This Classic Southern 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 Fried Pickles, Fried Green Tomatoes, Collard Greens 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.
How to Make Fried Okra- The Best 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
- 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.
Most people don’t enjoy okra because of a somewhat slimy texture.
How to Fry 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.
Tip: You can also use buttermilk if you want a thicker binder and more tang!
Lastly, real Southern fried okra should always have a batter base of corn meal. There is nothing more southern than that.
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?
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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 love fried okra. I could not make mine taste like my Mother-in-laws until now. Thank you so much, the buttermilk and the paprika made the difference. 51 years of trying and now I can make it.
I have been freezing okra for years using the same method you have, except I’ve never used the eggs. I make a lot and freeze it so it’s ready to go when I want to fry it. Your addition of the eggs sounds great but I’m wondering how the okra would do frozen and not fried yet. Would the eggs hold up? Thanks. Anita
Fried okra has been my favorite food since I was atleast 3 years old lol I love it just as much then as I do now and I’ve surprisingly never made it homemade but since I moved to a different part of the country (WV) where most people don’t even know what okra is when you mention it (heartbreaking I know!) I have had a hard time finding anything close to back home where any restaurant you went to you could order a side of it. The only thing I’ve found is in the frozen section at Walmart and sometimes Kroger..it’s surprisingly hard to find even in the grocery store. But that’s what has lead me to finding a homemade recipe so I can get my fix! lol I can eat a pound of it plus some just thinking about it! thanks for the recipe I can’t wait to try it!
My favorite okra recipe is here. Thank you so much for such a wonderful recipe. MY kids love them .
This brings me back to my childhood! Look the photos and recipe!!!