Golden, crispy corn and zucchini fritters are packed with fresh summer produce, salty feta, and kick of Tabasco paired with a tangy herb yogurt dipping sauce. They're the perfect appetizer, side, or even a light vegetarian main.
Sweet pops of fresh corn kernels paired with the zucchini pair perfectly with salty pockets of feta in every bite. Dipped into a tangy, garlicky, dill and lemon yogurt sauce, they're the kind of snack that will keep you going back for more!
If you love savory, veggie-forward recipes like this one, serve it up next to this easy tomato tart, goat cheese bruschetta, or burrata caprese salad.
Have extra corn from this recipe? Turn it into this spicy jalapeño corn dip!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
The ideal texture - crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, these lightly fried fritters come out perfect every time!
Fresh produce - these veggie fritters use your leftover abundance of garden zucchini and fresh summer corn on the cob for maximum flavor!
Versatile - make them as an appetizer, side dish (paired with crab stuffed portobellos!), alongside a brunch spread, or even as a light main meal.
Ingredients
- Zucchini. Freshly grated zucchini gets salted to remove all moisture and squeezed out.
- Corn. I love to cut of kernels from fresh corn on the cob, but you can also use frozen, thawed corn.
- Garlic. Adds a touch of flavor in both the corn and zucchini fritters, and the dipping sauce.
- Scallions. This adds a light onion flavor to the fritters without being overpowering.
- Herbs. Dill and/or parsley adds the "herb" to herb yogurt sauce! Fresh is best.
- Flour. The main binding ingredient for the pancake like batter for the fritters.
- Cornstarch. The addition of cornstarch to the batter helps to make the outsides extra crispy during cooking.
- Feta. Adds a salty pop of cheesy flavor to every bite!
- Greek yogurt. The main ingredient for the herb yogurt sauce. I prefer to use a plain, full-fat version for creamiest results.
- Mayonnaise. This slightly offsets the sourness from the lemon and Greek yogurt. You can use all Greek yogurt, if you prefer, but it will be more tart and less balanced.
See recipe card for full ingredients list and quantities.
Substitutions and Variations
- Swap crumbled goat cheese or shredded parmesan for the feta.
- Use frozen corn (thawed and drained) if you can't get your hands on fresh cobs of corn.
- Use ¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper or smoked paprika in place of Tabasco.
- Make them gluten-free by using a gluten-free flour blend (we love Bob's Red Mill 1-1 Gluten Free Flour Blend).
- Try mint or basil in the herb yogurt sauce for a slightly different flavor profile.
How to Make This Recipe
One: Grate the zucchini, then measure to make sure you have a full 3 cups.
Two: Toss the zucchini with salt and add it to a colander with a bowl underneath. Squeeze it out twice over 20 minutes. It releases A LOT of water.
Three: Combine all ingredients for the herb yogurt dipping sauce while the zucchini sits.
Four: Mix together the fritter batter (it will have a thick, pancake-like consistency).
Five: Mix in the corn, zucchini, scallions, then gently mix in the feta.
Six: Fry the fritters in some oliv eoil over medium heat until golden and crispy on each side.
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Hot tip! Before cooking, set up a wire rack on top of a pan, or line a pan with paper towels to transfer the fried fritters to.
Expert Tips
- Squeeze out as much water as possible from the zucchini. A cheesecloth works great for this! Leaving too much water in the zucchini will leave you with soggy fritters.
- Don't overcrowd the pan while frying, and make sure the pan is appropriately heated in between each batch.
- Use a splatter guard to prevent hot oil and corn from popping and burning you. This WILL happen, so be careful!
- Serve the fritters right away for maximum crispiness, or reheat in a 375℉ oven for 7-10 minutes until crispy again.
Recipe FAQs
Nope, it has soft skin so will cook down nicely, add color, and texture!
Yes, but note that the fritters will spread much more, and you'll need to use a parchment liner. Grease the parchment, add a dollop of batter, and bake at a PREHEATED 400℉ for 5 minutes each side. These will not have the same quality as lightly fried fritters.
Yes, make and fry the fritters, cool, then store covered in the fridge. When ready, reheat the fritters in a 375℉ oven for 7-10 minutes until crispy again. I like to do this on a wire rack so the air can circulate.
Storage
Store the corn and zucchini fritters in a sealed container in the fridge for 2 days. Reheat the fritters in a 375℉ oven for 7-10 minutes until crispy again. I like to do this on a wire rack so the air can circulate.
Store the herb yogurt sauce in a sealed container in thef ridge for 1 week.
Freezing:
Flash freeze the fritters on a parchment-lined pan for 30 minutes, then transfer to a zip-top bag or sealed container and freeze for 3 months. The fritters can be baked or air-fried directly from frozen until heated through and crispy.
More Appetizer Recipes You'll Love
What to Know When Cooking with The Cozy Plum
- All recipes are created with Diamond Crystal kosher salt, the least salty variety of kosher salt. If using Morton's, you'll need to cut the amount of salt in half as it's 2x as salty. This will be the same for sea salt. Please do not use table salt.
- Switch between Cups vs Metric using the toggle on the recipe card. Baking by weight using a digital scale will always produce the most accurate results.
- Scale the recipe using the '1X' '2X' '3X' buttons on the recipe card. Note that this does not make an adjustment for baking times, only quantities.
📖Recipe
Corn & Zucchini Fritters with Herb Yogurt Sauce
Equipment
- colander
Ingredients
Fritters
- 3 cups freshly grated zucchini
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 large eggs whisked
- 2 cloves garlic minced or grated
- 1-2 teaspoons tabasco
- 2 cups corn kernels cut from the cob
- ½ cup sliced scallions
- 8 oz crumbled feta
- Extra virgin olive oil for frying
Herb Yogurt Sauce
- ½ cup greek yogurt
- ⅓ cup mayonnaise
- 1 lemon freshly squeezed
- 1 clove garlic grated
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ cup finely chopped fresh dill or parsley
Instructions
- Grate the zucchini, add it to a colander, and toss it with kosher salt. Let the zucchini sit for about 10 minutes, then press it out with your hands. Toss it again, let it sit another 10 minutes, then squeeze out as much water as possible.3 cups freshly grated zucchini, ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch and salt, then mix in the eggs until a smooth batter forms. Add in the garlic and tabasco and mix again.½ cup all-purpose flour, ¼ cup cornstarch, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 2 large eggs, 2 cloves garlic, 1-2 teaspoons tabasco
- Stir in the squeezed zucchini, corn kernels, scallions and mix until combined. Gently fold in the feta.2 cups corn kernels, ½ cup sliced scallions, 8 oz crumbled feta
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat (I prefer to use a cast iron or stainless steel pan), then add a drizzle of olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan.Extra virgin olive oil
- Add ~3 tablespoon sized dollops to the pan (don’t overcrowd it!) and gently push down the top a bit. Cook for about 2-3 minutes per side or until deeply golden. Flip carefully and cook for another couple of minutes on the other side until golden.
- Transfer to a wire rack or pan lined with paper towels and repeat the process, adding a bit more oil to the pan between batches. Sprinkle each cooked fritter with a small sprinkle of salt.
Herb Yogurt Sauce
- Whisk together all ingredients in a bowl. Let it sit for at least 15 minutes before serving.½ cup greek yogurt, ⅓ cup mayonnaise, 1 lemon, 1 clove garlic, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ cup finely chopped fresh dill or parsley
Callan Wenner says
I love the pairing of the sweet corn with the zucchini that melts into the batter. It's crispy on the outside, and tender on the inside and these have been made multiple times in my house since the recipe came out!