This tasty zucchini garlic bites recipe combines shredded zucchini with garlic, Parmesan cheese, fresh herbs, and is served with a marinara dipping sauce for an Italian inspired twist.
Ah, zucchini…Its the crop that just keeps on giving throughout the growing season. This recipe is one more way to transform it into a scrumptious bite that can be served as an appetizer, side dish, or even a kid’s meal.
This time of year has the kitchen busy with preserving the harvest. Right now, the counters are filled with tomatoes and zucchini harvested from the garden. Both are in heavy rotation as I turn the ripe tomatoes into sauce or salsa, and the zucchini into zucchini lasagna, zucchini bread, or preserve for later. Once the counter is cleared, I have only a short moment of satisfaction before it begins filling up once again with newly picked fruit.
With football season approaching, I wanted to add something different to our weekly finger food spread. Since weekends spent preserving the harvest usually stretches well into fall, it had to be something tasty but easy to throw together.
Faced with a counter full of newly harvested zucchini, and the aroma of tomato sauce filling the kitchen as it simmered on the stove, it was then that I remembered one of those cooking videos on Facebook. It was some sort of shredded zucchini combination to resemble tater tots. I wanted to try something similar but with an Italian inspired twist.
I began chopping up some fresh parsley, oregano, and basil. I thought about adding minced onion and garlic, but worried about the texture since they wouldn’t have time to soften. Instead, I added chopped chives for a mild onion flavor and grated the garlic that infused into the mixture. A little Parmesan cheese added a slight nutty flavor.
Cooking Tip: How to Make Dried Bread Crumbs
How to Make Baked Zucchini Garlic Bites
Key to the success of this recipe is to squeeze out as much moisture as you can from the shredded zucchini. This will result in a bite that is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.
Shred your zucchini by sliding across the large holes of a box grater. Place the grated zucchini in a clean kitchen towel and twist the towel to wring out moisture. Grate the garlic using the small holes on the box grater and combine all of the ingredients in a medium bowl.
Shape the zucchini mixture into small balls, and place on your prepared baking sheets. Bake until golden and serve warm with a tomato dipping sauce.
- 1 cup zucchini grated and drained well
- 1 egg
- 1/3 cup breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese grated fine
- 1 clove garlic grated fine
- 2 tablespoons fresh chives chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley chopped
- 1 teaspoon fresh basil chopped
- 1 teaspoon fresh oregano chopped
- pinch of salt and pepper
- tomato sauce for dipping
- Preheat oven to 400˚F. Lightly coat a baking sheet with olive oil or non-stick spray. Set aside.
- Use a box grater to grate the zucchini into a clean towel. Roll up the towel and twist to wring out the moisture. Grate the garlic using the small holes on the box grater.
- In a medium bowl, combine all of the ingredients and mix well.
- Shape a tablespoon of the mixture into your hands, pat into small balls, and place on the baking sheet.
- Bake for 15-18 minutes in the preheated oven until golden. Serve warm with marinara sauce. Recipe makes about 16 bites.
Serve with warm marinara sauce:
Crockpot Tomato Sauce with Fresh Tomatoes
Seasoned Tomato Sauce for Home Canning
You May Also Like:
- Crockpot Tomato Sauce Recipe
- Seasoned Tomato Sauce for Home Canning
- Grilled Tomato Salsa Recipe
- Garden Fresh Zucchini Lasagna Recipe
- 3 Easy Ways to Preserve Zucchini
- How to Grow Zucchini and Summer Squash Vertically
Good planning is key to a successful vegetable garden.
Whether you are new to growing your own food or have been growing a vegetable garden for years, you will benefit from some planning each year. You will find everything you need to organize and plan your vegetable garden in my PDF eBook, Grow a Good Life Guide to Planning Your Vegetable Garden.
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Nat
I’m going to be making these as an appetizer on Easter. Since I’ll be in church in the morning I won’t have too much time. Would you recommend preparing them the night before and baking them the following afternoon or baking them the night before and just reheating? I want it to taste as fresh as possible.
©Rachel Arsenault
Nat, Baking the night before and re-heating in the oven would work better. I am not sure how the mixture will hold up overnight since I have not tried it.
Sandy
Just made some and enjoyed them. How are you storing them?
Mafe
Great recipe° Thank you!
Maribel
I made them in my airfryer. They came out perfect and delicious.
©Rachel Arsenault
Maribel, I am so glad you liked them. Thank you for letting me know that an air fryer works. I will have to try it.
Vicki
These sound delicious! Could they be baked in a cake pop maker? Summertime it’s too hot to turn on the oven so I was wondering if that could work…anyone tried it?
©Rachel Arsenault
Vicki, Let me know if you try it.
Jennifer
I doubled this recipe and used a 24 count mini muffin pan to bake. Came out perfect and so good
Stacia
What a great starting point! We were in the cajun mood, so we switched out the Italian herbs for a cajun seasoning blend and used a lite ranch dressing for dipping. I did use the rest of your recipe and procedure. It worked fantastically and my family already has requested these again in a tasting event, varying the seasonings and cheeses. What a hit!!
©Rachel Arsenault
Stacia, I am so glad you liked the recipe! Yes, it is pretty versatile recipe and you can swap out the herbs and the cheese depending on the flavors you like. Thanks for your comment!
ATIYA Sultana
I wonder if I could deep fry these instead of baking
©Rachel Arsenault
I don’t know. haven’t tried deep frying.
Karyl | Karyl's Kulinary Krusade
Wow, these look so delicious!! I could definitely eat a whole lot of these in one sitting. Perfect for a party or brunch
Jamie
Served these little bites as an appetizer while family was waiting for homemade pizza to finish baking. They were so yummy! I’ll definitely make them again!
Becca G
My son’s hate zucchini. I LOVE it so I tricked them. Hahaha told them they were parmesan bites worked great they didn’t know & ate every crumb
©Rachel Arsenault
Becca, I love it!
Jay
Would dry herbs ruin this?
©Rachel Arsenault
No, it won’t ruin it. Dried herbs are more potent, so substitute about half dried for fresh.
Izzy
Do you think this would work with a flax egg? I’m vegan
©Rachel Arsenault
I’m not sure it will bind the ingredients in the same way. If you try it, please let me know how you make out.
Mary
AMAZING!!! we didn’t even dip in anything and they were good cold, also. Husband took them to work the next day! I’m making a quadruple batch next time!
©Rachel Arsenault
Mary, I am so glad you enjoyed them! Thanks for your comment.
Desleigh
How would these go with almond meal instead of breadcrumbs?
©Rachel Arsenault
I don’t know. Please let me know if you try it.
Tiffany Holtzman
I made these with almond meal last night and they were a hit! First thing gone at the party I made them for. I played with the ratios a bit. Used about a cup and a half of zucchini, 2 eggs, a scant 2/3 c of almond meal in place of the breadcrumbs, and doubled everything else–parm, garlic, herbs, etc. Definitely baked them substantially longer than called for. Possibly double. Also did as another reviewer said and flipped them over halfway for even browning. Yum!
Karen
These look delicious. How many servings does this recipe make?
©Rachel Arsenault
Karen, The recipe makes about 16 bites.
Mrs Ash-young
vegetarian speghetti meatballs yum yum,all lovely
Pamela Allen
I was just wondering how well these would go with spaghetti instead of meatballs, maybe subs too.
©Rachel Arsenault
Pamela, These are delicious as spaghetti and meatballs! They don’t hold up to simmering in the sauce, but we add them to the top of the pasta and pour on the sauce at meal time.
Quincy
Can you bake these before hand for a large crowd and then reheat them before serving?
©Rachel Arsenault
Quincy, Yes, you can. 🙂
Hillary
Rachel, thank you for this recipe! how would I reheat them?
©Rachel Arsenault
I would try in a 400˚F oven for 5-10 minutes until warm.
Debbie
I made a double batch of these yesterday. They were a HUGE hit.. I turned them over 1/2 way through baking to accomplish a more even browning..
I used plain Panko bread crumbs. Someone asked about preparing them without the bread crumbs.
I don’t think they would work very well without something to bind them.
©Rachel Arsenault
Debbie, Thank you for letting me know that the Zucchini Garlic Bites were a hit! Yes, the bread crumbs are necessary to hold the bites together.
Lois
Could you freeze these before baking?
©Rachel Arsenault
Lois, I would not freeze these before baking because the zucchini will break down and be too watery, but you could try baking it first, than freezing it. I have not tried this, so please let me know how you make out if you do try it.
Brye
Lois did you try freezing? Did it work? I was thinking of making them for a dinner exchange.
Anne
These look delicious but I was wondering if they would work if I eliminated the bread crumbs for a low carb option?
©Rachel Arsenault
I have no idea. Let me know if you try it.
©Rachel Arsenault
Anne, The bread crumbs are what helps the zucchini garlic bite hold together in a ball.
Mira
Hi, just ran across this. I used crushed pork rinds to make it keto friendly and added bacon. So yummy!
Ann
I would think that they are used for a binding agent.
Chris
Those look so good.