Fried Stuffed Squash Blossoms with Ricotta
on Aug 16, 2021, Updated Mar 21, 2025
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These Fried Stuffed Squash Blossoms with Ricotta are a simple appetizer that will impress any crowd! Also called Fiori di Zucca, it starts with a simple ricotta mixture piped inside squash blossoms and fried in a two-ingredient tempura batter. If you’ve never had squash blossoms, they are an edible flower from zucchini and are bountiful in the Spring and Summer.
Eat the blossoms as an appetizer for dinner alongside our Stone Fruit Burrata and Prosciutto Salad!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
These squash blossoms are a special appetizer that brings the crunch, and creaminess from the ricotta cheese. Serve with your favorite dips, like marinara sauce or Homemade Garlic Aioli.
- Crispy and delicate: The light two-ingredient batter gives the squash blossoms are nice crunch without being too heavy.
- Customizable: While we are using ricotta for the inside of the filling, you can opt to use any of your favorite creamy cheeses, such as goat cheese to cottage cheese.
- Seasonal favorite: Squash blossoms are a special ingredient once the weather gets warmer, so take advantage, because it’s a short season!
Recipe Ingredients
Below are the ingredients you need to make this recipe, including all our tips and substitutions.
Zucchini Blossoms: The star of this recipe are these blossoms! Not only are they stunning but they taste delicious. These flowers are the edible part of the zucchini plant.
Sometimes, you’ll see them attached together and this indicates that it is a female blossom, as they can only grow the full plant! But both are edible. You can eat them raw, or fry them. They can even be lightly sautéed or sometimes they are even put on pizza.
For your tempura batter: We’re making a simple tempura batter made with flour and seltzer/club soda.
For your ricotta cheese mixture: For our stuffed cheese in this recipe, we are using ricotta tossed with lemon juice, lemon zest, and fresh garlic. You can also add some parmesan cheese here if you want, too!
Kosher salt and black pepper: For seasoning throughout in this recipe.
Vegetable oil: For frying, you can also use alternatives like avocado or grape seed oil, any neutral oil will do. I wouldn’t recommend something like an olive oil to fry in this.
The full list of ingredients with exact quantities can be found on the recipe card below.
Tips and Substitutions
- How to Clean Squash Blossoms: Squash blossoms are very delicate. Gently pat dry and carefully remove the stamen/pistil from inside the flower, this taste can sometimes come off bitter.
- For the filling: If you don’t have a piping bag, use a plastic Ziploc bag to stuff in your ricotta mixture towards an outer corner of the bag, close tightly to remove the air, and cut a small part of the corner to pipe into the blossoms.
- Chill before frying: Transfer your stuffed squash blossoms to the fridge to set for 5 to 10 minutes to firm them up before frying if you’re ricotta mixture is not super thick.
- Make sure your oil is around 350-375°F! If it’s not hot enough, then the oil with soak until the delicate blossoms and not crisp, but too hot, they’ll burn too quickly. Do a test with 1 blossom first before you add the rest in.
- Cheese Swap: Instead of ricotta, you can use goat cheese, whipped ricotta, or mascarpone cheese, too. Add a little bit of pecorino or parmesan cheese to the creamy mixture. You can also make this vegan by using vegan almond ricotta.
- Club Soda swap: If you want, you can also sub out the club soda with beer for another bubbly, fluffy tempura batter.
- Fresh Herbs: You can alternatively also add fresh herbs to the ricotta mixture, like tarragon, mint, or even thyme.
How to Make Fried Stuffed Squash Blossoms
Step 1: In a medium bowl, mix the ricotta, lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic clove, salt and pepper. Set aside.
Step 2: Make the tempura batter by mixing flour and seltzer together with a whisk. Season with salt and pepper.
Step 3: Get the squash blossoms and pull open the petals. Gently stuff with the ricotta mixture (it may be easiest to use a piping bag or a plastic bag with a hole cut at the bottom). Set aside until ready to fry.
Step 4: Heat up a deep skillet with vegetable oil on medium heat to medium-high heat. Take your stuffed squash blossoms and place them in the tempura batter, shake off excess, and fry in the oil until golden brown.
Step 5: Transfer to paper towels using a slotted spoon, or set on a reusable towel to dry off and drain the excess oil. Finish with flaky salt and a squeeze of lemon juice for brightness.
The full detailed instructions can be found on the recipe card below.
Serving Recommendations
Looking for some ideas to serve with these squash blossoms? We have you covered! Since they are very seasonal, we suggest recipes with tomatoes, corn, or anything grilling-related as a pairing.
- For a summery pasta, pair it with Burst Cherry Tomato Pasta, using seasonal ingredients to highlight the squash blossoms.
- If you are having a dinner party, you can start with squash blossoms served with Sweet Corn, Parmesan & Mascarpone Risotto with Basil Oil.
- For a meat main, serve with this Grilled New York Steak with Sherry Shallot Vinaigrette Salad, and if you are looking for a chicken to serve with, pair it with Harissa & Sumac Roasted Chicken with Tzatziki.
- For a special date night, you can also opt to pair with The Best Steak Frites Recipe.
Fried Stuffed Squash Blossoms FAQs
The most popular preparation is to fry them, either in a breaded batter or a wet batter, which we are doing here. They go great to dip in the marinara sauce as well!
As you’re preparing, make sure the bottom, dark green stem is removed as this can be coarse and tough to chew. You can leave a little bit of the stem to help with frying, though as that is also fine to eat!
Since we are frying in a tempura better, you don’t need an egg. But if you do prefer to bread with panko/breadcrumbs, I would suggest dredging in one large egg first, then transitioning to your dry dredge (panko, etc.) and frying from there. Since this a a wet tempura batter, we don’t need an egg!
You can definitely use any cheese you would like! Cheeses like mozzarella, goat cheese, parmesan, and feta are great alternatives! You can even do a mix of these cheeses with the ricotta.
Raw, squash blossoms are super delicate and light. They have an earthy taste and they are very crisp, but not crunchy! I love the flavor both raw and fried.
I generally will find them at my local farmers markets, when they are in season. I’ve also seen them often at Eataly in Los Angeles at Century City Westfield as another option. You can ask around when you’re at the market, and peruse where they may be in season.
More Appetizer Recipes
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Fried Stuffed Squash Blossoms with Ricotta
Equipment
Ingredients
- 10 to 12 squash blossoms, with the stem only or with the zucchini attached
- 2 cups whole-milk ricotta
- zest and juice of 1 medium lemon, adjust with more if preferred
- 1 grated garlic clove
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups seltzer
- vegetable oil, for frying
Instructions
- Make your ricotta mixture. In a bowl, mix the ricotta, lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic clove, salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Make the tempura batter by mixing flour and seltzer together. Get the squash blossoms and pull open the petals. Gently stuff with the ricotta mixture (it may be easiest using a piping bag or a plastic bag with a hole cut at the bottom). Set aside until ready to fry.
- Heat up a deep skillet on medium-high heat with vegetable oil until HOT. Take your stuffed squash blossoms and place in the tempura batter, shake off excess and fry in the oil until done. Finish with flakey salt and lemon juice.
Video
Notes
- How to Clean Squash Blossoms: Squash blossoms are very delicate. Gently pat dry and carefully remove the stamen/pistil from inside the flower, this taste can sometimes come off bitter.
- For the filling: If you don’t have a piping bag, use a plastic Ziploc bag to stuff in your ricotta mixture towards an outer corner of the bag, close tightly to remove the air, and cut a small part of the corner to pipe into the blossoms.
- Chill before frying: Transfer your stuffed squash blossoms to the fridge to set for 5 to 10 minutes to firm them up before frying if you’re ricotta mixture is not super thick.
- Make sure your oil is around 350-375°F! If it’s not hot enough, then the oil with soak until the delicate blossoms and not crisp, but too hot, they’ll burn too quickly. Do a test with 1 blossom first before you add the rest in.
- Cheese Swap: Instead of ricotta, you can use goat cheese, whipped ricotta, or mascarpone cheese, too. Add a little bit of pecorino or parmesan cheese to the creamy mixture. You can also make this vegan by using vegan almond ricotta.
- Club Soda swap: If you want, you can also sub out the club soda with beer for another bubbly, fluffy tempura batter.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
One of my absolute favorite Spring and Summer apps to make! You will love this!