Crispy Fried Okra
This Fried Okra is dredged in buttermilk and breaded in a flour & cornmeal coating that's loaded with flavor. Fried until crispy in peanut oil, it’s an addictive Southern appetizer, snack, or side dish.
Servings: 4
Calories: 524kcal
Equipment
- 1 a ziplock bag
- 1 colander or strainer
- 1 straw
Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh okra sliced
- 1 ½ cups buttermilk
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup cornmeal
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning
- peanut oil for frying or canola or vegetable
Instructions
- Begin by either heating a deep-fryer to 375°F or about 3 inches of oil in a dutch oven or deep pot on the stove. (Our fryer takes 15 - 20 minutes to heat up.)peanut oil for frying
- While the oil is heating, slice the okra into half-inch pieces. Discard the stems.1 pound fresh okra
- Put the sliced okra in a shallow bowl or dish and cover with buttermilk for 10 - 15 minutes. Stir halfway through, making sure the okra stays submerged in the buttermilk.1 ½ cups buttermilk
- Drain the okra in a colander or strainer, shaking a few times to let the excess buttermilk drip off.
- While the okra is draining, combine flour, cornmeal, salt, smoked paprika, pepper, garlic powder, and Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning in a large Ziplock bag. Shake it around until well combined.1 cup all-purpose flour, ½ cup cornmeal, 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning, ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Dump the buttermilk-soaked okra into the Ziplock bag with the cornmeal/flour mixture.
- Now, zip the bag almost all the way closed and insert a straw into the very end.
- Blow the bag up, then pull the straw out and zip it shut. Then, shake the heck out of it.
- The breading will stick to the okra and whatever is leftover will settle in the bottom of the bag. You can either pour the okra into a bowl or colander or just scoop it out and spread it onto a cookie sheet. (Or just scoop it directly into the fryer in handfuls.)
- Fry in small batches trying not to crowd the oil, for 3 - 4 minutes. (In a pot, try to do a handful or two at a time - in a deep fryer, you can cover the bottom of the basket.)
- It doesn't take long to fry okra and you want to remove it from the oil when it starts to turn golden. It will continue cooking once it is removed from the oil and you don't want it to burn.
- Drain the fried okra on a paper towel, sprinkle with a little bit of salt, then serve with your favorite dipping sauce.
Notes
Recipe Tips
- If deep-frying okra, make sure to shake the basket while the okra is cooking to prevent the okra from getting stuck together. If frying it in a pot on the stove, stir as needed to prevent sticking
- If you are not using a deep-fryer, use a thermometer to check the temperature of your frying oil. If it is too hot, the breading will burn. If it is too cold, the breading will absorb oil, and it will be soggy and won't taste very good.
- When the okra looks "almost done," remove it from the oil. It will continue cooking for a bit once it is pulled from the hot oil. If you pull fried okra from the oil when it looks "done," it will overcook and get a little burnt. (Though my husband doesn't mind it this way!)
- Bread the okra by using the drain and shake method (outlined above) - clean up is so easy, and the okra will be perfectly breaded every time, and there will be no slimy fingers!
Nutrition
Serving: 15slices of okra | Calories: 524kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 976mg | Potassium: 567mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1075IU | Vitamin C: 26mg | Calcium: 204mg | Iron: 3mg
