Tater-Less Cheesy Zucchini Tots — You’ll never miss the taters! Crispy, crunchy, and sooo good! You’ll forget you’re eating zucchini!
Recipe for Zucchini Tater Tots
I have fond childhood memories of tater tots. What kid doesn’t love tater tots? Submerging and smothering them in oodles of ketchup is the best.
It’s amazing how closely the texture of these baked zucchini tots resembles real tater tots, and after being dipped in ketchup you’ll totally forget you’re eating zucchini. I did as I proceeded to eat half the batch.
Bite-for-bite zucchini has far less calories and carbs than potatoes so you can eat way more of it. Nevermind that it’s breaded in Parmesan, but at least it’s baked rather than fried.
The tots are surprisingly crispy and crunchy on the outside, while the zucchini inside softens but retains some texture.
Best tots ever. You’ll never miss the taters!
Zucchini Tots Ingredients
To make the zucchini tater tots, you’ll need:
- Zucchini
- All-purpose flour
- Salt and pepper
- Jerk or Creole seasoning (optional)
- Eggs
- Panko breadcrumbs
- Parmesan cheese
How to Make Zucchini Tots
This cheesy zucchini tots recipe is easy to make, although coating the zucchini chunks in the breading mixture does require some patience.
Here’s how the lower carb zucchini tots are made:
- Slice the zucchini (I quarter it into long spears, then slice the spears into 1-inch long segments).
- Sprinkle the zucchini with flour, salt and pepper, any optional seasonings or spices, and toss to coat evenly; set aside.
- In a medium bowl, beat the eggs.
- In a separate large bowl, add the Panko breadcrumbs, Parmesan, and stir to combine.
- Using your hands, add about half of the floured zucchini pieces to the eggs for a quick dunk.
- Remove zucchini from eggs and transfer to breadcrumb mixture. Toss with hands or a spoon to coat evenly.
- Place zucchini on parchment paper-lined baking tray, spaced evenly and without touching.
- Repeat battering process with remaining zucchini and place on baking tray.
- Bake until lightly golden brown.
What to Serve with Zucchini Tots
These cheesy zucchini tots pair well with lots of different dipping sauces, including:
- Ketchup
- Parmesan dip
- Ranch dip
- Wasabi dip
Can You Freeze Zucchini Tots?
Yes, but I recommend baking the tots, letting them cool to room temp, and then freezing them. Don’t freeze them prior to baking as the zucchini will release moisture once frozen and change texture.
Tips for Making Zucchini Tater Tots
I used and recommend Panko breadcrumbs. They’re Japanese-style breadcrumbs and are sold next to regular breadcrumbs, but they’re larger, coarser, and get crispier in the oven.
You can spice up the breading mixture with jerk or Creole seasoning, or add chili powder or cayenne for extra oomph.
There are mild Parmesan undertones in these cheesy zucchini tots, and you could make Creamy Parmesan Dip to intensify the Parmesan flavor, but I love the tots with good old-fashioned ketchup.
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Tater-Less Parmesan Zucchini Tots
Ingredients
- 2 medium/large zucchini, sliced into tot-sized pieces, about 1/2-inch diameter and 1-inch long (I didn’t peel)
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- salt and pepper, to taste
- pinch Jerk or Creole seasoning, cayenne, chili powder, etc. optional and to taste
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, fresh or green can
- ketchup, for serving (or Creamy Parmesan Dip, Creamy Wasabi Dip, Spiced Ranch Dip
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F, line a baking sheet with a Silpat, parchment, or spray with cooking spray.
- Slice the zucchini (I quarter it into long spears, then slice the spears into 1-inch long segments) and transfer zucchini pieces to a large bowl.
- Sprinkle with flour, salt and pepper, any optional seasonings or spices, and toss to coat evenly; set aside.
- In a medium bowl, beat the eggs; set aside.
- In a separate large bowl, add the Panko breadcrumbs, Parmesan, and stir to combine; set aside.
- Using your hands or a slotted spoon, add about half of the floured zucchini pieces to the eggs for a quick dunk.
- Remove zucchini from eggs and transfer to breadcrumb mixture. Toss with hands or a spoon to coat evenly.
- Place zucchini on prepared baking tray, spaced evenly and without touching. You want the oven air to circulate freely on all pieces so they get as crispy as possible.
- Repeat battering process with remaining zucchini and place on baking tray. The process is messy and not every piece will be evenly coated and breaded. Overall, if most pieces are coated, you’re fine.
- Bake for about 15 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Start watching closely and checking after 9 minutes. Watch so the undersides don’t become overly browned or burn. Because all ovens, size of the tots, thickness of coating mixture, and personal preferences vary, cooking times will vary.
- Tots are best warm and fresh. Serve with ketchup or your favorite dip.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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What a fun treat!
Since Mel’s diet is anti-potato, these are perfect. And the idea to make them with broccoli? I bet Jordan would eat that. (Hallelujah) Pinned!
Thanks for pinning and anything breaded and with Parmesan takes the edge off, you know :) I love that Mel is holding hardcore to his diet!
These looks delicious! I just got a bunch of zucchini in my CSA and this recipe would be a perfect way to use them!
Lucky you!
I was just thinking the other day about how I wanted a tater tot recipe… this one looks awesome!
Ask (or think) and you shall receive :)
Love these! Great variation.
Haha, what kid doesn’t love tots? What ADULT doesn’t love tots! :) These are the perfect use for summer zucchini. Thanks, Averie.
What a great idea to use zucchini, Averie! I’m sure you have loads of it, too, since it’s summer. I’m loving all of your creative twists on fun foods. Pinned!
Thanks for pinning! I don’t have a garden but wish I did – I have to settle for buying it!
Ooooooh my gosh, Averie! You really knocked it out of the park with this one!!!! We are swamped with zucchini right now, so I KNOW we’ll be trying these out. LOVE!!!
Thanks for the enthusiasm and glad it sounds good to you!
I cannot handle how yummy these look! What a great way to use that abundance of zucchini this time of year :)
Hello! I tried making something similar to this not that long ago and I was a bit disappointed because I was so used to lovely moist fried versions. I do love the idea of a healthier ‘zucchini fry’, though, so I’d like to give these a whirl! Love the fact that yours have got parmesan in. Maybe the panko crumbs are the key to them not being dry! I’ll give them a go!
I really find the Panko to be VERY key in this recipe as well as the other recipes I’ve done that are similar to this one with the breading/coating mixture. Baked and fried, apples and oranges in ANY recipe, but I do love these and prefer that they’re baked!
I love tater tots mainly because they are a vessel for eating ketchup which I’ve adored since childhood. I have so much zucchini from my CSA I can’t wait to make these.
they are a vessel for eating ketchup = great minds think alike!! :)
“It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.”
The time for zucchini galore. I love it. I have no shortage of recipes that I want to get through in the next few weeks. Just put 2 on the blog this week.
I’m so glad my whole family enjoys it too. So we can harvest and eat all on the same day. :)
These look perfect. Love Parmesan with zucchini.
Pinning!
Have a great day.
Thanks for pinning and sounds like you’re up to your eyeballs in zuke and have lots of fun recipes too!
I haven’t had tater tots in forever! I am all sorts of excited about this idea. Love the idea of adding a kick from the Jerk or Creole seasoning. That just sounds so good!
I LOVE that you used zucchini for this! I have made taterless tots with cauliflower, but zucchini is my absolute vegetable love. And I eat it with parmesan almost everyday, so my name is all over this, and in capital letters! Pinned!
Glad you’re a fan of this one and thanks for pinning, Taylor! Cauli tots are good too, love both cauli or zuke tots!
These look great! What a fun spin on tator tots (my computer totally wants me to call them gator tots…) :)
I think zator tots would be better :)
I remember you mentioning a zucchini recipe was coming–and these look so much like tater tots!! I have really been liking zucchini more over the past several years– it has a rather neutral flavor which makes it versatile in my mind. One of my neighbors said I could pick some of her zucchini. She told me they plant a garden every year but really only eat the strawberries (whaaaat?!?!). I’d be happy to take some off her hands and try this.
Pick extra, I have another zuke recipe next week. LOL And yes, it’s very very neutral to me anyway. It takes on the flavor of whatever it’s mixed with, seasoned with, etc, and it’s nice and moist so perfect for baking!