Southern Fried Okra Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Should I boil okra before frying it? ›

Okra is a nutritious vegetable that can be cooked by boiling or frying. Regardless of your cooking method, wash and slice your okra first. You can boil okra in slightly salted water. You can coat okra in cornmeal and then fry it in a frying pan.

The moistened okra adheres to the breading during frying. Breading does not stick to dry okra. And in my opinion, buttermilk makes a breading which is too thick which also causes the breading to fall off.

Add acid. Acid will minimize mucilage, so add lemon or vinegar to a dish, or cook okra with things that are naturally acidic, like tomatoes. Some cooks swear by soaking okra in a combination of water and vinegar or lemon juice for 30 minutes before cooking.

Frozen okra needs to be thawed completely before cooking, but just be warned, the thawed okra will be wet (which can make it mushy). We recommend draining it and patting it dry completely with paper towels before breading and frying.

Whether picking it yourself or shopping for it at the store or farmer's market, you want the tender, young okra. Bigger is not better. The larger okra pods have tough husks and are too chewy.

If it's so tough you can't bite through it, it's way past prime. Throw it out. If it's just slightly tough, still throw it out. The fat part will be a lot tougher.

While it hails from faraway places, okra crossed the ocean centuries ago via the Atlantic slave trade and set its roots firmly in our food culture. It continues to hold a place of honor on supper plates across the state, where it is typically served up coated in cornmeal and fried to a crunchy, golden brown.

One popular way to reduce okra's sliminess is to "soak it in vinegar for 30 minutes [before cooking with it], which helps to break up and dissolve the slime," says food scientist, food industry consultant, and author Bryan Le.

Nearly half of the fiber in okra is soluble fiber, which helps lower cholesterol levels and reduces the risk of heart disease. Insoluble fiber, also found in okra, helps keep the intestinal tract healthy, can help relieve constipation and may decrease the risk of colon cancer.

Is it better to fry okra frozen or thawed? ›

Frozen okra has a softer texture, which is excellent for soups and stewed okra but not for deep-frying. If you must use frozen, thaw the okra first. Then, thoroughly drain and pat dry.

The more it cooks, the more tender it becomes. Soaking the whole pods in water with a couple of slices of lemon for an hour is said to help eliminate some of their sticky liquid. If you do want to release the liquid so the okra acts as a thickener, slice the pods thickly or thinly before adding them to the dish.

The short answer is no, you don't have to soak it before cooking, but some recipes suggest soaking the okra in a vinegar mixture to reduce sliminess. To soak okra, pour 125ml (1/2 cup) vinegar into a bowl. Add 500g okra (the ratio of vinegar to okra is 125ml vinegar to every 500g okra). Turn the okra to coat.