Parmesan Zucchini Tots

These Parmesan zucchini tots are crispy, lightly cheesy, and stuffed with zucchini. They come together in just 30 minutes, making them a quick and easy appetizer or side dish.

Ingredients for Zucchini Tots

• Zucchini – Zucchini is the key ingredient for these tots. The key to crispy tots is to squeeze out as much excess liquid from the shredded zucchini as possible.
• Breadcrumbs – this recipe uses panko breadcrumbs, but we’ve also used whole wheat breadcrumbs with little change in the texture (but we did have to use a little more breadcrumbs to hold their shapes).
• Almond meal – we like adding almond meal for an extra dose of nutrients (healthy fats, fiber, and protein). You can also replace with more breadcrumbs, if desired.
• Parmesan cheese – adds a little saltiness and nuttiness to these tots
• Egg – acts as a binding agent to keep all the tot goodness together when baked. For vegan option, use egg substitute (Just Egg) or aquafaba.
• Seasonings – salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and dried rosemary are our favorite seasonings, but you can swap in any herbs you’d like.

Tips for Making Zucchini Tots

• Squeeze out excess moisture – the secret to crispy tots that stay together is squeezing out as much moisture from the shredded zucchini as possible. You can do this by squeezing the zucchini with a dish cloth, cheesecloth, or nut milk bag.
• Use a binding agent – binding agents hold everything together. We use breadcrumbs and egg to help keep these tots in one delicious piece. If your tots won’t hold their form, try adding a bit more breadcrumbs. The mixture should be wet, but stick together and hold a shape.
• Turn the tots – in order to have crispy tots all the way around, turn the tots over about halfway through baking. If you’re using the air fryer, shake the basket regularly (about every 5 minutes) to prevent burning.

How to Make Zucchini Tots

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Alternately, if you use an air fryer, preheat the air fryer to 400°F.

Grate the zucchini. You do not need to peel the zucchini before grating. Use a dish towel or cheese cloth to squeeze the excess liquid out of the grated zucchini (there will be a lot of liquid). Pat dry the squeezed zucchini and transfer to a medium mixing bowl.

Add the egg, almond meal, breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper. Mix well to combine.

Scoop about 1 tablespoon of zucchini mixture into your hand and shape into an oval. Transfer the raw tot to the cooking sheet and repeat until all of the mixture is used.

Oven baked tots: Bake the tots for 16 to 18 minutes, turning over halfway through. Remove from the oven and enjoy with your choice of dip.

Air fryer tots: Spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray and add the tots. Cook the tots at 400°F for 10 to 12 minutes, shaking the basket every 5 minutes. For smaller air fryers, cook in batches. Serve with your choice of dip.

Zucchini Tot Variations

• Gluten free – to make this recipe gluten free, replace breadcrumbs with an additional 1/4 cup of almond meal, coconut flour, or crushed rice cereal.
• Air fryer – preheat the air fryer to 400F. Spray the basket with cooking spray and add the tots. Cook the tots for 10 to 12 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through. You may need to cook the tots in batches depending on the size of your basket.
• Seasonings – for a bit of spice, add a pinch of red pepper flakes, chipotle powder, or cayenne pepper. Add Italian seasoning, chives, or tarragon for some extra and unique herbiness.
• Dipping sauces – try these tots with ketchup, honey mustard, Dijon mustard, creamy Italian dressing, chipotle aioli, or other sauce of choice.

How to Store Zucchini Tots

• Fridge – zucchini tots are best immediately after baking. However, if you have leftovers, you can keep them for 3 to 4 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. To prevent them from getting soggy, line the top and bottom of the container with paper towels.
• Freezer – after shaping the tots, put them on a cookie sheet and flash freeze them for about 1 hour. Then, transfer them to a freezer bag. Store up to 1 month. When you want to make the tots, transfer them to a baking sheet. Let them partially thaw (about 10 minutes at room temperature). Then bake according to original recipe directions.

What Can I Do With Leftover Zucchini

Still have leftover zucchini after making these zucchini tots? Try out these other zucchini recipes.

• Zucchini boats
• Zucchini fries
• Zucchini bread
• Zucchini muffins
• Grilled zucchini
• Zucchini noodles
• Zucchini chips
• Zucchini cake
• Add it to smoothies for extra creaminess

Parmesan Zucchini Tots: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Do you have to peel zucchini before cooking – no! In fact a ton of the nutrition comes from zucchini skin. Be sure to wash the exterior well before shredding.
2. How do you get moisture out of shredded zucchini – there are several methods for removing excess moisture from zucchini. You can press the water out using a kitchen towel, cheesecloth, or nut milk bag. Using something sturdier than paper towels will make sure your towels don’t tear and they do a better job of absorbing the moisture. You can also use a fine mesh sieve and press the liquid out, but we have limited success with this method.
3. What do I do if my tots aren’t sticking together – try adding more breadcrumbs. The tots should be a little wet and sticky, but should hold their shape.

Check out our other crowd-pleasing appetizers/sides:

• Baked zucchini fries
• Air fryer sweet potato fries
• Tofu spring rolls
• Yellow corn tortilla chips
• Edamame guacamole

Let us know what you think about this recipe for Parmesan zucchini tots by dropping a comment and/or rating on the recipe card below! Also, please consider sharing on Pinterest or social media if you enjoyed this recipe (we greatly appreciate it)!