Have you ever seen three grown men get excited over zucchini? Because I have to say that was definitely a new experience for me.
Don't get me wrong-- there's a lot to love about these Cheesy Garlic Zucchini Bites. They're tender inside and crispy outside, kind of like what you'd expect out of a great tater tot. They've got a ton of cheddar cheese mixed in for that ooey-gooey factor. They've got garlic powder, fresh dill, and green onion to make 'em even tastier. And all of that zucchini? It's mild in flavor so it doesn't overpower any of the other ingredients (as evidenced by the aforementioned grown men being excited by these things), but makes the bites tender and, of course, loaded with vegetables.
We could even say that the zucchini makes them healthy, right?
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Speaking of healthiness, did I mention that these Cheesy Garlic Zucchini Bites are baked? Usually I fry my zucchini up in the form of fritters, but this is my new favorite way-- it's just as tasty, much less messy, and ultra-dippable when they're in those little bite-sized bits.
In fact, I think it might have been the whole serving them with ranch for dipping thing that piqued the guys' interest.
That and the fact that these things smell AWESOME as they bake. Imagine the aroma of cheesy garlic bread in the oven, but with the knowledge that what you're cooking up is actually not all that bad for you. That's basically what you get here,.. and the bites taste even better than they smell.
So much so that when the mini-crowd we've amassed for watching Game of Thrones showed up to our place on Sunday, they actually devoured these. You know, it was kind of like Ramsay Bolton's dogs. Or a swarm of wights. The point is that they ate them so quickly that George R.R. Martin would be awestruck by the scene.
Ok, I promise I'm done with the Game of Thrones references now. Stay with me here.
Whether you make these as a snack like I did, or as an appetizer, or even as a side dish, I would be willing to bet that they are just as huge as a hit in your house as they were in mine. If you've got a garden full of zucchini to use up, this is one seriously delicious way to do it. And if you've got picky eaters in your house that you're struggling to get greens into, look no further than these Cheesy Garlic Zucchini Bites. You just can't go wrong with these.
I've got three guys willing to testify to that.
Cheesy Garlic Zucchini Bites
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 30 bites 1x
Ingredients
- 2 cups shredded and patted dry zucchini (from about 2 medium-sized zucchini)
- 1 ¼ cup plain panko bread crumbs
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup finely chopped green onion
- 2 tablespoons chopped dill
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- Ranch, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large bowl, stir together the zucchini, panko bread crumbs, cheddar cheese, egg, green onion, dill, and seasonings until well-combined.
- One tablespoon at a time, press the zucchini mixture into small balls. Place onto the baking sheet and repeat until all of the zucchini mixture has been used up.
- Bake until browned and crisp, about 30 minutes, flipping halfway through.
- Serve warm with ranch, for dipping, if desired.
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
Janet says
In step two of the directions, I think you forgot to add the zucchini to that mixture. Just checking.
Morgan says
Oh man how did I miss that? Haha. Thank you, I fixed it now!
Kristen says
I would love to make a huge batch of these and freeze some. Do you think this would work? Maybe just bake them longer if frozen?
Morgan says
Yes, I think they'd work great if frozen and reheated. Bake the same amount of time initially, and reheat at 350 degrees and you should be good!
Alex says
Can I make these tonight and put them in the fridge and reheat them tomorrow?? Trying to make for super bowl!
Morgan says
Yes that should be fine, Alex!
Jennifer says
Can I prepare these the night before I plan on baking them
Pauline Carroll says
My entire family loved these! I didn't have any dill but they were still delicious! I'll certainly be making them often now!
Élisabeth says
I just did this recipe. It's good! I did it to my boyfriend and his friends but if they don't come home soon I'm afraid I'm gonna eat it all!
Steph says
Do you think mozzarella would work instead of cheddar? I have a bag in the fridge and the idea is rather tempting!
Morgan says
I think mozzarella would be good, though it doesn't usually have as much flavor as cheddar. =) I still say go for it.
Vanessa says
how many carbs?
Lisa says
Can I prepare this the night before I bake them? Thank you!
Rachel S. says
Don't know about overnight but I made the batter in the morning and put the bowl in the fridge, then baked them in the evening, and they came out great! Be sure to wring out a good amount of water from the shredded zucchini before mixing since the zuke makes the batter a bit wet which only gets worse as it sits. My guests were also loving these and some said they didn't even need the ranch.
Ashley says
Do I peel the zucchini first ?
Michael says
These were incredible!! I made them for the super bowl and I think they were my favorite part of our spread. I thought the dill might overpower but it was really the perfect accent!
Meg says
I couldn't get them to form. What did I do wrong? They were delicious though!
Amber says
I had good hopes but didn’t think they turned out so great. Followed the recipe, but mine didn’t want to stay in shape. I ended up flattening them into disks like potato pancakes. Mine didn’t come out as crispy looking, and it made me think that maybe the shown pictures were of deep fried zuccini bites instead of baked? I couldn’t get mine as perfectly rounded as those shown in recipe pics. They were edible but not sure I’d make again
Morgan says
Sorry to hear that, Amber! No, these were baked, I promise! It sounds to me like the zucchini might have been too wet. You have to really pat it quite dry or the mixture is too wet to hold together and crisp up. Could that have been the issue?
Lynne says
What would be a great sauce for these please. I don't think I can get ranch here.
The balls look great to by the way.
Thank you for sharing.
Debbi says
I feel like you can do any kind of dip you would like! Maybe the closest would be a sour cream or may based..like a garlic herb or sour cream and onion
Debbi says
That would be MAYO. (keyboard does not like me today)
natalie says
what can i use instead of pamko
Enkida says
Crushed pretzels (the cracker kind, not the fresh bready kind), though you may have to reduce the salt in the recipe if you do that.
Tricia says
I used a mixture of Doritos and Cooler Ranch Doritos that I pulsed in the Ninja since I didn't have panko. I figured the cheddar and ranch flavors would be fine, since both are part of it anyways! I'm going to comment after they are finished to let everyone know the outcome!
Shannenn says
My husband and I both absolutely love these. Will definitely be making them again! Shared them with friends and they wanted the recipe. Thanks for sharing!
Laurie says
I made these today, making sure to pat the zucchini dry. They turned out delicious! The only thing I would do next time is to make them for a couple of minutes less. Ovens can vary so that’s what would work best for mine.
Swati says
I thought these would be dry, being baked instead of fried, but they came out great, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. I added red onion to mine as I didn't have green onion and oregano instead of dill. Very tasty, will definitely make again.
Pat says
I just finished making these and they definitely aren’t balls. I followed the recipe exactly. They flattened out like little pancakes. They are very tasty. I would definitely make again but feel something more is needed as a binder....flour??
Morgan says
They should flatten out a bit, you don't want them to stay in ball shape. However if they are too thin, perhaps the zucchini was a little too liquidy still?
Marlene says
Actually mine didn’t flatten at all and I wanted them too. I may have been overly zealous in my removal of liquid!. So I just patted them down a bit with a metal spatula when I turned them at the halfway point and they were great. Next time I will put 1/2 of the salt but that is not a criticism of the recipe, just my personal taste. They’re delicious. Thank you!!
Kathy Arena says
Made these last night and thought there was way too much Panko. 1 1/2C is a lot. Tasted more Panko than anything else. They did hold their shape but I used a small ice cream scoop and I made a Lemon Garlic Aioli as a dipping sauce. Will cut Panko down next time
Lori says
We loved these. Had a bumper crop of zucchini this summer and have been searching outside the box for recipes. I think they are just perfect the way they are. Sure, a different cheese could be substituted if desired, but I wouldn’t change the amount of anything in the recipe. I will say it did not make the amount of bites the recipe says but that’s because I must have made bites that were double in size! Didn’t matter! It was all good! Word to the wise, I didn’t use parchment paper, I just sprayed the pan with Pam. Half of the balls stuck. Next time I will use the parchment paper! Thanks for an awesome recipe!
Gits says
Hi! What can I use instead of eggs? Would it taste the same with cornflour and if yes, how much to put?
Thanks
Vanessa says
Thanks for sharing! Do you think I could prep them ahead of time then cook?
Brooke says
I've made half ahead: zucchini, onions, and seasoning. Later add the cheese and panko with eggs and it will turn out perfectly (added benefit of more liquid pooling out of the veggies while you wait with it in the fridge). PS: I found whole wheat panko and it's delicious, tastes exactly the same as regular in this recipe. I've made it 5 times!
lori says
These look so good but I'm wondering how I could make them keto/low carb. Would crushed pork rinds work to replace the panko or would you suggest almond or coconut flour?
cm says
I don't aim for keto, just keeping lower carb , but I used 1/2 cup panko, 1/2 cup almond flour and 1 tbsp of coconut flour, then threw in an extra egg as insurance for holding them together. Haven't made the original recipe as written so cannot compare texture, but my batch is tasty and the outside did bake up crispy. Made 24 "bites" which calc'd out in myfitnesspal at 34 calories with 2g each carbs, fat, protein. Next time around, I may leave out the extra egg and increase the cheese some instead.
I've never had pork rinds - have you used them in other recipes where they act as sort of a binder? If so, I'd expect them to act similarly here.
Michelle says
Just made. Should have squeezed zucchinis better. Not ball shaped but very good. Made a yogurt pesto dip. Paired awesome. Great recipe
Ashleigh says
My family loves these! But my zucchini supply is starting to run low; do you think I could use spaghetti squash?
Morgan says
That's a great idea! I think it would work. I'm going to try it ASAP-- if you get to it before I do, please let me know how it goes.
Sharon Z says
Made these tonight and I must say they were delicious! I used a very mature cheddar which gave it a little extra kick, but followed the recipe exactly. You definitely need to squeeze out all the water from the zucchini. They held their shape and were so tasty they didn’t really need any dip.
Beth says
Would it be ok to make these up and freeze the balls raw and then defrost and bake later? I want to make some ahead for a big party so I dont have to do it at the last minute except for baking.
Sharon says
I actually cooked them half way, cooled them and froze them. When we had our party I pulled them out and stuck them in the oven frozen at 350 for 15+/- minutes. They were perfect.
Brian says
Made these for game day and were delicious
Will be making them again
Christine Simpson says
These were amazing! I found a GREAT recipe for our next party. I live fried pickles and these did the trick! Totally unexpected, a very welcome surprise!
Tricia says
Made them tonight with substitutions since I was missing some things... Used regular and cooler Ranch Doritos I pulsed up in place of panko... Red onion instead of green. Turned out AWESOME! Posted to Instagram 🙂
Barbara Nieroda says
I altered: It was too hot to bake so I fried them outside. I used oregano instead of dill, and only mixed in 1 cup of panko. Best if the balls are 1 inch round. Then I rolled in some panko to coat.
Served with Marinara sauce. Yum
Bonnie says
Took these to a party today (and I doubled the recipe). They were a huge hit! I will definitely make them again. I made a dipping sauce using more garlic dill and chives. They even looked really nice on the platter!
Mary says
I have made these numerous times & my family loves them! They r much better eaten warm!
Nicole W says
oh my gosh. What a delight!
Would definitely half the recipe - too good to stop eating!
Mine was pretty spicy - so i would half the salt, use less panko as i need get more veggies and less carbs. But seriously this was amazing! Thank you so very much!!
Def would be a great party food. If only we could have parties!
Gilou Cowan says
I made this for my family and I used a non dairy cheese. I have to say that these were the best of all appetizers that I make! And they are so healthy!
Sasha says
What is the nutritional info?
Susan says
Excellent snack... It was a huge hit and everyone wanted the recipe.
renee says
Has anyone tried using parmesan?
Faith says
Could you make these gluten free?
Morgan says
Yes! Gluten free panko breadcrumbs will work fine here.
Suzanne says
This looks so good! What a fun way to use up a bunch of zucchini at once!
VAnessa says
Thanks for sharing! How far ahead of time can I make them?
Roni Van Gulick says
Made these tonight and they were fantastic! I had trouble getting them to stay in ball shapes so I added an extra egg. Worked great! I smashed the balls slightly so they were more disc shaped to crisp them up more. Also, I didn’t have fresh dill so I used 1 tsp dried dill. Will definitely make them again!
Eliel Kon says
Hi Morgan,
As a non american, can you please explain what is "ranch dip" ?
Loved the recipe and going to try it.
Leaving my wife's email, something is wrong with mine, so if you can post the mail to me; Eliel.
Thank you very much.
Sue C says
These zucchini bites were excellent! What makes them so great is the dill! I used fresh dill but I certainly would use dried dill weed if I didn’t have fresh. Instead of panko I used crushed cheeze-it crackers.Fantastic way to use up all the zucchini!
Debbi says
These are yummy! I think one time I used dry biscuit mix instead of panko due to what I had on hand!
Ashley says
Do you think I could cook these in the air fryer instead? I'm kind of obsessed with it right now lol
Morgan says
I haven't tried them in the air fryer myself, but they absolutely should work out! Just make sure to check on them as they cook as timing can slightly differ between the air fryer and conventional oven.