I first fell head over heels for these Zucchini & Feta Fritters in Santorini and have made them at home ever since.

These fresh and savory fritters are commonly eaten in both Greece and Albania. Enjoy as a meze, stuffed in a pita instead of falafel, or as a main alongside your favorite Salad. Don’t forget to make Tzatziki or Yogurt Dip with Fresh Herbs to go with!

View of the Caldera at night from our hotel balcony in Fira, Santorini. — Fira, Santorini at night.

Grated zucchini in a linen napkin lined strainer.

An aerial view of all the ingredients used in these Zucchini and Feta Fritters. — 1. A 500 g zucchini from the Farmers Market.
2. Grated zucchini sprinkled with a bit of salt, resting in a linen napkin.
3. Salting the zucchini helps removes the liquid; a necessary step!
4. All of the ingredients required for making Zucchini and Feta Fritters.

Fira, Santorini by candlelight. — The view from our balcony at Hotel Atlantis in bustling Fira.

A flat lay with three plates full of Zucchini and Feta Fritters, Turkish pickles, yogurt sauce, lemon wedges, and fresh Mission figs. — Crispy Zucchini and Feta Fritters served with yogurt and dill sauce and seasonal fresh figs.

A Zucchini & Feta Fritter in a hand right after taking a bite. — This recipe is beloved in my house! They’re great as a snack or easily served as a main alongside your favorite salad or grilled vegetables.

Zucchini and Feta Fritters

Sacha Hirschfeld

Zucchini & Feta Fritters will instantly transport you to the Mediterranean! These fresh and savory fritter are commonly eaten in both Greece and Albania. Enjoy as a meze, stuffed in a pita instead of falafel, or as a main alongside your favorite salad. Don't forget to make TZATZIKI!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 20

Straining Time 30

Total Time 1 5

Course Appetizers, Mains

Cuisine Albanian, Greek, Mediterranean

Servings 6

Calories 132 kcal

Equipment

1 box grater
1 strainer
cheesecloth or linen napkin
1 wide shallow bowl to catch the liquid from the salted zucchini
1 large non-stick skillet
paper towel lined plate

Ingredients

1 ¼ lb zucchini grated
4 garlic cloves peeled and minced
4 scallions sliced (about 3/4 cup)
¼ cup fresh dill finely chopped
½ cup Italian parsley finely chopped
¼ cup fresh mint finely chopped
1 tsp sweet paprika Hungarian Szeged Brand is my fav.
½ tsp ground fenugreek optional
½ cup all-purpose flour
½ tsp baking powder
1 cup feta cheese crumbled
kosher salt
freshly ground pepper
oil for pan-frying

Instructions

Place the grated zucchini in a cheesecloth or linen napkin lined strainer. I recently discovered (and switched) to linen napkins because they're washable and yield the exact same result. Place the strainer over a shallow bowl to catch the dripping liquid. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of Kosher salt and mix with your hands to combine. Give it a good wring and let it sit on the counter for at least 30 minutes. I tend to leave it for longer and periodically wring out access liquid.
Add all the ingredients (except feta) and mix thoroughly to combine. Add a generous pinch of salt and pepper, then gently fold the crumbled feta into the zucchini mixture.
In a large non-stick frying pan, add 3 tbsp of high smoke point oil over medium heat. When the oil is nice and hot, spoon 1 tbsp of batter mixture into the pan. Its absolutely necessary to cook these in batches so they don't bleed into each-other. Lightly press down on each fritter with the back of your spoon, to slightly flatten them. Cook for about 6 minutes, turning halfway, until golden, and crisp on both sides.
Transfer to a paper towel lined plate while you cooking the remaining fritters. I normally need to add more oil slightly past the half-way point. Continue with this process until you run out of zucchini mixture.
Serve with lemon wedges and Tzatziki or Tarator. These are basically the Greek and Albanian versions of the same thing, Tarator being a thinner version (almost soup-like).