Pantry-Friendly Zucchini Fritters with Greek Yogurt “Ranch”

Pantry-Friendly Zucchini Fritters with Greek Yogurt "Ranch" recipe via thepigandquill.com #vegetarian #mealprep #pantrycooking #pantryrecipe #dinner

Pantry-Friendly Zucchini Fritters with Greek Yogurt “Ranch” — these easy-to-make fritters are made with only a few ingredients and fry up tender and fluffy with a crisp exterior. The homemade greek yogurt ranch dressing is a versatile dipping sauce, too.

Pantry-Friendly Zucchini Fritters with Greek Yogurt "Ranch" recipe via thepigandquill.com #vegetarian #mealprep #pantrycooking #pantryrecipe #dinner
Oh, friends. How the world has changed since we last chatted. Nearly every facet of this global pandemic has been delved into across social media and many a blog post, so I won’t spend much time on it here other than to say we’re attempting to make the very most of this unprecedented opportunity to spend so much time together as a family. It’s been…an adjustment, let’s say. (I expound greatly on the personal struggle in this article). And never have I ever felt so fortunate to live on the coast, surrounded by plenty of open space and, wonder of all wonders, the ocean. I’d be hard-pressed to name a more steadying element in our natural world.

Pantry-Friendly Zucchini Fritters with Greek Yogurt "Ranch" recipe via thepigandquill.com #vegetarian #mealprep #pantrycooking #pantryrecipe #dinner
How to Make Zucchini Fritters

Our approach to cooking and eating these past few weeks has been — out of sheer necessity — super simple, and this recipe is the perfect reflection of that. Very few ingredients, most of which could be swapped for what you have on hand or are able to find stocked in the stores. One bowl. One spoon. A quick fry on each side. Like I said: simple.

Texturally, these zucchini fritters fry up tender and fluffy with a crisp exterior. And the flavor profile is very mild — in my opinion, the perfect vehicle for using up what we do have plenty of in this house: hot sauce, salsas, sour cream, homemade and bottled dressings. Lana enjoys them as a hand-held snack (these are the things our previous snackbox dreams were made of!), but we use them as a topper to bulk up salads and easy bowls. I’m tempted to attempt a baked version, too, in which I roll them up into balls and bake them off into something that could eventually find itself swimming in a tomatoey sauce. Stay tuned for that.

Zucchini Fritter Recipe Tips and Add-Ins

If you’re looking for zucchini fritters with a little more oomph, try folding in a few chopped green chilies or fresh jalapenos, or swapping the jack cheese for feta or — *gasp* — something with a funky blue vein running through it. (Very funny, but my aging legs don’t count here.) You can dial up the flavor with just about any dried spice you fancy, too. Chili powder and cumin would lend a bit of taco spice, or load them up with very finely minced fresh parsley, garlic powder and a pinch of cumin and you’re dang near falafel territory. In flavor, obviously, as there are no chickpeas here; we’ll save that modification for another day.

Pantry-Friendly Zucchini Fritters with Greek Yogurt "Ranch" recipe via thepigandquill.com #vegetarian #mealprep #pantrycooking #pantryrecipe #dinner
I know it’s becoming almost stale advice at this point, but stay safe and well, friends. Wash your hands. STAY HOME. (As someone who’s beach town has been repeatedly overrun with folks who still consider this to be an extended spring break, I can’t stress this enough.) When you’re in the grocery store, stand on the damn X. You know the drill.

More than anything, though, give yourselves grace. Create space in your day for mental wellness — so much easier said than done, I know. Stay connected (I’ve never DM’d more Instagram friends in my life, and it’s strangely satisfying. Seriously, drop me a line…).

Or, hell, disconnect entirely. Hole up at home. Read a book. (Ha!) Make zucchini fritters.
There’s no right or wrong here, guys.
xo,
Em

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Pantry-Friendly Zucchini Fritters with Greek Yogurt "Ranch" recipe via thepigandquill.com #vegetarian #mealprep #pantrycooking #pantryrecipe #dinnerPantry-Friendly Zucchini Fritters with Greek Yogurt "Ranch" recipe via thepigandquill.com #vegetarian #mealprep #pantrycooking #pantryrecipe #dinner

Pantry-Friendly Zucchini Fritters with Greek Yogurt "Ranch"
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Pantry-Friendly Zucchini Fritters with Greek Yogurt "Ranch" -- these easy-to-make fritters are made with only a few ingredients and fry up tender and fluffy with a crisp exterior. The homemade greek yogurt ranch dressing is a versatile dipping sauce, too.
By:
Makes: 8 fritters (about 4 servings)
Ingredients
  • For the Fritters
  • 2 medium zucchini
  • ¾ tsp pink Himalayan or sea salt
  • 1 egg
  • 1 cup flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 2 oz jack cheese (or any melting cheese), grated
  • 2 T grated pecorino cheese (or parmesan)
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • light oil for frying, such as avocado
  • fresh lemon, for serving
  • For the Greek Yogurt Ranch
  • 1 cup greek yogurt
  • large handful each fresh parsley, dill and/or cilantro, finely chopped
  • 2 T finely chopped scallions or chives
  • ½ tsp onion powder
  • pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper
  • juice of 1 lemon
Instructions
  1. Using the holes of a large box grater, grate zucchini. Add to a medium bowl with salt and egg. Stir to combine, then stir in flour, baking powder, cheeses and pepper. Stir well to combine. Mixture will seem thick and almost doughy, but give it a minute or two. As the salt draws the moisture out of the veggies, it will come together. Texture will be akin to that of drop biscuits.
  2. Heat a skillet to med and add enough oil to coat bottom of pan. When oil is shimmering but not smoking, drop fritter batter into pan using two tablespoons, loosely shaping into rounds, about 4 fritters at a time. Gently press batter down to make contact with pan but do not smash.
  3. Cook fritters for 5 mins per side, ensuring they remain sizzling but do not brown too quickly. (We're not looking for a quick fry here -- we need the full 5 mins to ensure the batter cooks through, so play with the heat as needed.) Flip fritters and cook another 5 mins. Remove fritters and set aside on paper towels or to a warm oven while you cook remaining fritters, adding more oil to the pan if needed.
  4. While fritters cook, stir together all ingredients for Greek Yogurt Ranch in a small bowl. Set aside.
  5. Serve fritters over greens, lentils, or grains (we used them to top a salad of spinach, marinated cabbage and watermelon here) topped with Greek Yogurt Ranch and a squeeze of lemon. Enjoy!
Notes
Add-Ins: This is a pretty neutral base recipe that can be doctored up a number of ways. Swap the neutral jack cheese for pepper jack, aged cheddar or even feta or blue cheese, if you're looking for a stronger flavor profile. Add chilies or jalapenos for spice, or use a dried seasoning blend of your choice to ramp things up: chili powder and cumin for a taco-inspired situation, or finely chopped fresh parsley, garlic and cumin for a more mediterranean spin.
 

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7 Comments on “Pantry-Friendly Zucchini Fritters with Greek Yogurt “Ranch””

  1. Our family makes cooks up a lot of recipes that we find online, but I don’t think I’ve ever gone back to comment.

    We all loved this meal! My daughter (11) says this is in her “top three” meals of all time. The other two are Orange Chicken and Cheetos (but come on, who can compete with Cheetos)? She asked it we could make it again tonight.

    All the other veggie fritter recipes I have ever cooked have you remove moisture from the veggies (salt, wait, squeeze) but *using* that liquid and adding a breading is definitely the way to go!

    I just wanted to say a quick thanks for adding a new staple to our menu! Next time I will add a pinch of cayenne and cook it a little less (soft is better than crunch in my opinion).

    1. Holy moly, so glad you came back to comment – thanks! I appreciate it so much. And I love hearing that this recipe has been a hit! I’m flattered to be up there with Cheetos — homegirl has good taste. 🙂 They’ll be so tasty with the cayenne — we do that to half the batter (and sometimes I add funkier cheese, too) so that the adults can enjoy something with a bit more flavor. Also been known to douse mine in buffalo sauce. Thanks again, Kris!

    1. Hiya! I usually toss shredded cabbage with either ume vinegar (my favorite!) or, if that’s not easy to come by, the juice of one lime and a pinch of salt. Let sit for a few mins — or up to several days in the fridge. 🙂

    2. Hi Lindsey – so sorry for the delay. We do it a variety of ways, but the simplest is just to toss it with a little lime juice and salt, or I love the flavor of ume vinegar if you’re able to find it (it’s already quite salty so doesn’t require any additional seasoning). If you’ve got more time, a sweet marinade of white vinegar heated with a bit of sugar and salt is great, too. In all instances, give it anywhere from 30 mins to a few days to hang out in the fridge. 🙂

  2. These were so good!!!!! I made them as a side dish and everyone had seconds!! Love your recipes!

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