If you’re going to splurge on fried food, make sure it’s worth it! Serve this Southern Fried Okra along side your favorite burger, brisket or fried chicken!
Have any of y’all been to Key West? If you haven’t been to Key West have you been to Nashville or Charleston? It’s time to start planning my future sister in law’s bachelorette party and we’re going to turn it into a little girls getaway weekend. Key West, Nashville and Charleston are the top three location on our list and I’m spending a few days gathering information about all three before we make our final decision.
While I’ve done a lot of traveling in my years, I’ve never been to any of the places on our list so they’re all totally new to me. Which one would you pick?
I’m super excited to start planning some trips for 2016 but let’s get onto the food shall we!! At the end of last year I took a little notebook and filled it with all types of fantastic southern recipes that I wanted to share with y’all. This Southern Fried Okra was the 5th recipe that I wrote down in my little book and I’m just now getting around to posting it.
I had been jumping back and forth on the blog, I was trying to stay true to my southern loves and I was trying to hop on the “healthy” train with everyone else. I just couldn’t find joy in blogging about super healthy food. We eat it but I don’t get excited about it.
You know what I do get excited about? Southern Fried Foods! I know that fried food isn’t something that I can eat every day but when I do eat it I want it to be awesome!
So, This is how I make fried okra at home. Go ahead and get your okra ready. Use fresh okra, don’t try to use the frozen slices because they’ll have too much water in them. Remember, water and oil don’t mix well!
Start cutting the okra by cutting off the stem/top. I use the little line on the top of the okra as a guide line and then I chop it into 3-4 pieces depending on the size of the piece of okra. When I cut it like this each chopped piece of okra is normally around 1/2 in inch.
I throw away the cap and the pointy ends.
This would be a great time to get your oil heating. I use to just judge oil temperature instead of using a thermometer but it’s so much easier when you can actually tell what temperature the oil is.
You’re going to want the oil to be right about 375F. If you think that you can judge it without a thermometer that’s totally fine, I know a lot of people that can. If you’re new to frying you might want to pick one up from the store before you get to deep frying.
You’re going to need 3 shallow dishes for your breading station set up. Put the okra in the first one, the buttermilk in the second and the cornmeal mixture in the third dish.
Yes, Yes, you’re going to need buttermilk for this. Just trust me, it makes a difference. You don’t need a ton, just about 2 cups.
Toss about 5-6 pieces of okra into the buttermilk and let them sit for 2 or so minutes. Then toss those buttermilk pieces of okra over into the cornmeal mixture make sure that they get coated with the cornmeal. Before you start frying those pieces, toss a few more pieces of raw okra into the buttermilk and let them sit while you’re frying, this will get your assembly line going.
Throw those cornmeal pieces of okra into the hot oil and fry them for about 1 minute and 30 seconds to 1 minute and 45 second. They should be nice and golden brown, remove them with a slotted spoon and lay them on a plate that’s been lined with paper towels.
I normally fry them in batches of 5 so that I don’t over crowed the pot and bring the oil temperature down but you can try frying more at the same time if you’d like.
Continue to dip, coat and fry until all of the okra is done. You’ll want to serve this Southern Fried Okra warm or hot, I don’t think it’s very good after it gets cold.
You can serve it as is or with a dipping sauce. Normally we just eat fried okra plain but I’ve known people to dip it in ranch, french onion dip and ketchup!
Fried Okra
If you're going to splurge on fried food, make sure it's worth it! Serve this Southern Fried Okra along side your favorite burger, brisket or fried chicken! You can serve it as is or with a dipping sauce. Normally we just eat fried okra plain but I've known people to dip it in ranch, french onion dip and ketchup!Southern Fried Okra
Ingredients
Instructions
Notes
Stephanie says
It’s been awhile since we’ve traveled. 5 little ones makes it tricky 😉 This okra looks amazing! I want some!
Lauren Kelly Nutrition says
This looks fantastic! I don’t really eat much okra, but this needs to change!
The Food Hunter says
This sounds like a delicious splurge…i would do it
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Oooh, that breading looks perfect and those are the perfect bite-sized pieces for popping over and over…and over!
ally says
You’ve nailed it! these are fried to perfection! What I’d give to claw through this screen now! Thanks, luv!
Liz says
These look fantastic, Angie! Yup, I don’t do fried foods too often, but when I do, it better be worth it! Your fried okra would hit the spot!!!
Nutmeg Nanny says
I LOVE fried okra! I know it’s a vegetable that some people refuse to eat but I’m all about it. It’s hard to get the best okra around here because the love hasn’t really made it’s way to NY yet. However, Brussels sprouts had their time to shine a few years ago and I think okra is about to do the same 🙂
Megan @ MegUnprocessed says
Fried Okra is one of my favorites! Wish I had some now!
Ashley - Baker by Nature says
These look addicting!
nicole @ I am a Honey Bee says
Poppable. I want a whole basket
Joan Crowder says
I have been to all 3 places you mentioned and I can honzsay, you really can not make a mistake with any one of the 3 mentioned.
Toni Spencer says
I use House Autry mix to bread my okra. Light, full of flavor. I also just let the natural “slime” develop to ensure the coating will stick and still be crunchy. Buttermilk, corn meal, and flour is too heavy. My family, friends, and church members love love love my fried okra.
Angie says
I’m glad you like your okra. it sounds lovely 🙂 But the Buttermilk, cornmeal, and flour mixture is not too heavy. If it was I wouldn’t use it to make mine and like your friends and family, my friends and family “love love love” my fried okra. 🙂 This is how my grandmother made it. There is always more than one way to cook.
Christina says
I totally disagree that this method is too heavy. Obviously, someone has another method they’re used to and hasn’t tried this. After picking up some fresh okra from the farmer’s market, I followed this authentic Southern recipe last night and it was awesome! The flour/cornmeal mixture yielded a light, crispy, crunchy coating while the buttermilk made the okra inside very moist and tender and held the coating on well. I will never use egg to coat again. The only thing I would add is that the coating does need salt if you like a savory bite. You could sprinkle these with salt right after you take them out of the oil, but because I didn’t have garlic and onion powder, I used garlic and onion salt in the cornmeal mixture, plus a dash of Lawry’s Seasoned Salt. These came out perfect! My southern Georgia family gave rave reviews and two ???????? ????????!!
Angie says
Hi Christina! I’m so glad that you and your family liked it!!
Brenda says
Out of buttermilk. Can I use milk with some vinegar or lemon? Thnks
Angie says
Yep 🙂