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Fried Okra Bites is a great dish to serve at your next fish fry, shrimp boil, or barbecue. Small pieces of okra that have a crispy cornmeal coating laced with seasoned salt and garlic. So good!
Fried okra has become one of my favorite fried foods, possible second to French fries!
The first time I tried fried okra was at Lambert’s Cafe in Ozark, Missouri. This restaurant is world-famous for their thrown rolls, where waiters literally throw hot, fresh-from-the-oven dinner rolls to you halfway across the room. Customers sit at tables or booths and order their main entree. Extra side dishes of Fried Potatoes, Macaroni with Tomatoes, Black Eyed Peas, and Fried Okra are then served throughout the dinner “family-style” for anyone to try. Over and over again. Trust me, you will not leave this place hungry.
Who Said Fried Okra is Slimy?
For someone who spent her first 50 years having never tasted okra, I was shocked at how much I loved it! My grandma used to make it when I was a girl, but I always turned up my nose, because my mom told me it was slimy. Yuck. Who wants to eat slimy food?
My middle daughter is the same way. She scrunches up her nose and lets the plate of okra pass right by her.
Okay, I admit, okra can be slimy. But it doesn’t have to be! In fact probably only one out of ten times has someone said my okra was slimy. Personally, I think it was all in their head.
And Fried Okra is a great addition to any summer fish fry or shrimp boil.
Ingredients for Fried Okra Bites
(See the full recipe at the bottom of this post.)
Instructions for Making This Recipe
Gather the ingredients so that you have everything close at hand on the counter or table.
Place partially thawed okra in a large mixing bowl and sprinkle with all-purpose flour to cover lightly.
Use frozen okra slices rather than fresh. Slightly thaw in the microwave to the point where flour will stick to it.
In a small bowl, whisk together the large egg and hot sauce (for some heat and flavor).
Add the egg mixture to the floured okra and carefully stir to coat each piece.
Place cornmeal in a plastic gallon bag. Add seasoned salt, onion salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Toss to mix well. Place okra in the bag and shake to coat every piece.
Heat oil in a Dutch Oven to 350°F. Fry okra in small batches until pieces are golden brown. This will only take a few minutes.
It’s important when deep frying to always return oil to your desired temperature between each batch to reduce oily food. In this case, bring the oil back to 350°F for crispy okra bites.
Remove okra from oil using a wire strainer and drain on paper towels or on a wire rack. Sprinkle with more seasoned salt as desired. Keep warm until ready to serve.
Please don’t wait 50 years before you try Fried Okra Bites. I’d hate for you to miss out on such a wonderful thing. And if you ever have a chance to eat at Lambert’s Cafe, I highly recommend it!
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Fried Okra Bites
(As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.)
Ingredients
- 16 oz. frozen sliced okra (thawed)
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 large egg (beaten)
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce
- 1 1/2 cups yellow cornmeal
- 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
- 1 teaspoon onion salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 quarts peanut oil for frying
Instructions
- Gather your ingredients so that you have everything close at hand on the counter or table.Defrost frozen okra just enough for flour to stick to it 1-2 minutes.
Prepare the Okra
- Place okra in a large mixing bowl and sprinkle with all-purpose flour to cover lightly.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the large egg and hot sauce. Add egg mixture to the floured okra and carefully stir to coat each piece.
- Place cornmeal in a gallon freezer bag. Add seasoned salt, onion salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Mix well.
Fry the Okra Bites
- Scoop okra into the bag and shake until coated.
- Heat peanut oil in a Dutch Oven to 350℉. Fry okra in batches until pieces are golden brown. Return oil to 350℉ between each batch.
- Drain on paper towels or wire rack. Sprinkle with more seasoned salt as desired. Serves 4-6.
