These Garlicky & Cheesy Quinoa Zucchini Fritters are packed with quinoa and zucchini. One of my favorite summer zucchini recipes, these fritters are super delicious and very easy to make!
Zucchini Fritters
If you’re on the hunt for a tasty and wholesome dish that speaks summer vibes, look no further! Our Garlicky and Cheesy Quinoa Zucchini Fritters are a wonderful fusion of fresh zucchini and nutrient-rich quinoa bundled into bite-sized fritters for an easy-to-enjoy meal.
Due to the abundance of vegetables provided by my parent’s enormous vegetable garden, it’s much easier to eat well and eat right. If you’re growing your own zucchini, you know they can quickly fill your garden. We try to enjoy them in many ways – fried, baked, grilled, or mixed into this tasty Creamy Parmesan Baked Zucchini!
Our love for wholesome, flavorsome food inspired us to pair two power-packed ingredients—zucchini and quinoa. Add to this the irresistible allure of cheese and garlic, and you have a recipe that promises an explosion of flavors with every bite.
Ingredients
The following ingredients and instructions will guide you in creating these mouth-watering fritters. Scroll down to the recipe card for complete information on ingredients and directions.
- zucchini
- quinoa
- egg
- garlic
- seasonings
- parmigiano reggiano
- panko crumbs
How To Make Zucchini Fritters With Quinoa
- Salt the zucchini and let it rest for 10 minutes, then pat it dry.
- Meanwhile, boil the quinoa, simmer for 10 minutes, then let it cool.
- In a big bowl, mix together the zucchini, quinoa, egg, garlic, oregano, cheese, and crumbs. Add salt and pepper.
- Fry the patties/fritters in olive oil until golden. Transfer them onto a paper towel to drain.
- Serve with yogurt, sour cream, soy sauce, or your favorite dip.
What sets this recipe apart is its flexibility. Want to prep ahead? No problem—you can prepare the quinoa mixture a few days in advance and fry the fritters when you’re ready to serve. These versatile bites can fit into your menu as a light lunch, a hearty dinner, or a quick snack.
Tips and Variations
- Choosing Zucchini: Opt for medium-sized zucchini as they tend to have less water; the less water, the crispier your fritters will be.
- Drain Well: Ensuring your zucchini is properly drained is key to preventing soggy fritters. Be sure to give the grated zucchini a good squeeze to remove as much water as possible. A cheesecloth or a clean tea towel can be very helpful for this.
- Seasoning: Don’t be afraid to experiment with different herbs, spices, and cheeses to add a personal twist to your fritters. You might also consider adding finely chopped onions or shallots for an extra flavor punch.
- Frying: For the crispiest fritters, be sure not to crowd the pan. Fry in batches if necessary, and keep the heat at a medium level to ensure even cooking without burning.
- Storing & Reheating: Leftover fritters can be refrigerated for up to 2 days and are best reheated in the oven or in a toaster oven to maintain crispiness.
Serving Suggestions
- These fritters are a versatile addition to any meal. Pair them with a side of mixed greens for a light, balanced lunch, or serve them alongside grilled chicken or fish for a heartier dinner. They can also be served as an appetizer, paired with a cheesy Lasagna Dip! 😋
- Don’t forget a cool Cucumber Mojito 😉 with a side of Chocolate Mousse Cake. 😬
So why wait? Dive into this delightful recipe and bring flavor and nutrition to your table with our Garlicky & Cheesy Quinoa Zucchini Fritters. This is a quick and hearty summer lunch/dinner/snack/appetizer – enjoy it as you see fit. They are so simple and delicious that it would be a shame not to try these fritters!
More Zucchini Fritters To Try
ENJOY!
Garlicky & Cheesy Quinoa Zucchini Fritters
Ingredients
- 2 cups grated zucchini
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup quinoa
- 1 whole egg
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 cup grated fresh parmigiano-reggiano cheese
- 1 cup panko crumbs
- salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- Yogurt
- Sour Cream
- Marinara
- Soy Sauce
Instructions
- Place zucchini in a colander and toss with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Let stand for 10 to 15 minutes, then wring zucchini dry with a paper towel.
- In the meantime, prepare the quinoa. Combine water and quinoa in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer; cover and cook for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, fluff with a fork, and let stand for 10 minutes.
- In a large bowl, combine the zucchini, cooked quinoa, egg, garlic, oregano, fresh cheese, and panko crumbs. Season with salt and pepper; mix until thoroughly combined.
- Heat the oil in a skillet. Shape the zucchini-quinoa mixture into 2 to 3-inch patties. Working in batches, add these to the skillet, flattening slightly with a spatula; cook over medium heat until golden and crisp, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer fritters to a paper towel–lined plate.
- Serve with yogurt, sour cream, marinara, soy sauce, or any dip of your choice.
Notes
- Drain Zucchini Well: Salt the zucchini and let it stand for 10 to 15 minutes. Then, squeeze out as much water as possible for non-soggy fritters. Don’t skip this part, please.
- Experiment with Seasoning: Try different herbs, spices, cheeses, or chopped onions for extra flavor.
- Don’t Crowd the Pan: Fry in batches on medium heat for even, crisp cooking.
- Store and Reheat Properly: Refrigerate leftovers for up to 2 days and reheat in the oven to keep them crispy.
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
What can I use instead of the panko crumbs to make this gluten free?
You can use gluten-free panko or, my favorite, pork rind crumbs. 😊
So Yummmm! Made these once years ago and loved them, made them again tonight and my 19mo loved them as well!
Didn’t measure the Parmesan, didn’t have panko so made my own breadcrumbs and added some bone broth to the quinoa for an extra nutrient boost!
Need to double the batch next time because there wasn’t enough😋
That’s great to hear! I’m very happy everyone loved it! Thank YOU! 🙂
Easy healthy don’t add salt I did forgot the Parmesan is salty. I’m going to freeze half see how they do!!
I made this recipe with friends that, I have to say, are hard to please, and everyone loved it!! I would say tho that you can take the excess of humidity out of the zucchini by squishing it inside a towel and it’s easier than using the paper towel and more effective. Otherwise it was great!
That’s wonderful! I’m very glad you and your friends enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
Just make sure y’all wring the zucchini out after 10 minutes, and it’ll stick together. That’s where the water is coming from, so if you wring it out, it’ll be no problem.
I like Kajsa’s idea of serving with dill and sour cream. That sounds good, too!
Well, I see I still didn’t rate it. Try again . . .
Sorry, I forgot to rate the recipe, so here it is. Thanks so much for sharing this amazing recipe!
These are wonderful! I used regular dry breadcrumbs, colby-jack cheese, 3 eggs, and za’atar and followed the cooking suggestions of Joanna above. Also fried in coconut oil. A little spiciness wouldn’t hurt these at all.
I am very happy you enjoyed this recipe! Thank YOU! 🙂
Perfect as written. Delicious!
Has anyone tried to bake these in a muffin pan? (Sorry if I missed this idea in the older posts).
I was very excited to make these after reading all the fabulous reviews, but I was disappointed with the results. I think it is the cheese. The parmigiano-reggiano cheese has a very strong flavor, and it overwhelmed the fritters. They tasted somewhat bitter or sharp. Not a pleasant flavor. Maybe they are supposed to, or maybe I just don’t like that type of cheese (I bought a chunk from the store and grated it myself at home). Has anyone tried a different type of cheese (more mild perhaps) and gotten good results? I really want to make these again as I have a vegetarian daughter and my husband eats more low-carb for his diabetes. This recipe hits both requirements. Any feedback is greatly appreciated. Thanks!
I make them with shredded mozzarella. We LOVE them. My 11 year old takes them to school in her lunch.
Skip the Origano perhaps replace with springs onions (Scallions) and use any cheese or combination of cheeses adding Ricotta even works. This a great recipe love the Quinoa.
So leave the cheese out I did and they were delicious. Or if you prefer you could substitute another kind of cheese. They are really good and I have the same dietary situation in my home
Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (and most European aged cheeses) are probably too strongly flavored for most American palates in a cooked dish, because people are used to much blander, less aged and highly processed white (or artificially colored yellow/orange) cheeses. You can substitute the cheese for a blander, cheaper supermarket choice though because it’s there mostly as a binder and for flavor when fried. Personally, I loved the choice of the strong Italian cheese (even standard supermarket Parmesan works well too, though cheaper and milder). Without the flavorful cheese, this recipe tastes like Chicken McNuggets IMHO, and not worth the effort: you can go to a fast-food joint for that kind of food, hardly worth making at home!
Awesome recipe!! Definitely adding this one to the list of things to try!!! Looks amazing and I know that our kids will love it!!
Thank you for sharing!
What a beautiful recipe! Straight from the stove top they were gorgeous, crispy and cheesy, and cold the next day in a simple salad had all the hallmarks of yummy leftover rissoles. I loved the pop of the quinoa, even my partner who turned his nose up initally devoured a couple more before I had the chance to get the leftovers into the fridge! Will definitely make these again.
i haven’t tried making these yet but im curious: has anyone tried baking them in the oven vs. pan frying them for an even more healthier option…?
Yep! I tried frying these and they totally fell apart. It was way too much work shaping them… very wet and messy in the hand. And scooping them is not an elegant option either. So yes, I filled my [sort of like a] cupcake pan, which has push-up bottoms for easy removal. And I baked the fritter cakes for a minimum of 45 minutes in a hot (around 225–250°C) oven. But I’ll confess…I more than doubled the amount of quinoa and didn’t use so much zucchini, as it is made almost entirely of water. Added an extra egg, a small white sweet potato (instead of Panko) as well as some baking powder. And they puffed right up. No grease either.
I made these for dinner tonight and considering it’s at the least the third time I’ve made these I figured it was time to leave a comment. These are SO delicious. I love them, my 19 month old loves them, and even my anti-Meatless Monday husband loves them. Tonight I used red quinoa and a mixture of shredded zucchini and carrot. I used two eggs to get the mixture sticky enough to stay together. I saw some people struggling with the mixture falling apart so perhaps another egg is necessary. I also make sure to let the oil get nice and hot over medium heat. While the oil is heating I form all the patties and line them on a piece of wax paper, wetting my hands after every 2-3 patties to help them stick together and not to my hands. I cook the patties 5 minutes each side, only flipping once. A really nice crust forms on the outside if you don’t mess with them in the pan. I’ve never had issues with them falling apart this way. Hope this helps someone else! Great recipe 🙂
These are delicious!
Dear Katerina,
I thought perhaps you’d like to know that your fritters have found their way to Sweden and become a firm favourite too. I can only agree with previous comments; my mouth wants more long after my stomach is full!
My suggestion ty anyone who’s having problems with the fritters falling apart is:
1: take desired amount of the mix in your hand and give it a good squeeze. Even if it seems dry in the mixing bowl itwill come together beautifully this way.
2: Finish shaping the frtiier in your hand – don’t press down on it once it’s in the pan.
Occasionally I’ll use fresh dill instead of oregano and serve these with greek yoghurt flavoured with dill and lemon juice. Not bad either.
Thanks from a happy Swede. 🙂
Looks completely delicious!. Such a great way to use all up all those summer zucchini. I’ll be making these this week. Great recipe. Thanks Katerina.
hi…just tried this recipe…was very skeptical at the taste and how they would stay together….but I was pleasantly surprised….they have a great taste and even my husband liked them…made them gluten free and they came out great…thanks
Thank you! SO happy you liked the fritters! 🙂
I made these last night with the broccoli & cheese casserole & although I LOVED them, they didn’t hold together very well. The only thing I can assume is that I didn’t soak up enough of the water? But I was constantly adding olive oil & most of them just fell apart 🙁 they got devoured even with not looking pretty! Haha. Any suggestions on how to keep them together better?
Hi Chelsea!! Seems like both recipes didn’t work out for you. 🙁 I’m so sorry! The only thing I can think of here is that the zucchini either wasn’t dry enough or maybe there were too many dry ingredients and not enough egg? I’m just guessing. They should hold up like a meatball when you shape them.
Don’t give up on them, though! They’re so good! 😀
I know, what a bummer! I followed the recipe to a T but the only thing I can think of is I didn’t drain enough of the water from the zucchini… Do you have a good way to make sure it’s really dry? I used soooo many paper towels & it was like the water wasn’t giving up! They still turned out super good, just some of them were ugly. Hahahaha I would try to form them & it was like they were falling apart… 🙁
Hi Chelsea!! Ugly, but delicious. I can live with that! 😉
My tip would be to salt the shredded zucchini and let it drain for about 20 to 30 minutes. Use kosher salt, if you have it. You can then pat it dry before cooking, but don’t use salt while cooking the zucchini in case it’s too much. Taste as you go would be best in this case.
Awesome, I will try that! Thanks!
Here is a tip for getting the zucchini drier than a drain and wring. You can use one or both methods combined. Take single layer of cheesecloth and lay it over a cooling rack. Place it in a sheet pan then place your salted zucchini on top and let it drain for 20 or 30 minutes. The second is to grate, salt, and rest your zucchini then place it in a salad spinner. Either method is superior for removing moisture that a rest and wring. Hope that it helps!
Love this site..Only thing I wish you could of done is post serving size or maybe calories
I agree – you should post calorie content per serving size after all the title of your webpage “diethood” implies that these recipes are low in calories. They all seem delicious by your photos but are they?
If you want to know if they’re delicious, you have to try them! ;’D
I have also used a potato ricer when I want to get maximum water out. Use it for frozen spinach, too. Works great, if somewhat messy.
This might be a silly question but I’m new to cooking with quinoa. Do I need to cook the actual quinoa before adding it to the other ingredients? Or do I leave it in its raw state and just add it straight from the box? TIA
Hi Holly!! Not silly at all! Quinoa is still fairly new to many, and for this recipe you first have to prepare the quinoa. All you have to do is combine water and quinoa in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat down to a simmer; cover and cook the quinoa for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, fluff with fork and let stand ten minutes to cool down. These steps are also listed in the recipe box under steps 4 through 6. Let me know if you have any more questions – I’m always happy to help!! Have a great day!
Oh my goodness, these look delicious!! I love Quinoa. Looking forward to trying these.
I’ve been trying to find recipes with veggies that I can make ahead and have my hubby feed to our daughter, these look like they’ll work great!
WOAH I just made these and they are sooooo delicious! Im so full ugh but I want more but I can’t eat anymore! The struggle!
HAHA :))) That’s me, all the time, with all THE FOOD! 😀 Can’t stop eating! haha
So happy to know that you loved ’em!! Thank YOU!!
I made these last night for dinner and they were fantastic! My 6y.o. liked them too ( and she is a picky eater). Success! this recipe is a keeper! Thank you Katerina!
Hi Katerina!
This recipe looks amazing and the pictures are awesome. I am trying to make it a little more healthier (even though it already is). Can you think about a low-cal alternative for the cheese and the panko? Do you think I can still cook them without those ingredients?
Thanks so much for all your recipes!
Hi, Gonzalo!
Considering that the mixture is a bit sticky due to the moisture of the quinoa, you can certainly try to make these without the crumbs. The cheese adds a lot of flavor to the fritters, but if you don’t mind that, either choose a low-cal sharp cheese or just leave it out and add some fresh herbs to kick up the flavor. I’d go with more oregano or even thyme. Let me know how they turned out!
Thanks so much!! I’ll definitely try it as soon as possible
I use almond meal as a substitute for bread crumbs in meatballs so I would imagine it would work here as well. The cheese is hard to substitute because of the great flavor it would add.
Made these tonight – so good! We treated them like meatballs and served with marinara sauce.
Do you think baking them would work? Maybe on a wire rack so they crisp up a bit?
Hi Jill!!
Oh I am so happy you enjoyed them!! Between these fritters and my zucchini brownies, I am running out of zucchini! 😀
To answer your question; I have made these in the oven and they were good. I also think your wire rack idea might be better than mine. I preheated the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and just placed the fritters on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. 10 minutes on one side, flipped them for another 10 minutes on the other and they were great! Hope that helps!
Do you think these will freeze well?
Hi Jen!
Yes, they absolutely do, as long as they’re uncooked. You can also leave the mixture in the fridge for a few days before you are ready to use it. Hope this helps! Let me know how it goes. Enjoy your day!!
I just made a batch and they are fantastic!! I am making a batch to freeze right now! Thanks!
That’s GREAT!! ENJOY! 🙂
We made these tonight and they were AWESOME! Seriously…so good! I was too full to eat more but I still wanted more after eating so many. Can’t wait for the leftovers 🙂
That is so cool!!! I’m so happy you enjoyed them! They seriously are to die for, right?! 😉 Thank you!
Ooooo, I bet these were amazing!
Yum! I will take a dozen of these! Too much? Fine. 10.
HA! That’s about how many I inhaled in one sitting! 😀 Thank you, Russell!
Love it! Thank you for sharing. Question, do you think couscous would work in this reciepe instead if quinoa? Always enjoy reading your blog. God bless, Dina
Hi Dina!! Thanks SO MUCH for the kind words!! I would definitely use couscous instead of quinoa, but you might need to add about a 1/4-cup more to get the right consistency. Let me know how they turn out!
I love these fritters so much that I want to eat the whole batch! 🙂
We are all about keeping things simple and these fit that perfectly. Amazing!
These fritters look great… great way to sneak some healthy ingredients. 🙂
Katerina, these look outstanding and are perfect for all the zucchini we have! Great photos. Good luck with the kiddos. 🙂
Your fritters looks amazingly tasty for being full of veggies and healthy grains. 🙂
Best of luck with the Frozen themed b-day party. Easy on those mojitos.
I have a week old zucchini in the fridge, I think I can do this! Hope you had a great day! 🙂
LOVE these fritters! I am all about keeping it simple these days too!
This looks wonderful!! I love the addition of quinoa!
Your photography blows.me.away. Prettiest fritters ever! pinned!
Thank YOU!!! xoxo