Fried Green Tomatoes Recipe

This traditional Fried Green Tomatoes Recipe has tomato slices soaked in buttermilk and fried in cornmeal, and they are absolutely delicious. Serve with a side of homemade remoulade sauce and meet your new favorite recipe!

It took me 35 years and a formal culinary education to finally try a proper southern Fried Green Tomatoes recipe. And all I can say is, it was worth the wait! These are ridiculously good.

Thick slices (dare I say slabs?) of green tomatoes are soaked in buttermilk for an added tangy flavor. Then, dredge them in a spiced cornmeal mixture for a crispy, crunchy texture loaded with flavor.

The Homemade Remoulade Sauce puts them right over the top, too. Between the creamy sauce and the crunchy coating on the green tomatoes, you’ll be hooked!

Recipe ingredients

At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.

Ingredient notes

• Buttermilk: To make your own buttermilk, whisk together 2 cups whole or 2% milk and 2 tablespoons lemon juice and let stand for 10 minutes to curdle.
• Cajun seasoning: To make your own, whisk together 1 ½ tablespoons paprika, 1 tablespoon garlic powder, 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning, 1 ½ teaspoons cayenne pepper, 1 ½ teaspoons dried thyme, and 1 ½ teaspoons onion powder.
• Green tomatoes: Unripened green tomatoes are firm, tart, and perfect for this recipe. Heirloom tomatoes work too.

Step-by-step instructions

1. To make the remoulade, in a medium bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, ketchup, lemon juice, mustard, anchovy paste, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne pepper. Add salt, pepper, Tabasco, and Worcestershire sauce to taste. Stir to combine and garnish with fresh parsley. Cover and chill until serving time.

2. To make the tomatoes, in a medium bowl, combine buttermilk and cajun seasoning. Add tomato slices and turn until evenly coated. Set aside to marinate for 5 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, In a medium bowl, combine cornmeal, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Working with one tomato slice at a time, remove from buttermilk and add to cornmeal, tossing to coat. Remove to a cooling rack set upon a rimmed baking sheet, and continue with remaining tomato slices.

4. In a large pot or cast iron skillet over medium high heat, heat canola oil to 375 degrees. Working in batches, fry each tomato slice in a single layer until golden brown on one side, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip each slice and continue frying until second side is golden brown.

5. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with salt. Serve with homemade remoulade sauce.

Recipe tips and variations

• Yield: This recipe makes about 4 servings from 3 pounds of tomatoes, about 3 slices tomatoes and ¼ cup remoulade per serving.
• Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
• Make ahead: The remoulade can be made up to 3 days in advance and stored in the refrigerator. The buttermilk can be made the day before (store covered in the refrigerator), and the cajun seasoning can be made up to 6 months in advance. The tomatoes are best fried right before serving time.
• Standard breading procedure: We skip the typical standard breading procedure of eggs, all-purpose flour, and breadcrumbs here in favor of a Cajun-spiced cornmeal mixture. This allows for a shatteringly-crisp, less gummy texture without the extra moisture and a truer Fried Green Tomatoes experience.
• Serving suggestions: These are great on their own or on the side of other Southern favorites. Or, pile fried tomatoes on your next BLT or burger.
• Dipping sauce: Thousand Island dressing or Ranch dressing are non-traditional but equally delicious options for dipping fried green tomatoes. Or try Comeback sauce, a mixture of Thousand Island and Remoulade Sauce.
• Mardi Gras: Gearing up for Fat Tuesday? I’ve pulled together 30+ Mardi Gras Recipes to help you celebrate. My One Pot Cajun Pasta is a easy and delicious, and you can never go wrong with a Shrimp Po’ Boy, some Jambalaya, a platter of Shrimp Étouffée, or a Muffaletta. Wind down the meal with a slice of King Cake or some Beignets and a Sazerac, the official cocktail of New Orleans.

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Fried Green Tomatoes Recipe

By Meggan Hill

This traditional Fried Green Tomatoes Recipe has tomato slices soaked in buttermilk and fried in cornmeal, and they are absolutely delicious. Serve with a side of homemade remoulade sauce and meet your new favorite recipe!

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Servings 4 servings (3 slices + ¼ cup remoulade each)

Course Appetizer, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Calories 616

5 from 20 votes

ReviewPrint

Ingredients 

US CustomaryMetric

For the remoulade:

• ▢ 1 cup mayonnaise
• ▢ 2 tablespoons ketchup
• ▢ 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• ▢ 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• ▢ 1 teaspoon anchovy paste or 3 filets minced
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ▢ salt and ground white pepper to taste
• ▢ Tabasco sauce to taste
• ▢ Worcestershire sauce to taste
• ▢ 1/4 cup fresh parsley finely chopped

For the tomatoes:

• ▢ 2 cups buttermilk (see note 1)
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Homemade Cajun Seasoning or store-bought (see note 2)
• ▢ 1 pound unripened green tomatoes sliced ½ inch thick (about 3 medium, see note 3)
• ▢ 3/4 cup corn meal white or yellow
• ▢ Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• ▢ Vegetable oil for frying (to 1/4-inch deep)

Instructions 

• To make the remoulade, in a medium bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, ketchup, lemon juice, mustard, anchovy paste, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne pepper. Add salt, pepper, tabasco, and Worcestershire sauce to taste. Stir to combine and garnish with fresh parsley. Cover and chill until serving time.
• To make the tomatoes, in a medium bowl, combine buttermilk and cajun seasoning. Add tomato slices and turn until evenly coated. Set aside to marinate for 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, In a medium bowl, combine cornmeal, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Working with one tomato slice at a time, remove from buttermilk and add to cornmeal, tossing to coat. Remove to a wire rack set upon a rimmed baking sheet, and continue with remaining tomato slices.
• In a large skillet over medium high heat, heat oil to 375 degrees. Fry each tomato slice until golden brown on one side, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip each slice and continue frying until second side is golden brown. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with salt.

Recipe Video

Notes

1. Buttermilk: To make your own buttermilk, whisk together 2 cups whole or 2% milk and 2 tablespoons lemon juice and let stand for 10 minutes to curdle.
2. Cajun seasoning: To make your own, whisk together 1 ½ tablespoons paprika, 1 tablespoon garlic powder, 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning, 1 ½ teaspoons cayenne pepper, 1 ½ teaspoons dried thyme, and 1 ½ teaspoons onion powder.
3. Green tomatoes: Unripened green tomatoes are firm, tart, and perfect for this recipe. Heirloom tomatoes work too.
4. Yield: This recipe makes about 4 servings from 3 pounds of tomatoes, about 3 slices tomatoes and ¼ cup remoulade per serving.
5. Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
6. Make ahead: The remoulade can be made up to 3 days in advance and stored in the refrigerator. The buttermilk can be made the day before (store covered in the refrigerator), and the cajun seasoning can be made up to 6 months in advance. The tomatoes are best fried right before serving time.

Nutrition

Serving: 3slicesCalories: 616kcalCarbohydrates: 37gProtein: 10gFat: 48gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 26gMonounsaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 38mgSodium: 666mgPotassium: 583mgFiber: 5gSugar: 14gVitamin A: 1619IUVitamin C: 34mgCalcium: 174mgIron: 2mg

Did you make this recipe?Tag @culinaryhill on Instagram so we can admire your masterpiece! #culinaryhill

Meggan Hill

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Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.

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