Southern Fried Okra

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5 from 2 votes

Restaurant-quality Southern fried okra. The best Southern fried okra recipe is quick and simple.

Prep Time10

Cook Time10

Total Time20

Course: Appetizer, Side Dish

Cuisine: American, Southern

Servings: cups

Calories: 516kcal

Author: Anecia Hero

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 aside
1 pound small, fresh okra pods
In a medium to large mixing bowl, add eggs and buttermilk; lightly beat eggs with a fork
2 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 together
1¼ 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 thermometer
Vegetable 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

Frozen okra

If you're using frozen okra, let it thaw first, then pat it dry and resume recipe

Frying oil

Use vegetable or canola oil (not olive oil). The amount of oil you'll need will depend upon the size of skillet you use. You want about 3/4" inch of oil in the skillet.

If you're making several batches of fried okra, each batch will be browner than the one before due to you're reusing the oil. If this bothers you, toss out the oil between batches and reheat fresh oil.

If you don't have a thermometer

Heat the oil in the skillet until it begins to shimmer; drop a piece of breaded okra in the hot oil; if it sizzles, the oil is hot enough; if it doesn't sizzle, wait a minute and try another piece or turn the stove heat up a little.

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