There’s nothing quite like the taste of crispy, golden-brown pan-fried okra with cornmeal, a beloved Southern side dish you can enjoy year-round. Thousands of readers agree that my Granny’s recipe is the BEST!
This is not the deep-fried and flour-coated okra you find in restaurants. It’s a classic skillet-fried okra, lightly coated in cornmeal and fried. This Southern fried okra recipe is quick, easy, and absolutely delicious, making it a great option for busy parents.
We’ll walk you through the steps, and you’ll soon be making the best fried okra you’ve ever tasted!
Thanks for the simple recipe. It was a hit to the 20ish people I cooked for.
stephanie
Fried okra has become one of those trendy foods that almost every restaurant features on its appetizer menu. And most of them are the same: chunks of heavily battered deep-fried okra, with often more batter than okra.
My Southern-fried okra recipe is the way my Mama makes it, the way my Granny made it, and the way pretty much anyone I encountered growing up made it. There’s very little flour involved. You can even omit the flour completely. The batter is cornmeal-based, and we fry the okra in a skillet with minimal oil.
My family’s pan-fried okra recipe with cornmeal is much easier than dipping and battering chunks of okra in flour and then deep-frying. You don’t need anything fancy, just a good skillet. It takes just a few minutes to dredge the okra through the cornmeal mixture and fry it in the skillet.
Testing results for fried okra
I’ve tested pan-fried okra with different oils, and I got the best results with a mixture of melted shortening and bacon grease. If you don’t have bacon grease, you can use just melted shortening.
I hope you make this recipe. I think you’ll love it!
P.S. In the South, if okra is served at home for a meal, there’s usually not 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.
Ingredient notes
➡️➡️➡️ The full ingredient amounts and instructions are listed below on the printable recipe card. Scroll below the recipe card for frequently asked questions and tips for success.
Fresh okra – try to find smaller pieces of okra, as they will be more tender
Corn meal – use a good quality Southern corn meal like this one
Crisco – use shortening with a high smoke point
Bacon grease or butter – for additional flavor when frying
Salt and pepper – be generous with the salt
Flour (optional) – a little all-purpose flour is all you need if you want to add some
Tip
Look for okra at a farmer’s market and choose smaller, bright green pods. Don’t buy hard or overgrown pods. Fresh okra is also almost always available in Asian markets.
How to fry okra
- Slice and wash the okra, then drain.
- Mix up the cornmeal, flour, salt, and pepper. Add the cornmeal mixture to the okra and stir gently to cover the okra.
- Melt Crisco and bacon grease in a skillet until hot. Add the okra in a single layer.
- Stir and flip the okra occasionally until browned on all sides. This will only take a few minutes.
- Remove the fried okra from the skillet and drain on a paper-towel lined plate. Sprinkle with salt.
If you make this recipe, please leave a comment and ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ below!
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Pan Fried Okra Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1-2 lbs. fresh okra (3-4 cups sliced)
- 1 cup cornmeal
- salt and pepper
- ¼ cup flour (optional)
- ½ cup Crisco shortening
- 4 tablespoons bacon grease or butter
- 1 cup buttermilk (optional)
Instructions
- Slice 1-2 lbs. fresh okra into small pieces, 1/4-1/2-inch. Place the okra in a bowl and wash with water. Drain the bowl but leave the okra wet.
- Mix together 1 cup cornmeal, salt and pepper. If you want to add 1/4 cup flour (optional), you can do so now.
- Optional: Dip okra in 1 cup buttermilk (optional) then place in strainer before dredging in cornmeal mixture. (This is if you want a thicker batter but I don't do this.)
- Pour the cornmeal in the bowl with the okra and stir it around until all the okra is covered.
- Melt 1/2 cup Crisco shortening and 4 tablespoons bacon grease or butter in skillet on medium to medium-high heat. The oil should not fully cover the okra. This is not a deep fry recipe.
- When the oil is hot (add one piece of okra and see if it sizzles), add some of the okra and cook, stirring frequently until brown and crispy. Don't crowd the pan!
- Remove okra from the skillet with a slotted spoon and place on paper towels to drain.
- Repeat until all the okra is fried. Add additional shortening and bacon grease as needed but be sure you allow it to heat before adding more okra.
Nutrition
Questions and tips for fried okra
How to fry okra in a skillet?
We use a skillet because it’s the traditional Southern way to cook fried okra. You heat the skillet on medium-high and use oil with a high smoke point.
How do you fry okra without it being slimy?
The key to reducing the sliminess of okra is to cook it quickly at a high temperature. When you fry the okra quickly in a skillet, the natural sugars don’t have time to release and create the sliminess that can occur.
Does okra need to be soaked before cooking?
Nope, not with this recipe. We’re frying okra with cornmeal in a skillet on relatively high heat, and that’s all that’s needed.
Can I use frozen okra?
You can use frozen okra for this recipe. Thaw the okra and drain well. I don’t love frozen okra for pan-frying, but it will work in a pinch.
idk i blew up my kitchen
First fried okra recipe I’ve looked at and it’s the same way my mama makes! I bought okra and corn meal today to try this tonight. Ooohhhh girl I can taste this already. And I’ve got homegrown tomatoes to go with it. So excited
Thanks for the simple recipe. It was a hit to the 20ish people I cooked for.
I use this recipe exclusively. Very good.
This looks more like my Mom’s. Most everyone else seems to have a thick buttermilk and flour batter that I don’t like at all. Thanks for posting.
I tried this okra and now it’s a favorite!!!
Can’t wait to try this! I’m in Canada and didn’t grow up eating okra at all. I’ve tried it fried in restaurants in the Southern US, and now see how easy it’ll be to make at home. Thank you.