This Southern classic Old School Skillet Fried Okra recipe is a comforting side dish with that hash-like texture we all grew up loving.
When folks talk about Fried Okra here in the South, there are really two ways of preparing it. One is the method where each piece of okra is individually coated in a seasoned flour/cornmeal mixture and deep-fried to golden perfection. This is the version you see most often in restaurants. The other method is the skillet method where the okra is stir-fried, and you end up with more of a hash-like texture. This is probably the version you remember from your mom or grandma’s kitchen. And, it’s the fried okra recipe we’re making today.
I love this method and recipe for fried okra so much because it really is so nostalgic. But it’s also super simple – a win-win. The damp okra grabs that cornmeal allowing each piece to have that yummy cornbread-like flavor and texture. Then when you deep fry these in your hot oil, the end result is a subtle, yet hearty flavor that truly enhances all the best qualities of okra.
Recipe FAQs
- What should I look for when selecting okra for this recipe? When choosing fresh okra, opt for smaller pods that are bright green without tons of dark spots. The smaller the okra pod the more tender. The bigger they get, the more tough and fibrous they become. Dark spots appear on okra that’s older, so avoid that if you can.
- Can I use frozen okra? Yes, you can use frozen, thawed, cut okra for this as well. It’s not my favorite, but it works just fine during the winter months when you can’t get ahold of the fresh okra.
- How can I prevent my okra from burning? Cast iron holds heat well, and it can be easy to burn this okra. I suggest adjusting the heat as necessary and watch closely for any signs of burning.
- Why do you suggest mashing up this fried okra dish? There’s no real need to do this, but I often mash mine up a bit as it finishes cooking to produce more of a hash-like texture. It’s just a matter of personal preference.
Other Okra Recipes
The BEST Fried Okra – This particular recipe makes some of the best fried okra I’ve ever had. Using a box of Zatarain’s Seasoned Fish-Fri Southern Style is the trick. It saves you a ton of time, but it is the opposite of skimping on flavor!
Okra and Green Tomato Fritters – The best parts of fried okra and fried green tomatoes combine in this delicious, yet easy, recipe for Okra and Green Tomato Fritters. I’m yet to find someone who doesn’t love this side dish!
Crispy Roasted Okra – This recipe for okra teamed with a delicious creamy lemon dressing makes for perfectly crispy and not-mushy okra that everyone will love! Dip and enjoy!
Okra and Tomatoes – Okra and Tomatoes is so quick and so easy. It’s just a nice comforting side dish that you can even have year-round with the option to choose frozen okra. Enjoy!
Summer Succotash – This Summer Succotash is the perfect recipe for taking advantage of that summer vegetable bounty. Salty bacon, sweet corn, lima beans, okra, and tart tomatoes combine in a dish that tastes as good as it looks! I’ve included the measurements for frozen vegetables as well, so you can enjoy this dish all year round!
Recipe Card
Old School Skillet Fried Okra
Ingredients
- 1 lb okra (about 4 cups, cut)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 3/4 cup cornmeal
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
Instructions
- Wash and cut okra in about half inch pieces, discarding the tip and stem ends. Then rinse cut okra under cool water. You can also drizzle the okra with a little buttermilk to get the coating to stick.
- In a large bowl, add salt, pepper, and corn meal to damp okra. Toss lightly to coat.
- Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium heat and add vegetable oil.
- Once oil is heated, carefully add okra including meal remaining in the bottom of the bowl. Stir frequently until the okra is browned and cooked through (about 20 minutes) – being cautious not to burn it. I also like to mash mine up a bit to get that hash-like consistency.
Nutrition
* If nutritional values are provided, they are an estimate and will vary depending on the brands used. The values do not include optional ingredients or when ingredients are added to taste. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, I recommend grabbing your favorite brands and plugging those ingredients into an online nutritional calculator.
From Original Post – May 31, 2011
Those of you who have been following Southern Bite for a little while know what a big ol’ softie I am – especially when it comes to my little boy. Well, last week he started a new preschool and to say the least, it was traumatic. But things are getting better and today was the first day that they got to go swimming at the new place.
We decked him out in his Elmo swimming trunks and swim shirt this morning (they go swimming first thing in the morning) and we be-bopped our way to school. As we’re walking in, there wasn’t the usual “Daddy, I want to hold you.” He just walked right in without any thought, walked into his classroom, turned to me and said, “Bye, Dad!” Y’all I just about lost it. Bye, Dad!???!?!?! I quickly turned and walked out.
Part of me wanted to snatch that little thing up and firmly instruct him that my name was not “Dad” but “Daddy.” I’m pretty sure I’m not ready for this.
This weekend he was taking his first trip down a slip n’ slide and eating his first homemade grape popsicle, next thing he’ll be wanting to borrow the car. I keep telling myself that he’s only two, but he seems to be growing up so fast. Everyday brings a new word, a new sentence, a new question. Some afternoons he even looks different from when I dropped him off that morning. The way time is flying, I’m afraid I’ll blink and he’ll be graduating from high school.
I’ll make it. Y’all will just have to have patience with me while I whine. Just get comfortable, I’m sure there’s more whining to come.
Delinda A Hutson
Can I use frozen okra?
You can, but it’s not my first choice, as the texture tends to be pretty soft. Just be sure to thaw and drain it very, very well.
Margie
Would never make this again
Sorry to hear it didn’t turn out as you expected. So we can gain some insight into why you wouldn’t ever make this again, do you mind sharing a little more info? For instance… Are you not an okra fan? Was it a recipe issue? Did something not turn out like you’d expected?
Christie
I like this okra. It’s like my Mama made. I do one thing different. I ad about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of buttermilk over the seasoned okra and mix gently. Them I put in the cornmeal in and fold it a together. Then I fry it in a well-seasoned cast iron skillet. If it’s seasoned enough you don’t need oil.
Thanks for these tips, Christie! I do add a little buttermilk sometimes, too.
Meg Charemp
I like to add onion to mine.
Sounds good to me!
Colloni
I recently tried to make your recipe for this okra, but I couldn’t find the end of the recipe on your website.
Any suggestions?
Oh I’m so sorry! Were you looking at the actual recipe card? What was the last part that you could see?
Colloni Keener
Stacy, no problem. The last step was to put the okra in a hot skillet to brown.
Thanks so much, were looking into it!
Patti
Loved it. I needed a recipe and found this. one. It was easy simple and really tasted delicious.
Thank you so much Patti!
Weldon
I can’t read the recipe, popup’s keep blocking me from seeing the recipe. So frustrating!
Once you click the “x”, they should not pop-up anymore.
Denise
I think no matter what part of the south we’re all from, we can all relate. I am from South Texas and grew up eating okra any way it could be made. we grew up with a large garden, and we canned and froze a lot of stuff. We shared our bounty also. Still to this day, I could sit there and eat the whole pan full. It’s almost the same as frying bacon, soon as you take a strip out from the skillet you cannot wait to eat it! Even today, it’s hard for okra to even make it inside the house, because as soon as those pods are big enough to pick, I’m eating them raw, like I said okra is good anyway you can get it! Y’all enjoy your weekend and make sure you have some good okra to go along with it!
You’re the second person the mention eating it raw and I’ve honestly never heard of that! I’ve GOT to try it!
Denise
Yes it’s just amazing! Definitely go far the smaller ones because they are more tender, even though I’ve picked some larger ones that were on the verge and ate them anyway. ☺️
I’ve got to try it! 🙂
Beth
I love okra too! Small pods, and freshly picked…. but I have never thought of eating it raw! I’ll have to try that if I can find some very freshly picked okra somewhere!
Virginia
Love your recipe!
About 70 or so years ago, my beloved aunt grew a wonderful garden every summer, which meant she had plenty of great vegetables and okra. The 6 cousins would get together and when lunch time came, my aunt had prepared a wonderful recipe of onions, tomatoes, okra and one pound of hamburger. She simmered it on the stove top and served it over a bowl of hot rice. I had always had fried okra, so her recipe served over hot rice was quite different for me. At first, I picked out all of the okra and put it to the side to eat separately, but then I saw the other cousins eating theirs over the rice and eating it with a spoon, so I joined in. I was hooked on my aunt’s recipe.
Stacey, recently I heard on a TV cooking show that you can marinate slices of okra in buttermilk, then batter and fry it. Have you heard about that or tried it?
That sounds absolutely amazing! Now my mouth is watering! Yes, I’ve got another recipe for okra coming up next week that is close to what you’ve mentioned here.
Brenda
See all of these posts are 3 years or older… I just stumbled onto your site and “shore nuff” love the OKRA comments. My mom always pre-boiled her full stemmed okra, battered with cornmeal-flour mix and fried in deep grease (preferred bacon grease, if on hand). She recently passed without writing anything down so imagine a full bag of fresh okra and 4 adult gals unsure of how MOM did it! (I’ll try your directions but with whole okra…not bites.
I love whole fried okra too!
Denise
My great granny would make it the same way like that. She would take the smaller pods and lightly batter and fry them in bacon grease as well. Those were the good all days!
Yum!
candace
I cannot wait to make this!!! I have just stumbled across your site and I love it!!!!!
Welcome! Enjoy!
Roxanne
I just made some fried okra! I make mine like Winnie Mom makes hers. No breading just some grease to fry it in and some salt and peppe! YUMMY!
No matter how you do it, It’s just good! 🙂
Winnie Mom
We like Okra in our house. My husband likes some put in with his peas while they are cooking.
He likes me to cook like his Momma did–a little olive oil and butter (she used bacon grease) in the pan then put the cut up Okra in and keep turning until lightly browned and not slimy adding salt & pepper to taste. That’s it. No flour or cornmeal.
Sounds delish! I love it in peas and beans, too! I even put some in greens as well.
Kat
If you are running short on your okra supply, you can also throw in some cut green onions to the mix!
Yum! 🙂
Cheryl
Take my word for you do blink and they are grown – My baby of 6 just turned 16 yesterday. (Although she thinks she is 26) and the baby boy will be 18 Oct 27th. Trust me in warning you some where around 15 to 23 they loose their mind – think we know nothing and have never lived. They come back to reality about 23 to 25. LOL Ours range from 33 to 16. Good luck and hold on tight to eevery memory you can – lots of pictures and diarys help. You will think you will never forget a certain event and years later you will say to yourself – what exacly was that – how was is he/she said that etc….
Thanks, Cheryl! It’s tough watching them grow up, but it’s such a joy too!
Betty
I love to hear the stories you tell of your little boy. What memories you bring back to me of my own son at that age and he is now 46. Yes, time flies by so quickly, so enjoy this journey with him and don’t take for granted not even one moment of his precious little life while you are raising him. One day all of this will be a precious memory to you as you are seeing him grow up. They are so preicous the love they give, the things they say and do. But you are so lucky he is little right now and you can watch him grow every year for it will be something different and you will see he will make you proud to be his father year after year. Back to the okra, before I started reminisding, I tried the first recipe and loved it and can’t wait to try this one. I love okra, any way it is fixed.
Karen
Hi – I have never heard of putting green tomatoes with okra. My Mom used to fry potatoes with it to stretch it when there wasn’t quite enough. I love fried green tomatoes, so I’m gonna’ try doing it that way! My husband had never had okra until he joined my family, he loves it too. Fried okra and fresh tomatoes can’t be beat. I’m waiting for summer!
Bless his heart. Even though he was late to the party, I’m glad he joined us!
Lucy
This is the way I love to eat fried okra, just the way my Mama and Granny made it.
And I know exactly what you mean…my “baby” is 17 and I just don’t know how that happened.
Sarah Holcombe
I love this blog entry for two reasons: 1. I love your stories about your little boy so much, ’cause I have two sons who aren’t little anymore. You always remind me of happy memories with them. 2. This is my favorite way to have okra! (Or as the old folks back in Alabama say, “Okrie.”) Sometimes when we’d cut the okra and there wasn’t enough to make a whole panful, Mama would dice up some green tomatoes so they were about the same size as a piece of okra and add them to the mix to fry. Now, I do it on purpose because I love the taste of them together so much.
Thanks, Sarah! You’re so sweet. I LOVE okra and green tomatoes too! It’s soo good. Funny you mentioned that, I’ve got a fried green tomatoes recipes coming soon!
becky
Cook mine just like you do, but like to add a chopped green tomato or two and a couple of chopped jalpeno’s to mine. Especially if your mess of okra is not quite enough. delish
Marie H
Ohlawd….. Now i want fried Okra so bad!
This is the only way to eat it…..
Honestly, I’m craving it again too!
Beth
That should be HE will be an adult. Hopefully hubby and I are adults by now lol.
Beth
We have a 2 year old too so I know what you mean. New words come out of his mouth everyday. Words that we have never actually taught him just ones that we have heard us say. Its amazing. We will be an adult before I have time to blink.
It’s really scary how quickly time flies! Enjoy every minute of him!
Melba
I just want to add 1 thing…This is almost..the same recipe I grew up eating in south Georgia except…we added 3 Tablespoons of flour to help hold it together a little better…We put the meal and flour in a brown paperbag and dropped the Okry in and shook it up and then dipped it out with a Large slotted spoon..
I know..you spell it Okra..but you say it Okry…LOL
One time I was in line at Morrison’s in Florida and I asked for a serving of Okry..the lady corrected me and said ” It’s Okra ” !! I asked her if she had ever grown it..she said No.. Well then , I said.. Give me some Okry… I grow it…cut it…and cook it…She laughed and served me… ; )
We also would let it brown real good and then use a spautla to turn it over like an omelette..and then put it in a hot over for about 10 more mins..Love Okra cooked this way…Especially with Fresh cut off the cob Corn and Field Peas and Sliced Maters out of the garden…
Boy, I’m hungry now!
Lea
I have a question. My mom fried okra and I loved it! I could do it and then stopped for awhile and now I can’t get it right. Please help!
I know she used a skillet, sometimes the okra was frozen in a clump and she covered it with a lid while it thawed-while cooking. It was soft but had crunchy pieces too. My is just soggy. What am I doing wrong?
Hi Lea! Are you cooking it the entire time with the lid on? That can keep it from crisping up.
Anne
“We also would let it brown real good and then use a spautla to turn it over like an omelette..and then put it in a hot over for about 10 more mins..Love Okra cooked this way…Especially with Fresh cut off the cob Corn and Field Peas and Sliced Maters out of the garden…”
OMG, make me homesick why don’t ya? I haven’t had field peas in years and apartment living makes it hard to grow my own fresh veggies. Try asking a Nebraska person at the farmer’s market for okra, field peas and peanuts, they look at you like you are speaking a foreign language. Guess I am, I speak Southern.
Be proud of those Southern roots! Hey, why don’t you let me ship ya some okra!?!?
Bryan Blankenship
MMMMMmmm I wish I had some frech Okra.. oh and a green mater to cut up in it 🙂
YUM!
Sandra
You are making my mouth water talking about that menu. Just add a fresh cut onion! Mmmmmmmmmmmmm……
RonF
Yes Melba, I grew up here in NC and my mother and father both fried okry fresh from the garden. Today I cook frozen okra from the super market and make a special coating with corn meal a little flour and several seasonings. My daughter just loves it
and we never have any left over.
Kat
Oh my gawd…I am soooo hungry now! What time is supper ;P
Elizabeth
I could eat fried okra like popcorn! Sitting on a couch, big bowl of okra, and just PIG OUT!!!
And, time does fly…seems like yesterday Savannah had the blankie with the satin trim and would suck her thumb and rub that satin while she slept. In 13 days she will turn 13!!!!
Glad y’all had a good holiday! 😉