Golden Zucchini and Carrot Fritters
Pan-fried zucchini and carrot fritters with golden edges and a tender vegetable centre. Twelve small fritters, six illustrated recipe steps and eight page photos.
Grated zucchini and carrot make a colorful pan-fried vegetable dish with a simple egg-and-flour binder. Squeezing the zucchini before mixing keeps the batter from turning watery. Thin, evenly sized fritters cook more reliably than deep mounds, with a golden surface and a fully set centre.
This original version makes twelve small fritters, or four side portions of three. The recipe page groups related tasks into six illustrated steps to stay within eight photographs. A separate twelve-photo YouTube sequence shows more of the preparation; four cover options complete the sixteen-photo set.
Why you’ll love this recipe
Removing excess zucchini liquid concentrates the vegetable mixture without adding a large amount of flour. The carrot is finely grated so it softens in the same cooking time. Egg and plain flour bind the strands, while small batches and an even thin shape help both sides color before the centre becomes overcooked.
Before you start · Equipment
Kitchen scale, box grater, clean food-safe kitchen cloth, bowls, whisk, spoon, 24–26 cm nonstick frying pan, thin spatula, fine-tip food thermometer, wire rack and tray.
Everything you’ll need.
Get your ingredients ready, then follow the quantities in the recipe below.
See ingredient amounts
This guide describes the original 4 side portions of 3 fritters. Use the recipe card for amounts adjusted to your chosen yield.
A vegetable fritter variation
This zucchini-and-carrot version is a Mediterranean-inspired pan-fried dish with scallions and a simple binder. The carrot is part of the batter, not an optional topping. Four portions contain three small fritters each.
Squeeze before adding the binder
Moisture removal happens before the eggs and flour are added. Work the grated zucchini in small cloth-wrapped portions and discard the juice. No salted resting or rinsing step is used in this formulation.
Keep the mixture consistent
The egg coats the vegetable strands before the flour is folded through. Use all measured ingredients and distribute the mixture evenly. A spoonful should form a soft mound; the photographs are illustrative rather than a measured texture test.
Thin patties and small batches
Three fritters in a medium nonstick pan leave room to turn them. Flatten each evenly so the centre can set before the surface becomes too dark. Add each batch of measured oil only as needed and lower the heat if browning runs ahead of cooking.
Check the centre, not just the crust
A golden surface alone does not prove the egg and flour centre is cooked. A fine-tip thermometer inserted sideways should read at least 71°C in the thickest part. Never taste raw batter. Timing changes with your pan and hob.
Serve promptly and store cold
A wire rack lets steam escape instead of softening the surface in a stack. Refrigerate leftovers in shallow covered containers at 4°C or below within two hours, or one hour above 32°C. Use within two days as a cautious untested home recommendation and reheat thoroughly to 74°C.
About the ingredients
- Zucchini
Weigh 500 g raw trimmed zucchini with skin before grating and squeezing. Squeeze without salt, discard the extracted liquid and use all the remaining strands. There is no fixed drained yield or extra salt to rinse away.
- Carrot and scallions
Finely grate the peeled 200 g carrot so it cooks through in the thin patties. All 20 g sliced scallions go into the batter; none is reserved as a garnish.
- Egg and flour
Use 100 g raw edible egg, about two large eggs without shells, and 100 g plain flour. They bind the vegetables without cheese or baking powder. Contains egg and wheat; no gluten-free or vegan claim.
- Seasoning
All 4 g fine salt and 1 g pepper go into the batter after the zucchini has been squeezed. No salted draining step or added serving salt is included.
- Frying oil
Use only the measured 40 g canola oil, 10 g per batch. Oil retained in the pan or drained onto the tray is not served. The nutrition model conservatively includes all 40 g because actual absorption has not been measured.
How to make Golden Zucchini and Carrot Fritters
Prepare the vegetables, squeeze the unsalted zucchini and discard its liquid. Combine the vegetables with beaten egg and measured seasoning, then fold in flour. Divide into twelve portions and pan-fry three at a time using the measured oil, flattening each to 8–10 mm. Cook both sides until golden and the centre reaches 71°C, drain briefly and serve four portions of three.
1. Prepare the vegetables
2. Squeeze out zucchini liquid
3. Combine vegetables, egg and seasoning
4. Fold in flour and portion
5. Pan-fry in four small batches
6. Drain briefly and serveWatch How To Make It
chefzelish.com
Golden Zucchini and Carrot Fritters
Pan-fried zucchini and carrot fritters with golden edges and a tender vegetable centre. Twelve small fritters, six illustrated recipe steps and eight page photos.
Ingredients
0 / 8 readyIngredient amounts for 4 side portions of 3 fritters
Vegetable mixture
For pan-frying
Let’s make it.
- Prepare batter
Prepare the vegetables
Wash and grate the zucchini and carrot, then slice the scallions. Trim and weigh 500 g zucchini with its green skin. Peel and weigh 200 g carrots. Coarsely grate the zucchini and finely grate the carrots into separate bowls. Thinly slice all 20 g trimmed scallions. Keep the carrot and scallions aside while the zucchini is squeezed.
- Prepare batter
Squeeze out zucchini liquid
Squeeze the grated zucchini firmly in a clean cloth, without adding salt. Work in small handfuls over a separate bowl until it stops dripping freely. Put the squeezed strands in a clean mixing bowl and discard all expressed liquid. There is no prescribed final drained weight because the water content varies. Keep all 4 g salt for the batter.
- Prepare batter
Combine vegetables, egg and seasoning
Mix the squeezed zucchini with carrot, scallions, beaten egg, salt and pepper. Crack the eggs into a separate bowl, remove any shell and beat; weigh 100 g edible egg. Add it with all 200 g grated carrot, 20 g scallions, 4 g salt and 1 g pepper. Mix thoroughly. Wash hands and tools after handling raw egg. Do not taste the uncooked mixture.
- Prepare batter
Fold in flour and portion
Fold in all 100 g flour, then divide the thick mixture into twelve equal portions. Mix only until there are no dry flour pockets. The mixture should sit in a soft mound rather than run like liquid. Stir again before each batch if moisture settles. Do not add unmeasured water, cheese, baking powder or extra flour; if excessively wet, the zucchini needs more squeezing before it is mixed. Keep the mixture cool and fry promptly.
- Pan-fry and serve
Pan-fry in four small batches
Pan-fry three fritters at a time, then turn and cook until fully set. Measure the 40 g oil into four 10 g portions. Heat one portion in a 24–26 cm nonstick pan over medium heat; do not let it smoke. Spoon in three batter portions and flatten to 6–7 cm across and 8–10 mm thick. Cook about 3–4 minutes on the first side and 2–3 minutes after turning, adjusting heat to avoid burning. Check a thick fritter through the side with a fine-tip thermometer: the centre must reach 160°F (71°C), with no wet egg or raw flour pockets. Cook longer over gentler heat if needed. Repeat for four batches with the remaining measured oil; do not add more.
- Pan-fry and serve
Drain briefly and serve
Drain on a wire rack, then serve three warm fritters per portion. Let excess oil drip onto the tray; do not pour it over the food. Keep the twelve cooked fritters in a single layer while finishing, rather than stacking and trapping steam. Allow about 5 minutes total settling time across the batches. Divide into four side portions. No yogurt, cheese, lemon wedges, salad or extra herb garnish is included. Refrigerate leftovers promptly as described in the notes.
Nutrition per serving
3 of 12 equal fritters; oil estimate assumes all measured frying oil retained. Estimates may vary with ingredients and brands.
- Calories
- 259 kcal
- Protein
- 7.8 g
- Carbohydrates
- 28.5 g
- Fat
- 13.2 g
- Saturated fat
- 1.7 g
- Fiber
- 3.5 g
- Sugar
- 5.8 g
- Sodium
- 469 mg
Checked 10/21/2026. Values are per the serving described above, regardless of recipe yield.
Notes from the kitchen.
Helpful tips
Twelve fritters: four batches of three. Each is 6–7 cm across and 8–10 mm thick. About 3–4 minutes first side and 2–3 minutes second side are guides; centre 71°C is the endpoint. Use medium heat and a nonstick pan.
Make it your own
Plain wheat flour and egg are specified. Contains wheat and egg. No cheese, garlic, baking powder, yogurt sauce, lemon or extra herbs are included. Gluten-free flour and egg replacements need a separately developed method.
Storage & freezing
Promptly refrigerate cooked leftovers in shallow covered containers at 4°C or below, within two hours or one hour above 32°C. Use within two days as a cautious untested recommendation; reheat throughout to 74°C.
At the table
Four side portions of three fritters. Oil absorption is unmeasured; nutrient estimate includes the full 40 g frying oil as a conservative assumption. Zucchini juice losses and cooked weight are not measured. No extra serving oil or sauce.
A little something delicious.
Keep this recipe close for the next time the craving strikes.
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