Vegetable Fritters: A Sneaky Way to Eat Your Vegetables (2024)

FAQs

Why are my vegetable fritters falling apart? ›

Lucky for you, I've dealt with my fair share of disappointing fritters, so I've come up with some crafty ways to stop this. If your zucchini fritters are falling apart, it's likely because the fritters are sticking to the skillet or the batter was too wet.

The most common causes for soggy fritters are too much batter (basic flour and egg batter like used in pancakes will never cook up crispy), and whatever you're frittering leeches too much water when cooking.

Make sure your frying oil is hot enough before dropping the fritters onto it. Otherwise, your batter might soak up too much oil and become soggy.

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.

There are several ways to cook them or add them to recipes that will make them more enjoyable and help you reach your daily needs. Using plant-based alternatives to meat, adding leafy greens to your smoothies, and blending roasted peppers into a sauce are just some ways to eat more vegetables.

Pair with foods you already like: Start by adding a slice of tomato to a beloved hamburger or mushrooms into an omelette. Play with texture: If you hate mushy vegetables, try raw, shredded, roasted or stir-fried versions instead. Love crunchy foods? Try baked kale or beet “chips.”

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.

How do you make fritters less soggy? ›

The most common reason that fritters get soggy is due to cooking them in oil that isn't hot enough. So first make sure that you use just enough oil to cover the surface of your skillet. Then wait until the oil is hot before you add the batter.

Let it sizzle! Your pan needs to be properly heated up before cooking. If the fritter doesn't sizzle when it hits the pan, you know it's not ready! Don't overcrowd the pan, as this causes the temperature of the pan to drop, resulting in limp, under-cooked fritters.

Potato salad, fresh chopped greens, or pasta salad are all great matches for zucchini fritters. This pairing is perfect if you're looking for a light summer lunch.

Because fritters need to maintain their form and not run when they hit the oil, your batter should be sturdy and thick, more like paste than Elmer's glue. It's the mortar that holds your ingredients 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.

This happens when there is not enough binder in the mix. I like to use Panko bread crumbs, 2 eggs, and cheese as binders. Fritters can also fall apart if they're stuck to the pan. Make sure to use enough oil, preheat the pan, don't flip too soon or too much, or you can use a non-stick cooking pan.

Batter consistency is key to good fritters. If too runny, add a touch of extra flour (otherwise fritters soggy inside). If way too thick, add a touch of water. It does come down to how juicy / how well the water was removed from the zucchinis.

To ensure your apple fritters don't break apart once they hit the oil, it needs to be hot enough (375 degrees is the optimal temperature). If you can't get enough cinnamon, add cinnamon to the powdered sugar topping. For added flavor, add a pinch of ground nutmeg, ground ginger, and/or apple pie spice.