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Fried Okra Recipe – A Southern Classic Done Right!

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Home » Savory » Appetizers » Fried Okra Recipe – A Southern Classic Done Right!

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 Green Tomatoes, Collard Greens and Southern Fried Corn for a Soul Food vegetarian treat that will knock your socks off!

An overhead photo of crispy fried okra recipe with fresh okra surround it

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.

A large heap of Fried Okra Recipe in close up photo - Best Okra Recipes

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.

The crunchy and grittiness is fantastic with the okra along with bread crumbs and flour that really give a crispy bite.  I like to flavor the okra with a bit of paprika and if you want to really bring home some spice, a little cayenne pepper wouldn’t hurt either.

A large pile of Perfectly Southern Fried Okra recipe drained on paper towels

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?

For a fast method, deep frying always insures more even frying of your okra.  Pan frying requires more effort as you will have to turn pieces of okra and watch more closely but it is still delicious and worth the extra effort if you don’t have a deep fryer handy.
Love it fried?  Try these incredible fried recipes:
Southern Pan Fried Okra Recipe | Grandbaby Cakes

Fried Okra Recipe - How to Fry Okra

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!!!
4.41 from 5 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Southern
Keyword: classic recipe, okra, vegetable
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 169kcal
Author: Jocelyn Delk Adams of Grandbaby-Cakes.com

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.

Video

Notes

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. 

Nutrition

Calories: 169kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 62mg | Sodium: 162mg | Potassium: 269mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 535IU | Vitamin C: 13.3mg | Calcium: 74mg | Iron: 2mg
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Comments

  2. Brenda says

    December 20, 2018 at 7:47 pm

    I love your backstories to your recipes!

    Fried okra was a regular dish for Sunday dinner during okra season when I was a girl in the 1960’s. My grandma would put cut okra into a large bowl, crack a few eggs over it, add salt and pepper, then sprinkle corn meal over it until it was nice and gooey. Then she’d fry it in her cast iron skillet. When I asked her how many eggs, how much corn meal, etc., she said she just added the ingredients until she got happy! I’ve been using her approach for years and my two sons love it. Now that I’m a grandma, that’s the first thing they want for dinner when they come home for Christmas. I think I’m going to sneak in some paprika this year and see if they notice! Thanks!

    Reply

  7. Bill says

    August 23, 2014 at 10:01 am

    Now you’re singing my tune, Jocelyn! Love my fried okra and yours looks absolutely perfect. I see your southern roots in this post! 🙂

    Reply

  9. Carol at Wild Goose Tea says

    August 20, 2014 at 4:57 pm

    Okra just came up as a major discussion at my family reunion. We are TOTALLY northerners. We had fresh okra
    and wasn’t quite sure what to do with it. There wasn’t an easy way to check. Darn—this looks wonderful.

    Reply

    • Jocelyn (Grandbaby Cakes) says

      August 20, 2014 at 5:07 pm

      I totally understand the northerner side for sure. Next time you have fresh okra, you can try this.

      Reply

  12. marcie says

    August 20, 2014 at 11:48 am

    I love your stories about cooking for your family, Jocelyn — that’s so sweet you learned to make your daddy’s favorites so young! Can you believe I love okra but have never had it fried? I could eat this entire bowl it looks so good!

    Reply

    • Jocelyn (Grandbaby Cakes) says

      August 20, 2014 at 12:20 pm

      Thanks so much Bianca! I love trying to recreate things I eat out at home. It is kinda fun to see how close I can get the renditions.

      Reply

    • Jocelyn (Grandbaby Cakes) says

      August 20, 2014 at 12:23 pm

      Girl yes, I know okra is an African cooking staple. The fried version is definitely more a soul food mainstay.

      Reply

    • Jocelyn (Grandbaby Cakes) says

      August 20, 2014 at 12:23 pm

      Oh gosh Helen, I had no idea that okra was so popular in Greece! You seriously learn something new everyday!

      Reply

  20. Alice // Hip Foodie Mom says

    August 20, 2014 at 7:19 am

    Jocelyn,
    love me some fried okra! I love that the first foods you learned to cook were the ones your father loved. You are totally daddy’s little girl and I love this! Those Fridays with your dad sound so sweet!! I hope my girls have sweet memories like this one with Paul. . 🙂 love this!

    Reply

    • Deborah says

      August 1, 2018 at 8:07 am

      This recipe is right up my alley with good ole fried okra.Here being just me I can fry some up and dig in.Now having it with some summer squash and onions and even along maybe even some corn on the cob.All this talk is making me hungry! Being southern let’s add a big glass of ice tea.I do love your recipes.Thank you for your shares.

      Reply

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