How to make the Best Southern Fried Okra

The best Southern fried okra starts with small, fresh okra pods that are lightly breaded in a seasoned yellow cornmeal mixture then lightly pan-fried to crispy golden brown.

This crunchy okra snack is ready in about 10-minutes and uses simple ingredients.

In the South, we eat fried okra as a snack or a side dish – you’ll often find fried okra offered at your local barbecue joint as a standard side dish.

Why this recipe works

• Simple ingredients – yellow cornmeal, a little all-purpose flour, salt, ground black pepper, a little cayenne pepper (optional) and frying oil (vegetable oil)
• Pairs beautifully with a bowl of Louisiana rice and beans, pan fried pork chops, restaurant-quality fried catfish or barbecue ribs!
• Soaking the cut okra pods in eggs ensures the cornmeal breading mixture stays on when frying
• Traditional cooking method – stovetop frying is the best way to ensure your fried okra is crispy golden brown. I’ve tried to make fried okra in an air fryer and the result was not as good as the old-fashioned stovetop method.

Here’s what you’ll need

You’ll need a heavy bottom frying pan (I recommend a cast-iron skillet) and some frying oil – like vegetable oil or canola oil. Do not use olive oil because it can’t stand the high heat. You’ll also need an accurate meat thermometer (for the oil) and a slotted spoon or a spider and a colander to shake off the excess cornmeal.

You can bread the okra in a big mixing bowl or use a sealable plastic bag. This recipe uses a large Ziplock bag to coat the okra…one less bowl to clean, right?

• Whole okra– cut into 1/2 ” inch pieces (I recommend fresh okra, but if you only have frozen okra, that will work. You’ll just need to thaw it first, and pat dry with a paper towel.
• Yellow cornmeal – not a cornmeal “mix”, just plain ole’ yellow cornmeal
• All-purpose flour – not self rising flour, or a flour blend, just plain white flour
• Eggs – 2 large lightly beaten eggs is usually enough to coat 1 lb. of cut okra pods
• Salt – I use kosher salt, but table salt works just as well
• Ground black pepper – just a smidgen
• Cayenne pepper – this is optional, but it gives the crispy okra bites a little flavor

How to make Southern fried okra

This is an overview. For exact measurements, see the Recipe Card below.

• In a medium mixing bowl, lightly beat eggs and set aside
• Wash okra and pat dry with a paper towel; cut off the okra stem (the top of the okra pod) then cut the remaininder of the pod into 1/2 ” inch bites
• Add the cut okra to the eggs and coat well; let sit for 10 minutes, stirring a few times; this is THE SECRET for how to make the best Southern fried okra…trust me:)
• In a large sealable plastic bag, add the remaining dry ingredients: cornmeal, flour, salt, pepper and cayenne powder; combine well
• Use a slotted spoon and remove okra from egg mixture; place okra in the cornmeal mixture and seal the bag. Shake it up real good, until all of the okra pods are coated
• For best results, after the okra is coated with the dry breading mixture, shake it in a colander with large holes (not a fine mesh colander), but one you’d use for pasta
• Add 3/4″inch vegetable oil to a heavy bottom or cast iron skillet on medium-high heat. Check the temperature of the oil; it should be near 375°F
• Pour the cornmeal coated okra into a colander to remove excess cornmeal
• Using a slotted spoon, remove the breaded okra from the colander and place it in a single layer in the hot oil. Do not touch or flip the okra for at least 2 minutes. Once the okra begins to brown on the bottom, then you can flip the pods to brown them evenly
• Use a slotted spoon or spider, remove fried okra from oil and transfer immediately to a paper towel lined plate; lightly season the warm okra with remaining salt; repeat process until all the okra is cooked

For the best Southern fried okra, it’s important to note the ratio of cornmeal to flour. I’ve had breaded fried okra before that was “puffy” and tasted more like fried flour than okra.

The minimal amount of flour in this recipe lends the crispy okra rounds to the perfect texture! Crunchy, golden brown fried okra that’s seasoned perfectly!

Okra came to the United States from West Africa. You’ll find it in many West African recipes, as well as Cajun recipes and Creole recipes, namely from Louisiana.

Okra is not only flavorful and tender, but it serves as a thickening agent and that’s why you’ll often find Louisiana gumbo with okra on Southern menus. The okra thickens the dark roux and offers a delicious flavor and texture to Southern gumbo, soups and stews!

Some folks make breaded fried okra using buttermilk instead of eggs, while others use a buttermilk-egg mixture. I’ve made it both ways, and I find that soaking the cut okra in lightly beaten eggs is the best way to get each pod coated well.

Dipping sauce for Southern fried okra

I grew up eating fried okra with no dipping sauce, but my Minnesotan husband likes ketchup with his…(afterall, ketchup is the national condiment of Minnesota:)

Some folks like buttermilk ranch dressing, while others prefer a splash of Lousiana hot sauce or a spicy remoulade sauce.

FAQ

What to serve with Southern fried okra?

Fried okra goes great with just about everything! Here in the South, you’ll find it served as a side with meatloaf, Southern fried catfish, or as a side at a shrimp boil, along with some fried oysters.

It also pairs well on a “veggie” plate – we’re talking sauteed yellow squash, green beans and new potatoes, speckled butter beans, purple hull peas, or squash cassserole.

And just about every barbecue joint in the Lone Star State offers a side of Southern fried okra with their chopped beef and rib platters!

Storage and reheating

If you’re lucky enough to have any leftover fried okra, store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. For reheating, set oven temperature to 300-325°F, place okra in a single layer on a dry baking sheet, place baking sheet on middle oven rack and cook 10-15 minutes, or until the okra is warm throughout. Do not cover with aluminum foil.