If you’re from the South, these Fried Green Tomatoes are a must in the summertime!
Well seasoned and super crispy on the outside, with a tender and succulent inside, they’re perfect as an appetizer or side dish, or even just an anytime snack.
Fried Green Tomatoes isn’t just the name of a movie from the early 90’s, they’re one addictive treat that you just have to try!

Coming from India, I had never even imagined such thing as Fried Green Tomatoes even existed. Then I married a Southerner.
Since then, I’ve been exposed to all sorts of new culinary delights like Cheese Grits, Biscuits and Gravy and my favorite Shrimp Po’ Boy.
I still love my curries, but have to admit those Southerners sure know how to cook!
Why We LOVE Fried Green Tomatoes
- Unbeatable Crunch: When properly fried, the cornmeal and panko breadcrumb coating gives these green tomatoes an irresistible crunch. It’s that satisfying snap as you bite into them that we can’t get enough of.
- Unique Flavor Profile: Green tomatoes have a different flavor than their ripened red counterparts. They’re tangy, slightly acidic, and perfectly seasoned.
- Versatile Delight: Whether you’re serving them up as a hearty appetizer, a unique side dish, or a topping for burgers and sandwiches, these crispy slices fit right in.
- Perfect Summer Treat: When green tomatoes are in season during the summer months, there’s no better way to use them than frying.
- Easy and Fun to Make: While frying might seem intimidating to some, this recipe is straightforward and fun to prepare. The process of dipping and dredging the tomato slices can be a great kitchen activity to share with friends and family.
Best Tomatoes for Frying
Ideally, you want green tomatoes that are full, or almost full, sized. They should be firm, but not completely rock hard.
A hint of color change may be okay, but the best way to tell is by giving them a light squeeze. If they are soft, they will have too much moisture to be crispy, and may fall apart while cooking.\
Tips and Tricks for the BEST Fried Green Tomatoes
- Salting Process: Letting the salted tomatoes sit for a while before frying is a crucial step. It helps to draw out the excess moisture, making for crispier fried tomatoes.
- Set Up the Dredging Stations: Arrange your flour mixture, buttermilk mixture, and cornmeal mixture in the order you will be using them. This will make the dredging process more organized and less messy.
- Check the Oil Temperature: It’s essential to have the oil heated to the right temperature before adding the tomatoes. If it’s too cool, the tomatoes will soak up too much oil and become greasy. If it’s too hot, the outside will brown too quickly while the inside stays raw.
- Don’t Overcrowd the Pan: When frying the tomatoes, don’t put too many slices in at once. They should have enough space to float freely in the oil. Overcrowding can lower the oil temperature and result in uneven cooking.
- Drain the Tomatoes: After frying, drain the tomatoes well on a paper towel-lined plate to remove any excess oil. This step is essential to ensure that the final product is as crispy as possible.
- Serve Immediately: Fried green tomatoes are best served immediately while they’re still warm and the coating is at its crispiest. If you need to keep them warm while frying more batches, you can put them in an oven set to a low temperature.
Ingredients
- Green tomatoes – Sliced into 1/4-1/2 inch rounds, depending on your preference.
- First dry dredging: Flour, salt and pepper.
- Wet dredging: Egg, buttermilk and hot sauce (preferably Louisiana style).
- Second dry dredging: Fine cornmeal (we used white, but yellow is good too), panko breadcrumbs, paprika and garlic powder.
Easy Fried Green Tomatoes Recipe
1. Sweat the tomatoes: Slice the tomato slices then sprinkle salt on each side. Allow to sit 30 minutes in order for the moisture to sweat out. Pat dry with a paper towel.
2. Prepare the dredging stations: On a plate, mix together flour, salt and pepper. On a second, mix cornmeal, panko, paprika and garlic powder. In a shallow bowl, whisk together egg, buttermilk and hot sauce.
3. Fry green tomatoes: Preheat about 1/4 inch oil to 350°F in a cast iron skillet or electric skillet. Working in batches to avoid overcrowding the skillet, dredge all sides of tomato slices first in flour mixture, then buttermilk mixture, then cornmeal mixture. Carefully place in hot oil and fry 3-4 minutes per side, or until golden brown. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate to drain.
Serve with your favorite dipping sauce.
What to Serve with Fried Green Tomatoes
First of all, you’ve gotta have a great dipping sauce. Our go-to dip for Fried Green Tomatoes is our homemade Remoulade Sauce.
Other great dip choices are Garlic Aioli, Fry Sauce and Sriracha Mayo.
They can be served as an appetizer or side dish. Some of our favorite pairings are other Southern dishes like Chicken Fried Steak, Shrimp and Grits, Smothered Chicken or Brunswick Stew.
Other mains that go great with Fried Green Tomatoes are BBQ Chicken, Salmon Burgers, Pork Chops or Stuffed Bell Peppers.
Storing and Reheating
As with fried food in general, Fried Green Tomatoes are best eaten fresh. That being said, if you do have leftovers, you can refrigerate them in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
Reheat in an oven preheated to 375°F on a baking sheet, or better yet, on a wire rack over a baking sheet.
Don’t let summer pass by without trying these Fried Green Tomatoes. They’ve been a Southern classic for generations, and for good reason!
Fried Green Tomatoes, on our Gypsy Plate… enjoy!
Try these other great Side Dishes:
Squash Casserole
Grilled Zucchini
Wedge Salad
Steak Fries
Roasted Broccoli
Dirty Rice
Creamed Corn
Classic Coleslaw
Fried Green Tomatoes
These easy Fried Green Tomatoes are a classic Southern appetizer or side dish. They're beautifully seasoned and perfectly crisp.
Ingredients
- 3 medium to large green tomatoes, sliced into 3/8" thickness
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1 tsp hot sauce
- 3/4 cup fine cornmeal
- 3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1.5 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- oil, for frying
Instructions
- Slice the tomato slices then sprinkle salt on each side. Allow to sit 30 minutes in order for the moisture to sweat out. Pat dry with a paper towel.
- Prepare the dredging stations: On a plate, mix together flour, salt and pepper. On a second, mix cornmeal, panko, paprika and garlic powder. In a shallow bowl, whisk together egg, buttermilk and hot sauce.
- Preheat about 1/4 inch oil to 350°F in a cast iron skillet or electric skillet.
- Working in batches to avoid overcrowding the skillet, dredge all sides of tomato slices first in flour mixture, then buttermilk mixture, then cornmeal mixture. Carefully place in hot oil and fry 3-4 minutes per side, or until golden brown.
- Transfer to a paper towel lined plate to drain.
- Serve with your favorite dipping sauce.
Welcome to GypsyPlate! I'm Alpana, former wordwide tour manager and professional caterer, now full time blogger. I love exploring cuisines from around the world, and my recipes have been featured on sites such as MSN, Parade, Brit + Co, CNET and AOL. You can explore my entire collection of sortable recipes in my Recipe Index or learn more about me here.
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