Fried Okra

Fried okra is a non-negotiable at most Southern potlucks. If there will be a bowl of green beans and a baking dish filled with squash casserole, there should also be a big plate of fried okra. Perhaps two.

This fried okra recipe is as classic as they come, with a nicely seasoned cornmeal breading that makes the final bite crisp and crunchy. Most Southerners eat it as it is, bite by tender bite, but others insist on dressing the okra up a bit, whether with a drizzle of vinegary hot sauce, creamy ranch dressing, or a tangy comeback sauce.

Learn how to make fried okra at home. It's far easier than you might think.

Ingredients for Fried Okra

You'll need okra and all the ingredients for a cornmeal breading. Many of these ingredients should be in your pantry, which makes this a simple and easy option for a weeknight or special occasion side.

• Vegetable oil: For frying the okra. Canola or peanut oil can work, too, but the oil should be as neutral as possible so it doesn't add any unwanted flavors to the okra.
• Fresh okra: Smaller okra pods tend to be more tender and have centers that are less woody and chewy. But because they're cut and cooked, even the larger pods may work here.
• Garlic salt: Adds flavor to the okra for a bit of depth.
• Eggs: Okra is tossed with eggs to give the coating something to cling to.
• Yellow cornmeal: Gives the fried okra coating great crunch and a nutty corn flavor.
• All-purpose flour: Stretches the coating and makes for a flaky, tender texture.
• Kosher salt and black pepper: For seasoning the okra.
• Smoked paprika: Lends a slightly smoky flavor to the coating mixture. You can use regular paprika if it's what you have on hand. If you like a little heat, ground red pepper can work, too.
• Ranch dressing and hot sauce: We suggest serving fried okra with ranch dressing and hot sauce, but that's just our preference. You can use any sauce you like, or none at all.
  

How To Make Fried Okra

If you've ever made breaded chicken or even crispy zucchini fries, you already know the technique that's used to make fried okra. The small okra rounds are tossed in eggs before being dredged in a cornmeal mixture and then fried.

Here's a more detailed explanation of how to fry okra. Step-by-step photos are further below:

• Step 1. Heat the oil: In a tall-sided Dutch oven, heat up the oil. Meanwhile, prepare a baking sheet by lining it with paper towels. This will be used to soak up excess oil after the okra comes out of the frying oil.
• Step 2. Toss okra in an egg wash: In a large bowl, combine the garlic salt, okra, and eggs. Toss to coat the okra pieces well.
• Step 3. Make cornmeal mixture: In a shallow dish, combine the ingredients for the dredge: cornmeal, flour, salt, paprika, and pepper. Move the okra to the cornmeal mixture, and stir to coat each piece. Gently press on the okra pieces to help the cornmeal mixture stick. Work in batches if you need to.
• Step 4. Fry the okra: Transfer 1/3 of the okra to the heated oil, and cook in batches until the okra pieces are golden brown. Stir as needed to cook all sides of the okra.
• Step 5. Drain okra: Use a slotted spoon to lift the cooked okra out of the frying oil, and place it on the baking sheet lined with paper towels. Add one final sprinkle of kosher salt. Doing it while the okra is still hot will help the salt adhere.
• Step 6. Repeat the process: Repeat the dredge and the frying with the remaining okra. When all the okra is cooked, move it to a platter, and serve the fried okra with ranch and hot sauce or your preferred dipping sauce. (Alabama white sauce, anyone?)

What Does Fried Okra Taste Like?

Fried okra is a remarkable example of multiple textures working together beautifully. Okra pieces, once cooked, can be tender and chewy. Some folks don't like this texture, calling it "slimy," but slimy okra is uncommon with fried okra. Instead, the cornmeal coating and frying makes each piece crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.

Okra itself has a subtle "green" flavor that leans just a bit sweet like green beans. In fact, okra is often appreciated as a blank slate and used in dishes like gumbo and okra and tomatoes where it can absorb flavors and provide a bit of thickening to the final dish.

Our Tips for the Best Fried Okra

Whether you've fried hundreds of batches of okra or this is your first time, these additional tips may help make your fried okra the best ever:

• Work in batches: Be careful not to overcrowd the pot of oil. Adding too much okra to the pot will suddenly lower the temperature of the oil, extending cooking time and increasing the chances the crust won't crisp up properly. Instead, work in batches to give each piece plenty of space to fry so each bite is perfection.
• Serve immediately: Fried okra is not a dish that benefits from sitting around. Make this one of the last things you cook before the meal so that it can go right from the fryer to the serving platter.
• Watch the temp: Keeping the frying oil at the right temp will help your okra cook evenly and quickly. Okra that is cooking too cold or too hot will be problematic for your final dish. Cooking in batches will also help prevent a sudden drop in the oil temperature that interrupts the cooking process.
  

How To Store Fried Okra

If you have leftover fried okra, you shouldn't pitch it. While crispy okra really is best when it's fresh, you can reheat it and reclaim some of that great texture. Store the fried okra in the fridge up to three days. When you're ready to eat it, reheat it in the oven or an air fryer until crispy again.

Ways To Serve Fried Okra

Fried okra is perfect as a side dish right out of the frying oil, but feel free to be creative. Serve with our favorite, ranch dressing and hot sauce. Or add fried okra to other dishes. We like it on a po'boy, and we've been known to eat fried okra on a pulled pork sandwich, too.