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
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Preheat oven to 400˚F. Lightly coat a baking sheet with olive oil or non-stick spray. Set aside.
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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.
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In a medium bowl, combine all of the ingredients and mix well.
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Shape a tablespoon of the mixture into your hands, pat into small balls, and place on the baking sheet.
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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.
Emisha Sill says
Can you make them and freeze it for later use?
©Rachel Arsenault says
Emisha, Yes, you can freeze these zucchini garlic bites for later. After baking, spread out in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and freeze. Once they are frozen, slip them into freezer bags, remove air, and store in the freezer. When you are ready to use them, pop them in a preheated 400˚F oven frozen, and bake until they are hot and crisp again.
Mary says
I just have a question about the amount of calories. 26 kcal? per serving or per recipe? What does kcal mean?
©Rachel Arsenault says
Mary, kilocalorie (kcal) is just another word for calories. 1 zucchini garlic bite is about 26 calories.
Wendy says
Can they be made without the cheese please?
©Rachel Arsenault says
Wendy, Yes, you can skip the cheese.
Susan Raggo says
Do you measure one cup zucchini before or after it is drained/ squeezed?
Thank you….
©Rachel Arsenault says
Susan, Measure the zucchini after draining.
Hope says
Nice and tasty with all the fresh herbs!
Doubled the recipe, and baked these in lightly sprayed muffin tins (instead of rolling the balls) so they were larger, and I just added a few min baking time. Thx!
Becky McKay says
Can this be made ahead and baked later?
©Rachel Arsenault says
Becky, Yes, it sure can. Just keep the mixture refrigerated and form your bites when you are ready to bake. You could also bake it and reheat later.
Lina says
Yum! So easy and delicious. I minced the garlic instead of grating it, and also doubled the recipe (it doesn’t make that much). Also baked them in the air fryer, and they turned out beautifully. Thanks for a great recipe!