Fried Okra is even easier without the breading, and tastes just as good. Easy to follow, step-by-step, instructions.
Pan Fried Okra recipe with no breading. Super easy to make.
We’re using okra fresh out of the garden for this recipe. And, we’re doing it a bit differently than what most folks would call fried okra, because we’re not using any breading to make it.
This version is courtesy of a very dear and older friend that I have been known to spend hours talking on the phone with. Once we get started talking about cooking, we might both get carried away.
In her younger years, Joyce grew up on a farm. She later had a restaurant of her own, and worked her last public work at an old country store. She’s always had a passion for cooking.
Like me, getting in the kitchen for Joyce isn’t as easy as it use to be. We keep trying though. Smile.
Joyce sent me a small bag of okra recently after she heard me say I hadn’t had the chance to get any thus far this year. I think her nephew has been keeping her in good supply, so she wanted to share the bounty. I was very thankful and grateful. Isn’t it great to have good friends?
Joyce told me that she use to use a cornmeal breading on her fried okra, but in the last few years, she would just slice it and toss it in a pan with a bit of hot oil. So, I figured I’d give it a try myself.
Probably like you, I’m more accustomed to having fried okra with a good coating of breading on it. We’ll just have to save that one for another time. I like it that way myself.
Of course, this is much easier, and I like things that way too. Smile. I do think you’ll enjoy it if you decide to give it a try. And, if you’re worried about that stuff that turns some folks off of okra, you know, the “slimy” part, then have no fear, this turned out to hardly have any of that at all. I’ll explain later.
Ready to give our Pan Fried Okra a try? Alright then, let’s head on out to the kitchen, and… Let’s Get Cooking.
Pan Fried Okra, without breading: You’ll need these ingredients.
You can either wash the okra under some cold running water, or just take a damp paper towel and wipe each pod to remove any dirt.
Place the washed okra between a couple of sheets of paper towel and pat it dry.
Next, use a paring knife to cut off both ends.
It’s a good habit to cut off the end that was attached to the plant by cutting just below the crown. If you were planning to cook the pod whole, cutting it at this point would help cut back on some of the “slimy” part by keeping the end closed. It’s not really going to make a difference with this recipe because we’re going to cut the okra pod into slices anyway.
With both ends removed and discarded, slice the pods into slices about 1 inch long.
The tip end would be soft enough to eat if you prefer to keep it on, but the end that was attached to the plant is too hard to be of any use.
Place your skillet over Medium heat. Let the pan get hot, then add enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan. It doesn’t take much. Next, add in the bacon grease and let it melt. The oil needs to be good and hot before you add the okra.
I didn’t have enough bacon grease on hand to cover the pan like I wanted, so I just used some regular cooking oil to cover the bottom of the pan, then added the Tablespoon of bacon grease to add some seasoning flavor to the okra.
Once the oil is good and hot, add the okra to the skillet.
You want to hear the okra sizzle when it hits the pan. By having the oil hot enough to do this, you quickly seal the okra which keeps it from getting all slimy in the pan. You can thank me later. Smile.
Once it’s started cooking a bit, season to taste with black pepper. Keep stirring the okra while it’s cooking.
Continue to stir and flip the okra while it cooks.
It will take about 8 to 10 minutes for the okra to fully cook. Let it cook until you start seeing some brown coloring on the sides and edges. Test a piece to see if it’s tender before removing from the pan.
When the okra is done to your satisfaction, remove it from the pan and place it on a paper towel lined plate. Sprinkle lightly with salt to suit your taste.
Enjoy!
You’ll want to serve this warm. Some Hot Water Cornbread can turn this into a full meal.
If you’re cooking several batches of okra, you can keep what you’ve cooked warm by placing it on a sheet pan and sliding it into an oven set at 200F degrees.
