Content… Why Is It Slimy? Recipe Ingredients How to Make It Recipe Variations Tips and Tricks Make-Ahead Instructions Serving and Storage Instructions FAQs What to Serve More Delicious Okra Recipes to Try Conclusion Watch How to Make It

Why Is Okra Slimy?

Many people don’t like okra due to its sometimes slimy texture. That’s because it enjoys something called mucilage. It’s related to mallow and hollyhocks, and my herbalist friend says it’s really good for us.

However, you can reduce okra’s slime. Here are a few tips so you no longer miss out on this delicious vegetable.

1. Add a small amount of acid, such as lime juice, vinegar, or tomatoes, to what you cook the okra in.
2. If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em. Okra’s mucilage thickens gumbo, so throw in enough other ingredients in the pot to dilute the slime.
3. Pickle your okra in a vinegar solution. Pack whole okra (raw or steamed) in a glass jar, and add a clover or two of garlic and some freshly ground black pepper. Then cover it with a pickling solution (half water, half apple cider vinegar, and a teaspoon of salt per cup of liquid). Cover and refrigerate for a week or two or process in a canner.

Recipe Ingredients

1. Okra – The main ingredient is nutritious and delicious. Look for fresh and tender okra pods for tasty fried okra.
2. Breading – Cornmeal and flour combine for a tasty crunch. Gluten-free all-purpose flour works fine if you need that option.
3. Seasoning – Onion powder, cayenne pepper, black pepper salt, dried thyme, and granulated garlic provide flavor. But you can customize the seasonings to your taste.
4. Batter – Dipping okra in buttermilk and eggs contribute flavor and helps the dry ingredients stick.
5. Remoulade Sauce – This super simple sauce is perfect for dipping okra in. Mayonnaise, lemon juice, Creole mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce deliver a flavor explosion. But Creole seasoning, minced garlic, relish, and green onion kick it up another notch.

How to Make Southern Fried Okra

• Preheat a deep-fryer to 375℉/190℃ or pour vegetable oil halfway into a large saucepan.
• Dry Ingredients – Mix cornmeal, flour, garlic, onion powder, cayenne, thyme, and white pepper in a large bowl. (Photos 1-2)
• Wet Ingredients – Mix the buttermilk and eggs. Add salt to taste, and set aside. (Photo 3)
• Breading – Dip the okra in the buttermilk mixture and lightly dip it into the cornmeal mixture. (Photos 4-5)
• Fry – Then fry the okra a few at a time until slightly brown and crispy (3-4 minutes, depending on the size). Remove okra from the fryer with a slotted spoon and drain on a cookie rack to ensure crispness. (Photo 6)
• Repeat with the remaining okra.
• Remoulade Sauce – In a medium-sized bowl, mix all the remoulade ingredients. Keep refrigerated until ready to use.
• Serve and enjoy!

Recipe Variations

1. BBQ Sauce: Try dipping your fried okra in barbecue sauce instead of remoulade. The sweet, smoky flavor goes well with fried okra.
2. Roasted Okra: You can bake okra if you don’t want it fried. Arrange them on a baking sheet in a single layer and spritz them with cooking oil. Then bake until crispy (about 15 minutes).
3. Okra Fritters: Switch it up and make okra fritters instead. Add a ¼ teaspoon of baking soda to the flour mixture, and mix it with the egg and buttermilk mixture for a batter. Add the okra, stir well to coat, and fry spoonfuls of okra fritter batter in hot oil until golden.
4. Okra Fries: Replace ordinary french fries with whole fried okra. Then serve them with your favorite fry dipping sauce for an almost paleo-friendly snack.
5. Air-Fryer Okra: Spry a light coat of cooking spray on the air fryer basket. Add okra seasoned with salt and pepper (or your favorite seasoning mix) and arrange them in a single layer. Spritz it with cooking oil. Air fry on high heat for about 12 minutes (golden crispy).

Tips and Tricks

1. Fresh okra is bright green and crisp. Smaller okra pods are usually tender, while larger okra (3-4 inches long) tends to be tougher.
2. A ziplock bag makes quick work of coating okra. Add the breading to the bag, add the dipped okra, and shake it until all the pieces are evenly coated.
3. Don’t walk away when frying this okra, as it browns quickly, especially in a cast iron skillet.

Make-Ahead Instructions

If you want to get ahead, mix the breading ingredients and store them separately in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The next day, proceed with the recipe and fry them up. Or fry them up the day before and store them in a paper-towel-lined container in the fridge. Crisp them up in the oven for a fast appetizer or side dish.

Frozen okra is a good time-saver, too. You can also make the remoulade sauce in advance and store it in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.

Serving and Storage Instructions

Fried okra is great hot or cold, but I highly recommend serving it hot off the stove for that crunchy snack effect.😉

You can refrigerate fried okra for 3-5 days. To store it, put it in an airtight paper-towel-lined container.

Leftover fried okra is best reheated in the oven or air fryer. But you can pop them in the microwave for a few seconds too.

FAQs

What to Serve With Fried Okra

Serve this crispy, delicious Southern fried okra alongside some equally crispy and delectable fried catfish nuggets, Southern potato salad, and skillet cornbread. Simply spectacular!😋

More Delicious Okra Recipes to Try

1. Okra Soup
2. Creole Chicken Okra
3. Okra Gumbo
4. Muamba Chicken
5. Pickled Okra

Conclusion

Loving okra is easy now, thanks to this crunchy and delicious Southern fried okra recipe. Would you like more delicious soul food recipes? Then sign up for my newsletter! 😍

Watch How to Make It

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This blog post was originally published in September 2017 and has been updated with additional tips, new photos, and a video.