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These zucchini tots are the perfect snack or appetizer to incorporate more veggies into your diet. They are baked rather than fried, and are a great low carb alternative for your football party. Quick and easy to make with just a handful of ingredients, they can be made ahead of time. These healthier tots are a hit with kids and adults alike!
Ingredients to make the tater tots
- Zucchini: Zucchini takes the place of potatoes in this healthier and low carb tot recipe. Zucchini is high in vitamins C and A and is loaded with fiber. So I’m all about easy zucchini recipes like this with major health benefits.
- Egg: The egg helps to bind all of the ingredients together. If you can, use a free range / organic egg.
- Cheese: In my book, you can’t have tots without cheese! Use a shredded cheddar that has some sharpness to it.
- Panko Breadcrumbs: To bring some texture to the tots, I’ve used panko breadcrumbs. They also help to absorb excess moisture and I always buy them gluten-free so the recipe stays flourless (either Ian’s or Kikkoman).
- Spices: I seasoned these zucchini tater tots with Italian seasoning, onion powder and a little salt and pepper for a really delicious bite. You can switch out the seasoning to your preference.
How to make zucchini tots
Grate the zucchini and squeeze it in a kitchen towel to remove the excess moisture. There will be a lot more water that you’ll expect so squeeze as much as you can.
Then mix all of the ingredients together in a large bowl. You want to make sure it sticks together without being too moist. You can add more breadcrumbs if needed here if the mixture feels too wit.
Take a tablespoon of the mixture and form it into a potato tater tot shape with your hands. Place the tots on a parchment lined baking tray and bake in the oven. You can also make these by skillet, but they’ll take more time and attention. The oven is the fastest method.
Tips for making zucchini tater tots
- Squeeze as much water out of the shredded zucchini. You can use a dish towel or paper towels, but this is key to getting crisp and cheesy tator tots from the zucchini. You might still have some moisture leftover but every little bit helps.
- Add more panko breadcrumbs if the mixture is not sticky. When you’re mixing it together you should feel it sticking together. If it feels too wet though and not sticky, feel free to add more breadcrumbs, 1 tablespoon at a time.
- Make them in a mini muffin tin. Instead of rolling each tot individually, you can make them in a mini muffin tin and just scoop them in there. Just be sure you have a very good non-stick tin because otherwise they may stick.
Frequently asked questions
Can you freeze zucchini tots?
Just freeze in a single layer on a baking sheet. When they’re frozen, transfer them to an airtight container or ziplock back and place back in the freezer. This way they stay individually frozen and you can thaw as many as needed.
Cooked tots will keep in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days, and you can quickly reheat them in the microwave or toaster oven.
What do you serve with zucchini tater tots?
These tots are perfect to serve to a crowd if you are entertaining for the the big game or throwing another party. They are perfect to serve with ketchup or any of your other favorite dips, Homemade Ranch Dip and Creamy Feta Dip both work really well! You can also serve these as part of a main meal with a side of Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries.
Are these a good alternative to store bought potato tots?
The store bought potato tots contain high amounts of salt and fat, even if you oven bake them rather than fry them. This homemade zucchini tots recipe contains so much less salt and fat. And it comes in at around 115 calories a tot, as well as containing vitamins and minerals from the fresh zucchini.
For more easy zucchini recipes:
- Chicken Stuffed Zucchini Boats
- Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread
- Healthy Shrimp Scampi with Zoodles
- Zucchini Enchiladas
- Zucchini Fritters
- Zucchini Bread Muffins
- Zucchini Ravioli
- Zucchini Casserole
There are so many ways to incorporate zucchini to swap out carbs in many comfort recipes like, and these healthy taters tots with zucchini are my new favorites. I love how easy they are to make without any hard-to-find ingredients and tools required. Make them for the big game party snacks, as an appetizer or for your kids’ lunchbox. Everyone will love them!
If you’ve tried this feel good Zucchini Tots recipe or any other recipe on FeelGoodFoodie, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below! I would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots of it, share it with me on Instagram so I can repost on my stories!
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Zucchini Tots
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Ingredients
- 2 cups grated zucchini about 2 zucchinis
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Ketchup for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place the grated zucchini into a kitchen towel and squeeze all excess liquid out. Discard the liquid. It should come out to 1 cup packed after the liquid is squeezed out.
- Transfer the dried zucchini into a medium bowl. Add the egg, cheese, panko breadcrumbs, Italian seasoning and onion powder. Season with salt and pepper, and then combine until mixture sticks together.
- Spoon about 1 tablespoon of the mixture and form into small ovals, like the shape of tater tots. Makes about 16.
- Place the tater tots on the greased baking sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes, turning halfway through, until they’re golden.
- Serve warm with ketchup or other dipping sauce.
Notes
- To freeze them prior to cooking, lay them on a flat baking dish in the freezer for at least 4 hours. When frozen, place them in an airtight bag. Thaw in the fridge overnight and cook per instructions.
- To freeze them after cooking, cool them completely, and then store them in a freezer-safe airtight bag. To re-heat, thaw in the fridge overnight and bake in a 350°F oven until heated through.
- Instead of eggs, you can use a flax egg. Replace one egg with 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed + 3 tablespoons water. Let the mixture sit for 10 minutes before incorporating into the mixture. You can also use low-fat buttermilk.
- If you prefer not to use breadcrumbs, you can use a gluten-free flour like almond flour or oat flour.
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
2 cups of grated zuccini measured before or after squeezing the liquid?
Before—it should come out to about 1 cup packed after the liquid is all squeezed out.
These were so good! I put in crushed almond crackers to make it gluten-free and it was so tasty with garlic salt. Yum! Yum!!
Sounds so good! Glad you liked them, Tracy!
Waiting for the 2nd batch to finish now. My husband could not wait for it to cool so used the ketchup to cool it down. He’s my zucchini grower and it is that time of year! He is very impressed. I watch my grandchildren during the week so wanted these for lunch tomorrow. I appreciate your GF panko info as my daughter has celiacs. She’s excited about taking some home tomorrow. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Aww, I’m so glad your entire family gets to enjoy these zucchini tater tots—especially your daughter! I’m sure they’re especially delicious with your husband’s homegrown zucchini. Thanks, Liz!!
It’s annoying to see recipes labelled gluten free that aren’t. Panko is made of bread. It’s breadcrumbs. There aren’t even any alternatives suggested.
Sorry for the confusion! I say that I use gluten-free panko breadcrumbs (either Ian’s or Kikkoman) in the recipe but have just updated all of the panko breadcrumb mentions to make it even more clear that they are gluten free. In the recipe card, I also suggest using almond flour or oat flour if you prefer to not use breadcrumbs. Hope that helps!
I liked this recipe added red pepper flakes, onion and herb d’ providence. Rolled in the panko instead of mixing in, froze for 4 hours. Will let you the outcome! Planning to air fry mine
Yum, sounds so good! Hope you enjoy!!
Thanks for the recipe! Always need another for zucchini!! Do you get better results freezing cooked or uncooked tots?
For sure cooked. The moisture can be a big problem if they are raw so cooking them first helps so much!
These were so delicious! I made w our 11 year old and she had run rolling them out. We rolled them in Italian seasoned panko before baking for extra crunch. So delicious it was our entire meal dipped in my homemade marinara. Thank you for sharing.
Oo I love that idea!! So glad you both liked them!
Made these a few weeks ago delish .. going to make tonight and add some bacon bits hope they turn out …
So glad you like them!
So do you grease the parchment paper? Step 1 says line pan with parchment paper, then says step 5 to place on greased tray????
Yes, just a light spray of olive oil or avocado oil to help crisp the bottoms. Hope you enjoy!
great i put them in the freezer and just reheated also like ranch dressing with them
Yay! That is such a delicious combo!
These look amazing! But was the cheddar sharp or regular?
Thank you so much! It was regular, but you could use either depending on your preference.
These are addictive! Putting Badia Ranch seasoning in them really makes them irresistible.
Love the sound of that! Glad you enjoyed!!
These are SO delicious. I used almond flour because I don’t eat gluten and Monterey Jack cheese since I didn’t have any cheddar on hand and they came out perfect.
Thank you!! Glad you made it work and enjoyed!
What’s the best dipping sauce you’ve found for these??
They are perfect to serve with ketchup or any of your other favorite dips, Homemade Ranch Dip and Creamy Feta Dip both work really well! You can also serve these as part of a main meal with a side of Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries.
Hi dear
I am from iran.
I would be grateful if you could tell me about “tots”.
It would be helpful if you could tell me that What kinds of food are they? Because I need to translate it in persian.
Thanks alot
Tots are grated potatoes formed into small cylinders and then cooked!
Had no Cheddar ( rare wit 2 kids) Could have sworn some in the freezer, but either way. I did these with Feta (crumbled) so delicious. Just required an extra 5 minutes.
So glad it still turned out good!
Oh my God ! This recipe is amazing 😍😍😍it’s really a great idea for lunchbox as well
Thank you so much! Yes, for sure!
How can you make this vegan please? I must for medical reasons.
Instead of eggs, you can use a flax egg. Replace one egg with 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed + 3 tablespoons water. Let the mixture sit for 10 minutes before incorporating into the mixture. For the cheese, you’d have to find a vegan shredded cheddar cheese!
I made the zucchini tots today and they were fabulous. Needless to say they sure didn’t last long.
Yay!! I’m glad to hear it!
These were really good! Great way to use all the extra zukes coming in. Thanks!
Thank you! I love that!
I made these today, and very tasty. Tastes like kabobs, such a plus that they are vegetarian 🙂 I didn’t have onion powder so finally chopped up a little bit of onion, and added cilantro because I didn’t want it to go bad! Thank-you for the recipe!
That makes me so happy to hear! You’re so welcome!!
I made it as a appetizer and everyone loves it
Thanks for healthy and easy recipe🙏
That makes me so happy to hear! You’re so welcome!!
This is very easy to make and delicious
Thanks for sharing
Yay!! You’re so welcome!
Yea
These came out perfectly crispy and cheesy! To cut carbs I went with almond flour, used half romano, half mozzarella and dipped in marinara. Thank you!
That’s perfect! You’re welcome!!
Tried this today, so easy to make and sooo goood.. I did mine in the air fryer so delicious.. thank you so much..
That makes me so happy to hear! You’re welcome!
Sounds yummy. Can’t help but feel slightly turned off by “Italian seasoning.” Why not just list the separate ingredients?
Thank you! Italian seasoning is a common blend of spices that is sold and what I used, which is why I listed that as one ingredient.
Love this idea!
Yay!!
At what degrees and how long would you cook this recipe in an air fryer and any other buttons to push on air fryer to cook these? I am new to my sir fryer.. Thanks
I have yet to cook these in the air fryer. However, I think you could cook these at 400°F for 10-12 minutes, or until the tots are golden brown and crisp.
Disappointed. Your nutritional assay is based upon an estimate for chicken tenders!?!? How misleading for people on a limited diet. And the serving size is not identified anyway, so how useful would an assay be anyway?
The nutritional information is for zucchini tater tots and for one serving, which would be a 1/4 of the recipe!
Can this be done in a regular oven and be crispy instead of an air fryer? If so, at what temp and for how long? Sound great for kids
This recipe is actually made using oven! Bake for 25-30 minutes at 400°F.
This recipe is really good and simple! I think I got too excited & put a little too much cheese but they were yum 😋
Thank you! Never too much cheese!
Really simple and good recipe.
Thank you!
Thank you! Your recipe was amazing 🤩 A great gluten free snack!
You’re so welcome! Yes!!
Thank you for the yummy recipe, the taste is so delicious and we approved it as a main dish in our menu 💗
You’re so welcome! I love that!
OH love that! They’re so good!
It turned out so beautiful and yummy. Thanks for the recipe.
I added some fried onions to the mixture as well and the combination was perfect!
Yay! So glad you liked it! And I love that you added fried onions to the mixture!!
Hi Yumna, Thanks for this recipe, it looks yummy. Is there any substitute for Cheese, trying to make a noncheese version for my family? thanks!
Yan can actually skip the cheese if you’d like. You can add a little more flour to help them hold their shape.
These turned out amazing!!!!!!! They were gone in minutes. They taste so good and cheesy!!! I added a little
Bit dried parmesan and it was amazing! Will definitely be making them again and again. Healthy and guilt free!
Yay, so glad to hear you enjoyed them and I love that you added parmesan to it!
Loved this recipe. These zucchini tots were very flavorful light snack. Will definitely be making them again.
Yay, so glad to hear that. Thank you!!
I did this a few days ago and they taste amazing! My daughter loved it and it is perfect for school lunchbox! We made them circle shaped and called them Cookirgettes (cookies + courgettes which is zucchini in French) thank you for this simple yet awesome recipe ?
So glad to hear it! Thanks so much for taking the time to share Sara 🙂
Heads up if you are planning to make these Zucchini tater tots “they will be all gone before you open and close your eyes. These are so delicious. I couldn’t do 4 servings, All gone. My kids loved it too. Paired mine with a combination of hummus and ketchup????. Super yum. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for sharing!!! They turned out amazing and delicious and browned to perfection!!! They were also quick and simple to make!!
So glad to hear that! Thank you so much for the feedback! 🙂
This recipe sounds awesome! But I’m confused, Panko breadcrumbs are traditionally not gluten free – do you mean you used a gluten free version? I’m looking for GF recipes for my husband who is gluten intolerant.
You’re right, they’re not always gluten-free, but the ones I see in stores always happen to be gluten free. I buy Ian’s or Kikkoman. I will make that clear in the post. Thank you!