Southern Fried Okra
The best Southern fried okra starts with small, fresh okra pods coated with egg and buttermilk, then breaded in a seasoned yellow cornmeal and flour mixture and lightly pan-fried to crispy golden brown. Ready in about 10-minutes.
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 like Gumbo and Stewed Okra and tomatoes.
Why this recipe works
- Fried okra 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 lightly beaten eggs ensures the cornmeal breading mixture stays on when frying
Ingredients
You’ll need a heavy bottom frying pan (I recommend a cast-iron skillet) and some frying oil – like vegetable oil or canola oil; olive oil can’t 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
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!
Recipe Tips
For best results and super crispy Southern fried okra, follow these tips:
If you don’t have a thermometer, heat the oil until it begins to shimmer; drop one piece of breaded okra into the hot oil; if it sizzles, then the oil is hot enough. If it doesn’t, wait a few minutes and drop another piece in. When those pods begin to fry, add the remaining breaded okra to the skillet in a single layer.
Don’t forego soaking the cut okra pods in the egg mixture; this ensures the crispy coating will stay on during the frying process
The second batch will be darker in color due to the oil being re-used; if this bothers you, pour the old oil out and start over with fresh oil
The best way to keep the breading or coating from falling off is to 1) make sure you’ve soaked the okra pods in eggs for at least 10 minutes and 2) make sure your frying oil is hot enough
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!
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.
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.
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.
Southern Fried Okra
Equipment
- Cast iron skillet
- Thermometer
- Slotted spoon or spider
- Large, sealable plastic bag
- colander medium slotted colander; not a fine mesh colander
Ingredients
- 1 pound small, fresh okra pods (See recipe notes if using frozen okra)
- Vegetable oil you'll need about 3/4" inch of oil in the pan; the exact amount of oil will depend on the size of your skillet
- 2 whole eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 tablespoon buttermilk
- 1¼ cups yellow cornmeal
- ¼ cup all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided 1/2 for the cornmeal mix; 1/2 as a finishing salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper (optional) , if you like a little heat, add more
Instructions
- Rinse and pat dry okra pods; cut of the stem and discard; cut the remaining pods into ¼" inch pieces; set aside1 pound small, fresh okra pods
- In a medium to large mixing bowl, add eggs and buttermilk; lightly beat eggs with a fork2 whole eggs, lightly beaten, 1 tablespoon buttermilk
- Add the cut okra to the egg mixture, coating the pods well; let sit for 10 minutes, gently stirring occasionally
- In a large Ziplock bag, add cornmeal, flour, salt, pepper and cayenne pepper; shake it up to mix it together1¼ cups yellow cornmeal, ¼ cup all purpose flour, 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, ¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper (optional)
- Use a slotted spoon and remove the egg coated okra from the bowl and put it into the cornmeal mixture; shake it up real good until all the okra is coated thoroughly
- Pour the cornmeal coated okra into a colander and give it a light shake
- Get a large, heavy-bottom skillet and add ¾"inch of oil on medium-high heat; use a thermometer to test the heat of the oil. You want it to be around 375°F; see recipe notes if you don't have a thermometerVegetable oil
- Add the okra to the hot oil in a single layer; cook 3-4 minutes until the okra begins to turn golden brown; you may have to gently turn some of the okra with a spoon to ensure it's cooked all the way around; use a slotted spoon or spider to remove the golden brown okra; transfer to a paper towel lined plate; repeat process until all the okra is fried
- If you want, lightly sprinkle the remaining salt over the warm okra and serve immediately with or without a dipping sauce
Notes
Nutrition Estimate
FAQ’s
Yes. Thaw cut okra pods first then pat dry with a paper towel before dredging it in the egg, flour and cornmeal mixture.
Preheat oven to 325-350° F, place okra pods in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake on the middle rack, uncovered until warmed throughout.
Coat the okra pods in a mixture of lightly beaten egg and buttermilk. This helps the flour/cornmeal mixture adhere to the okra pod. For best results, make sure the cooking oil is around 350-375°F.
