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Gluten Free Zucchini Fritters cooked in the air-fryer give you that crisp, golden brown outside and soft inside without all the grease from frying. And with the combination of mozzarella and basil, plus balsamic roasted tomatoes topping, this recipe has all the flavors of a classic Caprese salad. You’ll love them as a healthy appetizer, veggie side dish, or light meatless meal.
As a food blogger, you know I get pretty excited about new kitchen gadgets. Strangely, though, it takes me awhile before I get too adventurous with them.
I’ve had an air fryer for quite a while now, but for the longest time, I used it just to make French fries and sweet potato fries. When I started tossing carrots and butternut squash and mushrooms and cauliflower in there, it was like a whole new world of veggie deliciousness and simplicity was opened up to me.
So now that I’ve tried some recipes that are traditionally deep-fried, well, let me tell you, my mind is blown. I’ve never been a huge fan of the heavy, greasy result that you can get from frying in a ton of oil.
Being able to use the air fryer to achieve that amazing crispy exterior while keeping foods moist and tender on the inside has opened up a whole new world to me. I first gave it a try when I made air fryer falafel.
And today, my friends, fritters. Yes, air fryer zucchini fritters!
Caprese Air Fryer Zucchini Fritters Recipe
And this is not just any basic air fryer zucchini fritter recipe. These are flavored with mozzarella cheese and basil pesto. Add a simple roasted balsamic tomato topping and you get all the flavors you love from the classic Caprese salad.
Plus, these are also gluten free fritters. Grab your favorite gluten free all-purpose flour whether it’s a storebought bag or a blend you make on your own.
Not gluten free? I’m going to venture a pretty safe guess that you could also use regular all-purpose flour. It’s really just there to make everything stick together.
What You’ll Need
For the balsamic roasted tomato topping
- Cherry tomatoes
- Balsamic vinegar
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
For the zucchini fritters
- Zucchini – shredded with a box grater or food processor
- Gluten free all-purpose flour – this recipe is pretty forgiving and should work well with most gluten free flour blends, either store-bought or homemade.
- Eggs
- Pesto – you can use your favorite jarred pesto or homemade pesto recipe.
- Shredded mozzarella cheese – pre-shredded or shredded from a block works fine.
- Salt and pepper
- Non-stick cooking spray – for the air fryer so that you can easily flip and remove your zucchini fritters.
Directions
For the balsamic roasted tomato topping
- Place cherry tomatoes on an oiled baking sheet.
- Pour the balsamic vinegar and olive oil over the top and season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat.
- Roast in the oven at 400°F for 15-20 minutes or until they are softened and have popped a little.
PRO TIP: Don’t want to heat the oven? Cook the tomatoes in your air fryer at 400°F for about 10 minutes, then splash with a bit of balsamic vinegar.
For the zucchini fritters
- Salt the shredded zucchini and allow to drain for 10 minutes. The place in a kitchen towel or heavy-duty paper towels and squeeze out as much liquid as possible.
- In a large bowl combine the zucchini, flour, eggs, pesto, mozzarella, salt, and pepper and stir everything together until fully combined.
- Spray your air fryer basket with non-stick cooking spray. Form your fritters into small patties and place them in the basket without overcrowding.
- Fry the fritters at 360°F for 12 minutes, flipping halfway through.
- Once cooked, serve immediately with the roasted balsamic tomatoes.
Wondering what air fryer I use? I am a huge fan of my 5.8 Quart Cosori Air Fryer. I use it several times a week for fries, veggies, chicken, and more! The large size fits a ton of food, and it cleans up very easily. I definitely recommend you pick one up for yourself.
For this recipe, I was able to make the zucchini fritters in two batches with eight in each batch. As you can see in the photos above, they fit quite nicely.
Tips for Success
- Sprinkling the zucchini with salt helps it to release moisture. Be sure to squeeze out as much liquid as possible after letting it sit for about 10 minutes. This will help your zucchini fritters hold together better and not be too mushy inside.
- It is best to use a kitchen towel or tea towel for squeezing the liquid out, but you can use a double layer of heavy-duty paper towels in a pinch.
- The fritter mixture is quite tacky and will make a dense fritter. You can form them by scooping the mixture up with a serving spoon and lightly rounding and flattening it with your hands. Place them directly in the air fryer basket, or you can place the mounds on a cutting board or another surface, then carefully transfer to the air fryer with a small spatula.
- Fry the fritters in batches so as to not crowd the basket. In the Cosori air fryer, I was able to fry eight at a time, so needed two batches.
- You can serve them immediately, but they also reheat nicely in the oven or microwave. You could toss them back in the air fryer, but that may brown them too much on the outside, so watch them carefully.
How to serve zucchini fritters
As an appetizer
Place your fritters on a platter with a bowl of the roasted tomatoes on the side. Or serve them with dips such as:
You can also serve them with a bowl of marinara sauce along with:
As a vegetarian main dish with sides like
- Lemon Parmesan Roasted Broccoli
- Grilled Asparagus with Lemon
- Parmesan Mashed Cauliflower Gratin
- Balsamic Roasted Vegetables
Or as a side dish for
- Caprese Grilled Filet Mignon
- Pasta with Vodka Sauce
- Lemon Herb Grilled Chicken
- Gluten Free Lasagna
- Roasted Vegetable Balsamic Meatloaf
More gluten free zucchini recipes
- Cheesy Potato Zucchini Tots
- Air Fryer Zucchini
- Gluten Free Zucchini Carrot Muffins
- Zucchini Noodles Greek Salad
- Mediterranean Chicken Stuffed Zucchini Boats
- Cheesy Bacon Hasselback Zucchini from Sugar Free Mom
Caprese Gluten Free Air-Fryer Zucchini Fritters
Ingredients
For the zucchini fritters:
- 4 cups shredded zucchini
- 2/3 cup Gluten free all purpose flour
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup prepared pesto
- 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt, or to taste
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
- Non-stick Cooking Spray for the air fryer
For the balsamic roasted tomatoes topping
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes
- 3 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil , or garlic infused olive oil
- Salt and pepper , to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F for roasting the tomatoes. (See note)
- Shred your zucchini using a grater or food processor. Then place it in a colander and sprinkle the zucchini with salt and allow to sit for 10 minutes. This will help get the moisture out of the zucchini.
- Once it has sat for 10 minutes, transfer the zucchini to a clean tea towel or high quality paper towels, and place over a small bowl. Squeeze out as much water as you can from your zucchini into your small bowl.
- In a large bowl combine the zucchini, flour, eggs, pesto, mozzarella, salt and pepper and stir everything together until fully combined. Set aside.
- Coat a baking sheet with olive oil or cooking spray and place cherry tomatoes on the sheet. Pour the balsamic vinegar and olive oil over the top and season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Roast in the oven at 400°F for 15-20 minutes or until they are softened and have popped a little.
- While the tomatoes are roasting, prepare your air fryer by spraying the basket with non-stick cooking spray. Form your fritters into small patties using a serving spoon and shape in your hands, then place in the basket. The mixture is quite tacky and will make a dense fritter. Spray the tops of your fritters with cooking spray as well.
- Fry the fritters in batches so as to not crowd the basket. Cook them at 360°F for 12 minutes, flipping halfway through.
- Once cooked, serve immediately with the roasted balsamic tomatoes.
Notes
Did you make this?
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Enjoy!
