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I grew up eating a lot of okra. My dad is from Arkansas, and okra is quite popular in our family. It was almost always prepared the same way: into a frying pan with oil, cornmeal, salt and pepper. No dredging, just into the pan. And it came out crunchy good. I loved it. So, I was a little skeptical when I ran across this recipe for southern fried okra. It uses flour instead of cornmeal. I was thinking there might not be as much crunch as I remembered from all those times make okra. Well, I have to say my skepticism was completely unwarranted.

Gone In Seconds
This southern fried okra came out absolutely fantastic. Light, crunchy, delicious. I served it as a side, but it was better than fried pickles so I’d not hesitate to serve it as an appetizer (with a nice southwestern dipping sauce, perhaps).
I get out my big deep fryer when it’s time to fry a large batch of food. It comes to temperature quickly and it maintains that temperature perfectly. It has a built-in oil filter and storage unit so I can re-use the oil several times.
I also love my okra grilled. Just brush them with a bit of oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss them onto the grill until done!
Southern Fried Okra
Ingredients
- 1 pound okra ends cut off, sliced into 1/2″ rounds
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon Cajun seasoning spicy!
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup whole milk
- vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
- In a pie plate, combine the flour and seasoning.
- In another pie plate, whisk the egg with the milk.
- Heat 1″ of oil in a Dutch oven or cast iron skillet to 375 F.
- Working in batches, place okra into the egg mixture and stir to coat well.
- Shake off excess batter and place okra in flour mixture. Toss to coat well.
- Shake off excess flour and add okra to oil. Do not overcrowd.
- Let cook until golden brown on one side. Flip and cook until browned on the other side.
- Remove to a paper towel-lined plate and continue cooking remaining okra.
- Serve warm.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are approximate.