Southern Pan Fried Okra
Dive into the heart of the south with our Southern pan fried okra with cornmeal. Juicy okra, crispy cornmeal breading, and a sizzle of bacon grease – the way our momma made it. We’re bringing the South to your plate, one pod at a time with our gluten free fried okra recipe.
This is the way my mother made pan fried okra and the way my grandmother made it. They never used flour in the breading, only a simple corn meal coating seasoned with salt and black pepper. But of course as in many things Southern, it is fried in a cast iron skillet in bacon grease. Join us on this delicious journey!
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Not sure why my mom called it Texas fried okra since she was born and raised in Arkansas, maybe to tease me. But she did and we ate it like popcorn if mother allowed us anywhere near it prior to dinner. And we still love this pan fried okra with cornmeal. This simple recipe allows the taste of okra to shine without the flavor being washed out in too much breading. It does not contain flour just a simple seasoned cornmeal breading.
Gluten Free Southern Pan Fried Okra Recipe:
Ingredients:
- 1 pound of fresh okra pods
- ¾ cup of cornmeal
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- Bacon Grease (can use crisco or vegetable oil)
Equipment Needed:
- Gallon Ziplock baggie
- Mesh Strainer or slotted spoon
- Cast Iron Skillet
- Paper Towels
How to make Southern pan fried Okra:
Slice each okra pod into ½ inch slices, discarding the stem. Some also discard the bottom tip but we usually keep them.
Place the sliced okra into the ziplock baggie, add cornmeal, salt and black pepper. Seal the baggie and shake well to coat the okra with the cornmeal. There is no need to dip the okra in egg or milk since the okra produces it’s own moisture.
Pour the cornmeal coated okra from the baggie into a mesh strainer over a plate. Gently shake a couple times remove excess corn meal and discard the excess. Or you could use a slotted spoon to remove the okra from the baggie to prevent the excess cornmeal from getting into the skillet.
Heat bacon grease or the oil of your choice in a large skillet to medium high. You will know if the oil is hot enough if you drop one piece of okra in the skillet and it sizzles right away. Add the okra to the hot oil using a large slotted spoon to prevent excess cornmeal from getting into the skillet oil.
Be sure to only cook a single layer of okra at a time so you will probably need to cook the okra in batches. Gently stir the okra once or twice as it is frying to evenly cook it to a golden brown.
Remove the fried okra from skillet and place on a paper lined plate or paper lined pan to allow the grease to drain.
Serve Southern Fried Okra immediately since it’s best served hot. We hope you enjoy this Southern fried okra in a cast iron skillet cooked in bacon grease.
🥣 Recipe Tips
- Do not add the okra until the bacon grease is hot for crisp okra
- A ziplock bag makes breading okra easy. Place sliced okra into the baggie and then add the cornmeal, salt and pepper
- Let the okra brown then turn. Do not over stir the okra, that will knock the cornmeal off.
Other Southern Recipes:
Equipment
- Paper Towels
Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh okra pods
- ¾ cup cornmeal
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- Bacon Grease or crisco or vegetable oil
Instructions
- Slice each okra pod into ½ inch slices, discarding the stem. Some also discard the tip but we usually keep them.
- Place the sliced okra into the ziplock baggie, add cornmeal, salt and black pepper. Seal the baggie and shake well to coat the okra with the cornmeal. There is no need to dip the okra in egg or milk since the okra produces it’s own moisture.
- Pour the cornmeal coated okra from the baggie into a mesh strainer over a plate. Gently shake a couple times remove excess corn meal. Or you could use a slotted spoon to remove the okra from the baggie to prevent the excess cornmeal from getting into the skillet.
- Heat bacon grease or the oil of your choice in a large skillet to medium high. You will know if the oil is hot enough if you drop one piece of okra in the skillet and it sizzles right away. Add the okra to the hot oil using a large slotted spoon to prevent excess cornmeal from getting into the skillet oil.
- Be sure to only cook a single layer of okra at a time so you will need to cook the okra in batches. Gently stir the okra once or twice as it is frying to evenly cook it to a golden brown.
- Remove from skillet and place on a paper lined plate or pan to allow the grease to drain.
- Serve Immediately.
Nutrition
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