Crispy Zucchini Corn Fritters with Jalapeño & Cilantro-Lime Dip
Crispy zucchini corn fritters with jalapeño, bound with chickpea flour and served with a cool cilantro-lime coconut yogurt dip. An easy egg-free summer side.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Rest
- 10 min
- Serves
- 4
Crispy Zucchini Corn Fritters with Jalapeño & Cilantro-Lime Dip is a vegan side recipe made with zucchini, fine salt, corn kernels. It takes 40 minutes of hands-on time, plus 10 minutes resting, serves 4, and each serving has 278 calories, 7 g of protein and 5 g of fiber.
Chickpea flour replaces both the egg and the wheat here. Mixed with the zucchini's own juices, it forms a batter that holds together and browns well. The key is salting and squeezing the grated zucchini first, so the fritters fry crisp instead of steaming. Sweet corn, jalapeño and cumin give them a Mexican-style flavor, and a quick coconut yogurt dip cools things down.
Ingredients
Fritters
- 2 medium392 gzucchini, coarsely grated
- ½ tsp3 gfine salt, for drawing out moisture
- 1¼ cups170 gcorn kernels, fresh or thawed frozen, patted dry
- ¾ cup69 gchickpea flour (besan)
- ½ tsp2.3 gbaking powder
- 1 tsp2.1 gground cumin
- 1 14 gjalapeño, seeded and finely minced
- 3 45 ggreen onions, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup4 gfresh cilantro, chopped
- 1 tbsp15 glime juice
- ¼ tsp1.5 gsalt, for the batter
- ¼ tsp0.6 gblack pepper
- 2 tbsp30 gwater, only if needed (optional)
- ¼ cup56 gneutral oil, for shallow frying
Cilantro-Lime Dip
- ¾ cup170 gunsweetened plain coconut yogurt
- 2 tbsp2 gfresh cilantro, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp15 glime juice
- 1 small clove3 ggarlic, finely grated
- 1 pinch0.4 gsalt
- 1 lime60 glime wedges, for serving (optional)
Kit: box grater, clean kitchen towel or cheesecloth, large nonstick or cast-iron skillet, mixing bowls, fish spatula or thin turner, wire rack
Tips
- Squeezing the zucchini is the step that matters most. Wet zucchini gives you soggy fritters that fall apart.
- If you use frozen corn, thaw it and pat it dry with a towel so it doesn't spit in the hot oil.
- Fry one test fritter first. If it spreads or crumbles, stir 1–2 tbsp more chickpea flour into the batter.
- A wire rack keeps the undersides crisp. Paper towels trap steam.
Swap ideas
- Charred corn: cook the kernels in a dry skillet until they're spotted brown before adding them
- Gives a smoky, elote-style flavor
- Swap 1/2 tsp of the cumin for smoked paprika
- A deeper, smoky flavor that's slightly less earthy
- Leave the jalapeño seeds in, or use a serrano
- Noticeably more heat
- Replace 2 tbsp of the chickpea flour with cornmeal
- A crunchier crust with more corn flavor
The numbers
Nutrition per serving
278kcal per serving
Everything else · 4 servings per recipe
- Saturated fat
- 2.5 g 13%
- Sugars
- 6.2 g
- Sodium
- 569 mg 25%
- Potassium
- 563 mg 12%
- Calcium
- 182 mg 14%
- Iron
- 2.1 mg 12%
- Vitamin C
- 30 mg 33%
- Vitamin B12
- 0.5 µg 21%
% Daily Value on a 2,000 calorie diet. Calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for each ingredient; optional ingredients are excluded. Estimates vary with brands and portions.
Sources: Squash, summer, zucchini, includes skin, raw, Salt, table, Corn, sweet, yellow, frozen, kernels cut off cob, unprepared (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program), Chickpea flour (besan), Leavening agents, baking powder, double-acting, sodium aluminum sulfate, Spices, cumin seed, Peppers, jalapeno, raw, Onions, spring or scallions (includes tops and bulb), raw, Coriander (cilantro) leaves, raw, Lime juice, raw, Spices, pepper, black, Oil, canola, So Delicious Dairy Free Unsweetened Plain Coconutmilk Yogurt (manufacturer label; serving 3/4 cup = 170 g, converted to per 100 g), Garlic, raw
Method
Toss the grated zucchini with 1/2 tsp salt in a colander set over a bowl. Let it sit for 10 minutes to release liquid.
Meanwhile, make the dip: stir the coconut yogurt, 2 tbsp cilantro, 1 tbsp lime juice, the garlic and a pinch of salt together. Refrigerate until serving.
Pile the zucchini into a clean kitchen towel or cheesecloth. Wring it out firmly over the sink until it stops dripping. You should lose about 1/2 cup of liquid, and the zucchini should look fairly dry.
In a large bowl, whisk together the chickpea flour, baking powder, cumin, 1/4 tsp salt and the pepper. Add the squeezed zucchini, corn, jalapeño, green onions, cilantro and 1 tbsp lime juice. Stir until you have a thick, scoopable batter that holds its shape. The zucchini's leftover moisture usually hydrates the flour. If dry flour is still visible after 1 minute of mixing, add water 1 tbsp at a time.
Heat about 2 tbsp oil in a large skillet over medium heat until it shimmers and a drop of batter sizzles right away. Scoop in heaping 3-tablespoon mounds, leaving space between them. Flatten each one to about 1/2 inch thick.
Fry without moving them until the undersides are deep golden and the edges look set, 3–4 minutes. Flip and cook the other side until golden and firm when pressed in the center, 3–4 minutes more. Chickpea flour tastes raw if undercooked, so turn the heat down a little if they brown before the centers firm up.
Move the cooked fritters to a wire rack and sprinkle them lightly with salt. Keep them warm in a 200°F oven. Add more oil as needed and cook the remaining batter the same way.
Serve hot with the cilantro-lime dip and lime wedges.
Storage: Refrigerate the fritters in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Reheat them on a baking sheet at 400°F for 8–10 minutes to bring back the crispness. Store the dip covered in the fridge for up to 3 days. Mix and cook the batter right away, because the zucchini keeps releasing water as it sits.
Questions
- How much protein is in crispy zucchini corn fritters with jalapeño & cilantro-lime dip?
- Each of the 4 servings has 7 g of protein, 5 g of fiber and 278 calories, calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for every ingredient.
- Is crispy zucchini corn fritters with jalapeño & cilantro-lime dip vegan?
- Yes. It contains no dairy, eggs, honey or other animal products.
- How long does crispy zucchini corn fritters with jalapeño & cilantro-lime dip take to make?
- 20 minutes of prep and 20 minutes of cooking, so 40 minutes of hands-on time, plus 10 minutes of unattended resting.
- Can you make crispy zucchini corn fritters with jalapeño & cilantro-lime dip ahead?
- Refrigerate the fritters in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Reheat them on a baking sheet at 400°F for 8–10 minutes to bring back the crispness. Store the dip covered in the fridge for up to 3 days. Mix and cook the batter right away, because the zucchini keeps releasing water as it sits.
- What can I substitute in crispy zucchini corn fritters with jalapeño & cilantro-lime dip?
- Charred corn: cook the kernels in a dry skillet until they're spotted brown before adding them — gives a smoky, elote-style flavor. Swap 1/2 tsp of the cumin for smoked paprika — a deeper, smoky flavor that's slightly less earthy. Leave the jalapeño seeds in, or use a serrano — noticeably more heat. Replace 2 tbsp of the chickpea flour with cornmeal — a crunchier crust with more corn flavor.
- Does crispy zucchini corn fritters with jalapeño & cilantro-lime dip contain gluten or nuts?
- None of the ingredients are a source of gluten, tree nuts or peanuts. That is a statement about the ingredient list, not a guarantee about the brands you buy — always read the labels if you're cooking for an allergy.
Nutrition is calculated from USDA data for every ingredient — how we work it out.
Published September 19, 2026 ·Mexican-inspired
