Fried Okra Recipe in the Skillet - A Classic Southern Favorite! (2024)

Fried okra with a light and crispy cornmeal batter is a tasty side dish for any of your favorite Southern meals. And it’s easy to make!

Fried Okra Recipe in the Skillet - A Classic Southern Favorite! (1)

Fried okra has become one of those trendy items that almost every restaurant features on their appetizer menu. And most of them are all the same: chunks of heavily battered okra deep fried, with oftentimes more batter than okra.

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My fried okra recipe is the way my Mama makes it and my Granny made it and pretty much anyone I encountered growing up. There’s very little flour involved. The batter is cornmeal-based and the okra is fried in the skillet.

If okra is served at home for a meal, there’s not usually a fancy dipping sauce like you get in restaurants. But if you’re into that sort of thing, I recommend my Comeback Sauce as the perfect choice.

Table of Contents

  • How to fry okra
  • More from Southern Food and Fun
  • Fried Okra Recipe

How to fry okra

Step 1. Prepare the okra

Slice okra into 1/2-inch pieces. Wash the pieces and place in strainer. You want the okra to stay moist so the cornmeal will stick.

Cook’s Note: You can dip the okra in buttermilk before dredging through the cornmeal if you want a slightly thicker batter. If you do then dip in buttermilk and then place in strainer to drain off the excess.

Fried Okra Recipe in the Skillet - A Classic Southern Favorite! (2)

Step 2. Prepare batter

Stir together cornmeal, flour, salt, and pepper, and dredge okra, shaking off excess.

Step 3. Fry okra

Meanwhile, melt 1 tablespoon butter and about 4 tablespoons oil in skillet on medium-high. You want enough oil to come up the sides of the okra a bit, but not cover it.

When the oil is hot, add the okra and cook on one side until nicely browned, then flip to the other side.

Turn the heat down a little and continue cooking and stirring around a little until okra is nicely browned on all sides.

Watch it because it will brown quickly!

Remove from skillet with slotted spoon and place on paper towels to drain. Sprinkle your fried okra generously with salt.

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4.63 from 24 votes

Fried Okra

Fried okra with a light and crispy cornmeal batter is a tasty side dish for any of your favorite Southern meals.

Prep: 15 minutes mins

Cook: 20 minutes mins

Total: 35 minutes mins

Servings: 8

Save this Recipe

Fried Okra Recipe in the Skillet - A Classic Southern Favorite! (3)

Ingredients

  • 1-2 lbs. fresh okra
  • 1 cup corn meal
  • ¼ cup flour
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 cup buttermilk (optional)
  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • ½ cup canola oil

Instructions

  • Wash okra and pat dry, then slice into 1/2-inch pieces, discarding the tops.

  • Mix together cornmeal, flour, salt, and pepper.

  • Optional: Dip okra in buttermilk then place in strainer before dredging in cornmeal mixture. (This is if you want a thicker batter.)

  • Dredge okra in cornmeal and shake off excess.

  • Melt 1 tablespoon butter and about 4 tablespoons oil in skillet on medium-high. When the oil is hot, add some of the okra and cook on one side until nicely browned, then flip to the other side. Don’t crowd the pan!

  • Turn the heat down a little and continue cooking and stirring around a little until okra is nicely browned on all sides. Watch it because it will brown quickly!

  • Repeat until all the okra is fried. Add oil and butter as needed.

  • Remove from skillet with slotted spoon and place on paper towels to drain.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g, Calories: 191kcal, Carbohydrates: 17g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 13g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g, Cholesterol: 15mg, Sodium: 95mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 3g

Course: Sides

Cuisine: American

Calories: 191

Keyword: fried okra, how to make fried okra, skillet fried okra

Love this recipe?Mention @southernfoodandfun or tag #southernfoodandfun!

Update Notes: This Fried Okra post was originally published September 22, 2010, and on June 23, 2020, was updated with one or more of the following: step-by-step photos, video, updated recipe, new tips.

For a different twist on okra, try these Crispy Oven Baked Okra Chips. They are so good!

Fried Okra Recipe in the Skillet - A Classic Southern Favorite! (4)

About the author

Hi, I’m Lucy! I’m a home cook, writer, food and wine fanatic, and recipe developer. I’ve created and tested hundreds of recipes so that I can bring you the best tried and true favorites.

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Posted in:

How Tos, Recipes, Sides, Southern

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Fried Okra Recipe in the Skillet - A Classic Southern Favorite! (9)
Fried Okra Recipe in the Skillet - A Classic Southern Favorite! (10)
Fried Okra Recipe in the Skillet - A Classic Southern Favorite! (2024)

FAQs

Do you thaw frozen okra before breading? ›

Frozen okra needs to be thawed completely before cooking, but just be warned, the thawed okra will be wet (which can make it mushy). We recommend draining it and patting it dry completely with paper towels before breading and frying.

Do you need to boil okra before frying? ›

Okra is a nutritious vegetable that can be cooked by boiling or frying. Regardless of your cooking method, wash and slice your okra first. You can boil okra in slightly salted water. You can coat okra in cornmeal and then fry it in a frying pan.

Is it better to fry okra frozen or thawed? ›

Frozen okra has a softer texture, which is excellent for soups and stewed okra but not for deep-frying. If you must use frozen, thaw the okra first. Then, thoroughly drain and pat dry.

Why does my breading fall off my okra? ›

The moistened okra adheres to the breading during frying. Breading does not stick to dry okra. And in my opinion, buttermilk makes a breading which is too thick which also causes the breading to fall off.

Do you cover okra when cooking? ›

Wash and slice the okra as directed above. Then follow these steps for how long to cook fresh okra on the stovetop: Place okra in a saucepan; add enough water to cover the okra and salt to taste; bring the water to boil. Cover the pan and cook eight to 10 minutes or until the okra is tender.

Why is my fried okra chewy? ›

Whether picking it yourself or shopping for it at the store or farmer's market, you want the tender, young okra. Bigger is not better. The larger okra pods have tough husks and are too chewy.

How many minutes should okra be cooked? ›

Arrange okra in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil; sprinkle with kosher salt and pepper. Roast in the preheated oven until okra is lightly browned and tender, 10 to 15 minutes.

What should be avoided with okra? ›

Blood clotting: Vitamin K aids in blood clotting, and okra's high vitamin K content may interact with blood-thinning medications such as Coumadin (warfarin). People on blood thinners should be cautious and consult their doctor before incorporating okra into their diet.

How unhealthy is fried okra? ›

But since it's often fried in bacon drippings, frying oil and Crisco, fried okra definitely isn't healthy. It's loaded with saturated fats and trans fats, which raise your bad (LDL) cholesterol levels and lower your good (HDL) cholesterol levels.

Is okra a Southern thing? ›

Okra was brought over to the United States by enslaved West Africans, first to the Caribbean and then the mainland. It was prized in Creole cooking for its thickening aspects. Okra became a Southern mainstay in cooking and agriculturally, perfectly at home in the South's humid, subtropical climate.

Can you fry frozen okra without thawing? ›

Find the recipe for my Old School Skillet Fried Okra here. I much prefer this made with fresh okra, but in all honesty, frozen cut okra works really well. And a lot of the work is already done for you being that it's been washed, trimmed, and cut into bite size pieces. You'll just need to thaw it completely first.

How to fry okra that has been frozen? ›

Combine dry ingredients (salt, pepper, cornmeal) in another medium-sized bowl and mix that up. Coat the frozen okra pieces with the egg/buttermilk combo. Then transfer to the cornmeal mixture and coat until covered. Place about 1/4 cup oil in a cast iron skillet and heat over medium heat for three to five minutes.

Can you bread okra after freezing? ›

I start by letting my frozen okra thaw out a bit before breading. As I said before, I always wash my veggies before cookin' them! So, wash that okra, lay it out on some paper towel to dry, and then you're ready for the buttermilk.

How do you freeze okra for breading? ›

If you plan to fry okra later, after blanching, slice pods crosswise and dredge with cornmeal or flour. Freeze slices on a parchment-lined tray before placing into freezer bags. Frozen blanched okra works well in gumbo, boiled, stewed, smothered, or fried.

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