated
Before you start frying the fritters, add the mix into the fridge for about 10 minutes, this helps the “batter” firm up so it holds its shape better when frying
Don’t skip adding salt to your zucchini and letting it sit at the beginning of the recipe, otherwise, your batter will be too watery which will make it hard when frying

🗒 Variations

Gluten-Free: If you want to make these zucchini fritters gluten-free, you can easily swap the all-purpose flour for your favorite gluten-free substitute

🗒 Best served with

👝 How to Store Leftovers

Store in a sealed container in your fridge for 3-4 days, however, these are best freshly fried. When you’re ready to reheat, you can pop them into your toaster or toaster oven so they maintain a crisp.

🤔 Common Questions

How do you make sure fritters hold their shape?

Make sure that you use enough oil in your pan, the bottom should be entirely coated. You’ll also want to make sure your pan is hot enough when you add the fritter in, and that you don’t flip the fritter until fully cooked on one side. You can usually tell this is happening as you can see the edges starting to slightly brown.

Why are my fritters not crispy?

No one likes a soggy fritter! This could be from the oil/pan not being hot enough when you started cooking so your fritter just absorbed the oil.

Do you peel zucchini before making into fritters?

No, it is not necessary to peel zucchini before making fritters with it/grating it for fritters.