I Tried Zucchini Tots and They’re the Perfect Summer Snack

There is no such thing as too much zucchini during the summer. You can do just about anything with this veggie — slice it into planks and grill it, grate it and cook it down into a buttery pasta sauce, or chop it up for a simple stir-fry. So when I saw Feel Good Foodie’s zucchini tots, the summer squash enthusiast in me knew I had to try them.

I am all for a starchy tater tot, but I am also very intrigued by the concept of a squash-based tot. I mean, mix together my favorite summer veggie with cheese and breadcrumbs and then send it for a quick bout in the air fryer? Oh yes, I am in there like swimwear. Here’s how it all went down.

To prepare these, you’ll grate two medium zucchinis and then use a clean kitchen towel to wring out any excess moisture. From there, combine the zucchini with an egg, panko breadcrumbs, onion powder, Italian seasoning, and shredded cheddar cheese (or whatever cheese you like). Using your hands, form this mixture into tot-like cylinders (it should make about 16). Then, arrange them in the basket of your air fryer and cook at 400°F for 8 to 10 minutes. You can serve them with any dipping sauce.

Get the recipe: Zucchini Tots at Feel Good Foodie

These were such a fun little summery snack. They were easy to make and required only a few simple ingredients. I am a huge proponent of letting a machine do the work for me, so using the grating attachment on my food processor to shred the zucchini was a great way to save time and energy.

While you certainly could pan- or deep-fry these, I felt like the air fryer did a great job and it was a very hands-off cooking process. They’re delightfully cheesy and they crisped up super nicely in the air fryer. I would definitely make these again as a simple, entertaining snack or simply if I just had a few squashes on hand that I needed to use up.

A lot of the discussion surrounding zucchini recipes is that this is the recipe that’s going to convert any zucchini hater. Personally, I find this narrative to be quite foolish because I don’t need any convincing that zucchini is delicious.

However, if you’re on the fence with this magical summer vegetable (like I said, I can’t relate to this feeling), then these tots are a great place for any summer squash-curious cooks to start. If you are a parent trying to add a little more green into your child’s diet, I would imagine that any kid would geek out over this cheesy tot. You would never know that a majority of the tot is a green vegetable.

1. Wring, wring, wring. The key to making these zucchini tots crispy is wringing them out and removing any excess water. While this step is admittedly a little annoying, it’s the quickest and easiest way to ensure that these air-fried tots are going to be crunchy. Get as much moisture out as you can.
2. Adjust the mixture as needed. If you’re having trouble with forming the zucchini mixture into tots, add a sprinkling of more breadcrumbs. This will help the mixture hold its shape without falling apart.

Get the recipe: Zucchini Tots at Feel Good Foodie

This post originally ran on Kitchn. See it there: I Tried Making Zucchini Tots and They’re the Perfect Summer Snack