Southern Fried Okra is crunchy and delicious. Serve as a side dish or snack. Easy to make with simple ingredients.
Excellent dipped in barbecue sauce, hot sauce, or ketchup.
Pairs well with Smoky Collard Greens.
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If you prefer a thick crust (like me), it’s easily achieved by dipping okra in buttermilk before dredging in the cornmeal mixture.
COOKING TIPS
1. Before cooking, always wash okra in warm/salty water. Rinse in clear water.
2. Thoroughly pat dry with thick paper towels or a clean kitchen towel to get rid of the excess water. Too much moisture makes okra slimy.
3. Cut okra into thick chunks instead of paper thin. Smaller slices tend to get slimy while cooking.
4. Quickly fry prepared okra over high heat to obtain a crispy crust (no slimy texture).
Check out more tips on how to cook okra.
Be sure to drain on paper towels after frying to get rid of excess oil. Serve hot or warm.
ENJOY!
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Southern Fried Okra
Ingredients
- 2 cups okra sliced 1/2-thick or larger fresh or frozen/thawed
- 1-1/2 cups self-rising white cornmeal mix
- 1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper more or less as preferred
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic herb seasoning blend optional
- 1 teaspoon salt more or less as preferred
- 1/4 cup buttermilk (optional)* Use if a thick breading is preferred.
- vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
- Wash sliced okra in warm/salty water. Rinse in warm/clear water.
- Thoroughly pat dry with thick paper towels or a clean kitchen towel. Set aside.
- Pour buttermilk into a medium sized bowl. Set aside. DO THIS STEP IF A THICK BREADING IS PREFERRED.
- In a separate zippered bag or bowl, combine white cornmeal mix, coarse ground black pepper, salt, and garlic seasoning blend (if using).
- Drop okra chunks into bowl of buttermilk. Remove with a slotted spoon. Drain excess. DO THIS STEP IF A THICK BREADING IS PREFERRED.
- Roll okra chunks in cornmeal mixture until evenly coated. Set aside.
- Pour vegetable oil into a large skillet. Warm over low-medium heat until sizzling hot, but not smoking (1-2 minutes). Drop ONE battered okra chunk into the hot oil. If it sizzles, add enough okra chunks to create a single layer.
- Turn heat up to medium.
- Fry 2 to 3 minutes OR until golden brown.
- Flip over and fry 2 to 3 more minutes OR until golden brown.
- Drain on paper towels.
- Repeat until all okra has been fried.
- Serve hot or warm.