Fried Okra: a kitchen method

A serving plate of fried okra garnished with parsley.

This fried okra recipe is fresh sliced okra coated in buttermilk and a seasoned cornmeal mixture, then deep fried to golden brown perfection. A classic side dish or appetizer option that’s straightforward to make and totally tasty!

When I’m looking to serve up some traditional Southern recipes, I make Hoppin’ John, Southern cornbread dressing, fried cabbage and this ultra crunchy fried okra.

In my opinion, okra is an underutilized ingredient. My go-to way to enjoy this vegetable is to serve it as fried okra. I love the crunchy coating with the tender interior and that tasty flavor!

Fried okra is one of my go-to fried appetizer recipes along with fried pickles, fried zucchini and fried shrimp.

Fried Okra Ingredients

To make fried okra you will need okra, buttermilk, flour, cornmeal, salt, paprika, garlic powder, black pepper, vegetable oil and parsley.

How Do You Make Fried Okra?

The first step to make fried okra is to prepare the okra by cutting off the stem ends and slicing it up. Next toss the sliced okra in a bowl of buttermilk until the slices are completely coated. The buttermilk coated slices get dredged in a bowl of flour, yellow cornmeal, salt and spices. Batches of the okra slices go into hot oil for a few minutes until cooked through and golden brown. Set the cooked okra on paper towels to drain. Serve them hot and add a sprinkle of parsley for garnish.

Tips For The Reliable Fried Okra

Be sure to stir the okra occasionally as it fries to make sure that the okra cooks evenly and doesn’t stick together.
Look for similar sized okra pods so that all the okra slices take about the same time to cook. I use okra pods that are about 3 inches long.
Use a spider skimmer or slotted spoon to remove the cooked okra while letting the oil drain.
Be sure to use a frying thermometer to make sure that your oil is at the correct temperature. If the oil is too hot, the okra can burn. If it’s too cold, the okra will absorb excess grease and have a heavy texture.

Quick Tip

Fresh okra works finest in this recipe. Frozen okra is typically mushy when thawed and will not hold up well when fried.

Recipe FAQs

What is fried okra made of?

Fried okra consists of sliced okra pods coated in buttermilk and dredged in a flour, cornmeal and seasoning mixture. After a quick dip in hot oil, it is ready to eat.

People grow okra in warm, wet climates for the edible seed pods. It is popular food in the southern region of the United States. People use okra in stews and gumbo not only as a vegetable, but as a thickener. It is also popular to pickle this vegetable.

How do you cook okra so that it is not slimy?

Okra can be slimy after you cut it. However, with fried okra a slimy texture is not an issue. The okra in this recipe goes into a buttermilk bath and you coat it with flour and cornmeal which minimizes the slime. The veggie fries up golden and crunchy.

For other recipes involving okra, you can reduce the sliminess by drying okra before slicing and cooking it or cooking the okra with lemon juice, vinegar or other acidic ingredients.

What are the health benefits of okra?

Okra is full of vitamins such as vitamins C, K and A. Okra also contains magnesium and folate. Plain okra is a low calorie food and is low in carbs. Frying of course increases the calories and carbs. Okra also contains antioxidants which may help with with cancer prevention.

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Fried okra on a sheet pan, garnished with chopped parsley.

Fried Okra Variations

This recipe makes tasty, crunchy fried okra, however you can change the flavor to suit your own taste.

Spicy: If you want spicier okra, add some cayenne pepper to the flour mixture.
Cajun: For a Cajun style flavor mix some of my Cajun seasoning into the flour.
Mexican: For a Mexican flavor stir in some taco seasoning into the flour.
Sauce: Try some great dipping sauces like kitchen-made BBQ sauce, fry sauce or kitchen-made ranch dip!

Fried okra is a tasty Southern dish that is great as a side dish or as an appetizer. Once you try it, you won’t be able to stop eating it!

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Add as Google preferred source Authorthe Makdob kitchen A serving plate of fried okra garnished with parsley.

This fried okra recipe is fresh sliced okra coated in buttermilk and a seasoned cornmeal mixture, then deep fried to golden brown perfection. A classic side dish or appetizer option that's straightforward to make and totally tasty! Time Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time40 minutes

Course Side
Cuisine American
Serves 6

Ingredients

1 pound fresh okra pods
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
3 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon pepper
vegetable oil for frying
2 tablespoons chopped parsley optional

Instructions

Heat 3 inches of oil in a deep pot to 375 degrees F.
Remove the stem ends of the okra. Slice each okra pod into 3/4 inch thick pieces.
Place the okra slices in a bowl along with the buttermilk; toss to coat evenly.
Place the flour, cornmeal, salt, paprika garlic powder and pepper in a medium sized bowl. Stir to combine.
Dredge each piece of okra in the flour mixture, making sure it's coated evenly. Repeat the process with the remaining okra pieces.
Fry 10 pieces of okra at a time for 3 minutes or until golden brown.
Sprinkle with parsley if desired, then serve.

Notes

Be sure to stir the okra occasionally as it fries to make sure that the okra cooks evenly and doesn’t stick together.
Look for similar sized okra pods so that all the okra slices take about the same time to cook. I use okra pods that are about 3 inches long.
Be sure to use a frying thermometer to make sure that your oil is at the correct temperature. If the oil is too hot, the okra can burn. If it’s too cold, the okra will absorb excess grease and have a heavy texture.
Fresh okra works finest in this recipe. Frozen okra is typically mushy when thawed and will not hold up well when fried.