Southern Fried Okra is crispy, crunchy, and just a tad peppery. Serve it with your favorite dipping sauce and make it the perfect appetizer or side dish for fish, chicken, and pork.
Crispy Southern Fried Okra
Get the perfect crispy fried okra with a delicious cornmeal coating with this easy-to-follow recipe. Impress your friends and family with this tasty, unique side dish or appetizer. Even though I am not from the South, I love Southern cooking! Who doesn’t? I adore the New Orleans cooking style and am on a mission to add some great recipes to my blog. Maybe I will even start talking with a Southern drawl! This Southern Fried Okra is one of my favorite recipes. It comes together fairly quickly and can be fried in less than one inch of oil. If you like this recipe, try fried zucchini, fried mushrooms, fried green beans, and beer-battered onion rings.
Ingredients for Fried Okra
For the yogurt sauce, you need
For the fried okra, you need
How to Fry Okra
Grab a small bowl and mix the yogurt, jalapeno, lime juice, and cilantro in a nonreactive bowl. Cover the bowl and refrigerate while you fry the okra.
First, soak your okra in buttermilk for about 30 minutes. Add your flour, cornmeal, and Cajun seasoning to a large bowl and stir to combine. Heat a little less than one inch of oil in a heavy stockpot, dutch oven, or cast-iron skillet to about 350-375 degrees.
Next, remove the okra from the buttermilk using tongs or a slotted spoon. Shake off any excess and add the okra to the bowl with the flour and cornmeal mixture. Stir well to coat. Using the tongs, remove the okra from the bowl and add to the hot oil. Work in batches and fry until golden brown on the bottom, then flip and fry until the other side is golden brown. Remove to paper towels to absorb any extra oil.
Helpful Tips
- Trim the stem and pointy end off the okra and discard.
- Soak the okra in the buttermilk for at least 30 minutes
- You can easily make your own buttermilk by combining one cup of milk with one tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar.
- If possible, use self-rising cornmeal, as it produces a slightly more crispy finish.
- When frying, work in small batches.
- Remove the fried okra and put it on paper towels to absorb any residual oil.
- Try other dipping sauces, like comeback sauce, boom boom sauce, and yum yum sauce.
Picking the Best Okra
Look for the smaller pods if you want less slime. The smaller the pod, the younger the pod, which means less slime. Get fresh, bright green okra that is firm to the touch and free from blemishes, mold, and soft spots. Fresh okra has a short shelf life, so plan accordingly. Store in the refrigerator and use within a few days.
Can You Air Fry this?
Place the breaded okra in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Spritz with cooking spray. Air-fry at 350 degrees for 6-7 minutes, gently shaking the basket after 4-5 minutes. Work in batches if needed.
What to Serve With Fried Okra
Storage and Reheat
Store leftover fried okra in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. It will not be as crisp upon reheating as it is best enjoyed promptly. However, you can reheat it in the air fryer at 350 degrees for 2-3 minutes (my preferred way) or in the oven at 375 degrees for about 7-8 minutes.
More Appetizer Recipes
Southern Fried Okra with Jalapeno Yogurt Sauce
Ingredients
Jalapeno Yogurt Sauce
- 1/4 cup Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon jalapeno finely minced
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro finely minced
Fried Okra
- 1/2 lb. fresh okra
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 cup self rising cornmeal
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoons Cajun seasoning
- Vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
- Mix yogurt, jalapeno, lime juice and cilantro in non reactive bowl. Cover and refrigerate.
- Trim okra by cutting away and discarding tips and stems. Cut in 1/2 inch thick slices. Soak in buttermilk for 30 minutes. Keep chilled.
- Combine cornmeal, flour and Cajun seasoning in large ziploc bag.
- Working in small batches remove okra from buttermilk with slotted spoon. Add okra to ziploc bag and shake to coat.
- Pour oil in dutch oven or heavy pan to a depth of 1 inch. Heat oil to 375 degrees. Using the tongs remove the okra from the bag and add to the hot oil. Fry until golden brown on the bottom then flip and fry until the other side is golden brown; approximately 2 minutes. Drain on paper towels.
- Serve warm with jalapeno yogurt sauce.
Notes
- Trim the stem and pointy end off the okra and discard.
- Soak the okra in the buttermilk for at least 30 minutes
- You can easily make your own buttermilk by combining one cup of milk with one tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar.
- If possible, use self-rising cornmeal, as it produces a slightly more crispy finish.
- When frying, work in small batches.
- Remove the fried okra to paper towels to absorb any residual oil.
Nutrition
Are you on the hunt for more delicious recipes? Follow Small Town Woman on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram.
https://www.smalltownwoman.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Beth-1.pdf
Sonia H
I love the crunchiness of the okra and the bit of spice from the pepper. It pairs perfectly with fried fish or chicken and is a must-try for anyone who loves Southern cuisine.
Catherine Kay
Your recipe looks amazing and brings back memories of me growing okra when I lived in New York. Thank you for sharing this delicious recipe – it’s sure to be a hit for dinner.
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Catherine Kay! Enjoy!
Stephie R
I’ve never made anything with okra before as I didn’t know how to use it – so glad I tried this recipe! This fried okra is great and with the jalapeno sauce its even more amazing.
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Stephie! So glad that you tried it and enjoyed it!
Leann
This sounds so good! I have a friend in the States who has made me fried okra when I’ve visited. I never had it with yogurt sauce, though.
Beth Pierce
You should try it. It is delicious!
Kimberleigh A
Your Southern fried okra with jalapeno yogurt sauce recipe was a mouthwatering twist on a classic dish! The crispy okra paired with the zesty jalapeno yogurt sauce created a flavor explosion. I love how you’ve taken a traditional Southern favorite and elevated it with a spicy kick. Can’t wait to share this recipe with my sister, she is a huge okra fan.
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Kimberleigh! I hope she enjoys it as much as you do!
Irina
I will make it tonight as a snack while watching movies. Your recipe sounds amazingly delicious. 🙂
Traci
You had me at okra 🤩 and does it get any better than this? Love how easy and delicious this is! Jalapeno yogurt sauce…yummm!
Carrie Robinson
This would be perfect for game day snacking! Yum. 🙂
Sandhya Ramakrishnan
I live in the okra capital (Oklahoma) and grow tons of okra at home. This is a great recipe to make with my garden fresh okras. Love this recipe and thanks for sharing and that Jalapeno yogurt sauce sounds delicious.
Sharon
I love this fried okra recipe all on its own but the jalapeno yogurt sauce is what really sets this recipe apart from the rest.
Sandra
Could you use other summer vegetables with this batter?
Beth Pierce
You know I have never tried. With most other veggies I think I would use an egg mixture instead of buttermilk. Buttermilk works with okra because of all the nooks and crannies in cut okra.
Lorelei
I do yellow squash, zucchini, and green tomatoes the same way. I cut them in cubes instead of sliced. They fry beautifully.
Beth Pierce
Thanks Lorelei for the tip!
Cookilicious
this is such a fun way of serving okra! Love the recipe
Emily
You know, I’ve never liked okra before because it can be so slimy. But this recipe changed my mind about okra. Thanks for posting!
Denise
This looks so good, my sister and her family LOVE okra, I am sharing this recipe with her.
Natalie
I never tried okra before. This recipe sounds so delicious that now I must give it a try. I bet my kiddo and hubs will love this too. Fried food always passes with flying colors in my house.
Andrea Metlika
I’ve eaten okra for many years and this southern fried okra looks awesome!