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Fried Okra is a Southern staple. So simple to make, it makes the perfect side dish. Get this heirloom family fried okra recipe that you’ll love.
Fried okra is one of my favorite foods in all the land – if it’s done right. This is the best fried okra recipe and a family favorite for generations!
And by done right, I mean cooked with the perfect amount of crispy coating on the outside while being smooth and tender on the inside. You’d think that would be easy enough, but when I was first married I wasn’t exactly sure how to make it. I managed to have more burnt crisps of okra because I couldn’t figure out the perfect balance of how to make it just right.
Finally, like every good Southern girl, I called my Mama. She knew just what I was doing wrong and set me straight in my fried okra making ways.
Fried Okra Recipe
I had been trying to get the perfect fried okra on the stove top alone. The secret, as Mama told me, was the combination of the stove top AND the oven! It’s how her Mama taught her and her Mama before her.
Hallelujah! It was if I could hear the angels singing when she told me how to make it.
How to Make
To make this fried okra, start by preheating oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Then, mix together the okra, corn meal, flour and salt in a large mixing bowl. Make sure the okra is well-coated.
In the meantime, heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Then add okra to skillet once oil has reached the point where if a drop of water is added to the oil, it will sizzle.
Allow okra to brown on one side, which will take about 3 minutes, before gently stirring. Once both sides of okra have browned, about 3 more minutes, place into preheated oven.
Cook until fork tender, about 10 minutes. Then serve and enjoy!
We love to eat this delicious okra with so many other favorite dishes, such as Easy Mashed Potatoes, Pinto Beans and Southern Cornbread.
Since my Mama shared cooking tip with me, I’ve been making it perfectly for over 20 years.
I’m so thankful for her tips! The world just wouldn’t be the same without good fried okra.
Here’s my family’s Fried Okra recipe. It’s a tradition.
Fried Okra Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 pounds okra sliced
- 3/4 cup corn meal
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup Canola or vegetable oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350º F.
- Mix together okra, corn meal, flour, and salt in a large mixing bowl, making sure well-coated.
- In the meantime, heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add okra to skillet once oil has reached the point where if a drop of water is added it will sizzle.
- Allow okra to brown on one side, about 3 minutes, before gently stirring. Once both sides of okra have browned, about 3 more minutes, place into preheated oven. Cook until fork tender, about 10 minutes.
Notes
Enjoy!
Robyn xo
I LOVE fried okra!! The only way I’ll eat okra is if it’s fried or pickled! This looks delish!
substitute canola oil with extra virgin olive oil and lower the heat just a little and be careful that you don’t swallow your tongue!
I love orka and have not had any this summer. Must go find some and make this ASAP!
How loud will you laugh if I tell you I’ve never had okra, well after seeing this I know just what to do with it 🙂
Thanks for sharing this wonderful post. Fried okra has always been one of my favorite foods
I love fried okra! This sounds awesome!
my favorite! Love your recipe!
A Southern classic! Love that crispy cornmeal coating!
This is a staple for my hubs’ family. I almost said I’d bookmark it but who does that? Pinning it!
My mom hates okra, but this looks to good not to make! Maybe I can convince her to try it 🙂
Fried is the only way I will eat okra! These are perfectly crispy!
I have roasted Okra, but never fried it. My son loves fried okra, so I will definitely try this recipe out
I tried your recipe today for Sunday lunch. Everyone loved it. No leftover. Thank you for sharing your talents.
Thank you so much for this recipe. I will eat Okra any way it is cooked, etc.
Nanagump
I made your recipe last night with okra from my garden (ranging from small-tender to maybe-overgrown), and my darlin’ other half said it was the BEST he’s ever had! He loves fried okra and orders it at every restaurant that serves it, so this was quite a compliment 🙂 Thanks for sharing this easy, tasty recipe — it’s staying in my permanent collection.
I’m so glad you both enjoyed it! I do think that fresh okra cooked like that has to be one of my favorites, too!
Fried okra is my favorite! Try adding a diced potatoes to okra and cornmeal before frying. Yum!
I’ve never put orka in the oven but I coat in cornmeal add salt and pepper then fry in oil until it’s tender& a little bit burnt. So yummy.. Hey also try adding diced yellow squash mix with it..
Coat the okra with just a little buttermilk before coating with cornmeal mixture makes this dish extra delishious!
I like okra. But I’ve had only breaded okra. I also have bought frozen okra(plain).
On the package it saynecessaryoil the okra for 3 minutes, that to get rid of the slime in the okra.
Is this necessary with fresh okra. I would like to try this recipe, but not if it is slimy.
Thank you.
The okra will not be slimy if it is fresh.
I usually add some finely chopped onion to mine and put in a Ziploc bag to shake & mix well. I too have used this recipe for years and prefer it to the okra fried with batter.
Do like I did my little brother when he was about six years old. I told him was fried beans as he loved beans and I thought maybe okra did not sound good to him. It became his favorite food and I always teased him that they were beans. He moved to Ohio and when he came home to visit my mother always asked him what he wanted to eat and he always said fried okra and I did the same thing when I moved to California.
It is better fried in lard.
I am trying this on Sunday, already got the okra, and everything else! Would like to follow you for other great fixins! Thank you
To make the BEST EVER fried okra, chop up some green tomato in it, and fry it just like you normally would. It is awesome!!!
Do u put it in the oven in the same pan u fryed them in? Would there be standing oil?
This was delicious. Saw the recipe one day and cooked it the next day. Best okra ever.
Ok…this is a great recipe…However, TRY substituting corn starch for the flour. You will never go back to flour.
I’m terrible at frying anything but would like to try this. Pinned it!!
Everything is great except for the canola oil. It is made from the rape seed which is toxic & bugs won’t eat it. Canola oil has been chemicaly modified to cook with it. There R a lot of better choices out there.
Thanks for sharing. You can use another oil if you prefer.
I love me some fried okra. Will have to try the stove/oven recipe. My mom and grandma always made it to perfection on the stove-top only. Either way I’m sure it will taste great. Thanks for sharing.
What is the temperature for the oven ?
I’m a southerner, born and beat with a hand-picked switch. I have NEVER heard of baking okra – ever. However, it does sound interesting. I mean, I had never tried grilled okra, either, and that was pretty good. But here’s the thing, there’s no way that’s best for everyone. Personally, I prefer it fried in an iron skillet till nearly burnt.
Oh my goodness! You should try it sometime. Both of my grandmothers taught me to make my okra that way and it has the crispy, crunch outside while the inside is still tender. But, with that said, everyone has different ways of doing things. It certainly doesn’t make one wrong and the other right. It just makes for a more colorful, fun, and delicious world!
Being from Mississippi, fried okra is a staple on a Southerners dinner table….I have never cooked it like this (always just fry) but sounds delicious and I’ll have to give it a try…..BTW you can purchase whole frozen okra and cut it up while partially frozen and follow the same process……tastes just the same
Do you drain the okra before placing in oven?
I like to add black pepper (a lot 😉 with the salt.
I soak my okra in buttermilk for a few hours before dumping them in the batter.
One thing and a must is you have to use a black iron frying pan Makes a big difference.
I can eat my weight in Okra, I just love it fried.
Better than popcorn!
No canola oil or soybean oil for me. Only peanut or coconut.
It is delicious with peanut oil as well.
Hi was just wondering if you can put them straight in the oven without frying them…as I’m trying to use less oil…
Two others have already asked this question, but I will try asking again: Do you drain the oil from the pan before putting it in the oven? I’m thinking you must, but it isn’t clear. . Also, what oven temperature? Thanks!
By the time the okra been browned, there is very little (if any) oil left in your skillet. You’ll have preheated the oven to 350º F, so you’ll just use that same temperature.
Agree with everything you’ve written, except I grew up on a farm and we always use bacon grease for fried okra and potatoes… not to healthy, but wow… the difference is unreal, my dad is 77 and still going strong !!! LOL
fried okra, chopped up an onion, dice up some tomatoe, let the okra cool, mix it all together and serve. mmmmmmmm good
Love to fry it with onions and for the batter use cornbread mix….and season with salt and pepper and good ‘ole bacon grease is the best to fry it in !
should you have your skillet on medium or a higher heat?
I love fried okra and cannot wait for summer. I’ve never had trouble with mine, but I like this idea of putting it in the oven.
I was wondering if you put it in the oven in the cast iron pan that u fried it in ? Drain grease or not ? Thanks so much
I do! If there is any visible grease remaining from frying, I’d drain it, but I don’t ever have any.
Can you make this with frozen okra?
yes. Breaded works great.
I have used the oven frying method to cook my okra for years as my family likes it crunchy and likes to eat it by itself like a snack. Even my 2 year old great-grandson loves it. This is the way I prepare it to put it in the freezer too. You put cornmeal and a little flour on your okra just like you were prepareing it for a meal. Prepare a baking sheet with oit and let the oil get hot in the oven before you put the okra in. When it is oven fried to your liking, let cool and slide over into a freezer bag. Put in freezer and enjoy all winter long! Tastes just like fresh okra I promise.
Do you drain the oil before placing in the oven?
If there is any oil remaining, you can.
I didn’t know a recipe was needed to fry okra, but clicked on it anyway. Wow! Sounds wonderful! It should be extra crunchy doing it your way. Next time I cook up a mess of pinto beans, I will try this. Nothing better than pinto beans, fried okra, fried potatoes, and fresh tomatoes. Hmmm. Wonder if you could fry the potatoes and put them in the oven? Might have to try that. Thanks for the recipe!
This sounds like my kind of food Fran .
My recipe is the same as yours EXCEPT I add an egg white to the okra, stir well to coat each piece, then add the mixed corn meal and flour. This addition makes the meal mixture stick a little better while still maintaining that light, crispy taste.
The one thing I would change is that canola oil. It’s a myth that it’s good for you. (perpetuated by corporations wanting to make cheap, shabby goods and sell them at a high price). Canola is HIGHLY refined, and that is not a good thing.
I’ m a born & raised Yankee who never ate ocra until I moved to VA and married into a family from TN . My mother-in-law taught me how and ever since I have been the one to make the ocra for family dinners. Like others , I only use the stove top method. I also use corn oil and only self-rising cornmeal, salt and pepper. I cut up stewed tomatoes, cover them with the cornmeal and fry them in with the ocra. I start with enough oil to coat the bottom of the skillet and add more as I need it. I just clear a spot, pour in the oil, and let it heat before moving the ocra to that spot again. Make sure to use lots of salt & pepper. I guess the cornmeal soaks up the slime, cause I’ve never had a problem with it after it’s done.
Sounds great, but you know in the long time I have been doing this….I was always taught to add an egg before the cornmeal now they say put in the oven?
I’m a Georgia girl….been eating okra all of my life and I’ve never heard of putting an egg in it! Wondering how do you cook it with the egg…do you mix the egg with the cornmeal? We always put it in the oven for a few minutes to cook it through and give it a crisp, oh and we don’t use canola, we use vegetable oil….I like Wesson.
You beat the egg well and pour it over the okra before you coat it with the cornmeal. It just makes the cornmeal stick to the okra better for a better crunch. I have tried it with egg or buttermilk. Results are about the same.
My grandmothER and mother and now I crack an egg in a small bowl, whisk it with a fork and pour it out over orca that’s done and stir it around until it’s done. That’s the only way I cook ocra. Try it!!
Okra no c in it.
Thank you for the correction of the spelling of okra. I saw orca, too, like the whale.
Thank you for spelling “Okra” correctly,Southern born and bred!
You put it FIRST in beaten egg, then flour, THEN cornmeal. Then it is fried in oil with a touch of bacon drippings. THEN it is topped with homemade tomato relish made with tomatoes, lots on onion, sweet peppers, vinegar and sugar. THAT”s the way it is done. YUM.
I was taught to slice it ahead of cooking and let it sit for a while until it gets gummy – this will
help the cornmeal cling to it. Cook in hot bacon grease.
I was taught to cook okra with corn meal, salt, and then fry on top of stove until done. (Crispy).
If you put it in the oven, do you put it in the pan tbat you were frying it in on the stove, and for how long?
You cook it I. An iron skillet if you are cooking it inside the oven
Slice the Okra, soak the Okra in Buttermilk, drain, coat the Okra thourghly with Zatarain’s, New Orleans Style, Crispy Southern, Fish Fri seafood breading mix. Fry in Fry Daddy, drain on paper towels, season with sea salt to taste. Turns out great every time.
Make mine this way except I coat (and sometimes double coat) with self rising flour.(you MUST use SR) makes the coating puff out when deep fried and makes a delicious crunchy coating that turns out great every time. When I take to gatherings it is sometimes literally fought over and I have had numerous people who tell me they do not like okra but after eating mine they can’t get enough.
Cut up okra put in egg then roll around then put in flour and corn meal and fry. It is,battered and batter will stick to it better.
I too am a stove top plra cooker.
O ise bacon grease in stead of oil.
Old family recipe.
Okra and corn meal.
Add salt of needed after cooking.
Bacon greasealways has enough
salt to make added salt is not needed!
Always use an iron skellit for the best results.
I just deep fry mine so I don’t have t turn it .
Thanks for all the suggestions of how to cook the Okra. I think I will try Peggy Wamplers style with the added stewed tomatoes and batter it the way Shirley suggests with the Zatarain’s, New Orleans Style, Crispy Southern, Fish Fri seafood breading mix. That just sounds like a yummy twist to and old time favorite. Gumbo style.
Okra- What would you set the Temp of the Oven?
it says 350 degrees in the recipe
I love fried okra, sounds like the best way to cook it. Thanks so much.
I do everything except putting it in the oven!
I will do the oven Nxt. Time
Janice
I hope you enjoy it that way! It makes for a crispy outside and tender inside. Goodness, I love it!
I add onion slivers, green tomato, jalapeno and red bell pepper to my fried okra. It is great. I usually use fresh okra but have used frozen.
I like to add a green tomato and a pod of hot pepper (sliced/chopped). I’ve never tried using the oven. I brown mine like the recipe and then put a lid on and simmer on low. Don’t think I’ve ever added flour either – just corn meal. Will definitely try this recipe though.
How much oil in the pan? Is it deep frying or just pan frying?
Cover the bottom and then some extra. Pan fried, not deep frying. But some cooks here DO deep fry.
Do you start with fresh okra or frozen? It looks like my Mamaw’s okra!! Cant wait to try it!
I generally start with fresh, but you can absolutely use frozen. Hope you enjoy it!
Sounds easy enough….this may seem like a blonde question, but do you mean you put the whole pan of oil and frying okra in the oven? Or do you transfer it to a cookie sheet or something?
I just place the skillet into the oven straight from the stovetop – no transferring of ingredients needed. Hope you enjoy it!
You might want to remind everybody that you are talking about cooking it in an iron skillet otherwise you will melt the handles on your skillets. I also soak my cut up okra in milk or half &half prior to dredging it in the cornmeal to help the cornmeal stick to the okra better. Thanks for sharing
Oh yeah! One less thing to clean!
I had the exact same question. 🙂 Oh, and I’m a brunette so it wasn’t just you.
Do you drain the oil before placing in oven?
There usually is not enough oil left after browning on the stove to drain off before placing in the oven, but if for some reasons yours does have a good bit of oil remaining, I would drain it.
The picture looks just like my Mom and Grandmother made.I made it for my kids and started adding potatoes in it .Cut them about the size of okra and mix them with okra .dip the potatoes and okra in your mixture.Every time I made this ,it went fast could never make enough.
A friend at work told me of adding the potatoes to the okra but she also included chopped onion to the skillet. It is wonderful and I have been doing it ever since. I’ve never put mine in the oven but will try it next time. I also always coat my okra with an egg before adding the flour mixture. Nothing better!!
I use potatoes,onions,squash,peppers,green tomatoes and okra and roll all of this in cornmeal. You cook this the way I have it laid out. Potatoes are harder to cook so they go in skillet first. you may have to experiment with this. But this is a meal.
We call your recipe Four Square when we use okra, squash, onion and potatoes. Those are main ingredients and can add green peppers if you wish. To make it a complete meal I have added smoked sausage but add it after potatoes start to soften up.
Looks like my okra when I do it right. I usually add a little sliced onion to my recipe and it’s really good. I’ve never finished it in the oven though. Neither did my mother.
I’m southern through and through, this is exactly how I cook my okra, except I add a pinch of sugar as well.
Yellow or white cornmeal?
Doesn’t matter. Whatever you’ve got is fine.
My okra is wet from washing it, so I roll it in jiffy mix and fry it til crisp. but will try the other way to see if I like it. thanks.
I use organic coconut oil for frying, sautéing everything; it fries thing crispy and any oil you consume is good for you…Just research the Health Benefits of Coconut Oil.
That sounds delicious!
I have fried OKRA for 60 years years never needed an oven, brown it lower the heat and it fries right up. Delicious
Sprinkle some garlic salt or powder on okra before cooking, it’s wonderful!!
A great addition which I have used when available, for 60 years, is firm green tomatoes chopped into smaller pieces than the okra, then mixed with the okra, cornmeal, salt and pepper and fry together until brown and crisp. I do not have to put it in the oven, but cook it carefully until crisp and brown in the grease. I drain it over a pan in a tea strainer. I have never had anyone who did not like it that way. The green tomatoes pieces add a special, lightly tart flavor.
My mamaw also adds green tomatoes to hers 🙂 She is 83 and still gardening and gives me fresh okra every year. Love her to pieces.
My Grandmother taught me a slightly different version which I have used go 45 years. I cut up the okra and soak in buttermilk for 3-5 hours and then put flour and corn meal in plastic container as well as all okra and shake well. Use thin coating of Wesson oil and the fat from three pieces of fried bacon. Put okra in oil and fry till done.
I soak mine in buttermilk then drain it. My mother taught me how to cook vegetables from our garden. Fried okra is not okra with tomatoes, onion, etc. That’s Stewed Okra and very good but not the same dish as fried. I have never heard of an egg in okra but I guess if you want to batter it (like chicken or chops) it’s up to the individual but in the South (MS), we use the recipe here – with meal, flour, salt and hot grease and drain on paper towels.
Gotta have some bacon grease in the skillet to make it taste right!
all these stories have made me hungry and there is no okra yet. I will save all this and try it real soon. Thanks
my Mama used corn meal only. She brought the okra to perfection, using stove top only. A few blackened (or burned) pieces add to the flavour. Friends across the border in SC FRY OKRA WITH NO BREADING. Cook just short of burning, drain on paper towels, and serve HOT!
I’m a Londoner! Only ever cooked Okra in a casserole.
Saw your recipe, managed to buy a couple of pounds.
Fried them in the corn flour and plain flour, s/p, sprinkle of chillies.
Popped in oven exactly as suggested.
I have to say absolutely delicious.
I was only browsing when I found your page. Really happy.
Soooo yummy!
Thank you.
I’m so glad you are enjoying them, Vee! xo
I always add chunks of green tomatoes that have been battered in the corn meal and flour with the okra and sometimes chopped potato to the okra mixture and fry it…delicious!
Interesting. My Alabama grandmothers taught me to deep fry it, and it always comes out crispy and tender. I will try it this way to compare the difference.
Hi Robyn,
I just found your blog and am a brand new follower. You are my kind of cook. A lot of the old southern recipes I grew up with and many I fix for my family now. I was just wondering if you have ever used peanut oil to fry any of your foods in? It is not all bad for you and it doesn’t smoke at high temperatures. Also makes the best fried chicken I’ve ever eaten. Give it a try sometime and let me know what you think.
Hi Mimi,
Welcome! It’s so great to meet you and I look forward to getting to know you more! We love peanut oil around my house and you are absolutely right – fried chicken couldn’t be better! xo
I was never able to replicate my fathers’ family recipe for fried okra. I can’t wait to try it. As I remember, a visit to Texas included fried okra and chicken fried steak. It didn’t seem like the procedure was labor intensive. Thanks
Was replying to Renee in Alabama and yes bacon grease is the most flavorful way to go.
Same here; I add potatoes chopped into cubes, diced green peppers, onions, yellow squash, zucchini, green & red tomatoes. All fried together with the ocra mixed with cornmeal.I also add a sprinkle of black pepper. It is so good! Just a recipe I made up. Good with pinto beans & bacon!! Country eating!!
For a low-carb option, you can use grated parmesan cheese instead of cornmeal and flour. The taste is very similar and it still gives us low-carbers our fried okra!
If you are really southern, you use only bacon grease (maybe not healthy but sometimes you just have to live a little – the taste is SO much better) Brown on med/high heat for 5 min., stir, turn heat to low, cover, cook 5 min., stir & re-cover, cook 5 min., stir, increase heat to med/high, cook 5 more min. or til crispy. Any skillet will do. I use non-stick. I keep a jar of 1 part flour to 2 parts cornmeal in my pantry so I’m ready. A little salt & pepper & you’re ready to go. I use the same cooking method for potatoes. Slice like for french fries, carefully add to hot grease, salt & pepper to taste, cook like the okra. That’s southern/german!
I am in Alabama. We pick it, wash it, slice it, salt and pepper and then toss in corn meal. There is enough “slime” from fresh okra to hold the corn meal. Heat up the cast iron skillet on medium high heat with about an inch of oil and when oil is hot, dump in okra and brown until perfectly golden! Most of it does not make it to the supper table because my family eats it like popcorn! Every time they walk through, they grab a handful!
My kind of cooking in Mississippi. All these foods added does not make Fried Okra!
This okra looks just like my Mom’s okra. I never asked how she made it so I guessed at it. It never turned out like Mom’s, and now I know why. I didn’t use an egg or milk to help the flour stick. Also I didn’t use any corn meal, just flour, salt and pepper. I fried it in a small amount of Crisco using a Teflon skillet. As terrible as it sounds, it really wasn’t all that bad. Probably because I love okra. I even like it cooked whole in boiling water. I can’t wait to try this recipe though. I already know it’s going to taste fantastic.
I’m from Texas and this is completely wrong. First if your not going to do a milk wash or egg wash before you batter your okra at least do a last prewash in cold water allowing it to remain slightly wet so your flour coats it well but not wet enough to be gooey once you batter it. Put your flour in a 1 gallon size ziplock. Then add okra and shake till thoroughly battered. Next prep a calinder in the sink or on a plate/cutting board to catch the excess flour when you empty your ziplock of battered okra. Then freeze it for about 20 mins. This will help the batter stay coated when flash frying on the stove top. Finally when your ready to fry your pan should have about a 1/2 inch of oil heated on medium high heat. If your stove has a 1 through 10 setting with 10 being “high” you’ll want to have it set somewhere between 7 & 8. Try to not over fill your pan with to much okra so it doesn’t clump together. DO NOT STIR!!! Stirring freshly battered foods causes a lot of batter loss like in the picture here. Once your okra does start to brown then you want gently flip…”gently” being the key word here. Your okra should come out crisply battered unlike the photo this recipe shows. This is the correct way of frying okra. I’ve never heard of an oven step. To me it doesn’t make much sense to add an unneeded step to frying okra…unless you just like it cooked like the picture here. Hope I helped…enjoy!!!
Also, the only differences between deep frying and pan frying okra are that you use a lot less oil and you will gently flip it unlike gently stirring with deep frying. The reason people have made it like in the picture here is because of too much stirring and possibly too low of heat. So you may just like it the way your “Mom” made it…
Joel,your way is not the southern way to fry okra! The picture on this post looks perfect to me,looks just like my grandmothers and believe me her way was perfect southern!
I must try your way. It looks like my grannies okra. I never have been able to get it right. Reading the comments has been interesting. The ones who tell you that you are doing it all wrong crack me up. I’m trying to figure out how someone can say anyones recipe is wrong. It may be different than yours but it doesn’t make yours wrong. Just my opinion.
I was cracking up at all the “wrong” comments as well.
My mom and Granny were multi-tasking in the kitchen. The pinto beans were started in the morning. Green beans are an hour before everything else in a covered pot (unless it was a pressure cooker) Dinner prep started with peeled and cubed russet potatoes in an iron skillet over medium heat with crisco oil. Salt only right before taking out of pan into colander (All beans had bacon in um, unless ham bone was handy)
The fried chicken goes next. Don’t forget to stir potatoes. Flip the chicken. Start the okra. Just few tablespoons self rising flour and cornmeal. Stir the potatoes. Flip the chicken and check the beans. Flip the okra. Stir the potatoes flip chicken. And somehow a pan if biscuits always came out of the oven at the exact time every thing else was ready for the table. Holy crap! There was always gravy too! Where and WHEN did gravy happen?
Granny liked thick slices of raw tomatoes and raw onion.
Needless to say, I am not that good. Gravy always too thick. And some okra and half the potatoes burnt.
So I do it all different.
Red potatoes, peel on cubed, tossed in ziplock bag with smoked paprika, onion & garlic powder and a tablespoon olive oil (no salt) tossed in air fryer. Frozen okra tossed in cornmeal with self rising flour already mixed in it. As the okra thaws, the cornmeal sticks. I cut chicken breast in cubes and mix with egg&milk, drain slightly with fork and toss in ziplock from potato prep with cornflake crumbs, Italian seasoning & a tablespoon sugar. I cook that in peanut oil in iron skillet. Another iron skillet comes out of the oven pre heated. Couple tablespoons salted butter in skillet with frozen biscuits goes back in oven. I never mastered the magic spell for all the way from scratch biscuits. Okra goes in iron skillet with 1/8 inch peanut oil (add more as needed)
I have to use corn oil if my kids are here. One allergic to peanuts, the other allergic to soybeans in vegetable oil.
Always make too many biscuits so they get split open, slathered in butter and toasted next day.
With Love,
From the Peach State
P.S. To All Ya’ll sayin “You’re Doing it all wrong” I already know I don’t do it like Mom and Granny. But ya’ll best not say anything about them not doin’ it your way.
So glad I saw this. Have made it several times, however, no matter how I cook it, my batter falls off! I will try this. If it doesn’t work, I will just buy the frozen battered okra & make it!
If you are using a batter then you should deep fry it. Otherwise, follow the recipe and you will have perfect okra.
I’d like to add, I am an Alabama girl. I’ve eaten fried okra all of my life. I even put leftovers on a salad the next day as if they were croutons. (Okay, I actually put some aside and hide it so I can have it the next day! Never okra left over!). The additions, while fine if its your thing, are not Fried Okra. Not the real stuff, anyway. And the one who puts all kinds of vegetables in her “fried okra” isn’t making Fried Okra. hahahaha No offense but it is what it is.
Everyone has different tastes and methods…so i suggest you try different recipes or experiment with it and make your own. Here’s mine…(Mamaw made okra like this)..
2 lbs. Okra cut
2 green tomatoes chopped
1/2 cup s.r. cornmeal
1/2 cup s.r. flour
1/2 cup crisco or bacon grease
1/2 cup wesson oil
salt/pepper
IRON SKILLET…Stovetop..med high 7-8..put crisco/oil in skillet and heat…
salt/pepper your okra/tomatoes mixture, salt makes it sweat and it’s easier to coat with meal/flour mixture….Mix okra mix with mesl mix…pour into hot oil mix and fry..turn as needed. If needed add extra oil by pushing okra to side and pouring on skillet bottom..let it heat up then toss the okra over it…it’s fried green tomatoes snd okra mixed..delish!! (This recipe is not one that has each piece of okra coated and deep fried. It is a different and tasty recipe for okra lovers everywhere. Try it, you might like it too.) Any ?’s gladly answered.
I never will forget the first time I fried okra for my husband. He did not eat many vegetables. He said “OMG they should bag this stuff and sell it for
snack food!” He still gets excited when okra is in season. I will try your recipe.
I pick the okra fresh right of the plant. No large okra. Just tinder small to med. I do not wash the okra because it makes ir stick to the pan.The ones i pick are perfectly clean anyway. Cut in half inch pieces and sterfry in a little olive oil until done. perfect..
I LOVE fried okra, squash, green tomatoes, well heck fire my family has been in NC & SC since the early 1700’s so I grew up learning to fry everything but water, lol! My great, great, great grandma’s trick, and it her day it was tough to do, but if you freeze your veggies for about an hour before hittin’ the grease, the breading will stay put and will brown just slow enough to get the vegetable good and done 🙂
Sorry sold have added freeze them AFTER you bread them…
Mixing tomatoes with the okra makes it an entirely different dish.
This recipe is just fried okra.
Nothing else.
I tried this and followed to the T. Wasn’t great but wasn’t bad. I think deep frying works better. I learned to cook it from a Gullah woman back in the 70s. It WAS good, but not the best.
Funny that I’m several generations southern (since the 1600s) and we always floured our okra before frying. I never ate any that way (dredged in cornmeal) and tend to think it would be gritty.
You fried okra lovers should really try adding diced onions and potatoes to your okra and frying all together. I am certainly going to try some of these other suggestions. Okra is still growing in the garden and I should be able to start to harvest this week or next. Thanks for all the tips here!
Add chopped green tomatoes r good also
Yep
Can’t wait to try it this way….like you, I always have trouble getting it all fried the same. And I can’t stand the pieces that get almost burned. So I am going to give this a try tonight! Pinto beans, fried (baked) okra, sliced onions and cornbread…it’s what’s for supper here! Thanks for sharing!
I’m trying it your way. Its already in the oven and not sure I can wait. Always just coated with cornmeal and flour and fried in oil. My southern mama always used bacon drippings but we don’t eat enough bacon to have that much to be able to fry in.
Can’t wait to try never put in oven
I made a smaller portion of this so I had to “guess-timate” the amounts of corn meal and flour, but it worked out. I added some fresh ground black pepper and creole seasoning to the mix. Once finished, it was great topping on the leftover gumbo with a splash of hot sauce since it was a contrasting texture.
Thanks so much for this recipe. Had not tried yet, and am looking forward to fresh okra from the vegetable garden to try.
Do you take the okra up or leave it in the oil when you place it into the over?
Remember to cut & let bleed before breading.
What do you mean by “let bleed”?
Thank you for sharing the recipe AND the story! I make many calls to 1-800-MAMA for things such as this. My daddy usually answers the phone when I call and all I have to say is “I have a 1-800-MAMA question” and he knows to hand the phone over to her.
This is the same way my Mama made fried okra. I just can’t stand the “fried okra” everyone thinks is really “fried okra”–pieces individually battered and deep fried. Your way is the only way to go!
This is the way I have done mine for 70 yrs. I’ll soon be 89 yrs old. I add black pepper to mine and try to turn it only 1 time, using a lg spatula.
Happy early birthday, Jeanne! I’ll have to add black pepper when I make it next time. Sounds perfect!
I have same question as Butnell above for someone who has made this , do you leave the okra in the pan with oil and place in oven or remove it from the oil before placing it in the oven?
Hi Debi,
You leave in the pan and place into the oven. No need to transfer to another.
I just fixed my first pan of fresh okra (from Mississippi ), I fixed it like Roby suggested. It was delicious, fried in a pan then oven baked. Love it. It wasn’t slimy at all.thanks Robyn
This is great, June! Doesn’t it taste delicious?! Thanks so much for sharing! xo
I was raised in Louisiana & this was the only way I knew it was cooked. We moved to NC when I was 16 & found only breaded fired okra. I was not impressed, because most of the time it wasn’t done in the middle and still gummy…YUCK!!
Hi,
When I was taught we just rolled it in cornmeal, little salt and pepper. Then pan fried but we never put it in the oven.
But the biggest addin was to make the orka go a little further (everyone wanted some and more) was to dice a few potatoes into about the same size cubes, toss in while coating with the cornmeal. Then fry as usual.
My mom even mixed the fried orka /potatoes mix with cooked crumbled hamburger meat. 😉
Lots of choices!!!
Oh goodness! That sounds delicious!
Southern gyrl from SC farm. I appreciate the recipe as is still, I make mention of variations…
1. Thin slice okra vs thick cut chunks.
2. Make sure okra is patted dry before seasoning
3. SEASON THE OKRA FIRST!
*I spray okra with a little cooking spray AFTER seasoning to get the season and breading to stick better and to use less oil. THEN,
4. Season the cornmeal/flour mixture too!
*there should be more season on the okra than breading
5. Try Lawrys Seasoning Salt solely or combine with Morton’s Nature’s Season (has less sodium) vs salt solely
6. Place okra in ziploc bag. Add cornmeal/flour mixture. Shake well.
7. Place in colander to shake excess breading. Cook STOVETOP with patience on medium/med-high heat depending on range.
8. I ONLY use the oven to help drain grease off. 375-400℉ to keep it crispy enough. Can help cook pieces that cooked slower than others, cook through.
9. Cast iron skillet works great unless you have iron overload health concerns
10. Cook with fresh white or yellow onion.
Goes great with fresh red tomatoes.
I personally don’t like soft or slimy okra. 1 reason I use very little flour.
Tonight I cooked salmon patties/croquettes with homemade mashed potatoes, fresh pan seared (lightly breaded) and fried (more breading) okra, and fresh cream corn.
I’ve never put okra in the oven. Just fry it. I don’t see a need for the oven. When I would cook it for my Momma, I would cut up a green tomato and add in with the okra.
That sounds delicious, Leigh. I’ll have to try the addition of the tomato next time. I’m sure your way is just amazing. If you ever wanted to give this way I try, I hope you like it!
I was raised by Old School Southern Grandparents.
We ALWAYS had fried okra with cut up green tomatoes.
The absolute BEST!
If you have never tried it, you need to…
Just tried the pan then oven approach and they are great and crispy but not slimy. Thank you Robyn!
Leigh. If you didn’t make it then don’t leave a negative review.
If you didn’t even try it why would you leave a negative review lol?!? That makes zero sense. You’re reviewing this person’s method not leaving a negative review when you haven’t even bothered to try it because you think yours is better smh.
I’m not sure id trust the oven with hot oil in pan. I would be afraid of a flash fire. That’s just me though.
Hi Marilyn,
We’ve never had any issues with it. There is very, very little oil in the pan as you put it in the oven. I hope you enjoy it if you decide to give it a try! xo
The oil is absorbed into the okra and very little chance of it catching fire
The smoke point for vegetable oil is 400 so the oven at 350 should be fine. Looking forward to trying this this weekend!
After frying the okra you state to put in the oven for 10 minutes, is that in the oil?
This is just how my grandmother and mom made it and I make it except for one difference. I save and use my bacon grease for certain things and fried okra is one of those reasons.
DH didn’t like this – back to the traditional way mixing okra with egg, coat with cornmeal/flour/salt and deep fry.
I always take fried okra to the family reunion. The best I’ve found is to take it directly from the freezer to the skillet of hot greese. It spits and pops but fries quickly to golden brown and I drain it while getting ready for the next batch. Oh yeah, I coat it just as you do before bagging it for the freezer.
I think we all have wonderful processes!
Quick question do you have to boil the okra before putting all the egg/flour /corn meal /salt on it or do I just cut it up and process with the steps and just fry it???
Hi Shanique,
I do not do any steps other than in the recipe! I hope that helps! xo
I do it the same way but I don’t use flour..i have also used green tomatoes and potatoes and squash cut up like you do when you make fried potatoes and onion and a banana pepper serve with a meat and sliced ripe tomatoes and you have the best meal ever..
Sounds delicious, Mary! All of those vegetables are such favorites of mine! Thanks!
I never thought to put it in the oven. That’s how my grandmother has always cooked sausage patties was frying & then in the oven to finish it but it never occurred to me to cook okra this way. This worked great for me!!! Just out of curiosity do you fry potatoes & green tomatoes the same way?
Autumn, this is the way my grandmother always made her fried okra. I’m glad you liked it. I sometimes do the same thing for potatoes and green tomatoes.
just made this and worked perfectly! I too have burned okra many times, this will be my go to from now on. light, crispy, and delicious! (and made with gluten free all purpose flour)!
So glad you liked it, Karen! It’s a family favorite! xo
I would like to prepare this with GF flour. Did you also use the corn meal? I was hoping to exclude it but still have tasty results. Thanks!
I have been making fried okra for years and wonder why you put in the oven after frying? The slices are so thin, that frying them on both sides is more than enough to cook them. The oven would undo the crispness and make them soggy?
You really must try it to understand. The baking is a must!
Hi Rhonda,
It does make such a difference, doesn’t it? Thanks so much! xo
Do you put it in the oven in the same skillet with the oil in it. ?
YES! AND MAKE SURE YOU USE YOUR BIG.OLD.CAST IRON SKILLET!
Thanks, Nellie! 😉 Nothing like cooking in a cast iron skillet is there?!
This is the best okra I have ever made. I’m so glad I found your recipe.
Thanks so much, Brenda!
This is the way women in my family always cooked okra and their Southern heritage started in Jamestown, moved into South Carolina and Georgia before landing in Florida after the Civil War. I never had it any other way for most of my life. However, bacon fat was the fat of choice and I surely do not remember ever putting it in the oven. or ever having any trouble with it burning.
Hi Linda,
A wonderful southern food tradition, right?!
My grandmother always put hers in the oven and taught me how to make it…and it is absolutely delicious! If you give it a try this way, I hope you enjoy it! Thanks so much!
No flour or baking. Just corn meal and salt. High heat on stove top. Don’t stir or flip until 1 side is browned. Turn and watch carefully. Don’t let the okra over cook. Beautiful summer veggie! Crisp and tasty with summer corn cut off the cob and sliced tomatoes!
Thanks for sharing your method for making okra, Susan! I love it all kinds of ways – such a great summer veggie, don’t you think?
My recipe is the way my Grandmother taught me to make it and it’s absolutely my favorite way to enjoy fried okra – so tender and delicious. If you ever give it a try like this, I hope you enjoy it as well.
Thanks so much! xo
Delish! Even better seasoned with some onion powder before cooking.
I made this tonight following your recipe and loved it. My mother, who does not eat much at night kept adding some to her plate. I have a ceramic cooktop and can’t use an iron skillet I have one of those copper ones and used it. Thanks so much for this recipe. I plan to use it again and again
How wonderful that this was a hit with your family – especially your mother! It’s been a favorite in our family for my whole life! I appreciate your comment and am so happy you enjoy this! Thanks, Donna! xo
Can you clarify about how much oil you use when you initially fry it. I’m assuming you’re just using a little bit? Because then you’re transferring your cast iron directly into the oven. So I’m assuming we’re not deep frying the okra?
Christa, as I list in the ingredients, I use 1/4 cup oil and no, I don’t deep fry it. Hope you enjoy!
I like this recipe, but I would like to add two things to the mix. 1 egg white plus 1 Tablespoon water: mix well pour over okra stir well, before adding the meal mixture. This will insure that the coating will stay on the okra. The number of egg whites and water is determine by the amount of okra you are frying..
For this recipe I would use only 1 egg.
I used an egg wash then the corn meal . flpur, salt and pepper. Thank you for the oven idea.
Robyn you are the nicest person ever. Even with some negative comments on here. Never heard of the oven part but cool!
Thank you so much! 🙂
So excited to discover this new way to prepare fried okra. Both my mom and my mother in law are no longer here to ask, so this is a huge help. I loved my mom’s own little version of making this delightfully popular dish go even further. Like Mary, she added pototoes and fresh squash, but when available she also cut up eggplant, onions, and bell pepper to add to the fried mixture. Off hand I can’t recall what other items she may have included. At our home, nothing was ever wasted. Oh, and sometimes she used the egg white method as well that Pat shared above.
Robyn, you’ve inspired several of us! Many thanks for sharing!😊❤️
Connie Allen Romager,
Alabama Gal
I am really touched by your comment, Connie! This fried okra is so delicious and always was a hit when Grandmother made it and still is when I make it as well. I hope you enjoy it as much as we all do!
I’m so happy to have you here and love hearing from you. Take care! xo
Loved this recipe!! Tried it for the first time in the oven this way. It was delicious. What a difference. I’ve always made it on top of the oven and sometimes if I wasn’t careful it would get a little too crisp. Thank you so much for sharing your family recipe. I’ve been frying okra for at least 60 years the way my mom and grandmother always did. But I love this oven thing!! Marion from California
I’m so glad you gave this a try and like it Marion! I love this so much and glad you do too! Thanks! xo
Hi!
I have throughly enjoyed the comments on frying okra! I am headed to the kitchen now to try your recipe! I honestly believe this will work well! I have never used the oven, but my spirit tells me this is the answer to fried okra with less slime! Be blessed!
Vessex -Marion, AL
Enjoy the okra, Velma! Thanks!
I’m 81 years old and have cooked okra this way all my life, and learned it from my mom before me. My mom used to cook for field hands in Oklahoma and my favorite dinner (noon meal) was fried okra, sliced red tomatoes, steamed greens, chunk potatoes, and biscuits and gravy. The field hands always asked for repeats of it too! Thank you Robyn, for your thoughtfulness and caring spirit. Blessings!
Aww, thank you so much, Dori! Your sweet comment just took me back to those delicious meals at the table with my grandmother! This does make some tender, tasty okra, doesn’t it?!
Thanks so much Dori! I’m so happy to hear from you. Blessings to you too!
Ooops! Need to add a P.S. to my comment. The gravy she served was hamburger gravy. Yum!
I love this recipe! This was the first time I did not burn the okra!!
I put the okra in an iron skillet when I put it in the oven.
Glad you enjoyed it, Bonnie! So good isn’t it?! Thanks!
This is also the way my grandmother in Kentucky made fried okra, but she did not slice her okra. She fried small, tender okra whole and called them “okra fish” and they were delicious! She always had a vegetable garden and okra was plentiful and easy to pick the small ones.
Hi Susan,
Don’t you just love how recipes can bring back such sweet memories of our mothers and grandmothers? I never cook fried okra without thinking of watching my mother and grandmother making this recipe.
Hi! I’m going try this tonight…looks the way it’s supposed to. The last conversation I ever had with my mom was about fried okra but mine is never as good as hers was.Thats been thirty years….fingers crossed.
Hope you enjoy the okra, Liz!
YES!!!! I haven’t even cooked it yet, but THIS is the way fried okra is supposed to look!!!! Not that deep-fried coating mess 🙂 Cannot WAIT to cook this – looks just like my mothers 🙂
Hi Pam,
Hope you enjoy the fried okra. This is exactly the way my mother and grandmother always made theirs. Thanks!
I am so thankful you shared this method. I grew up in the South and since moving the Midwest and marrying and raising a family, I have managed to convince my family that fried okra is one of the best vegetables around. Apparently I’ve done a pretty good job of convincing them, because we almost never have leftovers, even though I have so often served it burnt! In fact, I think they’ve come to equate that flavor with fried okra, unfortunately. But now that I make it the way you suggested, it is more like what I had growing up and has solved my frustration of having burnt okra so many times in order to make sure it was crispy on the outside and still done inside! Thanks again for sharing this!
Thank you, Rhoda. This is the way my grandmother and mother always made their fried okra.
Has anybody ever used frozen okra for their recipe? I haven’t been able to find fresh okra in the supermarket for weeks now and my husband brought home 2 bags of frozen okra instead when he went shopping yesterday. Not sure how to get the coating on it while it is frozen, but afraid that defrosting it first would make it slimy. Any suggestions or tips?
Grace, don’t thaw the okra. Just use the frozen okra and follow the steps in the recipe. Hope this helps.
Thank you for sharing your recipe I have tried to make my okra like my mom’s but I miss every time so I will try your way may I won’t burn it or cook it to hard to eat
Wonderful recipe!
Thanks, David.
This okra was easy to make and so tasty and crispy. Even our 6 year old grandson loved it!
Thanks, Missy. I’m glad everyone loved it, especially your grandson.
My family has made Fried Okra now going back 5 generations like this. The only difference is we always cook it completely in the oven in a cast iron skillet. For fresh okra, wash it first then slice into pieces. Coat with corn meal, salt and pepper. Heat oil in the cast iron pan and add okra when a drop of water sizzles. Bake at 450 turning it every 30 minutes until golden brown on all sides. Frozen unbreaded works fine too. I let it thaw some and then toss it in the corn meal mixture.
I love this okra recipe!!! I worried with my own recipe for YEARS and found yours that puts it in the oven at the end. It saved my sanity and now I look forward to making fried okra! Thank you from the bottom of my heart!
Can package cornbread mix be used. In place of cornmeal, salt and pepper??
I haven’t use cornbread mix for this fried okra, Barbara, but it should work. Just make sure the cornbread mix does not have sugar added. You may want to add a little more salt.
I added egg mixed before putting the okra in the corn meal and flour. Came out perfect for my first try. Thank You!!
Lisa, I’m glad the okra came out perfect for you. I have never tried it with egg.
My Aunt Pearl added
evaporated milk to the flour, salt, pepper and cornmeal. It was the best!
Thanks, Sally. I haven’t seen fried okra made this way.
Love this recipe. Turns out fantastic! Key is finishing off in the oven for delicious fried okra every time. .
Thanks, Walter. You are right; finishing in the oven is the key to this recipe.
I have to tell you, this recipe has redeemed my many years of burnt okra. My poor family learned to like it burnt because they didn’t know of any other way! But I’ve been using your recipe now for probably 3 or 4 years and I won’t go back to the burnt way again! We love fried okra, and even though I now live in the Midwest where I met my hubby and have raised our family, my southern roots have stayed strong, especially when it comes to fried okra!
I love that this recipe helped you prevent the burned okra, Rhoda. This is the way my mother and grandmother always made theirs and it was never burned. So glad your Southern roots are strong in the Midwest! Thanks.