RESET360 with Camille McLaughlin
Breakfast

Turkey and Zucchini Breakfast Fritters with Lemon Yogurt

Golden fritters of ground turkey, grated zucchini, feta, dill, and mint, bound with egg and almond flour and served with a cool lemon yogurt.

Why you'll love Turkey and Zucchini Breakfast Fritters with Lemon Yogurt

Greek zucchini fritters, kolokithokeftedes, are mostly zucchini, herbs, and feta held together with flour. These keep the zucchini, dill, mint, and feta and build the fritter around ground turkey instead, so a stack of them is a full breakfast. Egg and almond flour bind them in place of wheat flour, and they fry up crisp at the edges and tender in the middle.

Zucchini is mostly water, and getting that water out is the whole technique. Salting the grated zucchini and letting it sit draws the water to the surface, and wringing it in a towel gets rid of it. A fritter made with wet zucchini steams in the pan and falls apart, while one made with squeezed zucchini browns and holds its shape when you turn it.

A spoonful of lemon yogurt on the side brings everything together. It is cool and sharp against the hot, salty fritters, and it adds a little more protein to the plate. Make a batch on Sunday and they reheat in minutes all week.

Quick overview: This Turkey and Zucchini Breakfast Fritters with Lemon Yogurt takes 25 min of hands-on time and about 50 min in all and makes 4 servings, each 3 fritters with lemon yogurt. You'll need a skillet.

Jump to recipe

Turkey zucchini fritters with lemon yogurt and sliced cucumber
Prep 25 minCook 25 minTotal 50 minServes 4Serving 3 fritters with lemon yogurtYou'll need Skillet

Ingredients

  • 2 medium zucchini (about 1 lb), coarsely grated
  • 1 tsp fine sea salt, divided
  • 3/4 cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt
  • 1 tsp finely grated lemon zest, divided
  • 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
  • 3 tbsp chopped fresh dill, divided
  • 1 lb ground turkey (thigh meat or a mix of thigh and breast if you can find it)
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/3 cup almond flour
  • 1/2 cup crumbled feta
  • 2 scallions, thinly sliced
  • 1 tbsp chopped fresh mint
  • 1 clove garlic, finely grated
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 3 tbsp olive oil, for the pan
  • 1 small English cucumber, sliced, to serve
  • Make it from scratch: Herbed Yogurt Sauce

Instructions

  1. Salt the zucchini: Toss the grated zucchini with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt in a colander set over the sink and let it sit for 10 minutes. Salt pulls the water out of the zucchini's cells, and you will see it bead up and drip.
  2. Squeeze it dry: Pile the zucchini into a clean kitchen towel, gather the corners, and twist hard over the sink until it stops dripping. You should be left with about half the volume you started with. This is the step that keeps the fritters crisp.
  3. Make the lemon yogurt: Stir the yogurt with 1/2 teaspoon of the lemon zest, the lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of the dill, and a pinch of the salt until smooth. Refrigerate it while you cook, so it is cold against the hot fritters.
  4. Mix the fritters: In a large bowl, combine the squeezed zucchini, turkey, eggs, almond flour, feta, scallions, the remaining dill, mint, garlic, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of lemon zest, the rest of the salt, and the pepper. Mix with a fork just until even, then let it rest for 5 minutes so the almond flour soaks up the egg and the mix firms. Overworking makes the fritters dense.
  5. Shape: With wet hands, divide the mix into 12 portions, about 1/4 cup each, and flatten them into patties about 1/2 inch thick. Thin fritters cook through in the time it takes the outsides to brown.
  6. Fry: Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat until it shimmers. Fry 6 fritters at a time for 4 to 5 minutes a side, turning once, until deep golden and cooked through to 165°F (74°C). Medium heat matters here, since almond flour and feta brown faster than wheat flour would. Move them to a plate and repeat with the remaining oil and fritters.
  7. Serve: Serve the fritters warm with the lemon yogurt and the sliced cucumber.

Storage and leftovers

Refrigerate cooled fritters in a sealed container for up to 3 days, and the lemon yogurt for up to 3 days.

Reheat the fritters in a skillet over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes a side, or at 350°F (175°C) for about 10 minutes, until hot through. Freeze cooked fritters between sheets of parchment for up to 2 months and reheat them from frozen at 350°F (175°C) for 15 to 18 minutes.

Variations

  • Lamb: Use ground lamb in place of the turkey and cook to 160°F (71°C).
  • Spinach and zucchini: Replace a third of the zucchini with chopped, squeezed, wilted spinach.
  • Spiced: Add 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin and a pinch of Aleppo pepper to the mix.
  • Dairy-free: Leave out the feta and serve the fritters with tahini sauce in place of the yogurt.

Notes and tips

  • The sauce has its own page: This lemon yogurt is the Lemon Yogurt on the Herbed Yogurt Sauce page, with dill stirred in. Make the herbed base from that page instead if you have it in the refrigerator.
  • Squeeze harder than you think: Most fritters that fall apart had wet zucchini. Twist the towel until nothing drips.
  • Wet your hands: Ground turkey is sticky, and wet hands shape the patties without the mix clinging.
  • Season to the feta: Feta varies in saltiness. Taste a crumb first and use a little less salt if it is very salty.
  • Use a thermometer: Ground turkey is done at 165°F (74°C), checked in the center of the thickest fritter.

Nutrition and mindful eating

  • Ground turkey carries the protein here, along with B vitamins and selenium, and it takes on the dill, mint, and lemon well.
  • Zucchini makes up a large share of each fritter, so you get a full serving of vegetables folded into the breakfast itself, along with potassium and fiber.
  • Eggs and almond flour hold the fritters together, adding more protein, vitamin E, and a little fat, while feta and yogurt bring salty and tangy flavor along with calcium.
  • Olive oil in the pan is the real fat that gives the fritters their crisp, golden crust.
  • As you eat, notice the crisp edges giving way to a tender, herby center and the cool lemon yogurt beside it, and check in late morning: protein, vegetables, and fat together like this should keep you comfortably full for at least 3 to 4 hours.

Frequently asked questions

Have a question about this Turkey and Zucchini Breakfast Fritters with Lemon Yogurt? Start here, with the questions people ask most.

Why almond flour instead of wheat flour?

Almond flour binds the fritters the way wheat flour does in a classic zucchini fritter and keeps them grain-free. It browns faster, which is why they cook over medium heat.

Can I bake them?

Yes. Set the patties on an oiled sheet pan, brush the tops with olive oil, and bake at 425°F (220°C) for 18 to 20 minutes, turning once halfway, until golden and 165°F (74°C) in the center.

My fritters fell apart. What happened?

Usually the zucchini held too much water. Squeeze it again next time, let the mix rest the full 5 minutes, and wait until the first side is deep golden before turning.

Can I make the mix ahead?

Shape the fritters up to 12 hours ahead and keep them covered in the refrigerator. Squeeze the zucchini well, since salted zucchini keeps releasing water as it sits.

You might also like

Tags: Breakfast, Greek-Inspired, Gluten-Free Swap