Easy Homegrown Southern Fried Okra

Southern fried okra is just good ol’ yumminess! Enjoy this southern summer staple straight from the garden to your kitchen with my easy recipe.

When the temperatures are sweltering and the humidity has my ginger red hair up in a frizzy ponytail, I will be in the garden cutting okra. I learned late in life to love southern fried okra and now I look forward to growing it in my garden and harvesting it for yummy southern goodness!

If you have not grown okra in your garden, give it a try! I find it to be very easy, even with the normal pests and deterrents in the garden (heat waves, storms, humidity…IYKYK). Okra just shoots up and blooms and produces food like crazy!

Read my post Growing Okra: A Garden to Table Guide for Fresh Summer Cooking and learn exactly what it takes to grow okra so you can have your own personal harvest!

The first time I tried southern fried okra was when we moved to Charleston, SC in 2001. I thought for sure I would hate it, but after the first crunchy bite dipped in remoulade sauce- I was hooked!

In my own kitchen, I have taken some liberties with the classic southern fried okra recipe and created one that is a little spicy and finished with ranch dressing.

How to Harvest and Prepare Okra

I have a couple of tips for making your fried okra:

• Cut and harvest okra when it is about the size of your thumb
• Wash and dry completely before cutting to avoid sliminess
• Don’t cut your okra pods until you are ready to cook it to avoid more slime

What is the Slime in Okra?

Don’t be overly concerned about the slime; it’s just part of the plant fiber and helps it retain moisture during these ridiculously hot summer heat waves! It’s totally fine to eat. In fact, okra slime (okay it’s called mucilage for all us science nerds) is good for your gut and it helps thicken stews and gumbos. So head over to my Brunswick Stew recipe and see how I use the large okra pods in that!

How Do You Keep the Breading on the Okra?

If you’ve ever fried food and watched the breading or batter crumble off into the oil, you know the level of frustration I’m talking about…it’s a mess.

To make the breading or batter stick to the okra, it’s important to do a couple of steps:

• Start with dry okra pieces
• Soak in buttermilk/egg wash for 5-10 minutes
• Let it rest for a few minutes after dredging
• Keep your oil temperature steady by not overcrowding the pan

Is Flour or Corn Meal Better for Breading?

Traditional southern fried okra recipes feature corn meal as the coating; many combine both flour and cornmeal, but mostly cornmeal.

I personally like using Alabama King Fine Ground Cornmeal. It’s the best of both worlds.

What Spices are in Southern Fried Okra?

A basic classic southern fried okra recipe will typically combine cornmeal, flour, salt and pepper. I don’t mean any disrespect to my southern readers that have a different opinion! In fact, let’s cover some more options when it comes to spices!

Other seasoning additions you can add to fried okra recipes:

• paprika
• cayenne pepper
• cajun seasoning
• garlic powder
• onion powder
• tabasco sauce (in the buttermilk/egg wash)

As with any fried dish, experiment with your ingredients and see what works for you!

What is the Best Way to Fry Okra?

With the many kitchen appliances available to us these days, there are several effective options for frying okra. You can use an air fryer, deep fryer, skillet or dutch oven.

I personally love my classic Lodge Cast Iron Skillet for this task. What can I say? When in the South, do as the Southerns do!

Choose a neutral oil like peanut, canola or vegetable with a high smoke point and heat it to 375 degrees. Remember to fry in batches so you don’t accidentally lower the oil temperature too much and cause the breading to separate.

How to Fry Okra

Gather your equipment and ingredients and make sure you have everything ready to go.

Whisk 1 cup of buttermilk with one whole egg and set aside. Mix cornmeal and seasonings together in a pie plate or large bowl.

Wash and dry fresh okra pods completely. Then slice off the top and the little pointy end. Discard these.

Slice the okra pods crosswise into 1/2 inch pieces. They will look like little wagon wheels with small seeds inside them.

Immediately drop them into the bowl of buttermilk and egg wash and let them soak for 5-10 minutes.

Start heating up the oil in your cast iron skillet or dutch oven until it reaches 375 degrees. It’s okay to let it hang out for a minute. If it’s smoking up the kitchen, it’s too hot! Use a thermometer to monitor it.

Remove the okra pieces from the buttermilk and drain as much as you can.

There are two ways to coat the okra with the seasoned breading:

• hand dredge the pieces in the breading until they are fully coated
• put breading and okra in a plastic ziplock bag and shake together

Let them hang out for a minute or two while you do a quick cleanup and wash your hands. Then in small batches, drop a handful of breaded okra into the hot oil. They will float around and turn a lovely golden color within a couple of minutes. Remove the fried okra and set them on a paper towel-lined tray to cool.

I like to use a strainer spoon like this one.

They are sometimes called “Spider Spoons” or Fryer Skimmers” and they are extremely useful for scooping out fried pieces of food from the hot oil and leaving as much oil in the pot as possible. I highly recommend one with a metal handle so it can go straight into the dishwasher for easier cleanup!

Favorite Dips for Southern Fried Okra

There are several sauces and dips that you can use for southern fried okra. I personally love good ol’ ranch dressing! It’s so yummy together!

Other classics include:

• ketchup
• remoulade sauce
• sriracha-mayo sauce
• tartar sauce

What Do You Serve Fried Okra With?

You will usually find fried okra along with fried catfish, fried chicken, or maybe barbecued ribs. Think of your favorite summer picnic or cookout with friends and serve it with potato salad, mac and cheese, cole slaw and fruit salad.

Okay, I’m drooling! Time to head up to the garden and start harvesting some okra! Who’s ready for a cookout?

How do You Store Leftovers?

If you somehow manage to have leftovers, the best way to store them is an airtight container for up to 5-7 days. I find reheating fried okra (or anything fried for that matter) works best in an oven air fryer to regain that crispy crunch coating. The microwave makes it soggy.

I have used two different air fryers over the years and really enjoy my Cosori Air Fryer. I like its 6 quart square-shaped basket and mini cookbook that comes with it. I highly recommend it!

If you want to cook your okra in an air fryer instead of a cast iron skillet, you totally can. You need to preheat it to 375 degrees and then prepare your okra the same way as described above already. Then air fry in a single layer. To get a crispy exterior:

• spritz the breaded okra with oil a few times during the process
• avoid crowding the basket which leads to steaming instead of frying

No matter how you cook your fried okra, I hope you enjoy it! It’s an easy plant to grow and even easier to cook.

Southern Fried Okra: Love it or Hate it?

Leave a comment below and let me know if you’re team okra or not 🙂

If you are, try Easiest Summer Grilled Okra. You will love its simplicity and delicious flavor.

Interested in more homegrown guides? Start with my post The Homegrown Gardener’s Guide to Growing Cooking and Living with the Seasons.