So your tomato plant is dying and you got all these hard green tomatoes hanging around that’ll never ripen. You’re gonna throw them away? No way. Fry them. Seriously. Fried green tomatoes are insane – crispy, tangy, and honestly better than regular tomatoes sometimes.
If you watched that movie in the 90s and thought they looked good, they actually are good. Learning how to make fried green tomatoes is easier than you think. It’s a real Southern fried green tomatoes recipe that people have been making forever. And the best part is they’re stupid easy to make at home. Crispy fried green tomatoes take like fifteen minutes total.
Why Fried Green Tomatoes Work
Green tomatoes are tart and firm. They’re not sweet like ripe ones. Raw they’re kind of gross. But fry them? Totally different story. The outside gets golden and crunchy. The inside stays soft and tangy. It’s this weird good combination that just works.
The firmness is actually perfect for frying. Ripe tomatoes are mushy and fall apart. Green ones stay together and hold up to the heat. That’s the whole reason this works.
Finding The Right Green Tomatoes
You want green ones. Like completely green. Not ones that are starting to turn red or yellow. Those are ripening and you don’t want those. You want unripe tomatoes that are perfect for frying.
Look for firm ones that are actually pretty big. Small hard ones haven’t developed yet. You want medium to large green tomatoes and completely green. Give them a gentle squeeze – they should be firm but not rock hard.
If you got a garden great. If not hit up a farmers market in late summer or early fall. Sometimes regular grocery stores have them too especially toward the end of summer. Just look in the produce section. Green tomatoes for frying are usually there if you know what you’re looking for.
Size doesn’t matter too much for fried green tomatoes. Some people like thin slices that get really crispy. Some people like thicker slices that stay softer inside. Your call.
What You Actually Need
Green tomatoes – However many you want to fry. One or two or a bunch.
Cornmeal – The main thing for the crunchy coating. Yellow or white doesn’t matter.
Flour – Regular all-purpose flour. Just enough to coat.
Eggs – To make the coating stick. One or two depending on how many tomatoes.
Buttermilk – Makes everything taste tangier and helps the coating stick. Regular milk works too if you don’t have buttermilk.
Oil – Vegetable oil, canola oil, whatever. You need enough to fry in.
Salt and pepper – Season it up.
That’s the whole list. Some people add paprika or cayenne for flavor. That’s fine. But you don’t need much.
How To Actually Make Them
Slice The Tomatoes
Cut them into slices. Most people do like a quarter inch thick or so. You want them thick enough they don’t fall apart but thin enough they cook all the way through. If you’re not sure go somewhere in the middle.
Put the slices on a plate and sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides.
Let them sit for like five to ten minutes. This draws out some moisture which is actually good for getting them crispy.
Set Up Your Breading Station
You need three shallow bowls or plates. One with flour. One with buttermilk or egg beaten together. One with cornmeal mixed with salt and pepper.
The order is flour first, then buttermilk, then cornmeal. Some people do it different but that’s the classic way and it works.
Coat The Tomatoes
Take a tomato slice and dredge it in the flour. Coat both sides. Shake off the excess so it’s not thick and clumpy.
Dip it in the buttermilk. Let it soak for like a second so it’s wet.
Then dredge it in the cornmeal mixture. Press it in a little so the coating sticks. Make sure both sides are covered.
Put it on a clean plate. Repeat with the rest.
Here’s a pro tip – after you flour them wait like five minutes. The tomato juice makes the flour wet. Then do the flour one more time before you dip in the buttermilk. This gives you a thicker crisper coating. But if you’re lazy one coat works too.
Heat Your Oil
Pour oil in a skillet. Not a ton. Like half an inch deep is plenty. You’re shallow frying not deep frying.
Turn the heat to medium-high. Wait for it to get hot. You want it like 360-375 degrees ideally but if you don’t have a thermometer just wait till it’s hot and shimmering. If you drop a pinch of flour in and it sizzles you’re good to go.
Don’t skip the heating part. Cold oil makes greasy soggy tomatoes. Hot oil makes crispy ones.
Fry Them
Carefully put the coated tomato slices in the hot oil. Don’t crowd the pan. They need space or they’ll steam instead of fry.
Let them cook for like three to five minutes on one side till they’re golden brown. You should see them getting crispy at the edges.
Flip them with tongs or a spatula. Cook the other side for another three to five minutes. You want both sides golden brown and the inside tender.
Don’t walk away. Watch them. If the oil gets too hot they burn fast. If it cools down too much they get greasy.
Drain And Serve
Pull them out with a slotted spoon or tongs. Put them on a plate lined with paper towels. The paper towels soak up the extra oil.
Sprinkle a little more salt on top if you want. Eat them warm. They’re best right away while they’re still crispy.
The Timing Thing
Making crispy fried green tomatoes takes like fifteen minutes tops. Seriously. Slice tomatoes, set up your coating stuff, fry them, done. It’s stupid easy.
The frying part only takes ten minutes or so. So don’t stress about time. It’s fast.
What To Serve Them With
Remoulade sauce is the classic. It’s mayo, mustard, pickles, spices mixed together. You dip them in it and it’s incredible.
Some people just eat them plain with salt. Some people put them on burgers. Some people stack them in a BLT instead of regular tomatoes. They work all those ways.
Really you just need something to dip them in or some way to eat them. They’re good enough on their own honestly.
How to Make Fried Green Tomatoes: Easy Crispy Recipe Guide
Equipment
- Skillet or frying pan
- Cutting board and knife
- Three shallow bowls or plates
- Meat thermometer (optional)
- Slotted spoon or tongs
- Paper towels
- Measuring cups and spoons
Ingredients
- 4-5 medium green tomatoes completely green
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup cornmeal yellow or white
- ½ cup buttermilk or regular milk
- 1 egg
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Oil for frying about 1-2 cups
INSTRUCTIONS
- 1. Slice tomatoes into 1/4-inch thick pieces
- 2. Salt and pepper both sides, let sit 5 minutes
- 3. Set up three bowls: flour, buttermilk mixture, cornmeal
- 4. Coat each slice: flour → buttermilk → cornmeal
- 5. Heat oil to 360-375°F in a skillet
- 6. Fry tomato slices 3-5 minutes per side until golden brown
- 7. Drain on paper towels
- 8. Serve warm with remoulade sauce or alone
Notes
- Don’t crowd the pan – fry in batches
- Make sure oil is actually hot before frying
- A double flour coat (flour, wait 5 minutes, flour again) makes extra crispy fried green tomatoes
- Serve immediately while still crispy
Stuff That Messes It Up
Oil not hot enough – You get greasy soggy tomatoes instead of crispy ones. Make sure it’s actually hot.
Crowding the pan – Too many at once means they steam instead of fry. Work in batches.
Using ripe tomatoes – They fall apart. You need green ones.
Frying too long – The outside burns before the inside cooks. Keep checking and flip when golden.
Oil too hot – Everything burns. Medium-high is the sweet spot.
Sitting too long after coating – The coating gets soggy. Fry them right after you coat them.
Storing Leftovers
Leftovers last like a day in the fridge in an airtight container. You can reheat them in a skillet with a little oil. Don’t use the microwave because they get mushy.
Freezing doesn’t really work. The breading gets weird when you thaw it. So eat them fresh or don’t bother.
FAQ About Fried Green Tomatoes
Can you use ripe red tomatoes instead? Nah. They’re too mushy and fall apart when you fry them. Green tomatoes stay firm which is why they work so good. You need completely green ones.
What if you don’t have buttermilk? Use regular milk. Or mix milk with a splash of vinegar or lemon juice and let it sit for five minutes. It works basically the same.
What’s the best oil for frying? Vegetable oil, canola oil, peanut oil – any neutral oil with a high smoke point works. Don’t use olive oil because it burns too easy.
How do you know when the oil is hot enough? If you got a thermometer use that – 360-375°F is the sweet spot. If you don’t have one drop a tiny pinch of flour in. If it sizzles immediately you’re good. If it just sits there the oil isn’t ready.
Can you make fried green tomatoes in an air fryer? Yeah totally. Spray them with cooking spray and air fry at 400°F for about 8-10 minutes. They won’t be quite as crispy as pan-fried but they’re still good and way less oil.
How do you store leftovers? Put them in an airtight container in the fridge. They last about a day. Reheat them in a skillet with a tiny bit of oil to get them crispy again. Don’t microwave them or they get soggy.
Real Talk
Making fried green tomatoes is incredibly easy. Seriously. If you’ve never made them before do it now. Find some green tomatoes and fry them up.
They taste nothing like regular tomatoes. They’re tangy and crispy and kind of addictive. You’ll wonder why you never did it before.
So next time you got tomatoes that won’t ripen don’t throw them away. Slice them, coat them, fry them, and enjoy.
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