Southern Fried Okra

Fried Okra made with buttermilk, flour, cornmeal, okra, and seasoning is savory, crispy, and fried to perfection in under 30 minutes!

Appetizers and sides are a major part of any party we throw around here, and this time we’re getting ready to serve Cole Slaw, Macaroni Salad, Potato Salad, and Baked Mac and Cheese!

FRIED OKRA

Fried Okra is the PERFECT crispy, savory appetizer to serve at your next party. Made with okra that is soaked in buttermilk, then tossed in cornmeal and seasoning and fried until it’s golden brown. This okra recipe is a popular dish in the south, along with another favorite of mine, Sausage Balls.

If you’re looking for another recipe to fry while you have the oil hot, check out my Crispy Fried Calamari or Fried Cheese Curds!

HOW LONG DOES FRIED OKRA LAST?

Fried okra will last in the refrigerator for 2-3 days, but I recommend eating it right away, because it can lose some of its crispiness when stored.

If you want to make fried okra ahead of time, you can follow this recipe up until the flour and breading, then freeze the okra on a baking sheet for about an hour, until frozen. Then place in an airtight plastic bag and store for several months. When you’re ready, you can add the okra straight from the freezer to the fryer.

WHY DOES MY BREADING ALWAYS FALL OFF?

If the breading is falling off your southern fried okra, your oil may not be at the right temperature. Use a thermometer to make sure you are cooking at 350 degrees F.

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MORE RECIPES TO SERVE AT YOUR NEXT PARTY

• Buffalo Wings
• Easy Pulled Pork
• BBQ Pulled Chicken 
• Easy Braised Short Ribs
• Baked Beans

HOW DO YOU COOK OKRA WITHOUT IT GOING SLIMY?

Okra has a bad reputation for having a slimy texture, especially if this is your first time making it, but when it’s made right this shouldn’t be the case at all. Try to find fresh okra, and the heat from the oil should cook all of the slime out of the pods.

You should also be sure to dry your okra very well before cooking it, the drier the less slimy, this is also why frozen okra has a tendency to be so slimy when cooked. The frozen okra defrosts and is so wet it goes straight to slimy.

TIPS FOR MAKING FRIED OKRA

• You can trim the okra and cut it into pieces, or just fry the whole trimmed pod. When you trim the okra, you’re cutting off the stem and the tip to avoid the fibrous parts.
• Add extra seasoning to the cornmeal like garlic, onion powder, or cayenne pepper for extra flavor or heat.
• After frying, place the okra on a wire baking rack with paper towels under it to rest. This will allow excess oil to drain off, but keep the deep-fried okra from getting soggy while it sits.
• I like to use a dutch oven to fry these but you can use a deep cast iron skillet if that’s what you have.
• Some recipes use flour only, but a traditional southern fried okra recipe use a cornmeal-flour mixture.
• Try to find pods that are on the smaller side, which are usually softer in texture.
• Okra fries really quickly, it shouldn’t take longer than 3 minutes, so watch it closely.

5 from 5 votes

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Fried Okra

Fried Okra made with buttermilk, flour, cornmeal, okra, and seasoning is savory, crispy, and fried to perfection in under 30 minutes!

Course Appetizer

Cuisine American

Keyword fried okra

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 10 servings

Calories 124 kcal

Author Sabrina Snyder

Ingredients

• 20 okra trimmed and cut into 1/4" slices
• 1/4 cup buttermilk
• 1 large egg beaten
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
• vegetable oil for frying

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

1. In one bowl whisk the buttermilk and egg together and soak the okra pieces in it for 13 minutes.

2. In a second bowl whisk together the flour, cornmeal, salt and pepper, then set a large dutch oven to heat with 2" of oil to 350 degrees.

3. Drain the okra well, then dredge in the cornmeal mixture, remove excess breading and fry until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes.

Recipe Notes

Note: click on times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer while cooking.

Nutrition Facts

Fried Okra

Amount Per Serving

Calories 124 Calories from Fat 9

% Daily Value*

Fat 1g2%

Cholesterol 17mg6%

Sodium 247mg11%

Potassium 150mg4%

Carbohydrates 23g8%

Fiber 2g8%

Protein 4g8%

Vitamin A 205IU4%

Vitamin C 5.5mg7%

Calcium 31mg3%

Iron 1.3mg7%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.