Fried Okra Recipe in the Skillet - A Classic Southern Favorite! (2024)

FAQs

Do you thaw frozen okra before breading? ›

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.

Trim the okra ends, then cut each one into 1cm pieces. Heat the oil in a large frying pan, then tip in the okra, keeping the heat relatively high. Shake the pan so the okra starts to fry on all sides. Fry for about 8 mins, shaking every now and then, and turning the heat down if you need to.

Methods like grilling, sauteing, and frying that use high heat for a short amount of time work well. Make sure your cast iron skillet, grill, or fryer is hot before you start cooking okra. Getting a good sear on the outside will not only make the outside taste great, but it will also reduce the slime inside.

Why do we put baking soda in okra? Adding baking soda into a pot of okra soup halfway into cooking will yield a mucilaginous (drawy) texture.

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.

When you are ready to cook the okra, rinse it well under cool running water, then pat it dry with a towel or paper towel before cutting into it. To trim okra, slice off the top stem end where the okra was snipped off the plant. Make sure not to cut into the body of the seed pod and release the mucilage yet.

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. For frying, I have tried many methods but finally realized that some sort of deep fat fryer is needed.

But since it's often fried in bacon drippings, frying oil and Crisco, fried okra definitely isn't healthy. It's loaded with saturated fats and trans fats, which raise your bad (LDL) cholesterol levels and lower your good (HDL) cholesterol levels.

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.

I much prefer this made with fresh okra, but in all honesty, frozen cut okra works really well. And a lot of the work is already done for you being that it's been washed, trimmed, and cut into bite size pieces. You'll just need to thaw it completely first.

How long to soak okra before cooking? ›

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. Set aside for 30 minutes to soak.

Place okra in a saucepan; add enough water to cover the okra and salt to taste; bring the water to boil. Cover the pan and cook eight to 10 minutes or until the okra is tender. Drain well and, if desired, toss with a little butter. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

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.