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Southern Fried Okra is the version I grew up on, sliced okra in a light cornmeal coating, fried in a skillet with just a little oil. There’s no heavy egg-and-flour batter and no deep fryer. My trick is to leave the okra wet after I wash it so the cornmeal has something to grab onto, then frying it in a little shortening and bacon grease for flavor. It’s an easy side dish and a perfect accompaniment to just about any Southern supper.
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 okra chunks in flour and then deep-frying them. 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!
What to serve with fried okra
Fried okra is a side dish, so it’s right at home with my Southern Fried Chicken or Cube Steak, and it rounds out a plate with Mashed Potatoes and a wedge of Cornbread. A pot of Southern Green Beans works too, and in summer I’ll add a few slices of fresh tomato on the side. At home, we usually skip the dipping sauce, but if you want one, my Comeback Sauce is the one to reach for.
Why this okra turns out crispy
The slick texture people complain about comes from the okra’s own moisture, and the way around it is heat. A hot skillet cooks the okra fast, before it has the chance to turn slimy. That’s why I fry it in a single layer over medium to medium-high heat, and I always drop one piece in first to make sure the oil is hot enough to sizzle.
A light cornmeal coating also helps. There’s no thick wet batter here, just cornmeal, and a little flour if you want it, pressed onto the damp okra. That thin coating crisps quickly and browns golden, where a heavy batter will sometimes steam and soften.
Also, I make sure to leave plenty of room in the skillet. Crowding the okra lowers the oil temperature, and it steams rather than frying, so I cook it in batches and let the oil return to heat between batches.
Related 📖 ➡️ How to store and use bacon grease
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 coat.
- 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.
How to store and reheat fried okra
Fried okra is best the day you make it, while the coating is still crisp. It keeps well enough, but eat it fresh when you can.
Store. Let the okra cool, then refrigerate it in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Reheat. Skip the microwave, which softens the coating. Warm the okra in a 350 degrees F oven or an air fryer for a few minutes to bring back some of the crisp.
Make ahead. I think the okra is best when made fresh, right after you slice and wash it. I don’t recommend any make-ahead options.
If you make this recipe, please leave a comment and ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ below!
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Southern 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
No, and that’s the difference between this version and the heavily battered version. The cornmeal sticks to the damp okra on its own, so there’s no need for an egg or buttermilk dip. If you want a thicker coating, you can dip the okra in buttermilk first, but I usually don’t bother.
The key to reducing okra’s sliminess 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.
I use good-quality plain Southern cornmeal. You can stir in a little all-purpose flour if you like, but it’s optional.
You can, though fresh is better for frying. Thaw it and drain it really well first, since extra water keeps the cornmeal from sticking and makes the okra harder to crisp. It’ll work in a pinch, but I don’t reach for frozen when fresh okra is around.
No soaking here. You wash the sliced okra and leave it damp so the cornmeal has something to grab, then fry it right away over fairly high heat. Soaking would only add water you’d have to cook off.
Well, first, ask yourself why you don’t have bacon grease. But if you don’t, just use all shortening. The bacon grease is there for flavor, not structure, so the okra still fries up just fine without it.
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.