Fried Okra Recipe
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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 kosher 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
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Enjoy!
Robyn xo
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
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!
What is the temperature for the oven ?
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.
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’m terrible at frying anything but would like to try this. Pinned it!!
Ok…this is a great recipe…However, TRY substituting corn starch for the flour. You will never go back to flour.
This was delicious. Saw the recipe one day and cooked it the next day. Best okra ever.
Do u put it in the oven in the same pan u fryed them in? Would there be standing oil?
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!!!