Fried Green Tomatoes

fried green tomatoes stacked high!

I’ve never met a tomato I didn’t love, and that goes for tiny cherries, bold heirlooms, classic reds, and of course firm tart green tomatoes. When I got a bunch in my CSA box this week I knew just what to do. Like peach cobbler and homemade lemonade, fried green tomatoes are on the must-make list every summer.

related: Fried Green Tomato BLT’s

what are green tomatoes?

Green tomatoes are simply unripe tomatoes, they are not a specific variety. They’re green and very firm, in fact they don’t give at all when you squeeze them. These meaty tomatoes aren’t juicy, but they have a tart, citrusy flavor and are more acidic than ripe tomatoes. You wouldn’t want to eat them raw, but they’re fabulous fried up with a crispy golden cornmeal crust. In this recipe their firm texture holds up and that famously tart flavor is just perfect.

Note: there are heirloom varieties of tomato that are green when ripe, but that’s not what we want here.

gather your ingredients

• green tomatoes ~ medium and large tomatoes work best, and they should feel hard to the touch.
• buttermilk ~ look for cultured buttermilk in the milk section of your grocery store.
• yellow cornmeal
• all purpose flour
• salt
• baking soda
• paprika
• cayenne pepper

let’s make it!

1. Slice your green tomatoes nice and thick, about 1/2 inch. Why so thick? You want your tomatoes to maintain their firm texture while they cook, and thin slices will tend to soften before the crust can crisp up.
2. Pour cultured buttermilk into one bowl.
3. Whisk together cornmeal, flour, salt, pepper, paprika, and cayenne pepper in another.
4. Dip the tomato slices into the buttermilk, then dredge in the cornmeal mixture.
5. Fry in hot oil until golden on each side.
6. Enjoy hot with your favorite sauce.

4 ways to fry green tomatoes

You have a few choices when it comes to frying tomatoes, and I’ll list them here. I recommend either of the first 2 (skillet or deep frying) for the best and most authentic results.

1. IN A SKILLET, the old fashioned way. Add about 1/4 inch vegetable oil to your pan and heat until it reaches about 350F. Fry the tomatoes in batches so you don’t crowd your pan. Cook until golden on one side, then flip and do the same on the other.
2. IN A DEEP FRYER, heat the oil to 350F and, again working in batches, fry the tomatoes until golden. This should take about 2 minutes, and there is no need to flip.
3. IN AN AIR FRYER: This will vary from machine to machine, but generally set your fryer to 400F and spray the interior with oil. Place your coated tomatoes in the basket and spray lightly with oil. Cook for about 3-4 minutes, until golden, then flip, spray, and cook for another 3-4 minutes until golden on the final side. You will have to spray the tomatoes somewhat liberally in order for them to get crisp and golden.
4. IN THE OVEN, spray a baking sheet with an oil sprayer (not a commercial spray) and heat in the oven as it preheats to 425. Place the tomatoes on the hot baking sheet and spray well with the oil. Bake for about 3 -4 minutes, or until golden on the bottom side, then flip and cook another 3-4 minutes until golden on the other side. You will have to spray the tomatoes somewhat liberally in order for them to get crisp and golden.

we live for summer tomatoes

• Heirloom Tomato Caprese Salad
• Basil Marinated Mozzarella with summer tomatoes
• Tomato and Parmesan Risotto
• Tomato Toast with Basil Mayonnaise
• Bloody Mary Gazpacho
• Heirloom Tomato Bruschetta

Fried Green Tomatoes

4.93 from 13 votes

Southern Fried Green Tomatoes are dredged in buttermilk then in a cornmeal flour mix, and fried to golden perfection in a skillet, deep fryer or air fryer!

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Total Time:20 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 servings

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Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

• 3 large green tomatoes, or about 8 half-inch slices of firm green tomatoes
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste
• 1/2 tsp baking soda (optional)
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, or more to taste
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• vegetable oil for frying

optional lemon horseradish mayo

• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• prepared horseradish, to taste. I used 2-3 teaspoons.
• squeeze of lemon juice

Instructions

• Thickly slice your tomatoes to make 8 slices, 1/2 inch thick each.
  
• pour buttermilk into a shallow bowl.
• In another shallow bowl whisk together the cornmeal, flour, baking soda, if using, cayenne, paprika, salt, and pepper to combine.
  
• Heat several inches of oil in a deep fryer or Dutch oven to 350F. If using a skillet, heat about 1/4 inch oil in a large skillet until shimmering. Note: if using a skillet you'll have to add more oil as necessary.
• Dunk the tomatoes in the buttermilk,
  
• Then dredge in the cornmeal mixture to coat well.
  
• Fry the slices, working in batches, until golden on one side, then flip and cook until golden on the other side. This should take about 2 minutes in the deep fryer, and perhaps a little longer in a skillet, depending on how hot your oil is.
  
• Drain the tomatoes on paper towels and serve hot, with your favorite hot sauce, or my horseradish dipping sauce.
  

to make dipping sauce

• Blend the ingredients together with a fork and taste to adjust.
  

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Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Author: Sue Moran

Keyword: deep frying, side dish, Southern, summer, tomatoes

Nutrition

Serving: 2 slices · Calories: 225 kcal

Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although The View from Great Island attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.

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