Southern-Style Fried Okra Recipe
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A staple side dish in the South, this fried okra recipe is simple, quick, and oh-so-delicious.
Back when I first started Southern Plate, I had an email from a reader asking if I could share a fried okra recipe. Well, y’all know I’ll eventually get to everything and here it is!
Southern fried okra is a truly delicious side dish. It seems no matter the time of year, no matter if you use frozen or fresh okra, it always adds that “fresh from the garden” taste to any meal. However, I’m definitely on the team of making fried okra from frozen, as it makes this recipe even easier (if that was possible).
Around these parts, you can find okra pre-breaded in the freezer section and some places even sell cups of it hot alongside chicken nuggets and such at lunch. Although I have no complaint if I am getting okra (no matter how it is prepared), my all-time favorite form of okra is prepared at home with this recipe. With a nickname like Southern popcorn, you won’t be able to stop after popping one piece in your mouth! Yep, fried okra’s crunchy and crispy exterior is totally addictive – ask anyone!
Recipe Ingredients
- Eggs
- Cornmeal (self-rising or plain, either is fine)
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Fresh or frozen okra (I am using frozen okra). If using fresh okra, go ahead and slice it up into bite-sized pieces and well.
- Vegetable oil
How to Make Fried Okra From Frozen
Add eggs to a medium-sized bowl.
Add buttermilk to the eggs.
Mix them up real good.
Combine dry ingredients (salt, pepper, cornmeal) in another medium-sized bowl and mix that up.
Coat the frozen okra pieces with the egg/buttermilk combo.
Then transfer to the cornmeal mixture and coat until covered.
Place about 1/4 cup oil in a cast iron skillet and heat over medium heat for three to five minutes.
Add the vegetable oil to the pan and heat up until you add a piece of okra and get some sizzlin’. Then you know it’s hot enough to add the coated okra slices.
With a slotted spoon add the okra.
Keep the skillet on medium heat (if in a hurry, you can cook this on medium-high heat, just watch it a bit closer).
and stir the pieces occasionally (every two or three minutes) for about twenty or twenty-five minutes or so, until crispy and browned.
Remove pan fried okra with a slotted spoon and place them into a serving bowl.
DEVOUR with some Comeback Dipping Sauce (this is the good stuff!). I also recommend dipping the crispy in .
What’s the Best Way To Store Your Fried Okra?
- Once cooled completely, you can store your fried okra in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days or freezer for up to six months. When it’s time, either reheat them on a baking sheet in the oven (turning to ensure both sides get crunchy) or by pan-frying them again in a small amount of oil. Alternatively, use your air fryer to reheat your fried okra.
Recipe Notes
- When making fried okra from frozen, make sure you thaw your frozen okra completely before frying. Once thawed, drain and pat the pieces completely dry with a paper towel before tossing them in the coating and frying.
- For a spicier fried okra recipe, I recommend adding a quarter or a half-teaspoon of cayenne pepper or cajun seasoning to the cornmeal.
Recipe FAQs
What is okra?
For anyone that isn’t from the South and used to making fried okra you may be wondering what the heck it is. Some people are surprised to hear it’s technically a fruit not a vegetable, like our friend the avocado. Okra is the fruit of the Abelmoschus esculentus plant, which is a member of the Mallow family. Now, isn’t that a mouthful! Native to West Africa, it was introduced to America over 300 years ago. If you are interested in ready more about Okra, here is an overview.
What do you serve with fried okra?
Fried okra is a great vegetarian side dish to serve with other Southern main meals, like fried catfish, pulled pork, fried chicken, and velvet pork chops. Otherwise, you can serve it as a main meal alongside other popular Southern side dishes, including fresh fried corn, mac and cheese, and cornbread.
How do you make fried okra not slimy?
There are three things to do to ensure your fried okra isn’t slimy. First, the thinner the slice, the slimier the okra, so make sure you chop your fresh okra into big pieces. Second, cooking over high heat should stop it from being too slimy too. Third, make sure your okra is completely dry before coating.
Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 cup cornmeal self-rising or plain
- 4 cups okra fresh or frozen, sliced
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
Instructions
- Thaw okra. Combine eggs and buttermilk in one bowl, and combine the salt, pepper, and cornmeal in a separate bowl.2 eggs, 1/2 cup buttermilk, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, 4 cups okra, 1 cup cornmeal
- Coat okra with egg/buttermilk mixture and then transfer to dry mixture and coat.
- Heat approximately 1/4 cup of oil in a skillet until hot. Dip okra from the bowl into the oil with a slotted spoon. (Leave the extra cornmeal in the bowl and throw away).1/4 cup vegetable oil
- Stir occasionally and cook until okra is brown and crisp. Take out of oil with the slotted spoon.
Nutrition
You may also enjoy these Southern recipes:
Southern Biscuits Recipe A Classic With Only 3 Ingredients
Southern Cubed Steak and Milk Gravy
Hoe Cake Recipe Southern Style From Mama
I fry okra now in the oven .All of my fried foods are cooked in the oven because it’s lowfat .I have been doing this for twenty years and my family loves it .Your way is great Christy if you can have the fat .
I place an iron skillet in a hot oven .About 400 degress with a tablespoon of oil .Let it heat .Prepare your okra the same way Christy does .Spray skillet also with Pam cooking spray before adding the okra .Let cook brown on one side and turn ,spray once again with Pam .Don’t stir because it will get mushy .This is the way I cook squash ,potatoes and just anything I want fried .
Hugssssssssssssssssss
I love fried okra and my mother made it just like in your recipe. I’ve done that too, but one time decided to use Louisiana Fish Fry (which I use on catfish) instead of the cornmeal and salt. It was deeelish!
Momma used to make up a batch of cornbread and dip whole okra pods in it and fry them. Kind of like an okra fritter. So GOOD!!
My pawpaw, who was a sharecropper from Walker County in northwest Georgia always grew a few acres of okra every year. I don’t think I ever had a meal at my Granny and PawPaw’s that we didn’t have fried okra. I’ve never had it as good as those folks up there fix it. But I have a problem with it shriveling up before it’s cooked good. I’m always a little disappointed with mine, but will keep on trying. My Granny’s fried okra was the first southern food my yankee husband from Pittsburgh learned to eat. He loves it, and fried green tomatoes.
So glad to find this post about okra. We had a garden growing up and my job was to pick the green beans, squash and okra…then snap the beans and slice the squash and okra…oh, how I hated beans, squash and okra. It’s been over 30 years and I can eat beans and okra now but still can’t do squash. I never really paid attention to how my mom made the okra because I never intended to make it after I was grown…lol. I’ve been wanting to make some like she made it all those years ago…very crispy and without all the thick breading that comes with it now. What I do remember is she used cornmeal and flour so thank you for this recipe…I’m sure it was how she made it.
My mother used meal and flour also. She used it 2 to 1- meal to flour.
I love fried okra! I also regularly eat it baked. My granny always made it this way and I never knew how it didn’t get slimy, every time I saw it she was pulling it out of the microwave. Anyway, I spray a baking sheet with pam or coat it with cooking oil and then throw the okra on and bake at 425 and stir it around a couple of times until it’s done. We like ours kinda crispy.
My mother used to cut up an onion and a green (just starting to turn pink) tomato and roll it in corn meal (and a little flour) with the okra and fry it. It really gives fried okra a little kick and adds a ton of flavor. Yum.