Description
Crispy, flavorful deep-fried Cajun okra that makes a perfect snack or side dish. This recipe uses a seasoned cornmeal and flour coating combined with buttermilk and hot sauce for a spicy kick, delivering a golden-brown crunch with every bite.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Okra
- 1-2 lb whole or cut okra, fresh or frozen
For Frying
- 5 cups canola oil, for frying
Dry Coating
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 2 Tbsp Cajun seasoning
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
Wet Mixture
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 4-6 dashes hot pepper sauce
Instructions
- Prepare the Okra: If using whole fresh okra, wash thoroughly, drain, and remove stems. Slice the okra lengthwise in halves or into 1/2-inch rounds. If using frozen cut okra, simply place it into a bowl and set aside.
- Heat the Oil: Pour canola oil into a large, heavy-bottomed skillet or Dutch oven until it reaches halfway up the sides of the pan. Heat the oil to 350°F (175°C). Meanwhile, line a baking sheet with paper towels to drain the fried okra later.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, combine cornmeal, all-purpose flour, garlic powder, Cajun seasoning, black pepper, and kosher salt. Stir well to create the coating mixture.
- Prepare Wet Mixture: In a separate bowl, whisk together buttermilk and hot pepper sauce to make a spicy batter for dipping.
- Coat the Okra: Dip each piece of okra into the buttermilk mixture, allowing excess to drip off, then dredge thoroughly in the dry cornmeal-flour mixture, ensuring each piece is well coated.
- Fry the Okra: Carefully add the coated okra pieces to the hot oil in batches, avoiding overcrowding. Fry until the coating turns a golden brown color, which should take several minutes.
- Drain and Serve: Using a slotted spoon, remove fried okra from the oil and place it on the paper towel-lined baking sheet to drain excess oil. Serve immediately with your favorite dipping sauce for best taste and texture.
Notes
- Use fresh okra for the best texture, but frozen okra works well if pressed and patted dry before coating.
- Do not overcrowd the pan while frying; this keeps the oil temperature steady and ensures crispiness.
- Adjust the amount of hot pepper sauce to control the heat level.
- Serve immediately as fried okra tends to lose crispness when cooled.
- Canola oil is recommended for frying due to its high smoke point and neutral flavor.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 recipe (approx. 4 oz or 113 grams)
- Calories: 280
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 450mg
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 3.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 22g
- Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 10mg
