These cauliflower fritters are an excellent lunch or side. Crushed cauliflower is combined with Parmesan, fresh herbs and simple seasoning, then pan-fried in a little oil until golden brown. Serve with homemade tzatziki for best results.
If you want a lighter, satisfying meal that still packs flavour, these fritters are ideal. Cauliflower gets a real upgrade thanks to Parmesan (or a vegetarian hard Italian-style cheese), fresh herbs and lemon zest. You can bake them, but frying in a little oil until crisp and golden gives the best texture and flavour.
đź“‹ What do we need?
- Parmesan – or replace with an Italian-style vegetarian hard cheese for a vegetarian option.
- Flour – plain (all-purpose) or whole wheat works fine.
- Cauliflower – the florets from a small-to-medium cauliflower (about 350g / 12.3 oz). Fresh is preferable to frozen because frozen cauliflower usually contains more water and can make the fritters soggy.
🔪 How to make it
Full recipe and detailed steps are in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Steam or boil the cauliflower florets until tender, then drain well.
- Lightly mash the cauliflower with a potato masher so it resembles small, gravel-sized pieces.
- Stir in the Parmesan, egg, chopped herbs (parsley and chives are great), lemon zest, minced garlic, flour and seasoning.
- Mix until just combined.
- Form the mixture into patties—about a heaped tablespoon each.
- Fry in a little olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat until golden and crisp on both sides.
Pro Tip
You can shape the patties and refrigerate them, covered, for up to a day to save time on the day you plan to cook.
These fritters work well as a side for fish or roasted meats, or serve them alone for lunch with tzatziki. If you haven’t made tzatziki before, homemade is quick and far more flavourful than most store-bought varieties.
I often make a batch of tzatziki to keep in the fridge for the week—it’s great with gyros, kebabs or simply as a dip alongside these fritters.
🍽️ Other sauces to serve with your fritters
If tzatziki isn’t your thing, try one of these alternative sauces:
Sauces and Dips
Sweet Chilli Sauce
Sauces and Dips
Bang Bang Sauce
Sauces and Dips
Sweet & Sour Sauce
Sauces and Dips
BBQ Sauce
More Cauliflower Recipes
Skinny Recipes
Cauliflower Steak with Spicy Salsa Verde
Appetizers
Cauliflower Arancini
Appetizers
Baked Cauliflower Wings – Asian Style
Soups
Creamy Cauliflower Soup
Sides
Easy Cauliflower Cheese
Asian
Cauliflower Fried Rice
đź“ş Watch how to make it
Cauliflower Fritters
Ingredients
Cauliflower Fritters:
- 1 small cauliflower chopped into small florets (about 350g / 12.3 oz)
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- zest of 1 lemon
- small bunch fresh parsley chopped
- small bunch chives chopped
- 60 g (1/2 cup) plain (all-purpose) flour
- 1 clove garlic peeled and minced
- 50 g (1/2 cup) grated Parmesan cheese use vegetarian hard cheese for a vegetarian version
- 1 medium egg
- 3 tbsp olive oil
To Serve:
- Tzatziki
- a few sprigs of fresh dill
Instructions
-
Steam or boil the cauliflower florets for about 6 minutes, then drain well.
-
Transfer to a bowl and crush lightly with a potato masher until pieces are small but not puréed.
-
Add salt, pepper, lemon zest, parsley, chives, flour, garlic, Parmesan and the egg. Mix to combine.
-
Scoop a heaped tablespoon of the mixture, roll into a ball, flatten and place on a plate. You should get 8–10 fritters.
-
Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Working in batches, fry the fritters for 3–4 minutes each side until well browned and crisp. Keep cooked fritters warm in a low oven while you cook the rest.
-
Arrange on a serving plate, top with tzatziki and a sprig of dill, and serve with extra tzatziki on the side.
Notes
Make ahead: Prepare and form the fritters but don’t fry them. Cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Remove from the fridge 30–60 minutes before cooking to take the chill off, then fry as directed.
Using frozen cauliflower: Fresh cauliflower is best. If you use frozen, cook and drain it, then press or mash while in a colander to remove as much moisture as possible before mixing with the other ingredients to avoid a soggy texture.
Nutritional information shown is per fritter (assuming 10 fritters) and excludes tzatziki.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is an approximation and should be used as a guide only.
This post was first published September 2016 and updated subsequently for video, tips and housekeeping.
Some links on the original site may be affiliate links. Nutritional information is approximate and can vary. Please refer to the original site’s terms and conditions for more details.