Tomato Fritters are crispy, tomato-packed fritters bursting with Roma tomatoes, cheddar cheese, and a hint of heat from a jalapeno pepper. Then, they are dipped in a creamy and tangy dipping sauce. The fritters are not only delicious but also visually appealing, with vibrant colors from the fresh vegetables! They make a fantastic appetizer, snack, or side dish, and their vibrant appearance and delightful taste are sure to please! I also have Jalapeno Corn Fritters you will love!
Ingredients & Substitutions
Dipping Sauce: The dipping sauce is a simple sauce made with fresh tomatoes and mayonnaise. It provides a cooling contrast to the heat of the jalapeño peppers in the fritters while enhancing their overall tomato goodness. If made ahead, store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-5 days.
Tomatoes: I prefer Roma tomatoes in these fritters for their meaty and less watery texture when compared to other varieties. They also hold up well in cooking. If using canned tomatoes, drain and pat them dry with paper towels to reduce excess moisture before using them in the recipe. This will help prevent the fritter batter from becoming too wet.
Jalapeno Pepper: If you prefer a little more heat in each fritter, leave the seeds and membrane in the jalapeno pepper. Or, if you are not a fan of any spiciness, leave out the jalapeno.
Cheese: Although I used mild cheddar cheese in the fritters, you can experiment with your favorite kind of cheese. Or, use a blend of cheeses!
Oil: Vegetable or canola oil is great for frying because of its high smoke point and neutral flavor. After use, the oil can be clarified to extend its life and be used again. Here is information on how to clean used cooking oil.
When Is The Oil Hot Enough For Frying?
One way to check if the oil is hot enough to fry the fritters is the bread cube test. Drop a small cube of bread into the hot oil. If it sizzles and starts turning golden brown within 15-20 seconds, the oil is ready for frying. Or, you could also use a little bit of the fritter batter in the oil. If the batter sizzles and bubbles, it is hot enough. If measuring with a candy thermometer, the oil should reach a temperature of about 350°F. Make sure the oil is hot enough before each new batch of fritters.
Can I Make Tomato Fritters Ahead Of Time?
Although fritter batter is best used within an hour or two of frying the fritters, you could make the dipping sauce in advance. The tomato dipping sauce can be mixed together and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will last up to 3-5 days.
Can I Make Tomato Fritters In An Air Fryer?
After testing these fritters in an air fryer, we would not recommend it. The batter was a little loose, so we set parchment paper in the basket of the air fryer to see if that would work. When air frying, the paper would fly around, not letting the fritters cook properly.
Storing & Reheating Tomato Fritters
If you have any leftover fritters, first, let them cool completely at room temperature. Then, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They will last up to 2-3 days. When ready to enjoy, reheat them in a skillet on the stovetop or in the oven at 350°F. In a pinch, you could heat them up in the microwave, but the fritters may lose some crispiness with this method.
Tomato Fritters
Ingredients
Dipping Sauce
- 1 cup (232 g) mayonnaise
- 1 Roma tomato, chopped
Tomato Fritters
- 6-7 Roma tomatoes, diced (about 3 cups)
- 1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
- ½ cup (122.5 g) whole milk, room temperature
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- ⅓ cup (33 g) chopped green onions
- 1 medium jalapeño pepper, seeded, diced
- 1 small red onion, finely diced (about ½ cup)
- ½ cup (56.5 g) mild cheddar cheese, shredded
- vegetable oil, for frying
- salt, to taste
Instructions
Dipping Sauce
- In a food processor (or with an immersion blender) mix the mayonnaise and chopped tomato together until smooth and creamy. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Tomato Fritters
- To a large bowl, add tomatoes, flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, garlic, milk, eggs, green onions, jalapeno peppers, red onion, and cheese. Mix until well combined.
- To a large skillet over medium heat, add about ½ inch of oil.
- Once hot, use a 3-tablespoon scoop to add fritter batter to the pan in batches of 3 or 4, being careful not to overcrowd the pan.
- Flatten the tops of each fritter with a spatula, forming them into approximately 3-inch wide patties.
- Fry the fritters for 3-4 minutes on each side or until they turn golden brown and crispy.
- Carefully transfer the cooked fritters to a plate lined with paper towels to drain any excess oil. Salt to taste.
- Repeat the frying process with the remaining batter.
- Serve immediately with dipping sauce.
Did you make this recipe?
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What the Test Kitchen had to say about this recipe:
Autumn
I have a garden full of tomatoes right now so this is the perfect recipe for me! The tomatoes really shine through and I LOVED the fresh tomato dipping sauce.
Elizabeth
I appreciated the fresh tomatoes in these fritters. Plus, I loved the heat from the jalapeno pepper, too! These are a delicious appetizer that I would serve to family and friends.
Annabelle
These are super interesting, and I would honestly make them at home! Definitely don't skip that sauce though!
Rachael
This is such an interesting fritter! I have never had a tomato fritter but it is a perfect way to incorporate some fresh tomatoes into a dish! This is a wonderful appetizer!
Bella
This tastes wonderful, especially with the fresh tomatoes. It is quite crispy too! You can serve it with a dip on the side.
Selena
These are so fresh and delicious! I loved the dip with it too. It just amped up the fresh tomato taste so much!
These are so delicious. They seem like alot of work, but they are worth it in the long run. Highly recommended.
Making tomorrow night September 16th for my husband and i’s birthday we both have the same birthday 10 years apart haha he’s older than I am. But I’m making these with bacon-wrapped scallops and some snow crab clusters, snow crab legs he loves the scallops which I do too but I love crab legs. Anyway can’t wait to go and break this and try it tomorrow night I’ve got to go to the store tomorrow so I am doing this I live in Florida so everything is Right available at the store. I can’t wait!! 😘😘👍👍❤️☺️☺️
I just made these and they are amazing. I used a splash of half and half since I didn’t have milk and I used extra granulated garlic powder instead of minced garlic and a smokey onion paprika blend that I added to the mix and my husband devoured them and he’s not a fan of tomatoes. I also added shredded parm cheese in addition to the recommended cheese. Will keep this recipe for sure. Thanks!
I love this I made them and my great grandbabies loved it
Sounds delicious I can’t wait to make this. It is making me so hungry just looking at the pictures.! Can’t wait! I love tomatoes in anything. This is perfect for me.
Your recipes are wonderful