Fried Okra Is The Crunch Factor Your Cornbread Has Been Missing

Fried okra and cornbread are both mainstays at the Southern supper table, albeit as separate side dishes. But since fried okra is often breaded with cornmeal, it can make a seamless transition into your next batch of cornbread. Just as most cornbread recipes use buttermilk for a bit of tang, moisture, and fluffiness, you can also use buttermilk as the wet dredging ingredient to help the cornmeal adhere to the okra.

Breading and frying cornmeal is a popular method of preparation because it helps eliminate the slime. The okra will fry up quickly, minimizing the extra time you tack onto your regular cornbread recipe. Plus, once you're done frying your okra, you can use the same hot skillet for your cornbread batter. The fried okra is the finishing touch to sprinkle over the batter before baking; that extra stint in the oven will crisp fried okra's cornmeal crust even more.

The buttermilk fried okra will create pops of crunch from the cornmeal followed by a delightful chew, bringing a novel textural contrast to your cornbread's coarse, buttery crumb. The fried cornmeal crust will give your cornbread a double dose of corn flavor, while the okra lends an earthy, mild vegetal taste to round out the savory profile.

Fried okra will elevate any type of cornbread with a savory crunch, and we have a long list of our own recipes for you to add it to. Since fried okra is ultra savory, you can add it to a sweeter cornbread recipe, like this honey sweet potato cornbread. For a sweet, savory, and herbal cornbread, top this honey sage skillet cornbread with fried okra alongside the sage leaves. And simply adding sweetened condensed milk to a standard savory cornbread recipe will provide the sweet complement that fried okra needs while also creating an even crunchier cornbread crust.

Of course, the crunchy cornmeal and hearty chew of okra will upgrade savory cornbread casseroles with texture and flavor. Try adding them to this cheesy, umami-rich loaded cornbread casserole with bacon, cheddar, and creamed corn. You can bring the deep South to the Southwest by topping this recipe for green chile and tomatillo cornbread with fried okra. And fried okra will pair well with common additives like green onions, jalapeños, and kerneled corn. You could also stir a bit of cayenne, smoked paprika, or tabasco sauce into the batter or even your okra's cornmeal breading for a spicy, smoky finish.