These easy Broccoli Fritters are made with 4 simple ingredients and make a great kid-friendly lunch or snack. They are ready to eat in 15 minutes and can be served as a vegetarian pattie, a baby veggie burger, or a light lunch or healthy snack. Soft on the inside and crispy on the outside, broccoli fritters are a great way to sneak your kids a dose of vegetables!
Broccoli Fritters are crispy on the outside from being pan-fried but soft and melt-in-your mouth on the inside. This makes them perfect for little ones just getting used to textured foods or eating solid adult foods, plus picky eaters who refuse their veggies. They are a great alternative to crispy zucchini fritters and fried tacos!
Since these broccoli fritters are mixed with tasty cheddar cheese and breadcrumbs, they are a sneaky yet delicious way to get your family their daily dose of veggies without them even knowing it. When making a big batch, they are great to use for meal prepping or snacking and lunch boxes throughout the week. Broccoli fritters are especially yummy when dipped into ketchup, mustard, sour cream and other sauces.
Other than it's great nutritional benefits and simplicity, we love this recipe because it's perfect for using up leftover broccoli which we often have. And while we pan fry our patties, they can just as easily be baked in the oven or air fried.
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Ingredients
You need:
- Broccoli: this recipe is written for using pre-cooked broccoli, but uncooked fresh broccoli florets or frozen broccoli florets can be used. You'll just need to steam or boil the broccoli prior to making the patties and build that time into the recipe.
- Cheddar cheese: shredded cheddar cheese pairs great with broccoli. Feel free to mix in some grated parmesan cheese too!
- Breadcrumbs: either panko breadcrumbs for some extra crunch or seasoned breadcrumbs as I use.
- Egg: for binding the fritter
- Salt & pepper: enhances the taste but feel free to omit.
How To Pan Fry
Prior to following the steps below, you will need to cook the broccoli if you don't have leftover cooked broccoli. You can steam broccoli in the microwave or a steamer pot. To boil, bring a pot of water to a boil over high heat. Put the chopped broccoli into the boiling water and cook for 5 minutes over medium heat, then remove and follow the instructions below.
- Place the broccoli florets into a food processor and process until pieces are very small. Alternatively, use a knife to chop broccoli into tiny pieces.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the chopped broccoli, cheddar cheese, breadcrumbs, egg, salt and black pepper. Stir well.
- Roll the mixture into small balls, about 2-3 inches just like you would meatballs. Press them between your palms to flatten into patties.
- In a cast iron skillet or non-stick frying pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Place the fritters on the skillet and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side or until golden brown. The sides will be golden brown when they are done.
- Remove from pan and serve warm or at room temperature.
How To Oven Bake
Follow steps 1 to 3 above. Then place the the fritters on a parchment-lined baking sheet and brush lightly with olive oil. Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 10-12 minutes, flipping halfway through.
Serve your fritters with crispy french fries or sweet potato fries, mashed potatoes, pita chips or bread or garlic bread. They can be dipped into a variety of sauces and salsas too.
Yes, they can be frozen for up to 6 months.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Be careful flipping the patties. They will be a little fragile before being cooked on both sides. If the pan is overcrowded, you may have a hard time flipping them so don't fry too many at once.
- Use a food processor to finely chop the cooked or steamed broccoli, which will make it easier to disguise and for picky eaters to notice. You can also mash the broccoli instead of chopping it.
Variations
Gluten-free: make broccoli fritters gluten free by using a gluten-free breadcrumb mixture.
Low carb: instead of using breadcrumbs, use almond flour or coconut flour mixed with seasonings like paprika and dried herbs.
Swap the cheese: use a different shredded cheese or make broccoli parmesan fritters using all parmesan cheese instead of cheddar cheese.
How To Store
Broccoli fritters keep in the fridge for up to 7 days. They can be frozen for up to 6 months when stored in freezer-safe bags or containers.
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Recipe
Broccoli Fritters
Equipment
- large frying pan or cast iron skillet
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups cooked broccoli, see notes for using uncooked broccoli
- 1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
- ⅓ cup seasoned breadcrumbs, or panko
- 1 large egg
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Place the cooked broccoli florets in a food processor and process until pieces are very small. Alternatively, use a knife to chop broccoli into tiny pieces.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the chopped broccoli, cheddar cheese, breadcrumbs, egg, salt and black pepper. Stir well.
- Roll the mixture into small balls, about 2-3 inches. Press them between your palms to flatten into patties.
- In a cast iron skillet or non-stick frying pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Place the fritters on the skillet and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side or until golden brown.
- Remove from pan and serve warm or at room temperature.
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