Zucchini slice recipe

Our most-loved zucchini slice recipe ever

While the argument as to what is Australia’s national dish will always rage (is it roast lamb, green chicken curry or a barramundi burger)? One thing is for sure, zucchini slice is hands-down the national food of the home cook.

Your lamb, barra and curry may turn up on the menu of a restaurant, but our favourite savoury slice never will. It’s too humble. It just moseys its way into lunch boxes, dinners and even canapes. There’s a reason zucchini slice is taste.com.au’s most popular recipe of all time - it’s simpler than a quiche, tastier than an omelette, and it just works.

Why this is our favourite zucchini slice recipe

This particular zucchini slice recipe is without doubt the best we’ve tasted (and we’ve tried a lot over the years). Originally submitted by Artarmon Public School in Sydney, it not only has the endorsements of more than 1,000 reviewers, but it’s also been tasted by school kids and the taste team’s tough food critics alike.

It manages to pack a big flavour and protein punch with just a handful of ingredients - eggs, zucchini, bacon, cheese and a few other staples - proving it’s totally possible to make a meal that can feed a whole family from pretty much nothing.

Key ingredients in zucchini slice:

• Eggs: zucchini slice is one of those recipes that ticks all the boxes in one go, and thanks to the addition of 5 eggs, you get plenty of protein in this dinner-turned-lunchbox-leftovers slice.
• Flour: to ensure the zucchini slice isn't too pancake-like, we use a cup of self-raising flour to create a little height and a satisfying, not-too-dense texture.
• Zucchini: the namesake vegetable star, zucchini (approximately 4 medium-large zucchinis makes up the 375g) shines in this slice. To make sure your mixture isn't too wet, try squeezing some of the moisture out of the grated zucchini (you can use a clean cloth, or just your hands to try to remove some of the liquid. A little moisture is welcome in the batter though, so no need to wring it all out. To save time, we use the grating plate on our food processor to grate the zucchini.
• Onion: while we generally use a brown onion for this recipe, you can certainly substitute for a red onion to bring extra flavour to the zucchini slice.
• Bacon: the salty deliciousness and colour of bacon plays an important supporting role in zucchini slice. Our Recipes Editor, Sonya Gellert, has also tested the recipe using plant-based 'bacon' (sometimes called 'facon') and tells us it also works well, if you want to make a vegetarian zucchini slice.
• Cheddar: grated cheddar cheese makes this slice all the more, well, moreish. For a budget-friendly hack, we buy a block of cheese (which is often more affordable than pre-grated) and grate it ourselves.
• Vegetable oil: this clever ingredient ensures your slice is one that won't dry out quickly, and will have a deliciously moist texture.

💡 Tip: How to make the best zucchini slice

Want to get the best results from this recipe? When we make this zucchini slice (and between us we must've made it hundreds of times) we always ensure we squeeze out the moisture from the zucchini really well to prevent the slice turning out too moist or stodgy. Check out the notes at the bottom of this recipe for more no-fail tips on getting the best results.

Want to change up your zucchini slice? Our vegetarian zucchini slice recipe is a great option if you're going meat-free. We've also got plenty of recipe ideas for zucchini slice with a twist to help you experiment with ingredients and flavours.

This recipe was originally submitted by Artamon Public School and has now been tried, tested and adapted.

Additional recipe notes by Alison Adams - Food Writer and Recipe Tester

Make our favourite zucchini slice: full recipe below