Prepare to be hooked from your first bite of this Firecracker Fried Okra. Tender garden fresh sliced and dusted with flour then dipped in spicy buttermilk. Dredged in seasoned cornmeal-flour mixture they’re fried until crispy and golden. Serve with your favorite dipping or fry sauce and serve as an appetizer or a side dish.

Easy Firecracker Fried Okra Recipe

What is okra? It’s a warm weather summer tradition. Okra is a flowering plant that sprouts green seed pods that are edible. These pods are sometimes also referred to as ladies fingers. The pod, or what we call okra, can be prepared in various ways, either stewed, sautéed or as an addition to cornbread. It’s also a classic addition to Gumbo, too. I dare say that okra that’s been breaded and fried, is at the top of the list of beloved Southern side dishes everyone should learn how to make. So, grab some fresh okra and enjoy these crispy golden poppers at any meal.

How to Make the Best Firecracker Fried Okra Recipe

Even though oven frying or air frying is a simpler way to go for other deep fried favorites, when it comes to this recipe for fried okra, deep frying is the only way to go. It gives okra that crispy crunch that makes it so delectable.

Ingredients you’ll need to make Southern Fried Okra recipe: 1 1/4 pound of fresh okra, cleaned with ends removed and sliced. You’ll also need buttermilk, hot sauce, all purpose flour, yellow cornmeal, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, cayenne, black pepper and vegetable oil for frying.
How do I choose the best okra? To avoid tough okra, make sure you choose the freshest farm stand pickings to ensure it will cook-up tender, golden and crispy. It should have a smooth exterior free of brown spots and when gently bent, not feel rubbery. If the okra is tough it’s just not fresh, it’s that simple.
For this recipe, the cut okra is dusted with a seasoned flour before dipping in buttermilk and then into the seasoned cornmeal-flour breading. This dredging technique ensures you’ll achieve a crispy mouthwatering crunch.
Serve immediately after frying with your favorite dipping sauces. I highly recommend Comeback Sauce.
How to make vegetarian friendly Okra Po’Boys: I have two brothers and one of them is a vegetarian. I love cooking for them both but, admittedly being a family who loves meat, it can sometimes challenge me when it come to menu planning. I made a kicked up po’boy for him using this Firecracker Fried Okra. It was an instant hit and the rest of us loved them, too. I simply toasted the hoagie rolls then piled them high with fried okra, lettuce, sliced tomato and a little bit of pickled onion for the finish. You can either drizzle them with comeback sauce or slather the toasted rolls with mayonnaise and a little Dijon mustard.

More Southern Style Okra Recipes to Make

Are you looking for more ways to cook enjoy the short summer window when you can make fresh okra? Checkout these recipes using okra and make the most out of it this season:

Cajun inspired Chicken and Sausage Gumbo is a filling one dish meal the whole family will love.
A combination of cornbread with okra is featured in this scratch made Okra Cornbread recipe.
Stewed Okra with Tomatoes is made in no time on the stovetop.
You may also like to try Okra Rice Casserole from My Recipes.

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