A fun southern side dish or appetizer, this Fried Okra Recipe is super simple to put together, takes minimal ingredients, and is the perfect flavor and texture.
Being from the south, okra is one thing that we incorporate into a lot of our dishes. This Fried Okra Recipe is just one of the many, but hands down one of our favorites.
I grew up eating Fried Okra and have loved it ever since, so we keep making it today. It goes great with so many dishes or even as an appetizer to munch on.
Easy on-hand ingredients help this come together in no time. You can have this Fried Okra Recipe done in under 20 minutes, how amazing is that!
If you have never tried this before but have wanted to, now is the time. It is super good served with an array of dipping sauces such as ranch, aioli, remoulade, or a creole mayonnaise.
However you serve it, you are going to fall in love. Especially if you are an okra lover to start, this is just a new fun southern way of eating it that you have to try.
Some of our other favorite easy side dishes include: Tempura Veggies, Grilled Corn and Crab Cakes.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
- Easy ingredients help this come together.
- This is very adaptable.
- Easily double this recipe to make more for guests.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED (FULL RECIPE BELOW):
Fresh okra pods
Buttermilk
Garlic salt
Pepper
All-purpose flour
Fine yellow cornmeal
Onion powder
Sweet paprika
Peanut oil for frying
HOW TO MAKE A FRIED OKRA RECIPE:
- Cut the okra into ½ inch slices and place them in a large bowl.
- Add the buttermilk, garlic salt and pepper, stir to combine.
- In a zip-top gallon-sized bag, add the flour, cornmeal, garlic salt, onion powder, paprika, and pepper. Zip up the top and toss around to mix everything together.
- Take about ¼-cup of the okra at a time, let the excess buttermilk drip off, place it into the bag with the flour mixture. Zip the top and toss the okra around so it gets coated.
- Place a wire rack over a sheet tray and take the okra pieces out one by one and place them on to the wire rack without touching. This helps any excess flour mixture fall off.
- Repeat with the remaining okra until it is all coated.
- Add the peanut oil to a deep fryer or to a large dutch oven, enough to go two inches up the side of the pan. Heat the oil to 375°F.
- Place about a dozen pieces of the okra into the oil at a time and fry for 3-4 minutes or until your desired browning. Drain on a paper-towel-lined plate to get rid of any excess oil.
- Repeat with the remaining okra. Serve immediately with your favorite dipping sauce.
CAN I USE OTHER SPICES?
Absolutely, if you are not a fan of the seasonings that we use in this recipe, you can totally mix it up. Some other ideas for seasonings include:
- Old Bay
- Blackening seasoning
- Cajun seasoning
- Creole seasoning
- Smoked paprika
- Chipotle powder
- Cayenne
DO I HAVE TO USE BUTTERMILK?
For this recipe, yes, I highly suggest that you use buttermilk. We do not use any other milk for this recipe, nor have we ever.
You can make your own buttermilk at home, to do that for this recipe add 1 cup of regular milk to a measuring cup and add 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice.
Stir this around and let it sit for 5-10 minutes, after it has sat stir again and you have yourself homemade buttermilk!
DO I HAVE TO USE CORNMEAL AS THE COATING?
Typically fine yellow cornmeal is used in a Fried Okra Recipe, it gives it the traditional southern texture and flavor that you are going for.
If you don’t have cornmeal around, another method that you can use that will give it a different texture is a tempura batter, you can find a recipe for that here.
HOW TO STORE:
Although these are best eaten when they are first made, you can store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator where they will for up to 3 days.
These can also be frozen fried or unfried. To cook, do not thaw, just cook them from frozen. It may take an extra minute or two to cook. Otherwise, these will keep in a freezer container for up to 4-5 months.
TIPS AND TRICKS:
- We like to use peanut oil because of the high smoke content, but use any other high smoke content oil.
- Use your favorite dipping sauces, some are listed above.
- These can be frozen, see above on how to do that.
- Other seasonings can be used, check out my ideas above.
- Easily double this recipe to have more on hand or keep for later.
Love a good okra recipe that can be used as a side dish or a fun appetizer? This Fried Okra Recipe is exactly what you’ve been looking for.
If you like this recipe you might also like:
If you’ve tried this FRIED OKRA RECIPE let me know in the comments how it turned out! You can follow me over on PINTEREST, INSTAGRAM OR FACEBOOK to find some more of our mouthwatering recipes!
Fried Okra Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh okra pods
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
For the breading:
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup fine yellow cornmeal
- 2 teaspoons garlic salt
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon sweet paprika
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Peanut oil for frying
Instructions
- Cut the okra into ½ inch slices and place them in a large bowl.
- Add the buttermilk, garlic salt and pepper, stir to combine.
- In a zip-top gallon-sized bag, add the flour, cornmeal, garlic salt, onion powder, paprika, and pepper. Zip up the top and toss around to mix everything together.
- Take about ¼-cup of the okra at a time, let the excess buttermilk drip off, place it into the bag with the flour mixture. Zip the top and toss the okra around so it gets coated.
- Place a wire rack over a sheet tray and take the okra pieces out one by one and place them on to the wire rack without touching. This helps any excess flour mixture fall off.
- Repeat with the remaining okra until it is all coated.
- Add the peanut oil to a deep fryer or to a large dutch oven, enough to go two inches up the side of the pan. Heat the oil to 375°F.
- Place about a dozen pieces of the okra into the oil at a time and fry for 3-4 minutes or until your desired browning. Drain on a paper-towel-lined plate to get rid of any excess oil.
- Repeat with the remaining okra. Serve immediately with your favorite dipping sauce.
Notes
- We like to use peanut oil because of the high smoke content, but use any other high smoke content oil.
- Use your favorite dipping sauces, some are listed above.
- These can be frozen, see above on how to do that.
- Other seasonings can be used, check out my ideas above.
- Easily double this recipe to have more on hand or keep for later.
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