Best 11 Southern Okra Recipes

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In the realm of Southern cuisine, okra stands as a culinary treasure, a versatile vegetable that embodies the spirit of the region. Its delicate flavor and unique texture have captivated taste buds for generations, inspiring a myriad of delectable recipes that showcase its versatility. From the classic fried okra, with its crispy exterior and tender interior, to the hearty okra gumbo, where it mingles with other Southern staples like shrimp and tomatoes, okra has earned its place as a beloved ingredient in countless kitchens. Whether you prefer it sliced, diced, or whole, okra offers a culinary adventure that is sure to tantalize your taste buds and transport you to the heart of Southern hospitality.

Check out the recipes below so you can choose the best recipe for yourself!

SOUTHERN FRIED OKRA



Southern Fried Okra image

Golden brown with a little fresh green showing through, this fried okra recipe is crunchy and addicting! My sons like to dip them in ketchup. -Pam Duncan, Summers, Arkansas

Provided by Taste of Home

Categories     Side Dishes

Time 30m

Yield 2 servings.

Number Of Ingredients 9

1-1/2 cups sliced fresh or frozen okra, thawed
3 tablespoons buttermilk
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cornmeal
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic herb seasoning blend
1/8 teaspoon pepper
Oil for deep-fat frying
Additional salt and pepper, optional

Steps:

  • Pat okra dry with paper towels. Place buttermilk in a shallow bowl. In another shallow bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, salt, seasoning blend and pepper. Dip okra in buttermilk, then roll in cornmeal mixture., In an electric skillet or deep-fat fryer, heat 1 in. of oil to 375°. Fry okra, a few pieces at a time, for 1-1/2 to 2-1/2 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Season with additional salt and pepper if desired.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 368 calories, Fat 31g fat (2g saturated fat), Cholesterol 1mg cholesterol, Sodium 410mg sodium, Carbohydrate 19g carbohydrate (4g sugars, Fiber 4g fiber), Protein 5g protein.

SOUTHERN OKRA BEAN STEW



Southern Okra Bean Stew image

When this spicy stew's simmering on the stove, my family has a hard time waiting for dinner. It's much like a thick tomato-based soup with a hearty mix of okra, brown rice and beans. Everyone leaves the table feeling satisfied—and eager to have it again soon. —Beverly McDowell, Athens, Georgia

Provided by Taste of Home

Categories     Dinner

Time 30m

Yield 11 servings (4 quarts).

Number Of Ingredients 14

4 cups water
1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
1-1/2 cups chopped green peppers
1 large onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 to 1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 bay leaf
4 cups cooked brown rice
2 cans (16 ounces each) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
3 cans (8 ounces each) tomato sauce
1 package (16 ounces) frozen sliced okra

Steps:

  • In a large Dutch oven or soup kettle, combine the first 10 ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes. , Add the rice, beans, tomato sauce and okra. Simmer, uncovered, for 8-10 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Discard bay leaf.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 198 calories, Fat 1g fat (0 saturated fat), Cholesterol 0 cholesterol, Sodium 926mg sodium, Carbohydrate 41g carbohydrate (0 sugars, Fiber 7g fiber), Protein 8g protein.

SOUTHERN OKRA



Southern Okra image

This recipe dates back generations in my family. I enjoy it so much because I can use the fresh vegetables that are so abundant here in the South.

Provided by Taste of Home

Categories     Side Dishes

Time 30m

Yield 6 servings.

Number Of Ingredients 11

1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 cups sliced fresh okra
Boiling water
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium green pepper, chopped
2 tablespoons canola oil
3 medium tomatoes, peeled and chopped
Cooked rice, optional

Steps:

  • In a small shallow bowl, combine the sugar, flour, salt and pepper; set aside. In a small saucepan, cover and cook okra in boiling water for 10 minutes or until tender. Drain and set aside. , In a large skillet, saute onion and green pepper in oil until tender. Stir in the tomatoes and reserved sugar mixture; cook for 5 minutes. Add okra. Heat through, stirring as little as possible. Serve with rice if desired.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 83 calories, Fat 5g fat (0 saturated fat), Cholesterol 0 cholesterol, Sodium 333mg sodium, Carbohydrate 11g carbohydrate (0 sugars, Fiber 0 fiber), Protein 2g protein. Diabetic Exchanges

QUICK AND EASY SOUTHERN PICKLES AND OKRA



Quick and Easy Southern Pickles and Okra image

Provided by Kardea Brown

Categories     side-dish

Time 20m

Yield 4 to 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 8

1 1/2 cups white vinegar
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons turmeric powder
2 cups sliced garden cucumbers
1 pound fresh okra
1 large white onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup pickling spices

Steps:

  • Put the vinegar, sugar, salt, turmeric and 3 cups water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and stir until the sugar and salt dissolves, then reduce the heat and keep warm.
  • Divide the cucumbers, okra and onion among three 1-quart sterilized jars. Evenly distribute the pickling spices among the jars. Slowly add the sweet vinegar water to the jars and seal with lids, then refrigerate. These pickles can be enjoyed right away but improve in flavor after several days.

SOUTHERN FRIED OKRA



Southern Fried Okra image

This is another recipe I grew up with. This is passed down from word of mouth, no one has ever written it down before! Fresh, fried okra is soo simple to fix and soo good!

Provided by Jessica K

Categories     Vegetable

Time 40m

Yield 6-8 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 6

1 lb fresh okra, cut into pieces (don't use the top of the stem but the bottom is wonderful to eat)
2 -3 cups cornmeal
1 egg
2 cups buttermilk (regular or lowfat milk is fine, too)
salt and pepper
oil

Steps:

  • In a big bowl beat egg with a fork, pour milk in and combine. Pour the cornmeal in another big bowl.
  • Pour enough oil in a big skillet, halfway up, or you can use a deep fryer. Set heat to Medium-high.
  • Put some okra pieces in milk mixture and then coat in cornmeal batter. Fry in skillet 10-15 min, occasionally turning/stirring them around. They are done when crispy and golden brown but not black!
  • Drain on paper towel lined plate. Sprinkle with salt and pepper (i don't use pepper but some people prefer it).
  • Repeat with rest of okra till all gone. Enjoy!

SMOTHERED OKRA SOUTHERN STYLE



SMOTHERED OKRA SOUTHERN STYLE image

Categories     Soup/Stew     Vegetable     Stew

Yield 8 bowls

Number Of Ingredients 15

4lbs of fresh or frozen okra cut into small slices
1lb of smoked sausage (whatever brand you prefer)
2lbs of peeled and devined shrimp
1/2 cup of white onion
1/2 cup of parsley
1/2 cup of green bell pepper
1/2 cup of red bell pepper
3 cloves of garlic minced
6 crabs cleaned and large claws removed
2 tbsp of seasoned salt
1 tbsp each black and red pepper
2 cups of EVOO
3 cups of water
6 cups of medium grain rice
1 tsp of sea salt

Steps:

  • Ok now you will need a nice size skillet so that you can fry your okra in the EVOO over medium high heat until the slime is gone(usually once the okra browns and breaks apart it is done and ready to come out of the pan) allow it to drain as you repeat this step until all of the okra is done. Once the okra has been deslimed, place all the okra in a medium sized deep pot, add all of the fresh season to the pot and allow to cook over medium heat for 20 minutes, then add sausage and crabs cook an add't 20 minutes, then add the remaining ingredients except the rice, water, and sea salt. Allow Okra to cook about 30 minutes on a medium low fire so that all the flavors can fuse together. Meanwhile cook your rice according to the package directions and add sea salt. Remove okra from the heat and wham bam thank you ma'am you have yourself a delicious and hearty meal the whole family will love!

SOUTHERN STYLE FRIED OKRA



Southern Style Fried Okra image

The ingredients used in this recipe come together to make a very tasty version of fried okra. It doesn't have a lot of ingredients, takes no time to prepare and cook, and is quite simple.

Provided by Craig B

Categories     Side Dish     Vegetables     Onion

Time 1h5m

Yield 8

Number Of Ingredients 5

20 pods okra, sliced in 1/4 inch pieces
6 Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 large sweet onion, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 (8.5 ounce) package corn bread/muffin mix (such as Jiffy®)
1 cup vegetable oil for frying

Steps:

  • Place vegetables in a colander, rinse with cold water, and transfer to a large mixing bowl. In this next step, use your best judgement. Add enough corn meal to coat all of the vegetables in the bowl. Toss lightly till vegetables are coated with corn meal, adding more corn meal if necessary.
  • In a large frying pan, pour in oil to cover bottom of the pan; place pan over medium to medium-high heat. Heat oil until hot but not smoking. To test if oil is ready, wet your fingers with some water and flick water into oil. If the oil sizzles immediately, it is ready to cook.
  • Spoon out vegetables into frying pan in a single layer. When vegetables turn golden brown on bottom, flip them over, and continue cooking until browned on the other side. Transfer to a bowl lined with paper towels to drain oil. Repeat process till all vegetables are cooked.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 235.9 calories, Carbohydrate 41.9 g, Cholesterol 0.8 mg, Fat 5.8 g, Fiber 3.2 g, Protein 5.3 g, SaturatedFat 1 g, Sodium 488.6 mg, Sugar 5.2 g

SPICY SOUTHERN-FRIED OKRA



Spicy Southern-Fried Okra image

This is a great way to use summer vegetables, including green tomatoes. If you want to be truly authentic, use an iron skillet!

Provided by Melissa Hamilton

Categories     Appetizers and Snacks     Spicy

Time 45m

Yield 6

Number Of Ingredients 11

1 pound okra, sliced into 1/2-inch pieces
1 onion, chopped
1 large green tomato, diced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
1 clove garlic, minced
½ cup milk
2 eggs, beaten
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup cornmeal
¼ cup vegetable oil

Steps:

  • Combine okra, onion, green tomato, jalapeno pepper, and garlic in a large bowl. Whisk milk, eggs, salt, and black pepper together in a separate bowl; pour over vegetables and toss to coat. Gradually add cornmeal to vegetable mixture until liquid is absorbed and ingredients are moist and evenly mixed.
  • Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat; spoon batter into skillet. Reduce heat to medium-low and cover. Fry until bottom of fritter is browned, 10 to 15 minutes. Flip fritter and fry until other side is browned, 5 to 8 minutes. Cut into slices to serve.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 165.7 calories, Carbohydrate 28.2 g, Cholesterol 63.6 mg, Fat 3.5 g, Fiber 4.1 g, Protein 6.6 g, SaturatedFat 1 g, Sodium 141.1 mg, Sugar 4.4 g

SOUTHERN STYLE OKRA & TOMATOES



Southern Style Okra & Tomatoes image

Make and share this Southern Style Okra & Tomatoes recipe from Food.com.

Provided by Jellyqueen

Categories     Vegetable

Time 50m

Yield 4 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 8

4 slices bacon, diced into small pieces
1 small onion, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 (15 ounce) cans diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon chicken base
1 tablespoon sugar
2 cups fresh okra, cut into 1 inch pieces (may use frozen, if fresh not available)
fresh ground black pepper

Steps:

  • Cook bacon slightly.
  • Saute onion and garlic with bacon until tender.
  • Add tomatoes, chicken base, sugar and pepper.
  • Stir well and let simmer for about 20 minutes.
  • Adjust seasoning if needed.
  • Meanwhile wash okra and remove fuzz if using fresh and cut into pieces.
  • Add the okra and simmer until okra is done, about 20 more minutes (less if using frozen okra.).

SOUTHERN FRIED OKRA WITH JALAPENO YOGURT SAUCE



Southern Fried Okra with Jalapeno Yogurt Sauce image

Southern Fried Okra is crispy, crunchy and just a tad peppery. Served with Jalapeno Yogurt Sauce it makes the perfect appetizer or side dish for fish, chicken, and pork.

Provided by Beth Pierce

Categories     Vegetables

Time 15m

Number Of Ingredients 10

1/4 c greek yogurt
1 Tbsp jalapeno finely minced
1 Tbsp lime juice
1 Tbsp fresh cilantro finely minced
1/2 lb fresh okra
1 c buttermilk
1/2 c self rising cornmeal
1/2 c all purpose flour
1 Tbsp cajun seasoning
vegetable oil for frying

Steps:

  • 1. Mix yogurt, jalapeno, lime juice and cilantro in non reactive bowl. Cover and refrigerate.
  • 2. Trim okra by cutting away and discarding tips and stems. Cut in 1/2 inch thick slices. Soak in buttermilk for 30 minutes. Keep chilled.
  • 3. Combine cornmeal, flour and Cajun seasoning in large ziploc bag.
  • 4. Working in small batches remove okra from buttermilk with slotted spoon. Add okra to ziploc bag and shake to coat.
  • 5. Pour oil in dutch oven or heavy pan to a depth of 1 inch. Heat oil to 375 degrees. Using the tongs remove the okra from the bag and add to the hot oil. Fry until golden brown on the bottom then flip and fry until the other side is golden brown; approximately 2 minutes. Drain on paper towels.
  • 6. Serve warm with jalapeno yogurt sauce.

SOUTHERN OKRA



Southern Okra image

Oh my what I could say about this delicious little vegetable. Whether it be fried, pickled, or put into gumbo's or soups, okra is southern to the bone. But once it is cooked, it becomes very delicate. This is just a recipe for Okra with tomatoes. Look for more Okra recipes to come.

Provided by Tammy Raynes

Categories     Vegetables

Time 15m

Number Of Ingredients 10

2 c sliced fresh okra (1/2" thick)
1 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium green pepper, chopped
3 medium tomatoes, peeled and chopped
hot cooked rice, optional

Steps:

  • 1. Place okra in a saucepan; add 1 inch of water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 8-10 minutes or until tender. Drain and set aside.
  • 2. Combine the next four ingredients; set aside.
  • 3. In a skillet, heat oil over medium. Saute onion and green pepper until tender. Stir in sugar mixture and tomatoes; cook for 5 minutes. Add okra and simmer until heated through, stirring as little as possible. Serve over hot, cooked rice, if desired.

Tips:

  • Choose the right okra: Select okra that is small and tender, with a deep green color and no blemishes. Avoid okra that is large, woody, or has brown spots.
  • Prepare okra properly: Wash okra thoroughly and trim the stem ends. You can also slice or chop okra into desired shapes, depending on the recipe.
  • Use a variety of cooking methods: Okra can be fried, grilled, roasted, stewed, or pickled. Each cooking method produces a different flavor and texture, so experiment to find your favorite way to prepare okra.
  • Add okra to your favorite dishes: Okra is a versatile ingredient that can be added to a variety of dishes, including soups, stews, salads, and main courses. It is also a good source of fiber, vitamins, and minerals.

Conclusion:

Okra is a delicious and nutritious vegetable that can be prepared in a variety of ways. With its unique flavor and texture, okra is a great addition to many different dishes. So next time you're looking for something new to try, give okra a try! You might just be surprised at how much you enjoy it.

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