These bacon zucchini fritters are sponsored by Jones Dairy Farm and all opinions are my own as always.
These savory bacon zucchini fritters are easy to make, packed with veggies and downright addicting! They’re delicious served as a side dish or appetizer with homemade ranch dip. These healthy fritters are also paleo, Whole30 friendly, gluten free and dairy free.
Is it any secret I’ve been zucchini obsessed lately?! Not if you happen to follow me on Instagram, where I’ve been digging out all my old favorite zucchini recipes and experimenting with new ones!
Today? We’re going savory all the way with these bacon zucchini fritters. Super simple to make, totally satisfying, and even kid approved – if you can believe it.
Hey, when we add bacon to green things, it sure helps with the kid-friendly factor, at least in my experience. It’s amazing what a little bacon can get kids (and husbands) to eat!
To make my bacon zucchini fritters Whole30, I used sugar-free Whole30 compliant bacon from Jones Dairy Farm. As you all know, I have lots of love for bacon, and when I find a new sugar-free Whole30 compliant bacon, it’s time to celebrate!
For all of you Whole30’ers out there, I know you’re right there with me. Finding Whole30 friendly bacon and sausage just makes meals a whole lot more fun, tasty, and exciting to sit down to!
Jones Dairy Farm makes crispy, delicious uncured, sugar-free bacon that’s perfect for so many Whole30 recipes. I also love their sugar-free pork sausage (used in my sausage leek & spinach quiche) and fully-cooked chicken, pork and turkey sausage to throw into quick meals.
Since Jones Dairy Farm has new line of Antibiotic Free, Paleo Certified products contain NO sugar or preservatives, they’re perfect for paleo and Whole30 recipes.
In addition to bacon, they also make several sugar-free sausage varieties, ham, and more. Definitely check out their website to browse their amazing products and find out where you can purchase!
For the ingredients, we also have zucchini (of course), an egg, a mix of coconut and tapioca flour (so they’re nut-free too!) and seasonings.
If you haven’t “sweat” zucchini before, no worries. It’s easy and only requires time to allow the zucchini to sit, and a will to squeeze out every last bit of water.
Seriously though, “sweating: the zucchini is super simple: you place shredded zucchini in a collander over a bowl, salt it, then walk away and do something else for at least 20 minutes.
When you return, you’ll squeeze ALL the water out using paper towels, a nut milk bag, cheesecloth, or just a clean dish towel. Squeeze squeeze squeeze – there’s no such thing as getting TOO much water out of the zucchini!
This “sweating” step is essential to make fritters that stick together, fry up perfectly and that aren’t a soggy mess. Don’t worry (and no need to take notes), I’ll explain the sweating process once again in the recipe box 🙂
I made my fritters small, since a.) they’re great bite size (or 2-bite size!) and b.) they’re easy to flip that way. I used a medium cookie scoop when frying them, and flattened them a bit once they were in the pan.
For dips, I highly recommend that you try my homemade ranch! Even my homemade mayo alone is a delicious dip for these fritters. You can also try out my avocado ranch or chipotle ranch. As you can see I have quite the soft spot for anything ranch!
I hope you’re ready for these crazy addicting bacon zucchini fritters! You’re going to love them – let’s shred up our zucchini and get started!
Bacon Zucchini Fritters {Paleo, Whole30}
Bacon Zucchini Fritters {Paleo, Whole30}
These savory bacon zucchini fritters are easy to make, packed with veggies and downright addicting! They're delicious served as a side dish or appetizer with homemade ranch dip. These tasty fritters are also paleo, Whole30 friendly, gluten free and dairy free.
Ingredients
- 4 cups grated/shredded zucchini about 2-3 medium
- 3/4 tsp salt to “sweat” the zucchini
- 6 Slices Sugar Free Bacon from Jones Dairy Farm
- 2 Tbsp coconut flour
- 2 Tbsp arrowroot flour
- 1 large egg whisked
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4-1/2 tsp black pepper
- 2-3 Tbsp cooking fat - rendered bacon fat ghee, or coconut oil
Instructions
Sweat the Zucchini (most important step!):
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To “sweat” the shredded zucchini, place it in a collander, then place the collander over a bowl. Sprinkle with the salt and allow it to sit that way for at least 20 minutes - the longer it sits, the more water is drawn out.
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After the 20 mins or longer, gently rinse zucchini to remove excess salt (not mandatory, but recommended if you’re salt-sensitive)
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Then, squeeze/wring out remaining water using paper towels, a clean dish towel cheesecloth, or even a nut milk bag. This step is very important to avoid soggy fritters! Squeeze out as much water as possible, then squeeze one more time for good luck 😉
Make the Bacon:
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While the zucchini sweats, cook the bacon in a large skillet until crisp, then drain and crumble, set aside. Reserve 2 Tbsp of the fat if desired for frying the fritters.
Prep & Fry the Fritters:
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In a large bowl, mix together the prepared zucchini, crumbled bacon, coconut flour, arrowroot, egg, onion powder, garlic powder, and pepper. If you rinsed the zucchini, you may want to season with a bit more salt to suit your taste (although the bacon adds saltiness too!)
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Heat a large skillet over medium heat (non-stick is helpful), then add 1 Tbsp cooking fat (you’ll use 1 Tbsp per batch)
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Scoop the mixture in heaping Tbsps (you can use a medium cookie scoop) into the hot skillet and gently press down to about 1/2” thickness. The smaller size makes these delicate fritters easier to flip.
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Once the first side is golden brown, which should take about 2-3 mins, carefully flip using a wide spatula - this one is my favorite. Fry on the second side another 2-3 minutes until golden grown, lowering heat a bit if necessary. Carefully remove to a wire rack while you make additional batches.
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Make sure to adjust heat between batches if necessary to avoid burning the fritters, and add an additional Tbsp cooking fat before each new batch.
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Serve hot with your favorite dipping sauce - such as my homemade ranch, mayo, or chipotle ranch. Enjoy!
Nutrition
VISIT JONES DAIRY FARMS WEBSITE TO CHECK OUT THEIR ALL NATURAL, SUGAR FREE SAUSAGE, BACON, HAM AND MORE!
Want More Paleo and Whole30 side dish recipe? Try one of these!
Garlic Parsnip Fries with Bacon Aioli
Bacon Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Crispy Sweet Potato Fries with BBQ Ranch Dip
Tostones (Twice Fried Plantains) with Avocado Ranch Dip
Note: This post contains Amazon affiliate links. This means that if you click on a link and make a purchase, I will receive a small commission at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting Paleo Running Momma!
Can these be made ahead of time and reheated??
Yep! I saved my leftovers and just rewarmed them a bit! I didn’t even bother with a dip. They were super!
Can i make these in advance, before frying, and then refridgerate or freeze for frying later?
Are the Nutrition Facts for a single fritter?
I made the zucchini fritters this morning and they were fabulous! If I have more time, I will use fresh diced onion and garlic next time I make these. I love your recipes, so thankful I found your blog!
So happy you enjoyed them!
How much garlic and onion did you use?
these sound amazing. I wonder if we can use yellow summer squash too? I get so many in my garden. I’m definitely going to try mixing them.
Yes, that should work well!
Great recipe with helpful instructions! I used 3 slices of thick cut bacon (forest raised pork, so I use it conservatively) and it was plenty.
That’s so great to hear!
I kept squeezing worried they will come out soggy (LOL!) but they were perfect! Already made another batch today without bacon. Planning on keeping these around as whole30 snacks so I don’t eat an RX Bar every afternoon. A bit labor intensive but I feel like all I do is chopping veggies since I started whole30 anyways! A big thank you, good veggie recipes are hard to find.
I always over squeeze! Glad they came out great. Perfect as a quick Whole30 snack too 🙂
I made these tonight! They were so yum!! Thanks for sharing ?
Mine came out kind of powdery… still delicious but i expected a different consistency. what did I do wrong?
Is there an egg-free version or a sub for those with allergies?
You’ll need something to bind, but a chia or gelatin egg may work.
Have you tried the egg replacer? I’ve used it in recipes that call for eggs for my vegan friend and it was great!
Could I use almond flour in place of the coconut and arrowroot flours?
I did today. I used almond flour and coconut flour, instead of arrowroot. As long as you make sure to mix it in well, it worked just fine.
I’m not sure what I did wrong, but these were a sloppy mess for me. I followed the instructions perfectly and squeezed, squeezed until there was no liquid left. I even used a mesh bag to make it easier. Nope. Still a sloppy mess. These tasted delicious, but they didn’t hold up well as a fritter.
Sorry it didn’t work out!