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Southern Fried Okra Recipe
Okra is my favorite vegetable ever. I love the hairy pod, the gooey slime and the soft texture. My family used to grow okra plant in our garden.
I especially love crispy Southern fried okra. They are so crunchy, addictive and the okra has no slime! It’s such a great appetizer, I just can’t stop eating.
How to Fry Okra?
In California, Okra is in season starting in June, so I got myself some okras and made them into these crunchy nuggets. Now, how to fry okra? It’s very easy and involves a few simple steps:
- Remove the cap and bottom tip of the okra and cut the pods into small pieces.
- Add the okras to buttermilk.
- Coat the okras with a dry all-purpose flour and cornmeal batter (mixture).
- Deep fry in vegetable oil until golden brown and crispy.
- Drain the excess oil on paper towels and serve with your favorite dipping sauce.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I Use Air Fryer to Fry Okra?
Yes you can and the end result tastes exactly the same. You can use air fryer to fry the okra after coating with the all-purpose flour and cornmeal mixture. Just add 1 tablespoon of oil to your air fryer before air frying.
What Does Okra Taste like Fried?
Okra has a mild flavor that many say tastes similar to eggplant, but the texture is more fibrous and tender. Additionally, the vegetable has a slime that will make it have a silky texture.
Is Fried Okra Good for You?
It is pretty low in calories has a high fiber content. It has also been proven to help with blood sugar and cholesterol, making okra good for you.
How Many Calories per Serving?
This fried okra recipe is only 183 calories per serving, with 35g of carbs.
What Dishes to Serve with This Recipe?
This meal is best served as an appetizer and goes well with a main dish. For a Southern style wholesome meal and easy weeknight dinner, I recommend the following recipes.
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Crispy Fried Okra
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb (250g) okra
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup cornmeal
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 3 dashes ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup buttermilk
- oil (for deep frying)
Instructions
- Trim off the cap and tip of the okra and cut into small pieces.
- Combine the flour, cornmeal, salt, smoked paprika and ground black pepper in a bowl. Stir to mix well.
- Add the buttermilk to a bowl. Work in batches, dip the okra in the buttermilk, then coat the okra with the flour mixture. Make sure the okra is evenly coated.
- Heat up a sauce pan or frying pan with 2 inches (5cm) of oil. Deep fry the okra (in batches) until they turn crispy and golden brown in color. Remove from oil and drain on paper towels.
- Serve hot with a dipping sauce such as a spicy Ranch dipping sauce (just add Sriracha to it).
Notes
Nutrition
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated, using Spoonacular, for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.
Thanks for the recipe. The note about the buttermilk helped ALOT! I use lactose-free milk in my baking and frying. It turned out fantastic!
Yay!
Can I freeze the okra without breading and still be able to bread after freezing without being slimy?
I am not sure. It’s best to use fresh okra.
Yes, I buy out of season frozen bags of non-breaded, already cut up okra. I partial thaw in refrigerator day before frying.
I put okra in a large bowl to melt some remaining ice off but not completely thawed. I beat two eggs and pour over okra, stir well, then mix 1/4c flour, 1 cup yellow corn meal together and put over okra. Heat oil, put in okra single layer, cook until browned on one side then the other. Take out , drain on paper towels, then salt to taste. Comes out tasting just as good as fresh okra.
Hello Deanna, The best way to freeze okra is to make your breading how ever you like, and take one egg and buttermilk and whisk. Dip the okra in the milk mixture and use a slotted spoon ( I use a deep fry spatula for this) so that you don’t have to much milk mixture on the okra and toss in your breading mixture. And once this is done take the okra and put on a cookie sheet lined with parchment or wax paper and a single layer with the okra not touching and put in the freezer and let freeze, once frozen you can take out and put in a freezer bag and throw in the freezer. And when you are ready to use each piece of okra is separate and doesn’t stick together and easy to fry up. I freeze fruit the same way on a cookie sheet with wax/parchment paper and is great to do this way. Good luck
What temp do you heat the oil up to?
350°F
I rarely have milk on hand, so I diluted some greek yogurt with water and it worked well. Also, I just used a small amount of oil to pan fry the okra. We loved the hint of spice from the paprika.
Hi Anne, that’s swesome, sounds yummy!
What’s the dipping sauce you used?
Seriously? The dipping sauce is used for DIPPING the okra in after it’s been cooked! SMH!
Angela, she asked what the dipping sauce is she used in the photo- not what is dipping sauce for. No need to be rude.
Thanks Madison.
Exactly! How rude!
Love fried okra! This reminds me of my childhood!
Will it be still crispy after a day or two after frying.
No.
Is there any substitute for cornmeal?
You can use flour and skip cornmeal but won’t be as crunchy.
I love okra! I like it added to soup but my favorite way to eat okra is fried!
I love okra everything, even raw. Have you tried them raw, it’s so yummy! I was pleasantly so surprised when I tried it the first time!
I love okra! Thanks for sharing. The challenge I’ve always had is to get the rest of my family to like them as I do. This fried okra recipe is perfect way to get my little ones to try and most likely enjoy okra. I hope I don’t mess it up.
It’s very easy to make these fried okras.