Description
Southern Fried Green Tomatoes are a classic Southern comfort food featuring tangy green tomatoes thinly sliced, seasoned, and coated in a crispy, flavorful blend of cornmeal, panko breadcrumbs, and spices, then fried to golden perfection. This dish offers a crunchy exterior with a juicy interior, ideal as a snack, side, or appetizer.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 3 fresh green tomatoes (cut into 1/4 inch slices and at room temperature)
- Seasoned salt and pepper to taste
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs (beaten with 1 tablespoon of hot sauce or water)
- ½ cup yellow cornmeal
- ½ cup panko crumbs (or plain bread crumbs)
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder (optional)
- 1/4 teaspoon lemon pepper (optional)
- A pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)
- Oil for frying (such as vegetable or peanut oil)
Instructions
- Season Tomatoes: Liberally season green tomato slices with salt and pepper on both sides to enhance flavor.
- Prepare Coatings: Add flour into one small shallow bowl and beaten eggs mixed with hot sauce or water into another.
- Mix Crumb Mixture: Combine cornmeal, panko crumbs, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, lemon pepper, and cayenne into a third shallow bowl; whisk to blend evenly.
- Flour Coating: Dip each seasoned tomato slice into the flour, coating both sides thoroughly, shaking off excess.
- Egg Wash: Next, dip the floured tomato slice into the beaten egg mixture coating both sides.
- Crumb Coating: Finally, dip tomato slice into the crumb mixture, ensuring an even coating; set aside on a baking sheet.
- Repeat: Continue dredging all tomato slices through flour, egg, and crumb mixtures.
- Heat Oil: In a frying pan over medium-high heat, heat oil to 350°F to 375°F (175°C to 190°C) for optimal frying temperature.
- Fry Tomatoes: Add coated tomato slices carefully to the hot oil without overcrowding the pan; fry on each side until golden brown and crispy, about 2-3 minutes per side.
- Drain: Remove fried tomatoes and drain on paper towels or wire rack over a baking sheet to remove excess oil.
- Serve Warm: Serve immediately while warm. If not serving right away, keep tomatoes crisp by placing them in a preheated oven at 250°F until ready to eat.
Notes
- Ensure oil is at the correct frying temperature to achieve crispy, not greasy, tomatoes.
- Use panko crumbs for extra crispiness compared to regular bread crumbs.
- Optional spices (garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne) can be adjusted for taste preference.
- If avoiding hot sauce, substitute with water or milk for the egg wash.
- Leftover fried green tomatoes can be reheated in the oven to retain crispness.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: Southern US
Keywords: Southern Fried Green Tomatoes, fried green tomatoes recipe, southern appetizer, crispy fried green tomatoes
