Oven-Fried Okra has all of the flavor and crunch of Southern-fried okra without all the oil for a lighter version. This easy classic side dish can be made in an air fryer or oven and can be frozen to "fry" later on.
This recipe was updated January 14, 2021 with an air fryer option
I love my "fried sides" but I'm always looking for healthier versions of my faves. Keep reading to find out how I get that crunchy coating to stick to the okra with a fraction of the oil.
Not all Southern food has to be deep fried to have that sought-after crispy, crunchy cornmeal coating traditionally achieved in a Fry Daddy... do they still make those?
What's the secret to oven-fried okra?
Since I'm always trying to find ways to eat traditionally Southern fried food in healthier methods, I came up with this recipe. You can bake it in a cast iron skillet or a sheet pan. I coat the okra in beaten egg white, toss in cornmeal and bake it. Voila! Yummy, crunchy "fried" okra.
Here's how to make it
Beat the egg white in a large bowl with a fork to loosen it up. Toss the sliced (or whole baby) okra in the egg white so all the okra is coated. Then, sprinkle the cornmeal and salt (salt optional) over the okra and gently toss to coat the okra.
The cornmeal will cling to the egg white on the okra.
Pour the okra in a hot cast iron skillet and bake! Don't be tempted to stir more than once. The coating may fall off and the okra might break into pieces as well as fail to get a nice browned edge.
Fried okra is traditionally cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces but I bought a container of baby-size okra at the farmers market so I decided to try frying them whole! They turned out perfect so I'll be on the lookout for tiny okra from now on.
If you have okra in your fridge or garden, just cut them in 1/2-inch slices for the recipe this time and try baby okra next time.
The deer ate all the tender leaves from my small okra plants this Spring so I will have to visit the farmers market a few times before I have enough okra from the garden.
Baked vs. Fried
I love my Lodge cast iron skillet and prefer it to a sheet pan because it gives the okra the best browned edges without overcooking it in the middle. You can easily use a rimmed baking sheet especially if you are making a double batch for Sunday supper. A high oven temp is key to this recipe.
Can I make Oven Fried Okra in the air fryer?
Yes! It's super easy. Since an air fryer is literally a baby convection oven that cooks food with super heated air with a fan, yes. If you have a basket-style air fryer, you may have to cook one recipe in two batches. The entire recipe should fit in one of the oven-style air fryers.
The air fryers I recommend are over on my SHOP PAGE. They are all highly rated air fryers. The green silicone, foldable trivet under the basket is one of my FAVORITE kitchen must-haves.
- Preheat the air fryer 3 minutes to get it hot. Spray the bottom of the air fryer with an oil spray (not aerosol propelled cooking spray). Place the cornmeal-coated okra in the hot basket and spray the okra again with oil.
- Cook the okra at 400F in the air fryer for 6 to 7 minutes. Shake the basket and cook an additional 2 to 3 minutes or until browned and crispy on the edges.
Can I freeze oven fried okra?
Yes. Oven Fried Okra can be frozen once it is cooked and cooled. It can also be frozen right after coating the raw okra with egg white and cornmeal. Just spread the coated okra on parchment paper on a baking sheet in a single layer. Freeze until frozen and firm. Then place in a zip-top freezer bag, vacuum seal bag, or an air tight freezer container. Just add a couple of minutes to the oven or air fry time when baking.
What can I serve with Oven Fried Okra?
These okra "fingers" would be yummy as an appetizer dipped in Sweet Baby Ray's Secret Dipping Sauce for Southern-style party food . I love the horseradish flavor in it!
Can I fry other vegetables with this oven-fried method?
Don't stop at oven-frying okra. Slice up your yellow and zucchini squash and use the same method to have a healthier version of another Southern favorite "fried side". For a traditional version of fried okra Southern Bite has a yummy recipe here.
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Instant Pot Collard Greens and Navy Beans,
Shortcut Turnip Greens Soup, Ground Turkey Quinoa Skillet Dinner,
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Oven-Fried Okra
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large egg white
- 1 16-oz container or about 3 cups okra (Or baby whole okra)
- 1/3 cup cornmeal (not cornmeal mix)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Place a 10-inch cast iron skillet or rimmed baking sheet in a cold oven. Preheat oven to 425°. Meanwhile, remove stem ends of okra and cut into ½-inch-thick slices. If using whole baby okra, you can leave on the ends. Whisk egg white in a medium size bowl with a fork; add okra and toss until okra is coated. Combine cornmeal and salt and stir into okra mixture. Not all of the cornmeal will stick to okra and that’s ok. Remove skillet from oven and add the oil. Spoon the coated okra into the skillet with a slotted spoon, tapping spoon on the bowl gently to let excess cornmeal fall back into the bowl. If you dump the entire bowl in the skillet the excess cornmeal will soak up the oil immediately. Bake at 425° for 15 minutes. Stir gently or flip with a spatula at 10 minutes or when the okra is lightly browned the bottom. Do not stir more than once.
Notes
- Preheat the air fryer 3 minutes to get it hot. Spray the bottom of the air fryer with an oil spray (not aerosol propelled cooking spray). Place the cornmeal-coated okra in the hot basket and spray the okra again with oil.
- Cook the okra at 400F in the air fryer for 6 to 7 minutes. Shake the basket and cook an additional 2 to 3 minutes or until browned and crispy on the edges.
When I click on the oven fried okra to print it sends me to a save situation. I would like to be able to print the recipe. Thanks. Great idea!
Hmmm.... I checked and it prints for me. I'll email it straight to you. Thanks!
Oops! My computer would not open the file you sent. Could you send it as a pdf? I can open those. Thanks so much! Carolyn
Kathleen, I viewed your segment on t v of preparing and baking okra! Great idea. I didn't have any fresh okra yet in our area so I bought a yellow squash and sliced it and coated the slices like you did green tomatoes. I baked the slices on a cookie sheet at the same time requirements and temperature. I knew that squash has much more water in them but this was an experiment. They came out so pretty and crunchy on the edges. They held together well and we liked them just fine. Next will be the okra. Love okra like my momma made but don't want the oil. Thanks for the idea! Cousin Caroline
That's a great idea! So glad you experimented with the egg white on other vegetables! I'll have to try that.
Love your recipes.
Thank you so much! Let me know if you make one of them.
I loved your oven fried okra recipe because it tastes like what my mothrt used to make on the stove top but without all the grease and I don't like the heavily breaded and deep fried okra. I used fresh okra which turned out great. I couldn't find any fresh okra the otheer day and tried it with frozen. Took a little longer to cook and of courseit had tooo much water (which I tried to squeeze out) Do you have any suggestions for using frozen okra fi you can't get fresh?
I'm so glad you love it as much as I do! I have made it with frozen okra while it was still completely frozen and it worked better than letting it thaw. The problem was the egg white immediately froze to the okra preventing the cornmeal from sticking. I let it thaw slightly to loosen it up, then added a little more cornmeal before dumping it onto the baking sheet. This seemed to work fairly well but did not coat it quite as much. We were still happy with it and I was able to use up the okra I had in the freezer. Try coating partially thawed okra and let me know what you think!