My garden gave up three zucchini in a single afternoon last week, and the usual suspects — zucchini bread, zucchini boats — were already on this month’s menu. My husband found a handful of mint growing by the back door and handed it to me like a dare. That’s when I remembered a recipe that never misses: zucchini fritters with feta and mint.
They taste like a Greek taverna on a summer evening. Salty, bright, and crisp at the edges — and there’s no deep frying involved. You can serve them as a side, an appetizer, or a light dinner if you pile a tomato salad on top.
Real time: 30 minutes / Hands-on: about 20
Prep is 15 minutes, cooking is 15, and the only thing you need is a nonstick skillet and a clean kitchen towel. They come out of the pan golden and crisp, and a batch costs about $1.66 per serving — less if your zucchini and mint are coming from the garden. The recipe comes from Lisa Leake’s 100 Days of Real Food on a Budget, a book full of simple ideas for cutting out processed food without breaking the bank, and I’ve made it on repeat every summer since.
Why this one keeps winning
It’s peak zucchini season, and this is the way I get through a crate of them without getting bored. A few things make it my default:
- Crisp without deep frying — a small amount of oil in a pan gets you golden edges every time.
- Feta, mint, and cumin carry all the flavor, so a dipping sauce is optional. I still make homemade tzatziki when I have it, though.
- They work as an appetizer, a side, or a main with a tomato salad on top.
What you’ll need
Everything is in the recipe card below, but here’s the short version:
- Medium zucchini — they have mild flavor and no giant seeds. Mine came to about 1½ pounds.
- Eggs — work with the flour to hold the patties together.
- Feta — the salty, tangy backbone of the whole thing.
- Yellow onion, diced — savory background flavor.
- Fresh mint — that bright finish. Dill, basil, or parsley work fine if that’s what’s in your garden.
- Ground cumin, kosher salt, black pepper.
- Whole wheat flour — or any gluten-free flour blend you already keep in the pantry.
- Extra-virgin olive oil for the pan.
How to make them
Full details are in the recipe card. Here’s the order that matters.
- Shred the zucchini on the large holes of a box grater (or the shredding disk in a food processor).
- Squeeze it dry. Wrap the shreds in a clean kitchen towel and squeeze out as much liquid as you can. This is the step everyone skips — and it’s the secret to crispy fritters.
- Mix the batter. In a large bowl, stir the zucchini with the eggs, feta, onion, mint, cumin, salt, and pepper. Stir in the flour until it’s evenly combined.
- Cook. Heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Scoop about ¼ cup of the mixture into the pan for each patty — four at a time — and flatten gently with the back of the measuring cup.
- Flip and finish. Cook 3 to 5 minutes per side until golden and cooked through. Repeat with the rest of the batter, adding a little more oil as needed.
Zucchini Fritters With Feta and Mint
Course: Side Dish · Cuisine: Mediterranean
Prep: 15 minutes · Cook: 15 minutes · Total: 30 minutes
Yield: 8 servings · Serving size: 2 fritters
Ingredients
- 3 medium zucchini, about 1½ pounds, shredded
- 2 large eggs, whisked
- ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
- ¼ cup diced yellow onion
- ⅓ cup fresh mint leaves, chopped
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Ground black pepper
- 1 cup whole wheat flour (or gluten-free flour blend)
- 4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Shred the zucchini using the largest holes on a box grater (or a food processor with a shredding disk).
- Wrap in a clean kitchen towel and squeeze out as much liquid as you can. Discard the liquid.
- Transfer to a large bowl and stir in the eggs, feta, mint, onion, cumin, salt, and pepper to taste.
- Stir in the flour.
- Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat.
- Scoop out ¼-cup portions and drop them into the pan — about 4 at a time.
- Flatten the patties gently with the back of the measuring cup and cook until golden on both sides and cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes per side.
- Repeat to make the rest of the fritters.
Per serving (2 fritters): 129 calories, 13 g carbs, 5.5 g protein, 6 g fat, 3 g fiber.
Notes from my kitchen
- Don’t skip the squeeze. Zucchini holds a lot of water. I squeeze the shreds until they almost feel dry to the touch — that’s the difference between a crisp patty and a soggy one.
- Stay on medium-low. Like pancakes, high heat gets you a dark outside and a raw center. Patience wins.
- Flatten them. Pressing each patty with the back of the measuring cup after it hits the pan helps the center cook all the way through.
- Don’t crowd the skillet. Overpacked patties are hard to flip, and they steam instead of crisp up.
Storage and reheating
Leftovers keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can also freeze them: lay the cooked fritters in a single layer to freeze, then move them to a freezer-safe bag for up to 2 months. Reheat in a skillet, air fryer, or a 375°F oven until hot and crisp again. The microwave works in a pinch, but they won’t be crispy.
Make it yours
Mint out of season? Dill, basil, or parsley all work in its place. Swapping in a gluten-free flour blend makes these naturally gluten-free. And if you want a full dinner, top them with a simple tomato salad and call it a night — that’s exactly how we ate last week, and the plate was clean by 8.
Happy cooking,
Maya