Fried Zucchini Flowers

fried zucchini flowers arranged on a plate with basil on top

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5 from 5 votes

Italian Pan-Fried Zucchini Flowers are so delicious! Make them for a fabulous appetizer.

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: Appetizer, Side Dish

Cuisine: Italian

Servings:

Calories: 214kcal

Author: Mamma C

Ingredients

12 zucchini flowers (Ideally male flowers with stems. See notes.)
1 extra large egg (or jumbo)
½ cup water
½ cup all-purpose flour
⅓ teaspoon salt
1 dash black pepper
4 basil leaves
1 ½ cups canola oil for frying (enough to be ½ inch high in the pan)

Instructions

Prep the Zucchini Flowers

If you buy the flowers at the store, they should be clean. If they're from the garden, you'll need to turn them upside down to gently shake out any bugs. If you have male flowers with the stamens still in the middle of the blossoms, wear food-safe gloves to pluck out the stamens and discard them. (Otherwise, the pollen will stain your fingers yellow.)
I recommend not rinsing the flowers since they're so delicate. (But if you insist, gently rinse them and carefully pat them dry with paper towels.)
If the stems are long, use kitchen scissors to snip the stems two inches below the flowers. Pull off the green leaves under the base of the flowers.

Make the Fried Zucchini Flowers

Crack the egg into a medium mixing bowl. Add the water and use a whisk to beat the egg and water until blended.
Add the flour, salt and pepper to the bowl and whisk to combine, making sure to mix in any flour from the bottom of the bowl. Rinse the basil leaves and pat them dry. Cut up the basil leaves with kitchen scissors (or chop them with a knife) and stir them into the batter.
Line a platter with paper towels and place it near the stove with a slotted spoon and tongs.
Add the oil to a 12-inch frying pan. Heat the pan on the stove over medium-high heat. If the oil splashes out of the pan, lower the heat a bit.
Grasp a zucchini flower by the stem (if there is one) and place it into the batter. Use tongs to flip the blossom to coat the other side with batter. Continue with up to two more flowers at a time, so you don't crowd the bowl.
To test if the oil is hot enough, drop a tiny bit of batter into the pan and see if it sizzles. When the oil is sizzling, use tongs to pick up a battered zucchini flower, let any excess batter drip off, and then gently lay the flower down in the pan. Continue adding as many blossoms as will fit in a single layer.
Fry the first side for 2 minutes, or until you see the edges of the zucchini flower fritter turning golden. Use the tongs to lift up the flower to see if the bottom is golden brown. If so, flip the fritter over to fry the second side for another two minutes or so.
Use a slotted spoon to remove cooked zucchini flowers from the pan and place them on a paper towel-lined platter to absorb excess oil. Continue battering and frying the flowers until all of them are cooked. Use a slotted spoon to remove any bits of fried batter from the oil as you go.
When all of the flowers are fried, if you have extra batter, spoon it into the pan to fry. It will be delicious! See the notes for how to discard the oil used for frying.
Let the fried zucchini flowers cool slightly and serve them immediately, so they're crispy. Store any leftovers covered with foil (not plastic or they'll become too moist) in the refrigerator for up to three days. You can reheat them in a toaster oven or air fryer for crispy results. Otherwise, try eating them cold or at room temperature. They'll get soggy if reheated in the microwave.

Notes

Male vs. Female Zucchini Flowers

Male zucchini flowers have long, thin stems and no zucchini attached to them. In the center of each blossom, you'll find the stamen, a stalk that produces pollen.

Male zucchini blossoms are best for cooking and are pictured in this post. (Pluck out the stamen first.)

Female squash blossoms grow right at the tips of the fruit, or what looks like miniature zucchini. You can cook them too, but they are delicate to handle.

See the article for more information about where to find zucchini flowers and how to harvest them.

Disposing of Used Oil - Don't pour the oil down your drain, or it can damage the plumbing. Wait until the used oil has fully cooled, then pour it into a container (such as an empty canola bottle). Throw away the container with the oil.

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