I Used My Air Fryer to Make Zucchini Ricotta Fritters and They’re a Fun Summer Snack

When it comes to the internet’s ever-growing cache of new recipes, I’m most drawn to trying anything that requires a minimum of dishes and ingredients yet brings maximum flavor. The Modern Nonna’s zucchini and ricotta fritters fit this bill perfectly; they’re a quick and easy air fryer snack, and I knew I had to give them a try. These fritters are made with only a handful of ingredients and are perfect for getting through any extra zucchini that you may have from your summer harvest. Plus, these creamy and crispy fritters take under 30 minutes to prepare from start to finish.

This recipe caught my attention the second I noticed that it was made in one bowl. You start things off by mixing full-fat ricotta cheese, chopped dill, grated Parmesan, panko breadcrumbs, salt, and pepper.

Grab your zucchini and shred them using a box grater or food processor grater attachment. Once shredded, pile the zucchini into a clean kitchen towel, squeeze out all of the liquid, and discard it. This step is crucial to the recipe — if you want fritters that are crispy and hold together after baking, then it’s necessary to remove as much liquid as possible.

After flexing your kitchen muscles, fold the wrung-out zucchini into the ricotta mixture. Form the mixture into even circle or square shapes. I found that using a 1/3 measuring cup helped me to form even-sized fritters, although this isn’t required. Spray the air fryer basket with nonstick cooking spray and place them into your fryer. The recipe calls for cooking the fritters at 400°F for 10 minutes. For a crispier fritter, I suggest baking for an additional seven to 10 minutes and flipping them halfway through baking.

Once the fritters are crispy and golden-brown, pull them out of the air fryer and serve immediately as is or with your dipping sauce of choice. I suggest using marinara, vodka sauce, or tzatziki. 

Get the recipe: Zucchini and Ricotta Fritters

Recipes like this one prove that you just need a handful of ingredients, a few minutes, and some quick preparation to create a flavorful snack. When my sole goal is to get something in my belly after a long day, being able to create a quick and delicious treat with five ingredients is everything I need in my life. I loved the texture of these — they weren’t too soft (which I kind of expected them to be) and they had a crispy outside and cheesy, soft inside. My only note? I would’ve loved them even crispier, and I think rolling them in panko breadcrumbs before frying would’ve done the trick. 

• When it comes to cooking with zucchini, it’s essential to remove as much liquid as possible — especially when baking or frying. During my first time making this recipe, my fritters were a bit mushy inside, due to me not thoroughly draining most of the liquid from the zucchini. I made sure to fix this in my second attempt: I used a kitchen towel to squeeze out all the liquid from the shredded zucchini, and my fritters came out noticeably better. 
• One of the great things about this recipe is that you can tweak the flavor combinations to suit your tastes. You can swap the dill for parsley, basil, or scallions, or the Parmesan for mozzarella, provolone, or feta — the choice is yours.