Crispy Sourdough Zucchini Fritters (with Sourdough Discard!)

A great way to use up your garden zucchini and sourdough discard, these Sourdough Zucchini Fritters are fried to perfection in no time! You'll be serving them all Summer long!

When I was little my grandma always used to make zucchini fritters. With all the zucchini that she had leftover in the garden, she would make fritters.

Of course, she didn't have sourdough discard, but when I thought about making my own version, I thought I'd try to add some sourdough discard. We all know we have a ton of discard from all of our sourdough baking. There is only so many muffins and cookies we can make.

Sourdough onion rings are another really great sourdough discard recipe that is different and delicious! Serve these zucchini fritters with a dollop of sour cream, some sriracha aioli, or a cilantro lime aioli. You can always serve them plain too!

Be sure to join our Sourdough Facebook group to join in on all the sourdough fun and share all of your sourdough bakes!

What is Sourdough Discard?

Sourdough discard is the part of your sourdough starter that you are not feeding. When you are "feeding" your starter to make recipes like sourdough French bread, you add equal parts flour, water, and starter to a mason jar (or other container) and let it rise.

You can't feed your entire starter, as it doubles and sometimes triples in size, and that's a lot of starter to have on hand! If you are new to sourdough, be sure to check out how to feed and maintain a sourdough starter post all about how to keep your sourdough starter happy.

With your sourdough discard, you can make lots of delicious, easy recipes! I love making sourdough desserts, but you can make sourdough discard dinner rolls and sourdough discard sandwich bread with your discard too! I made this graphic to show exactly where sourdough starter discard lives in your sourdough journey.

Ingredients to Gather

• Zucchini. If it's zucchini season when you are making this recipe, use some from your garden! If not, you can buy them at the grocery store. No need to peel the zucchini. The skin is super soft.
• Egg. One egg will keep the batter together and not let the fritters fall apart.
• Sourdough discard. If you are new to sourdough, you can make your own sourdough starter, buy one, or get one from a friend.
• Onion. One small onion or half of a larger onion.

Be sure to check out the printable recipe card for full recipe information on ingredients and quantities.

How To Make Sourdough Zucchini Fritters

Wash the zucchini and remove the ends. With a box grater, grate the zucchini into a large bowl. Wring out the zucchini in a clean kitchen towel to remove all the excess liquid. Grate the onion into the bowl and add the zucchini back into the bowl.

Add the rest of the ingredients to the bowl and mix until a wet batter forms.

Pour 2 tablespoons of a neutral oil into a cast iron skillet. Turn the heat to medium or medium high heat. Add ¼ cup of the batter to the oil and cook for 3-4 minutes or until the edges start to get a little brown and dry.

Flip the fritter over and cook on the other side. Remove the fritter from the oil and place it on a wire rack or a paper towel lined plate. Sprinkle with a little bit of salt and serve hot.

Tips and Tricks

• These zucchini fritters should be cooked over medium to medium high heat. If the heat is too high, the inside of the fritters won't be cooked but the outside will be burnt. Don't rush the cooking process.
• Make sure to drain the shredded zucchini well. This will make sure that the fritters aren't too wet and will fry up nicely. Use some arm strength and really get that liquid out of the zucchini!
• Active or inactive (unfed) starter will both work in this recipe. Since we aren't waiting for anything to ferment or rise, both will work in this recipe.
• Make sure to make the fritters a uniform size. This will make sure that the fritters all cook at the same time.

Storage Info

These fritters are best enjoyed right after they are fried. They tend to get soggy if they sit too long.

The batter is really easy to make ahead of time though! Mix all the ingredients together and then place the bowl, covered, in the refrigerator. The batter will stay fresh for up to 24 hours. When you are ready to fry them, take them out of the refrigerator and fry them in your skillet.

You can make them ahead of time by frying them and then placing them on a wire rack on a baking sheet. Keep them in a 200 degrees F oven to keep them warm and not letting them get soggy.

Believe it or not, you can actually freeze these too! Allow the fritters to cool completely, then place them in a single layer on a baking sheet to freeze. Once frozen, transfer them to a freezer bag or container. Reheat in the oven or on the stovetop until heated through and crispy.

Frequently Asked Questions

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