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These Lentil Fritters are a deliciously crispy vegetarian recipe made with tender lentils, fresh spinach, and simple pantry ingredients. Lightly pan-fried until golden brown, these fritters are easy to make and packed with flavor.
We love fritters at my house! There are so many great flavor combinations like these broccoli fritters, or these spaghetti squash fritters.
5 Star Review
“These are fantastic. We love black bean cakes, and these were a nice alternative. Going to try the broccoli and zucchini recipes next. Can’t wait!” – Christine Hamelin
Lentil Fritters
A.K.A. bites of protein-veggie heaven! These tasty bites are packed with spinach, lentils, and just the right amount of crunch. They’re perfect for snacking, serving as an appetizer or side dish, or making a fun little veggie-loaded dinner. Bonus: the quick creamy dip makes them even better.
Reasons To Make These Lentil Fritters
- Quick and Easy: You don’t need any fancy ingredients or skills. If you can mix and boil, you can make these patties.
- Meatless Protein: Lentils bring the protein and the heartiness without any meat.
- Crispy Goodness: Golden, crispy edges with a soft, flavorful center. Basically, heaven in fritter form.
- Versatile: Serve these lentil fritters as a snack, light lunch, or with a big dinner salad.
Recipe Ingredients
- Lentils: I use Moroccan Harari Soup Mix or plain red lentils. Keep the green or brown lentils for my lentil soup recipe.
- Water: To cook the lentils until tender.
- Spinach: Baby spinach works great here.
- Garlic: Freshly minced for that little punch of flavor. Garlic powder is a good alternative.
- Panko Crumbs: Adds texture and helps hold everything together.
- Egg: To bind the mixture.
- All-Purpose Flour: For dredging and extra crispiness.
- Vegetable Oil: For frying those fritters to golden perfection. Peanut oil or any other high smoke point oil can be used here.
Recipe Tips
- Season the Lentils: If you’re using plain lentils, don’t forget to season with salt, pepper, and a little cumin for extra flavor.
- Cool the Mixture: Let the cooked lentil-spinach mixture cool slightly before handling because it makes shaping the patties easier.
- Fry in Batches: Don’t overcrowd the pan. Fry in batches to get them nice and crispy.
- Serve It Up: These are great with the sour cream dip, but you can also dip them in tzatziki, ranch, or even your favorite hot sauce.
How to Store
Store any leftover fritters in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat, pop them in the oven or air fryer to bring back that crispy texture. You can also freeze them and reheat them in the oven straight from frozen.
Tools I Used
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- Spatula: To flip the fritters easily without breaking them apart.
- Large Skillet: To get the fritters crispy and golden.
- Breading Pans: For the dredging station.
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Lentil Fritters
Ingredients
- 1 cup red lentils, or if you can find it, use Moroccan Harira soup mix.
- 1½ cups water
- 4 cups baby spinach leaves
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 cup panko crumbs
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup vegetable oil, for frying
FOR THE SOUR CREAM SAUCE
- 1 cup sour cream
- ¼ teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Cook the lentils. Place soup mix or lentils in a saucepan; add water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cover the saucepan with a lid; continue to cook for 10 minutes.
- Add spinach and garlic. Remove the lid and stir in the spinach leaves and garlic; continue to cook and stir for 1 minute, or until the spinach is wilted.
- Add panko. Remove from heat, stir in panko crumbs, and let stand a few minutes, or until cool enough to handle.
- Set up your dredging station. Place the beaten egg in one bowl and the flour in another bowl.
- Heat the oil. Heat the vegetable oil in a skillet set over medium heat.
- Make the patties. Form the lentil mixture into 2-inch patties, dip them in the egg, coating both sides, and then coat them with the flour.
- Cook. Working in batches, add the patties to the skillet, flattening slightly with a spatula, and cook until golden and crisp, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer the cooked fritters to a paper towel–lined plate.
- In the meantime, prepare the sour cream dip. Add all the ingredients to a mixing bowl and stir until combined. Taste and adjust the flavors accordingly.
- Serve. Transfer the fritters to a serving plate. Serve with prepared dip.
Notes
- If using plain red lentils, season the lentil mixture with salt and pepper. You can also add about 1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin to the mixture.
- You can serve these lentil fritters in a basket as an appetizer or make them as an accompaniment to a dinner salad or even shrimp.
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.
These are fantastic. We love black bean cakes and these are a nice alternative. Going to try the broccoli and zucchini recipes next. Can’t wait!
That’s great! I am very happy you enjoyed them!! Thank YOU! 🙂
Does it matter which lentils to use?
So now I also see these (after the Quinoa fritters!) Can’t decide which to make first.
Can I bake these instead of frying them?
I love lentils!!! Will give it a try.
I could make a meal out of these fritters, love ’em!
i love lentils! What a great way to enjoy them! Off to check out those spices!
This recipe has all my favorite things – red lentils are my go to – so quick cooking and they take on flavors so beautifully! I can’t wait to try these yummy fritters!
This is a genius idea to sneak spinach in! Besides, fritters are always so fun to eat!