This Fried Okra Recipe features fresh okra breaded in the most flavorful coating then fried until golden brown creating a perfect crunchy texture!
This is one of the best okra recipes around!!! Typically served with Fried Catfish, this is truly an amazing comfort side dish!!
Or thinking about pairing Fried Okra with other Southern side dishes like Pickled Okra, Fried Pickles, Fried Green Tomatoes, Okra and Tomatoes, Collard Greens, Buffalo Fried Cauliflower, and Southern Fried Corn for a Soul Food vegetarian treat that will knock your socks off!
Delicious Southern Fried Okra Recipe
This Southern fried okra recipe is dedicated to my daddy. I realize that a lot of the things I wanted to learn how to cook and bake came from figuring out what foods made him excited. For instance, he loves key lime pie, fried catfish and fried okra, and I learned how to make those things early on growing up.
I seriously think I fried my first fillet of fish around 11 or 12 years old and got pretty darn good at it too. Each Friday, my dad got off early from work and would pick me up from school right on time. We would then go home and have a fish fry. Those definitely brought him back to his Mississippi southern roots.
What is Okra?
According to Healthline, Okra is a flowering plant known for its edible seed pods. It is cultivated in locations like Africa and South Asia due to it being warm and tropical.
This vegetable or fruit as it is not widely known is used in a lot of Southern dishes like gumbo, succotash, and soups.
How to Select Okra
My suggestion is to always try fresh okra first. If you can select fresh okra, it will make this dish so much better.
However I realize that in certain areas of the country this may not be possible. In that case, frozen okra is totally fine.
Tip: Make sure it is thawed and use paper towels to completely try it so the breading adheres to it well. You want to make sure it isn’t watery and that it maintains its texture.
How to Cook Okra So It Isn’t Slimy
But okra doesn’t have to be slimy y’all!!! There are a few precautions you can take to assure you are cooking your southern okra the best way possible.
One major precaution being- reduce the cutting. The more you cut this intricate veggie, the more slime it produces.
Try to opt-in for whole slices of okra rather than finely chopped pieces the next time you get ready to prepare some.
There are even different selection types of okra, plenty of sizes, to choose from at the grocery store so be mindful of what you pick up.
When picking fresh okra at the grocery store, always choose smaller pods. They should be mostly green. If you see black specks anywhere, then I would avoid because they aren’t as fresh.
Tip: Try to avoid the larger okra pods because they can be tougher when cooked. Anything around 4 inches is too long.
Ingredients
The BEST Fried Okra starts with incredible ingredients. For a breading that is truly unlike any other as far as flavor, you will need the following key ingredients:
- All Purpose Flour (this will help with making sure the batter adheres)
- Yellow Cornmeal (this provides that true Southern flavor and nice crunchy gritty texture)
- Seasoned bread crumbs (I started adding these for a bit more texture and additional flavor to the breading)
- Paprika (I love adding this for additional flavor notes)
- Cayenne (This is optional but if you love a little spice, definitely add this!)
Fried Okra from Frozen Okra?
I love to start with fresh okra however you can absolutely use frozen okra that has been thawed out.
The most important thing to remember is to keep the texture intact since most people don’t enjoy okra because of a somewhat slimy texture.
How to Make Fried Okra
Frying okra could not be easier. To help the okra adhere to the batter, I like to use a bit of egg. It really serves as a binder.
Lastly, real Southern fried okra should always have a batter base of corn meal. There is nothing more southern than that.
Tips for How to Fry Okra
Tip 2: To keep frying evenly, I like to occasionally stir it so it doesn’t fry and stick.
Tip 3: Oil temperature must not be too hot or the okra will burn and have a terrible taste. Also if the oil isn’t hot enough, the okra will just absorb the oil and it won’t crisp.
Tip 4: This okra is great plain or you could serve with this remoulade.
What to Serve with Fried Okra
I told you all about the essentials of fish fries when I shared my Hush Puppy recipe earlier this year, and I loved sharing the country fun of frying up Green Tomatoes this summer too, but a fried okra recipe is just as iconic when it comes to southern and soul food cooking.
Nowadays if you want a quick fix, you can go to Cracker Barrel or any neighborhood southern restaurant and order some but I love the homemade ones best.
These fried okra are perfectly spiced to your liking, crispy and best eaten right out of the fryer. Fry these babies up and see what all my daddy’s fuss is all about!
Deep Fried Okra or Pan Fried Okra?
Can you Make Ahead?
How to Store
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Fried Okra Recipe - How to Fry Okra
Ingredients
- 12 ounces fresh okra cut into 1/2 inch pieces
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
- 1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1/8-1/4 teaspoon cayenne go up if you enjoy the spice
- Oil for frying
Instructions
- Season okra with salt and pepper.
- Add eggs to a separate small bowl.
- Combine flour, cornmeal, seasoned bread crumbs, paprika and cayenne into another small bowl and whisk together.
- Begin by dipping okra into cornmeal and flour coating.
- Next add okra to eggs coating on all sides.
- Lastly dip back into the coating and set aside okra on baking sheet.
- Repeat dredging process until all okra is ready.
- Heat oil in a frying pan over medium high heat.
- Fry okra until golden brown and drain on paper towels.
- Serve warm.
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I’m definitely going to try this recipe. Here in Greece we cook small sized okra in a tomato sauce with garlic, onions and vinegar!. The vinegar is used to make the okra less slimy. It is a dish similar to other Mediterranean countries.
I have been wanting to try okra for a while and didn’t know what to do with it. I am definitely giving this a try.
One of the best okra recipes I’ve tried! The texture of the okra and the crispy coating was just perfect! Thanks for the recipe 🙂
OMG! These are so good. It’s my first time frying okra and it won’t be the last time.