Delicious, crisp, but creamy, Air Fryer Zucchini Fritters with prosciutto and parmesan. Dip them in a favorite marinara sauce or creamy aioli for the perfect flavor combo in an appetizer!

A plate of zucchini fritters with a dip.

If you're looking for some equally delicious and easy appetizers, tryAir Fryer Garlic Parm Wingsor Pepperoni Bread (Stromboli).

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Why You'll Love This Recipe

No Smell. No need to actually fry anything when you use your air fryer!
Easy Clean Up. The air fryer also means no oil splatters, which is almost impossible to avoid when frying something like zucchini that is so wet.
Delicious Flavor. So much flavor in these fritters! With the prosciutto, lemon, and parmigiana, it is a unique take on the Italian Zucchini Fritters, perfect for dipping in anything from Homemade Roasted Red Pepper Soup to Avocado Lime Crema.

I so badly wanted these air fryer zucchini fritters to have prosciutto. So, at first, I did this kind of roll-up version, like in the image below, and I dipped it in my Spicy Vodka Sauce.

But I just wasn't happy that it wasn't a fritter. They were also kind of hard to make. If I'm going to put a lot of effort into prepping something, it has to be really, really good like a Pistachio Cream Tiramisu or something.

So, I landed on sticking with the traditional zucchini fritter method, but in the air fryer. I also slightly freeze the prosciutto before chopping it to make it really easy to mix with the other ingredients!

Substitution and Ingredient Notes

Zucchini. Fresh zucchini works best. You could also substitute fresh squash in this recipe!
Breadcrumbs. Use regular breadcrumbs, not panko. Regular breadcrumbs get the texture right and absorb more liquid in the mixture.
Prosciutto. I like to throw my prosciutto in the freezer for 15 minutes before this. It will make it easier to chop. You can substitute pepperoni, bresaola, or sopresatta.
Parmigiana. Fresh Parmigiana is always best. If it's pregrated, it usually has an anticoagulant of some sort in it.

*Please see the recipe card below for more information on the ingredients.

How to Make Air Fryer Zucchini Fritters

Step 1: Grate the zucchini, using the smallest grating hole you have available.

Step 2: Place the grated zucchini in a cheese cloth or paper towel and squeeze all of the liquid out as best you can. This will help us get the crispy outside on a fritter.

Step 3: In a bowl, combine zucchini, breadcrumbs, parmesan, prosciutto, flour, egg, lemon, olive oil, salt, and pepper.

All ingredients mixed together in a bowl.

Step 4: Combine well. If the mixture is too wet, add ¼ cup more breadcrumbs. (It's too wet if you can't make a patty that sticks together)

Step 5: Take ½ cup of the mixture and flatten into a patty. Flatten fairly thin. It should make 10-15 patties.

Step 6: Preheat the air fryer to 375℉. Cook the zucchini for 20-25 minutes. Flip after 10 minutes.

Serve air fryer zucchini fritters with your favorite Marinara Sauce or Creamy Red Pepper Sauce. It also goes well with Traditional Caesar Dressing, Cilantro Lime Ranch Dressing, or a creamy garlic aioli!

Pro-tip

Test the texture. If the mixture feels too wet and you can't form a patty. add more bread crumbs to help it hold its form.
Creamy inside. The higher the temperature on the air fryer the creamier the inside of the fritter will be. I like to go with 350-375 degrees farenheit so that the inside isn't too creamy.
Drain the zucchini. You NEED to squeeze the liquid from the zucchini. This is necessary if you want the crispy exterior on the fritter.
These can be fried similar to Fried Cauliflower Cakes and made as a traditional fritter.

Recipe FAQs

How to reheat the zucchini fritters?

10 minutes in the oven at 350℉ or 8 minutes in the air fryer at 400℉. Super easy to make in advance and then reheat at someone's house.

Can I bake zucchini fritters?

Yes. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes at 350℉. You can prep these hours in advance and cook right when you're ready. I like the air fryer option if you're just cooking one batch, but if you're making a ton of them, the oven is the way to go.