Butternut Squash Fritters
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds butternut squash – peeled, seeded, coarsely grated (~3.5 n/a squashes)
- 1/2 cup onion – finely grated
- 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 cloves garlic – minced
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley – finely chopped (~0.5 n/a parsleys)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper – freshly ground
- 2 large eggs – beaten
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- lemon wedges – for serving
Instructions
1. Place the grated butternut squash and grated onion in a large bowl. Sprinkle with 0.5 teaspoon of the kosher salt, toss, and let stand 10 minutes to draw out moisture.
2. Transfer the squash mixture to a clean kitchen towel and squeeze very firmly over the sink to remove as much liquid as possible. Return the squeezed mixture to the bowl.
3. Add the minced garlic, chopped parsley, ground cumin, black pepper, and the remaining 0.75 teaspoon kosher salt to the bowl. Stir in the beaten eggs until evenly coated, then sprinkle the flour over the mixture and fold until no dry spots remain. Let the batter rest 5 minutes.
4. Pour the vegetable oil into a large skillet to a depth of about 0.25 inch and heat over medium to medium-high until shimmering; a shred of squash should sizzle on contact.
5. Working in batches, drop heaping tablespoonfuls (about 2 tablespoons each) of batter into the hot oil and flatten gently to 0.5-inch thickness. Fry until deep golden and crisp at the edges, 3–4 minutes per side, adjusting heat to maintain steady sizzling.
6. Transfer fritters to a wire rack or paper towels to drain. Repeat with remaining batter, adding oil as needed and allowing the oil to reheat between batches.
7. Serve hot with lemon wedges for squeezing.
Butternut squash fritters are crisp-edged, tender-centered cakes that showcase the squash’s natural sweetness balanced by savory aromatics and warm spices. Grated squash keeps the texture light and nubbly, while a simple egg-and-flour batter binds everything without turning bready. A squeeze of lemon brightens the richness from shallow-frying, making these fritters satisfying yet lively on the plate.
Fritters exist in countless culinary traditions, from vegetable latkes to herb-packed patties and sweet pumpkin treats. Butternut squash, a New World winter squash, found its way into these formats as seasonal cooking embraced versatile fall produce. Today, butternut fritters appear across North American home kitchens and restaurants, borrowing techniques from broader fritter and latke traditions while celebrating the squash’s distinctive flavor.