If you are looking for something easy to meal prep, this recipe is it. These corn zucchini fritters are great for a light main meal or you can also have them as an appetizer or side dish. They take less than 20 minutes to make and are dairy free, gluten free, and sugar free. I highly recommend making the avocado crema to go along with them but only make as much as you need because it can’t be stored.
I love this recipe especially in the summer because it focuses on seasonal vegetables: sweet corn and zucchini and both can be found at your local farmers market (or grocery store). I had corn fritters when I visited Japan and knew I always wanted to recreate them, so for these I added in some additional nutrients with the zucchini and made mine in a skillet.
In this recipe, I used fresh corn (which you can cook in the microwave for 2 minutes), but you can also use frozen or canned. The chili powder gives it a slight kick, but the spice is offset by the light and refreshing avocado crema.
To make this recipe, you will shred your zucchini in your food processor or by using a grater. You will want to add salt to the zucchini and let it sit for 10 minutes so that the excess water drains. Use a cheesecloth to squeeze out all of the liquid so your zucchini is as dry as possible. Mix together all the ingredients for the fritter and then cook it on the stove. The Avocado Crema is made by putting all the ingredients into a blender so it’s also simple and quick and any leftover can be used for salad dressing if you store it in the fridge.
For this recipe, you will need:
- Corn: You can use frozen (thaw first or microwave) or canned corn and for some extra punch, you can use fire-roasted corn but then leave out the chili spice
- Basil: Alternatively, you can use fresh cilantro, parsley, or 1 tbsp of dried basil
- Avocado Oil: Use olive oil instead if your pantry is not stocked with this
- Chickpea Flour: Substitute 3/4 cup of almond flour instead
- Cilantro: Substitute parsley instead
Tips:
- For best results, use a large cast iron skillet
- Use a mid-size cookie scoop for each fritter so they are all the same size and flatten them with a fork or spatula once they are scooped into the skillet
- As you cook, the skillet will get hotter and hotter so just pay attention to timing to make sure the fritters do not burn
- You may need to add avocado oil in between each batch of fritters
- When cooking these, it may get a bit smoky, so put on your stove vent fan if you have one
- As you cook these, you can stack them on a plate using paper towels in between each stack to absorb any extra oil
- You can easily mix the Avocado Crema in a bowl with a fork instead of a food processor
How to Store:
- Store fritters in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days
- You can easily mix the Avocado Crema in a bowl with a fork instead of a food processor
Other zucchini recipes to try:
Healthy Not Fried Zucchini Fritters
Zucchini Ricotta Roll-Ups with Marinara Sauce
Corn Zucchini Fritters with Avocado Crema
Cooking & Baking Supplies
- Food Processor
Ingredients
Fritters
- 2 cups shredded zucchini (about 1 large zucchini or 2 small ones)
- 1 cup corn kernels (about 1 large corn)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 cup chickpea flour
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup onions, minced
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 cup basil, chopped
- 1/4 tsp chili powder
- salt + pepper to taste
- avocado oil (to cook fritters)
Avocado Cilantro Crema
- 2 ripe avocados
- 1/2 lime, juiced
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 3 tbsp water
- 1/4 cup cilantro
- 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
- Grate zucchini, place it in a medium bow, and sprinkle it with salt. Let it sit for at least 10 minutes. Squeeze out as much water by squeezing it out in a dish towel or cheesecloth.
- While you wait for the zucchini, in a high-speed blender or food processor, mix together all of the ingredients for the Avocado Crema and blend until smooth. Set aside.
- Mix together all of the corn zucchini fritter ingredients in a bowl (garlic, eggs, flour, onions, baking powder, basil, chili powder, salt and pepper).
- Heat avocado oil in a medium skillet and make sure it covers the entire base of the pan. Let it heat up over medium heat and then add spoonfuls of the mixture into the pan. Cook the fritters until they turn brown and then flip them to the other side. This should be about 2-3 minutes on each side.
- Top with Avocado Crema and ENJOY!
