Fried Okra is a tried and true, classic southern recipe! You are ready to dig into this incredible fried veggie with just a few simple ingredients and a cast iron skillet. Crispy, crunchy, and flavorful, this tasty recipe is a perfect summertime side dish.
In This Post
Okra – you either love it or hate it. I just had to be blunt, because that’s really how people feel. For me, I am confessing right now, as a true southerner, I only like it one way – summertime fresh and fried. Now that I’ve gotten that off my chest, here’s a few facts about that green pod that was officially voted “the most hated vegetable ever”…
Okra has some incredible health benefits. It’s low in calories, one cup of raw okra only has around 30 calories. One cup also has a whopping 66% RDA of Vitamin K. Okra is also high is calcium, fiber, vitamin C, protein, folate & magnesium.
I know y’all are so glad that I shared these important tidbits about okra! So now, let’s get to the good stuff…cooking and eating. Even though I said I like my okra fried, that doesn’t mean greasy. It’s actually funny when I say I’m making okra – friends kinda roll their eyes but when it comes time to put the plate on the table, there’s never any left.
Ingredients Needed To Make Fried Okra
- Sliced Fresh Okra
- Buttermilk
- Cornmeal
- Flour
- Salt
- Pepper
- Canola Oil
People Often Ask…
While I definitely encourage you to use fresh okra, just for the texture and flavor of it, I completely understand that it is hard to find fresh in many places.
If you’re unable to get fresh okra, you can absolutely use frozen, just make sure to thaw it out first. For the best results, you’ll want to thaw the okra completely and then pat it with a paper towel to absorb moisture prior to starting the recipe.
I like to use either a heavy bottom cast iron pan, or a Dutch Oven for frying okra. I would recommend using a Dutch Oven if you have one to avoid any splattering oil.
Ingredients
- 3 cups washed and sliced fresh okra
- ½ cup homemade butter milk – ½ cup milk with 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1 cup cornmeal
- ¼ cup flour
- 1 tablespoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- Canola oil for frying
Instructions
- Make buttermilk by adding vinegar to milk and let sit for 5 minutes.
- Mix cornmeal, flour, salt and pepper in a bowl.
- Heat oil in cast iron skillet.
- In a large bowl, place okra and buttermilk.
- Strain okra in a mesh colander.
- Gently add okra to dry ingredients, turning to coat.
- When oil is hot (test by dropping a small amount of cornmeal into grease & if it starts to sizzle, oil is ready) shake off excess cornmeal on okra and add to skillet.
- Cook for approximately 12 to 15 minutes on medium heat until brown.
- Place on paper towels to drain and sprinkle with sea salt.
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Charlotte Hall
I don’t usually leave comments, but this is one of my favorite vegetables so here is my opinion. Fried okra is devine, but you’re missing out if it doesn’t include onion right along with the okra. Also, try using bacon grease instead of canola oil – adds so much flavor! And hot biscuits or cornbread along side. Now you’re talking!
Loli
This is so simple and tastes great! I didn’t even use flour and added a little cayenne. I love how the buttermilk works to make the cornmeal adhere and how it crisps and browns without deep frying!
Peggy Hopkins
This is very close to my mom’s recipe, but she used bacon grease. Wonderful memories of all vegetable meals most of summer.
Donya
Hey there Peggy!
Using bacon grease is a wonderful idea, especially in a southern classic recipe like this one! I love when recipes stir up those happy memories, thank you so much for sharing!
~Donya
Robin Reed
This sounds delightful. Especially with the browb beans on the side. The only thing which could make it better is cornbread!
Can you do this in an air fryer? So enjoy your website.
Donya
Hey there Robin!
Thank you so much for your interest in this recipe, if you’re a fan of southern food then you’re definitely going to love this southern classic! I’ve actually never tried to make fried okra in the Air Fryer, so I’m not sure how long you would have to cook it for, but it’s worth experimenting with. If you want to give the air fryer a try, I would start out at 350 degrees for 10 minutes, flipping the okra after 5 minutes. I do have a fantastic Sour Cream Cornbread recipe that would be amazing with fried okra, I’ll add the link below this comment. I hope you enjoy the recipes, I’d love to hear how everything turns out if you give it a try!
https://www.asouthernsoul.com/sour-cream-cornbread/
~Donya
Cheri
Made the fried okra for supper tonight. Yes, I used frozen, precut okra, as we do not have any fresh out of our garden, as of yet. I defrosted them and let them drain well in a colander and proceeded with your recipe. They turned out beautifully! I had been skeptical about the amt of salt called for in the breader mixture, but as always, you were absolutely correct, lol. Thanks so much for sharing another delicious Southern recipe!
Donya
Hey there Cheri!
My goodness! Words cannot express how delighted I am to read this comment, you’re too sweet! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe, fried okra sure is a southern specialty. Thank you so much for your fantastic rating and your support, I really appreciate it! Have a great day!
Tyra Carmichael
How much oil do I use? Does the okra fry on bottom of pan of float in the pan ?
They Tyra.
Just pour enough oil to cover the bottom of the skillet. You don’t want to okra to float, just enough to help cook them.
Hope this helps.
~Donya