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Cooking these Gluten Free Zucchini Fritters in the air fryer makes them perfectly crisp and golden brown without frying in oil. They are flavored with mozzarella and pesto, and topped with roasted tomatoes for Caprese-inspired deliciousness! You’ll love them as a veggie-packed appetizer, tasty side dish, or light meatless meal.
Why You’ll Love These Zucchini Fritters
Delicious Details
- Cuisine Inspiration: Italian-inspired
- Primary Cooking Method: Air fryer
- Dietary Info: Gluten-free
- Skill Level: Moderate
I get pretty excited about new kitchen gadgets, but my favorite for a while now has been my air fryer. I started with cooking frozen tater tots and making basic air fryer French fries. But now I’m pretty adventurous, using it to make things like Air Fryer Fried Pickles perfectly crispy and gluten free!
These gluten free zucchini fritters are another of the more creative air fryer recipes that I enjoy so much. It has everything you want in a fritter, and so much more. Here’s why you’ll love them…
- Incredible flavor. This is not just any basic air fryer zucchini fritter recipe. These have mozzarella cheese and basil pesto in the mix. Add a simple roasted balsamic tomato topping and you get all the flavors you love from the classic Caprese salad.
- Perfect texture. The air fryer makes them nice and golden on the outside with a soft and tender interior. But there’s not a bit of greasiness so you can enjoy them without them feeling heavy and dense.
- Easy to make gluten free. Grab your favorite gluten free all-purpose flour whether it’s a storebought bag or a blend you make on your own. No special techniques are needed.
What You’ll Need
Here’s a rundown of the ingredients to make these zucchini fritters. Keep reading for more tips and serving suggestions. Or head straight down to the recipe card for the full amounts and detailed instructions.
For the balsamic roasted tomato topping
- Cherry tomatoes. Grape tomatoes are fine to use too.
- 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. Do not use fresh mozzarella as that has too much moisture.
- Salt and pepper.
- Oil spray. For the air fryer so that you can easily flip and remove your zucchini fritters. I recommend a spray avocado oil versus the aerosol nonstick cooking spray which can leave a residue in the air fryer.
How to Make Gluten Free Zucchini Fritters
Let’s get ready to cook some zucchini fritters in the air fryer. It’s really quite simple.
- Make the tomato topping. Toss tomatoes in olive oil and balsamic vinegar and season with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven at 400°F for 15-20 minutes or in the air fryer at 400°F for 10 minutes until they are softened and have popped a little. Set aside.
- Drain the zucchini. Salt the shredded zucchini and allow to drain for 10 minutes. Then place in a kitchen towel or heavy-duty paper towels and squeeze out as much liquid as possible.
- Make the fritter mixture. In a large bowl combine the zucchini, flour, eggs, pesto, mozzarella, salt, and pepper and stir everything together until fully combined.
- Form the fritters. Spray your air fryer basket with oil spray. Form your fritters into small patties and place them in the basket without overcrowding. Spray with oil.
- Air fryer and enjoy. Fry the fritters at 360°F for 12 minutes, flipping halfway through. Once cooked, serve immediately with the roasted balsamic tomatoes.
Tips for Success
Let’s make perfect zucchini fritters:
- Release the moisture. Sprinkling the zucchini with salt helps it to release moisture and allow you to squeeze out as much liquid as possible so they will hold together better and not be too mushy inside.
- Use a towel. 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.
- Handle carefully. The fritter mixture is quite tacky. 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.
- Don’t overcrowd. Fry the zucchini fritters in batches to avoid crowding the basket. In the Cosori air fryer, I was able to fry eight at a time, so needed two batches.
Storing and Reheating Leftovers
I like serving the zucchini fritters immediately, but they also store and reheat nicely. Here’s what you need to know for proper storage.
- Fridge – In an airtight container, you can keep them refrigerated for 2 to 3 days.
- Freezer – Transfer the fritters to a freezer-safe storage bag or container and seal well. Freeze them for up to two months, then thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
- Reheat – They reheat nicely in the oven at 350°F or microwave, just be sure to heat them through thoroughly. You can also toss them back in the air fryer, but that may cause them brown them too much on the outside, so watch them carefully.
Make it a Meal
If you are having a party, serve your zucchini fritters as an appetizer on a platter with a bowl of the roasted tomatoes on the side, or even with additional pesto or marinara sauce for dipping. But they can also be part of a delicious summer meal…
- Vegetarian main dish. Let the fritters be the centerpiece of your meal, serving them with over top of a big scoop of Parmesan Mashed Cauliflower or with Mozzarella Parmesan Cauliflower Tots or Spinach Feta Pinwheels.
- Alongside a steak. For a fabulous summer meal, pair the pesto and mozzarella flavor of the fritters with juicy Caprese Grilled Filet Mignon and Grilled Asparagus with Lemon. It’s better than a restaurant!
- Paired with pasta. Skip the garlic bread and use them to swipe up the extra sauce when you make Pasta with Vodka Sauce or Gluten Free Lasagna.
- Complement comfort food. You can enjoy a hearty but veggie-packed meal of Roasted Vegetable Balsamic Meatloaf and Balsamic Roasted Vegetables.
More gluten free zucchini recipes
Gluten Free Air-Fryer Zucchini Fritters
Cooking these Gluten Free Zucchini Fritters in the air fryer makes them perfectly crisp and golden brown without frying in oil. They are flavored with mozzarella and pesto, and topped with roasted tomatoes for Caprese-inspired deliciousness! You'll love them as a veggie-packed appetizer, tasty side dish, or light meatless meal.
Servings: 4 servings (about 16 fritters total)
Ingredients
For the balsamic roasted tomatoes topping
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes
- 3 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- Salt and pepper, to taste
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
- Spray oil for the air fryer
Instructions
- Preheat oven or air fryer to 400°F for roasting the tomatoes.
- 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. Add the tomatoes to a bow and pour the balsamic vinegar and olive oil over the top. Season with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Spread on an oiled baking sheet or place in the air fryer basket. Roast in the oven at 400°F for 15-20 minutes or until they are softened and have popped a little. Or cook in the air fryer at 400°F for about 10 minutes.
- While the tomatoes are roasting (if cooking in the oven) or after they cook in the air fryer, prepare your air fryer by spraying the basket with oil. Form your fritters into small patties using a serving spoon and shape them in your hands, then place them in the basket. The mixture is quite tacky and will make a dense fritter. Spray the tops of your fritters with oil 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.
Nutrition Facts
Gluten Free Air-Fryer Zucchini Fritters
Amount Per Serving (4 fritters with cherry tomatoes)
Calories 307
Calories from Fat 171
% Daily Value*
Fat 19g29%
Saturated Fat 5g25%
Cholesterol 94mg31%
Sodium 576mg24%
Potassium 540mg15%
Carbohydrates 25g8%
Fiber 4g16%
Sugar 8g9%
Protein 11g22%
Vitamin A 1138IU23%
Vitamin C 39mg47%
Calcium 153mg15%
Iron 2mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Disclaimers: Please discuss your individual dietary needs (i.e. gluten free) with a physician. Even when not specified, be sure to verify all ingredients are gluten free, if needed, by reading labels on all packaging and/or confirming with the manufacturer this varies by brand and can change at any time. Nutrition information shown is an estimate and not guaranteed to be accurate.
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