How To Cook Okra (6 Easy Methods)

🧂 Ingredients

• 16 oz okra

  use more or less as needed
• olive oil

  use as much as required for your preferred cooking method

Instructions

• 1 Rinse the pods in a colander, use a vegetable scrubbing brush if wanted, then
  carefully pat them dry.
• 2 Using a sharp knife, trim the stems to about ½-inch (13 mm).
• 3 Depending on which cooking method you plan to use, it's time to chop the okra –
  you can cut it crosswise into round slices, at a bias (diagonally), lengthwise
  in half, leave it whole, etc.
• 4 Note that whole roasted okra tends to be slimier than cut pieces.
  
  Preheat the oven to 400ºF/200ºC.
• 5 Transfer the prepared okra pods (whole OR sliced into ½-¾ inch pieces) to a
  parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving space in between. Drizzle the pods with
  olive oil and, optionally, salt and black pepper.
• 6 Roast the okra for between 15-20 minutes until tender in the middle and lightly
  golden brown on the outside.
  
  For extra browning, broil the pieces for a few minutes in the end.
• 7 Preheat the air fryer to 400ºF/200ºC.
• 8 Drizzle the pods with olive oil (and salt and pepper if you like), then spread
  the okra in the air fryer basket in a single layer, with space between. Cook in
  batches if necessary.
• 9 Air fry the pods for 8-12 minutes for chopped pieces or 14-18 minutes for whole
  pods (depending on their size) until they're tender in the middle and lightly
  browned on the outside.
• 10 How To Air Fry Frozen Okra? Follow the same method above, air frying whole okra
  for 15-18 minutes, shaking the basket halfway. If air frying smaller pieces, air
  fry for 10-14 minutes.
• 11 Note that you can fry small okra whole OR cut larger ones down into 1-inch
  pieces.
• 12 In a large, deep pan, add about 2 inches of neutral frying oil (or use a deep
  fryer). Heat the oil to 365ºF/185ºC (or until a wooden skewer inserted into the
  oil bubbles immediately, but doesn't smoke).
• 13 Carefully lower the okra into the oil using a slotted spoon and allow it to fry,
  stirring now and then, until it is browned and crisp and tender-crisp in the
  middle (4-8 minutes based on whether they're cut or whole). Small ¼-inch pieces
  will be ready in just 2-3 minutes.
• 14 Remove with a slotted spoon and drain over paper towels.
• 15 How To Fry Frozen Okra? It's best to thaw the okra first when frying it, as oil
  can spatter wildly when any ice is introduced. So, instead, thaw and dry the
  okra first, then continue with the above method.
• 16 You can sauté the pods whole OR cut them into small bite-sized pieces (about
  1-inch pieces)
  
  Heat a swirl of olive oil or butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
  
  You can also use frozen okra for this pan-fried okra recipe, but make sure it's
  fully thawed and pat dry first.
• 17 Once hot (this is important!), add the okra and sauté for 5-7 minutes (possibly
  up to 10 mins for whole okra pods), stirring frequently, until tender and
  lightly browned.
• 18 Preheat the grill to medium-high and coat the pods with oil and seasoning.
• 19 Place them on the grill in a single layer, with space between, and grill for 4-7
  minutes per side until browned/lightly charred all over.
  
  You may find it easier to create skewers of okra pods, so they're really easy to
  move and flip over in one go. I recommend using two skewers for one row of pods
  to keep them stable and not spinning.
• 20 Place sliced okra (3/4-1 inch round slices) into a saucepan and cover with
  salted water.
• 21 Bring the water to a boil (about 5-7 mins) and add ¼ cup of vinegar or lemon
  juice (I use apple cider vinegar) to the pot without stirring it in.
• 22 Cover it with a lid and cook for 5-8 minutes, or until the okra is fork-tender.
  
  Start testing the boiling okra at 3 minutes and every minute or two after that.
  Be careful not to overcook it, or it becomes slimy.
• 23 Drain immediately and toss with a little butter, salt, and pepper.

Nutrition Info