What To Serve With Fried Okra
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There might not be a more Southern ingredient than okra, and I can totally understand why it’s so beloved—raw, grilled, pickled, or added into gumbo, it adds a delicious texture and takes on flavor to whatever it’s added to. While it’s easy to love this veggie in all its forms, fried okra holds a special place in my heart. When fried, it turns into crispy, poppable bites perfect for dipping in sauce or pairing with your favorite seafood dinner. If you’ve never made okra before, start with these golden, extra-crispy bites—you’ll be a believer in no time.
Start by slicing your okra, and placing them in a bowl. You’ll want to try and keep them at about ½ rounds, but if some of your okra are smaller or bigger than others, feel free to adjust by cutting them a little bigger or smaller to match the others.
Then line a sheet pan with paper towels to be used later, and set up your dredging station. Combine your flour, cornmeal, and spices into one bowl, your buttermilk into another, and one final bowl to place your fully dredged okra into. My greatest tip for not ending up with hands that look just like your dredged okra at the end of the process? Use one hand as your “wet” hand that only tosses your okra in the buttermilk and then into the flour mixture, and the other as your “dry” hand, which makes sure the wet okra is entirely covered with your spiced flour and cornmeal mixture. It might take a bit of getting used to, but it’s worth it for reduced mess.
Working in batches, move your okra through the dredging process. Once everything is done, you can begin frying.
Add your oil to your pan, and heat it over medium heat until it reaches a temperature of ~375° (use a thermometer if you have one!). If you’re not sure, test it by placing a wooden utensil (think take-out chopstick or wooden spoon) into your oil—if bubbles steadily form around your utensil but don’t go wild, you’re good to go. If they are bubbling so much it’s practically boiling, your oil is too hot, so turn the heat down and wait before testing again.
Fry your okra (again, working in batches if you need), stirring occasionally so none of them stick together, until they’re golden and fried. Pull them out with a slotted spoon or spider strainer and let them drain on your prepared sheet pan. Add more oil to your pan and let it come up to heat if you need to between batches.
Full list of ingredients and directions can be found in the recipe below.
How to keep okra from being slimy? Unfortunately, its true: when cut, okra can sometimes turn slimy. Frying your okra over a medium to high heat will already help in eliminating that unwanted texture, but you should also wait to cut your okra until right before you’re about to cook it. Another tip? Try soaking your cut okra in some white vinegar, then patting it dry before frying. This will give your okra a bit more of a pickled flavor, but it should help counteract some of the slime.
Storage
Because of its crispy coating, fried okra is best enjoyed the day of, but if you have any leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for around 3-4 days. Reheat in the oven or air fryer for maximum crispiness!
all-purpose flour
cornmeal
kosher salt
garlic powder
paprika
freshly ground black pepper
cayenne pepper
buttermilk
okra, stems removed, sliced into 1/2" thick rounds
vegetable oil, for frying
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