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Fried Green Tomatoes (+Video)

A classic southern dish, these Fried Green Tomatoes are easy, tasty and a surprisingly delicious appetizer or side dish to accompany any meal!

A TASTY SOUTHERN CLASSIC

If you have never tried Fried Green Tomatoes you are missing out. They are one of my favorite snacks to munch on especially during the spring and summer months when I can grab the tomatoes straight from my own garden. They are super simple to throw together and oh so tasty. You can practically serve these with anything or just eat them alone like I love to do. If you want to try an old Southern favorite, you have to make my Fried Green Tomatoes recipe.

Four Fried Green Tomatoes layered on plate with dipping sauce.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

What do fried green tomatoes taste like?

These fried tomatoes have a slightly tangy flavor that contrasts nicely with the crispy crunchy coating. The frying process mellows them out a bit. The tomatoes are firm and don’t turn to mush after frying.

Are fried green tomatoes just unripe tomatoes?

Yes! That is all they are. Green tomatoes are much firmer than the ripened red tomatoes. They are a lot less juicy which makes them hold up really well to the frying process.

What type of tomatoes are fried green tomatoes?

Generally I like to use large beefsteak tomatoes. They are big and meaty but you can’t always find them in the grocery stores. Just go with the largest green tomato you can find. If you have a local farmers market, check there since they will have some of the freshest ones you can buy.

Do I have to use the self-rising flour?

This helps keep the coating on these light but it is not absolutely necessary to use. You can replace it with all-purpose flour.

Can green tomatoes be eaten raw?

Yes, it is perfectly safe to eat raw green tomatoes.

Do I have to use buttermilk?

Yes, to get the texture and flavor that we want you will want to use buttermilk for this recipe. You can easily make buttermilk at home. For this recipe you will take 1 1/2 cups regular whole milk and add 1 1/2 Tablespoons white vinegar or lemon juice and stir it together. Let this mixture sit for about 5-10 minutes and stir again.

What sauces go good with this for dipping?

Ranch dressing, hot sauce, remoulade, garlic aioli, etc will work perfectly with these.

How do I store leftovers?

These are best when they are first made as they become soggy over time. You can however store these in the refrigerator where they will keep for up to 3 days. If you are going to reheat place on a wire rack in oven until heated through and crispy.

Pinterest image of fork poking into one of the Fried Green Tomatoes on plate.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE)

  • self-rising flour
  • buttermilk
  • eggs
  • salt and pepper
  • garlic powder
  • onion powder
  • sweet paprika
  • yellow cornmeal
  • green tomatoes
Ingredients needed: self-rising flour, buttermilk, eggs, pepper, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, sweet paprika, yellow cornmeal, green tomatoes, peanut oil and ranch dressing.

HOW TO MAKE FRIED GREEN TOMATOES:

Place one tablespoon of the flour into a medium shallow bowl. Add the buttermilk, beaten eggs, pepper, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika.

Eggs being added to the buttermilk and spices.

Stir together until smooth, set aside.

Buttermilk mixture stirred together.

In another medium shallow bowl add the remaining flour and cornmeal, stir together.

Flour and cornmeal stirred together in bowl.

Slice the tomatoes into ¼ inch slices, you will get 4 slices. Discard the stem portion.

Tomatoes being cut.

Add peanut oil to a large skillet, I like to use cast iron. Add enough oil to go ¼ inch up the side of the pan. Heat oil over medium heat to 350°F. I like to use a candy thermometer to make sure the oil stays at the right temperature. Place a tomato slice into the buttermilk mixture.

Tomato being dipped into the buttermilk mixture.

Then coat it in the flour mixture, letting the excess flour shake off.

Tomato being covered in the flour mixture.

Place the tomato into the hot pan and let it fry for about 2 ½ minutes per side or to your desired browning.

Tomatoes being fried in oil.

Take out of the skillet and place it on a paper-towel-lined plate to soak up any excess oil. Immediately transfer it to a wire rack that is sitting on top of a sheet tray so they don’t get soggy. Repeat with the remaining tomato slices.

Tomatoes draining on paper towel lined plate.

Serve with ranch dressing or hot sauce.

Hand dipping one of the Fried Green Tomatoes into dipping sauce.

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Square image close up of Fried Green Tomatoes on plate with dipping sauce.

Fried Green Tomatoes (+Video)

A classic southern dish, these Fried Green Tomatoes are easy, tasty and a surprisingly delicious appetizer or side dish to accompany any meal!
5 from 8 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 6

Ingredients

  • 3 large green tomatoes

For the wet coating:

  • 1 Tablespoon self-rising flour
  • 1 ½ cups buttermilk
  • 2 large eggs, well beaten
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • ¼ teaspoon sweet paprika

For the dry coating:

  • 1 ½ cups self-rising flour
  • ¼ cup yellow cornmeal

To fry:

  • peanut oil (enough oil to go ¼ inch up the side of the pan you're using)

Instructions

  • Slice 3 large green tomatoes into ¼ inch slices, you will get about 4 slices. Discard the stem portion.
  • Place 1 Tablespoon self-rising flour into a medium shallow bowl. Add 1 ½ cups buttermilk, 2 large eggs, well beaten, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon onion powder and ¼ teaspoon sweet paprika.
  • Stir together (using a fork or a whisk) until combined, set aside.
  • In another medium shallow bowl add 1 ½ cups self-rising flour and ¼ cup yellow cornmeal, stir together.
  • Add peanut oil to a large skillet, I like to use cast iron. Add enough oil to go ¼ inch up the side of the pan.
  • Heat oil over medium heat to 350°F. I like to use a candy thermometer to make sure the oil stays at the right temperature.
  • Place a tomato slice into the buttermilk mixture.
  • Then coat it in the flour mixture, letting the excess flour shake off.
  • Place the tomato into the hot pan and let it fry for about 2 ½ minutes per side or to your desired browning.
  • Take out of the skillet and place it on a paper-towel-lined plate to soak up any excess oil. Immediately transfer it to a wire rack that is sitting on top of a sheet tray so they don’t get soggy. Repeat with the remaining tomato slices.
  • Serve with ranch dressing or hot sauce or whatever you prefer!

Video

YouTube video

Notes

  • You can add more cornmeal to this recipe as desired. 
  • Self-rising flour can be substituted with all-purpose.
  • Other spices can be used, see some suggestions above.
  • I do not recommend freezing these.
  • Use any of your favorite dipping sauces for this, or eat them plain as they already have tons of flavor.
  • This recipe can easily be doubled.
Course: Appetizer, Side Dish
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Calories: 213kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 4g | Sodium: 481mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 6g

Nutritional Disclaimer

“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.

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Recipe Rating




3 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I have made fried green tomatoes for at least 50 years. I think the key is don’t slice them too thick easier to cook and I wash my green tomatoes put them in flour, fry them in hot oil and that’s it. I don’t add anything other than salt and pepper, and then eat them on buttered bread.

  2. 5 stars
    I grew up on these, absolutely love them! My mom however coated them in fine breadcrumbs and fried in bacon grease.

  3. 5 stars
    I pick the greenest tomatoes that I can find-no pink allowed! I always peel my green tomatoes and pat dry and I use some corn starch in my flour mixture. Peeling the tomatoes and using corn starch prevents the batter from falling off during the frying. I’ve rarely been disappointed with this method. My late granddaughter hated red, ripe tomatoes but loved fried green tomatoes!! We’ve made bushels using this method.