Greek Quinoa Zucchini Fritters
These Greek Quinoa Zucchini Fritters are one of my favorite ways to use zucchini. Crispy zucchini feta fritters with a garlic hummus dipping sauce.Â
It’s mid-July which means my little garden is giving me zucchini after zucchini, and these zucchini fritters are one of my favorite ways to enjoy them. Stuffed with quinoa for texture (and a little extra protein and fiber), along with feta for creaminess.
Served with a hummus dipping sauce, these quinoa zucchini fritters are great on their own, alongside a grilled vegetable mezze platter or as a side dish to whatever else you are cooking right now.
Why I love this recipe
File this under another Greece-inspired recipe. After our trip last summer, I’ve been more than inspired to make many of the dishes that we enjoyed during our time there, like the traditional Greek salad, Greek orzo salad, and my new tofu gyro sandwiches.
I love zucchini like I do tofu, it’s mostly flavorless on its own, but when prepared correctly, it’s delicious! These zucchini fritters are golden brown and crispy on the outside, while still being tender on the inside. I serve them with a drizzle of hummus sauce and a little tomato cucumber salad on top for texture and contrast.
Ingredient Notes
- Quinoa: I like using white quinoa for these fritters for color when mixing, but tri-color quinoa will also work. You’ll need to make sure the quinoa is cooked first before adding to the batter.
- Zucchini: Save this recipe for when you have excess zucchini! After grating, be sure to squeeze out as much water as possible.
- Feta: The feta adds in saltiness and creaminess to these zucchini fritters, though it’s OK to omit them for a dairy-free fritter.
- Egg: I add a large egg to help these quinoa zucchini fritters set more easily, although I have tested it without the egg and it still works. If you want to omit the egg, then you’ll need to add more flour, about an extra 1/4 cup.
- Hummus Sauce: I think prepared hummus (though you can use homemade hummus) with a little lemon juice, dried dill, and minced garlic to drizzle on top of these quinoa zucchini fritters for additional flavor, though you can also use it as a dipping sauce.
- Tomato Cucumber Salad: The fresh, crunchy salad adds so much flavor and texture to these fritters! (If you have extra, use it on my cauliflower shawarma or kofta meatball plates!)
How to Make
Step 1: Cook the Quinoa
Cook the quinoa by combining the quinoa and 1 cup of water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce to low and cover. Let simmer for 12 minutes, until quinoa is tender. You’ll know quinoa is done when you see the little white circle border on the kernels. Set aside to let cool slightly.
Step 2: Shred the Zucchini
Shred the zucchini using a box grater or a food processor until very finely shredded. Place the zucchini in a bowl and squeeze out as much water as possible. I use my hands to remove as much water as I can. I usually get about 1 cup of water out by squeezing the zucchini.
This is important as soggy zucchini will make for soggy patties!
Step 3: Cook the Onion
Cook the onion in a small skillet until tender, then add in the dried herbs. Adding the herbs here helps them bloom in the oil, which adds more flavor than simply adding dried herbs to the batter without first quickly cooking them.
Step 4: Mix together
Add the cooked quinoa, onion, and herb mixture to the zucchini along with the feta, flour, baking powder, salt, and pepper. I usually mix this first, then taste to ensure there is enough salt and pepper, and then add the egg and mix until combined. You don’t have to do this, I just like making sure the fritters are well seasoned before frying!
Step 5: Pan Fry
Grab a scoop of the zucchini batter, usually about 1/3 cup, then press it into a patty. It should easily stay together in your hand.
Add to a hot skillet with a bit of oil and pan fry until golden brown and crispy on both sides. Top with the thinned hummus sauce and a generous dollop of cucumber tomato salad.
Tips for Success
To get these fritters as crispy as possible, you will need to finely shred the zucchini and then drain as much water off as possible.
I usually use a box grater, but you can also use a food processor with a grating blade. After you’ve grated your zucchini, place it in a large bowl and start squeezing. Take off your rings, wash your hands, and squeeze the day away.
Moisture is the enemy of crispy fritters, so if you don’t want soggy patties, you’ll need to remove as much water as possible. For reference, I ended up squeezing almost a cup of water out of my shredded zucchini!
You’ll also want to use a heavy hand when seasoning these. Since zucchini tends not to have much flavor, I used a healthy pinch of both salt and pepper for these.
The rest of the process comes together in no time flat. Add the ingredients, shape into patties and lightly fry. If you’ve got a cast-iron pan, break it out; it’s essential in creating a perfectly crunchy exterior without going overboard on the oil.
More Zucchini Recipes
- Zucchini Pasta
- Vegan Zucchini Chocolate Muffins
- Weeknight Zucchini Pasta Sauce
- Southwestern Stuffed Zucchini
- Bean, Basil, and Zucchini Pasta Salad
If you try these quinoa zucchini fritters, let me know! Leave a comment, rate it, and tag your Instagram photos with #delishknowledge . I absolutely love seeing your creations. Happy cooking!Â
Greek Quinoa Zucchini Fritters
Equipment
- Cast Iron Skillet
IngredientsÂ
Zucchini Fritters
- 1/2 cup quinoa
- 1/4 cup onion, finely diced
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried dill
- 3 cups grated zucchini, as much water squeezed out as possible
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
Hummus Sauce
- 1/3 cup hummus
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice, zest and juice
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon dried dill
Tomato Cucumber Salad
- 1 cup chopped tomatoes, seeds and core removed
- 1/2 cup chopped cucumber, seeded and peeled
- 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
- 1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
Instructions
- Make the hummus sauce by whisking together all of the ingredients. Taste, then set aside.
- Make the tomato cucumber salad by mixing all of the ingredients together, then set aside.
- Combine the quinoa and 1 cup water in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until cooked, about 12 minutes. Set aside and let cool.
- Heat a medium non-stick skillet over medium heat and add the onion. Cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic clove, dried oregano and dill. Set aside and let cool while you grate the zucchini.
- Grate the zucchini using a box grater or food processor. Place in a large bowl and squeeze out as much water as possible. For reference, I squeezed out about 1 cup water from the zucchini. If you have too much water left in the fritters, they will be soggy and won’t get crispy.
- Place the grated zucchini back in the bowl and add in the cooked quinoa, egg, feta, onion and herb mixture, flour, baking powder, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
- Heat a skillet over medium-high heat (I used my cast-iron for a crispier crust) and add a little oil to help prevent sticking.
- Grab a hunk of zucchini mixture (about 1/3 cup) and form it into a patty.
- Place in the skillet and let cook 3-4 minutes until golden brown, flip and cook another 2-3 minutes on the either side.
- Cook the rest of the fritters and set on a platter.
- Whisk together the ingredients for the hummus sauce and drizzle over the fritters. Top with the tomato cucumber salad.
Nutrition
 This recipe was first posted in 2015 and updated in 2025.
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