Fried Green Cherry Tomatoes
Southern fried green tomatoes in a bite-size, party appetizer. That perfectly describes this easy Fried Green Cherry Tomatoes recipe! Crunchy cornmeal and breadcrumb coating makes them perfect to dip in your favorite dipping sauce.
Servings: 9 servings (about 2 1/4 cups total)
Calories: 80kcal
Cost: 5
Equipment
- Infrared digital thermometer (optional)
Ingredients
- 2 to 3 cups vegetable oil for frying
- 2 cups small green cherry tomatoes (or green grape tomatoes)
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 egg white from a large egg
- 1/4 cup cornmeal
- 1/4 cup fine, dry breadcrumbs
- 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt (I used Lawry's)
- Dipping sauce or Ranch dressing (Optional) (I used Sweet Baby Ray's "Ray's Secret Sauce")
Instructions
- Heat oil in a 4 quart saucepan to 375F. The smaller pan allows the correct depth of oil with the least amount of oil used.
- Wash the tomatoes and remove any stems. Pat dry with a paper towel.
- Place the flour in a bowl or shallow dish. Lightly beat the egg white in a medium-size bowl with a whisk or fork until foamy. Combine the cornmeal, breadcrumbs and seasoned salt in a bowl.
- Add the tomatoes to the flour and toss until well coated. With fingers or slotted spoon, add the flour-coated tomatoes to the bowl with egg white, shaking off any excess flour. Gently stir or fold the tomatoes into the egg white just until well coated.
- Add the cornmeal mixture to the egg white-coated tomatoes, stirring gently to coat the tomatoes. It's ok for them to sit a few minutes while the oil reaches 375F.
- Gently lower tomatoes into the hot oil, a few at a time, with a large slotted spoon or a spider strainer. Cook 1 to 2 minutes, in batches, or until lightly browned. Drain on paper towels. Serve warm with dipping sauce, if you like.
Notes
Nutrition: The number of calories takes into account not all the oil is absorbed and some drains on paper towels, nor does all the coating ingredients stick to the tomatoes. Remember, these calculations are an estimate. I am not a dietitian.
Pro tip: Tossing the tomatoes in flour first is an important step. It gives the egg white something to "hang onto" which in turn helps the cornmeal mixture to stick to egg whites and not slide off the slick tomato skin.
Pro tip: If you don't have a thermometer of any kind to gauge the oil temperature, try sprinkling a few grains of cornmeal into the oil. If it immediately sizzles and "fries" the cornmeal, it is ready. If it sinks to the bottom with no movement, the oil is not ready.
Fried Green Tomato slices: You can use this method to fry slices of large green tomatoes or check out my recipe for Perfect Every Time Fried Green Tomatoes.
Nutrition
Serving: 0.25cup | Calories: 80kcal