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Imagine if you will that a katleta (meat patty) married a zucchini fritter and they had babies = Chicken Zucchini Fritters. I’m not sure why I hadn’t thought of this sooner. They are healthier than regular kotlety; being half meat and half veggie and they are super juicy and flavorful.
One of my readers, Nataliya, wrote in with this recipe. I was convinced I needed to make them when she mentioned that her kids loved these patties. I get so much inspiration and ideas from you all, so thank you! Low and behold, my son loved these too, and so did the Mr. and so did I, oh and my sister and brother and law too. I’ll stop now. 🙂 Thank you Nataliya for this great recipe!
Ingredients for Chicken Zucchini Patties:
2 medium zucchini (about 1 1/4 lbs), grated (I used a green zucchini and a yellow squash)
2 tsp salt, divided
1 lb ground turkey or chicken
1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
1/4 cup green onions or chives,finely sliced
1 large egg
2 cloves garlic, pressed,
8 oz ricotta cheese (or 1/2 of the 15oz tub)
Olive oil to saute
How to Make Chicken Zucchini Fritters:
1. Place zucchini in a colander. P.S. my OXO colander/bowl set made this step convenient. Sprinkle grated zucchini with 1 tsp salt and let stand for 10 minutes, then squeeze out as much juice as you can from your zucchini, squeezing it out by the fistful to get out the most juice out, or as one of the readers suggested, use double-lined cheesecloth to ring it out. You’ll be amazed how much juice actually comes out of these babies. Transfer drained zucchini to a large bowl. Wonder if anything delicious can be done with this healthy juice? Got any ideas?
2. Add 1 lb fresh ground turkey or chicken, 1 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, 1/4 cup finely sliced green onion, 1 egg, 2 pressed garlic cloves and 8 oz ricotta cheese.
3. Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat and add 3-4 Tbsp extra light olive oil. Place a heaping tablespoon of the mixture into your hand and form a round patty about 1/3-inch thick. Cook over medium heat uncovered for 3 minutes, then flip, cover and cook for another 3-4 minutes more or until cooked through. Add more oil to the pan as needed for subsequent batches.
Enjoy!
Chicken Zucchini Fritters Recipe
Author: Natasha of NatashasKitchen.com
Imagine if you will that a katleta (meat patty) married a zucchini fritter and they had babies = Chicken Zucchini Fritters. I'm not sure why I hadn't thought of this earlier. They are healthier than regular katlety since they are half meat and half veggie and they are super juicy and flavorful.
Prep Time: 15 minutes mins
Cook Time: 25 minutes mins
Total Time: 40 minutes mins
Ingredients
- 2 medium zucchini, about 1 1/4 lbs, grated (I used a green zucchini and a yellow squash)
- 2 tsp salt, divided
- 1 lb ground turkey or chicken
- 1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
- 1/4 cup green onions or chives, finely sliced
- 1 large egg
- 2 cloves garlic, pressed,
- 8 oz ricotta cheese, or 1/2 of the 15oz tub
- Olive oil to saute
Instructions
How to Make Chicken Zucchini Fritters:
Place zucchini in a colander or bowl. Sprinkle grated zucchini with 1 tsp salt and let stand for 10 minutes, then squeeze out as much juice as you can from your zucchini, squeezing it out by the fistful to get out the most juice out. You'll be amazed how much juice actually comes out of these babies. Transfer drained zucchini to a large bowl. Discard drained juice.
Add 1 lb fresh ground turkey or chicken, 1 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, 1/4 cup finely sliced green onion, 1 egg, 2 pressed garlic cloves and 8 oz ricotta cheese.
Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat and add 3-4 Tbsp extra light olive oil. Place a heaping tablespoon of the mixture into your hand and form a round patty about 1/3-inch thick. Cook over medium heat uncovered for 3 minutes, then flip, cover and cook for another 3-4 minutes more or until cooked through. Add more oil to the pan as needed for subsequent batches.
- Full Nutrition Label
- Nutrition Disclosure
Course: Lunch, Main Course
Cuisine: Russian, Ukrainian
Keyword: Chicken Zucchini Fritters
Skill Level: Easy
Cost to Make: $
Natasha Kravchuk
Welcome to my kitchen! I am Natasha, the blogger behind Natasha's Kitchen (since 2009). My husband and I run this blog together and share only our best, family approved and tested recipes with YOU. Thanks for stopping by! We are so happy you're here.
Read more posts by Natasha
FAQs
Typically, there is more than likely not enough of a binder in the fritter batter mix. Cheese, bread crumbs and eggs all act as binders and will help to hold these vegetable cakes in place. Fritters may also fall apart if you fail to use enough oil, or too much!
How do you get fritters to stick? ›
Get the skillet searing hot.
As you're combining all the ingredients for your fritters, go ahead and get the skillet warming up over medium-high heat with a bit of oil. A hot skillet will start cooking the fritters as soon as they hit the pan. That helps sear a crust on each fritter that will hold them together.
How do you keep fritters together? ›
Here are some frittering tips:
Chop everything to small dice so that the fritters stay together when frying, you are just adding enough egg and flour to barely coat the ingredients, and large chunks have a tendency to make the fritters fall apart.
How do you stop soggy fritters? ›
Tips and Tricks
- Squeeze out any excess water from the vegetables such as potatoes and zucchini after grating to prevent soggy fritters.
- If you find the mixture is too wet, add additional flour.
- Try and make the fritters approximately the same size so that they cook evenly in the oven.
What is fritter batter made of? ›
Combine flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in a medium bowl. Beat egg, milk, and melted shortening together in a small bowl. Stir egg mixture into flour mixture.
Why do you put baking powder in fritters? ›
They just need a simple, light batter of flour, cornstarch, and baking powder mixed with seltzer to tie them together. The seltzer and baking powder ensure that the fritters are shatteringly crisp–even slightly tired vegetables emerge from the oil crunchy, fresh, and sweet.
What does baking soda do in fritters? ›
Baking soda (bi-carb) OR baking powder – just a touch, to aerate the batter every so slightly (without it, it's slightly denser); Parmesan – for a good hit of savoury flavour AND to make the fritters extra crispy!
What consistency should fritter batter be? ›
Instead of running from the spoon in a broad shining band, a consistency that the French call au ruban, the batter should start to run for about 1 1/2-inch length, then drop in successive long triangular “splats.” When the batter is this consistency, beat it until very smooth.
What can I use to bind fritters instead of egg? ›
16 egg substitutes
- Mashed banana. Mashed banana can act as a binding agent when baking or making pancake batter. ...
- Applesauce. Applesauce can also act as a binding agent. ...
- Fruit puree. Fruit puree will help bind a recipe in a similar way to applesauce. ...
- Avocado. ...
- Gelatin. ...
- Xanthan gum. ...
- Vegetable oil and baking powder. ...
- Margarine.
Why are my fritters not crispy? ›
A common reason for soggy fritters is because they have not had all the moisture drained from them properly, AND from undercooking. To remedy this, make sure you squeeze out as much extra liquid as possible, fry them until very crispy, and drain them on a paper towel to retain the crispiness.
Adding flour to a wetter batter will give you the thick consistency you want. Add crumbled stock cubes for a flavourful kick! Add as little or as much as you like (or none at all), depending on the flavour you want.
Does baking soda make fritters crispy? ›
Is baking soda or powder best for frying? A pinch of baking soda can help produce crispy fried foods. It reacts with the acid in the batter to create carbon dioxide bubbles. These lead to an airy batter and a crisper, fluffier result.
Why is my fried zucchini mushy? ›
Zucchini is made of over 90% water. When cooked, it gets soft and slowly releases that water into whatever dish you're cooking. If zucchini is overcooked, it will have a mushy, soft texture.
Why are my zucchini fritters sticking to the pan? ›
If your zucchini fritters are falling apart, it's likely because the fritters are sticking to the skillet or the batter was too wet. Getting the zucchini dry before preparing the batter so the binding agents can hold the fritter together. If you have a non-stick frying pan, opt for that as well.
How do you keep breadcrumbs from falling off zucchini? ›
Chill the breaded zucchini: It helps the breading stay stuck, which means they won't fall off in the fryer and they'll be crunchier. Refrigerate the breaded zucchini for at least 15 minutes and up to 3 hours—it's just enough time to help the breading stick.
How do you keep zucchini bread from falling down? ›
Cooling the bread on its side on a cooling rack gives the bread's structure an opportunity to stabilize, making it less likely to fall. Oh, and while you're at it — leave your loaf of bread on its side to slice it, which will also help prevent you from smushing the dome.