Oklahoma Fried Okra

Oklahoma announced it’s official state meal in 1988. It included cornbread, barbecue pork, chicken fried steak, squash and corn, biscuits, grits and sausage gravy, strawberries, pecan pie, black-eyed peas and fried okra.

Fried okra, or “southern popcorn”, makes a great side dish or appetizer. It’s traditionally just eaten like popcorn, but some people like to dip it in ranch dressing.

Sometimes its fried as a whole pod and sometimes its cut into slices. Sometimes it uses a batter with eggs, and sometimes its just buttermilk and breading. You can mix it with bacon or cook it in lard. This versatile southern favorite is delicious anyway you make it.

Having it’s origins in West Africa, it is guessed to have been brought to the U.S. by African slaves. The slimy sapped vegetable was used as a thickener in soups and stews like gumbo. And in Oklahoma, it’s part of the state meal!

Here’s How to Do it:

First, thaw out the okra pieces and place in a bowl. If using fresh pods, slice into 1/2 inch slices. Pour over the buttermilk and let it all soak for 2 to 3 hours.

oklahoma

Whisk all the dry ingredients together in a shallow bowl, blending well.

Heat enough oil in a deep pan or deep fryer to 350°.

Next, drain the okra, discarding the buttermilk,

then dredge the wet pieces in the dry mix and gently lower into the oil.

When they rise to the top, gently turn them and cook until both sides are deep, golden brown.

oklahoma okra

Remove them from the oil and drain on paper towels or coffee filters and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Oklahoma okra

After they have drained, serve warm alone or with some ranch. Finally, enjoy them~

They really are addicting! I even enjoyed them right out of the refrigerator the next day – cold!

Oklahoma okra

© Copyright 2019 The Lazy Gastronome

5 from 2 votes
Oklahoma okra
Oklahoma Fried Okra

Oklahoma announced it's official state meal in 1988. It included cornbread, barbecue pork, chicken fried steak, squash and corn, biscuits, grits and sausage gravy, strawberries, pecan pie, black-eyed peas and fried okra.

Course: Appetizer, Side Dish
Cuisine: American, Oklahoma, Southern
Keyword: deep fried, fried, oklahoma, okra, state food
Servings: 2 cups
Author: HelenFern
Ingredients
  • 6 oz frozen okra slices (approximately 12 pods)
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 3/8 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3/8 cup coarse cornmeal
  • 1 teaspoon garlic salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • pinch cayenne pepper
  • Oil to fry (I used corn oil)
  • Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Thaw out the okra pieces and place in a bowl. (If using fresh, slice into 1/2 inch slices). Pour over the buttermilk and let it all soak for 2 to 3 hours.

  2. In a shallow bowl, mix all the dry ingredients with a whisk, making sure it's well blended.

  3. Heat enough oil in a deep pan or deep fryer to 350°.

  4. Drain the okra, discarding the buttermilk. Dredge the wet pieces in the dry mix and gently lower into the oil. When they rise to the top, gently turn them and cook until both sides are deep, golden brown. 

  5. Remove them from the oil and drain on paper towels or coffee filters. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

  6. Serve warm alone or with some ranch. They really are addicting! I even enjoyed them right out of the refrigerator the next day - cold!

Recipe Notes

© Copyright 2019 The Lazy Gastronome

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10 Responses to Oklahoma Fried Okra

  1. I do like okra; I’d likely fry this up as whole (or half, if they’re real long) pieces, just to cut down on the breading to okra ratio. Recipe looks great! I’m glad FF featured it.

    • HelenFern says:

      I used precut frozen okra – it’s hard to find here this time of year. But I did enjoy it! Thanks for stopping by and thanks for the feature!

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  4. Miz Helen says:

    5 stars
    There is nothing better than a skillet of fried okra, it is good any day of the week! Thanks so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday,461 and hope you are having a great week!
    Miz Helen

  5. Irene says:

    This looks so yummy and flavourful!

  6. This is so funny–I grew up in Oklahoma and so did my grandmother, but her fried okra was very different from this! No milk at all, just cornmeal and bacon grease, and always eaten with a fork. (You’re supposed to put the fork tine through one of the holes in the okra, in my cousins’ and my opinion.) But I’ve also had it with a more substantial batter like this, and that is good too.

    I’ve lived in Pennsylvania all my adult life. People here barely know what okra is! Stores that have it put it in the most obscure corner of the freezer. But I still make it sometimes, either fried or roasted with curry powder.

    • HelenFern says:

      Not much okra around here either and I never had it growing up. I’ve experimented and found I like it fried like this! Thanks for coming by!

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