These crispy zucchini hash browns are a great low carb alternative to traditional hash browns. They are crispy, cheesy and make a great side dish. They are also baked instead of fried.
a stack of zucchini fritters.

I love using zucchini as a substitute for a lot of my favorite potato dishes. These zucchini hash browns are so delicious and only need four ingredients. Of course, you can always add more spices if you want to make them even more flavorful. I also love that they are baked in the oven because I hate having to fry hash browns.

Ingredients

  • Zucchini
  • Egg
  • Parmesan Cheese
  • Pork rind or Panko breadcrumbs

How to Make Zucchini Hash Browns

  • Zucchini is first finely shredded and then dried.
  • It’s then mixed with the egg and parmesan cheese. These ingredients help to bind the zucchini shreds. The cheese also adds flavor to the hash browns.
  • The zucchini hash browns are then shaped on a baking sheet. They are then topped with breadcrumbs. You can use pork rind breadcrumbs if you are on a keto or low carb diet. You can use panko breadcrumbs if you don’t need these hash browns to be low carb. The breadcrumbs will give the hash browns a crispy finish, which is how I like my hash brown patties to be.

fritters fanned out on a white plate.

Drying the Zucchini

Zucchini releases a lot of water, so you need to wring dry the zucchini before mixing it with the egg and cheese.

To do this, first salt the zucchini and let it rest for about 10-15 minutes. The salt will help draw out the water. Pour out the excess water. Then wring dry the zucchini using a cheesecloth or similar type cloth.
close-up shot of a stack of fritters.

More Zucchini Side Dishes

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Zucchini Hash Browns

These crispy, cheesy zucchini hash browns are a great low carb alternative to traditional hash browns. They are also baked instead of fried.
Servings: 5 hash browns
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
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Ingredients

  • 2 ½ cups (368 g) finely shredded zucchini
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 cup (49 g) shredded parmesan cheese
  • 1/4 cup (20 g) pork rind breadcrumbs, or panko breadcrumbs

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Add shredded zucchini to a large mixing bowl. Salt and let it sit about 10-15 minutes to draw out the moisture from the zucchini. (Salting is optional but it does help draw out some of the moisture.) After the 10-15 minutes, drain out the water and then wring dry the zucchini with a cheesecloth or similar type cloth. You should be left with 1 packed cup (141 g) of zucchini.
  • Add zucchini, egg and cheese into your mixing bowl. Stir and mix until completely combined.
  • Fill a 1/4 cup measuring cup with the zucchini mixture. Press down to compact it. Flip the cup over onto your prepared baking sheet. The mixture should slide out and should still hold the cup form. Gently press down on mixture with your fingers or hand to flatten it to about 1/2 inch thick and shape it into an oval or rectangle of whatever shape you prefer your hash browns to be. Repeat with remaining zucchini mixture.
  • Sprinkle breadcrumbs over the surface of each hash brown, coating the surface of the hash browns in a layer of breadcrumbs. See notes regarding how thick the layer should be.
  • Place hash browns into oven and cook for about 20-23 minutes or until zucchini is cooked and breadcrumbs are golden. If you are using pork rind breadcrumbs, they may appear to be too wet at first, but once they are out of the oven and given a few minutes to cool, they should crisp back up. If you are using panko breadcrumbs, they should not appear wet. Let hash browns cool a few minutes so that they are set before removing them off the baking sheet. Serve while still warm. Uneaten hash browns can be kept in the fridge or freezer.

Notes

  • If you are doing the pork rind breadcrumbs version, the pork rinds add a lot of flavor to the hash browns so I didn't feel the need to add any more seasonings. If you are doing the panko version you may want to add a little salt and pepper to the zucchini mixture or other seasonings like garlic powder or onion powder.
  • Some of the pork rind crumbs touching the zucchini will get wet and lose their crispness, so make sure your pork rind crumb layer is thick enough so that the top will still be crispy. This is not really an issue with the panko crumbs so you can keep them to a single layer.
  • If you are using panko breadcrumbs, I recommend pre-baking the breadcrumbs first so that they are golden brown. You can read more about this in this recipe post.
  • I used this cheese cloth.*
  • I used Pork King Good unseasoned pork rind crumbs*.
  • *This product link is an affiliate link. This means I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases (at no extra charge to you).
  • Nutrition estimate is calculated using pork rind breadcrumbs.
Serving: 1hash brown, Calories: 84kcal, Carbohydrates: 2g, Protein: 8g, Fat: 4g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 174mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 2g, NET CARBS: 1
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. This is not a comprehensive list of all the nutrients in the recipe (i.e., does not include vitamins, cholesterol, etc). I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
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