Can You Fry Frozen Okra?

Last updated on August 5th, 2022 at 05:26 am

Okra is technically a fruit although it is eaten like it is a vegetable. These long slender seed pods can sometimes be referred to as lady’s fingers because of their long tube-like shape. 

Okra can be prepared in different ways. Oftentimes it is breaded and fried. Okra does not last for more than a couple of days after it has been harvested but it does hold up well in the freezer. 

So if you have some okra that you have frozen or bought from the store that was already frozen can you fry it as is or do you have to thaw it first? 

You can fry frozen okra straight from the freezer. You do not want to defrost it first as that will make it mushy and won’t taste very good after being fried. 

As with most fried foods, frozen okra should be fried directly from the freezer for the best taste and texture. Although it will take a while to fry up since it is coming from frozen, that is the best method. 

How Do You Cook Frozen Okra Without The Slime?

Okra is a delicious vegetable that has a bad reputation for getting slimy when it has been cooked. These long finger shaped seed pods are a southern favorite but still some people hate them because of their odd consistency. 

There are ways to cook your okra to reduce the amount of sliminess that it produces. The more you cut okra the slimier it will become as the mucilage that is inside the okra will have more chances to leak out of it. 

The less you cut your okra the less slime there will be. When okra is cut it will produce a liquid that will cause the okra to become slimy. The less cuts that you make in your okra the less slimy it will become. 

If you want smaller bites of okra, try to purchase your okra in smaller pods so there will be less to cut to get to the size that you desire. 

You can also soak your okra in vinegar for 30 minutes before you cook it to reduce the amount of slime. Fill a bowl with vinegar and allow your okra to sit submerged for half an hour. Once 30 minutes have passed you will want to rinse your okra thoroughly and then pat it dry before you fry it. 

This will help to reduce the amount of slime that the okra will produce while it is being cooked. 

You can also freeze your okra before you cut it. Freezing okra before cutting it will also reduce the amount of slime that the okra will produce. With the okra frozen the mucilage will not have a chance to leak out of it. 

Another thing that you can try to cook okra without having that unpleasant sliminess would be to cook your okra at a high temperature. You can also make sure that you pat your okra dry with a paper towel before you cook it. 

The drier the okra is, the less slimy it will be. 

Can You Deep Fry Frozen Breaded Okra?

Fried, breaded okra with its crunchy outside and soft tender inside is a Southern staple. This Southern dish is pretty easy to make. 

You can deep fry frozen breaded okra. It doesn’t matter if you harvested the okra from your own garden, breaded it, and froze it for cooking later or if you purchased breaded okra from the freezer section at the grocery store; either way you can deep fry your frozen breaded okra at home. 

You will need breaded okra and enough oil to fry it in. Vegetable oil is a good choice for frying okra. You will need to preheat your vegetable oil to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Once your oil has reached the optimal temperature you will carefully place the frozen breaded okra into the oil. 

The okra will be finished cooking when it has reached a golden-brown color, this usually takes between 5 and 6 minutes in vegetable oil that has been heated to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. When the okra has turned a golden-brown color or an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit, carefully remove it from the oil and set it on a wire cooling rack over paper towels to drain the excess oil from it.

Can You Air Fry Battered Frozen Okra?

Air fryers are small counter top kitchen appliances that are meant to simulate a deep fryer without needing to use all of the unhealthy oil. These small countertop appliances are a great way to get fried foods without all the extra oil that comes with deep frying. These small appliances have a fan that circulates the hot air at a high speed so that the food will develop a crisp layer due to browning reactions. 

An air fryer works in a way similar to a deep fryer in that it coats the food in a thin layer of oil then cooks it at a temperature that can reach 400 degrees Fahrenheit in circulating air. This means that an air fryer can give you the same results as deep frying but with 70 to 80 percent less oil being used than you would use in a deep fryer. 

If you want to, can you use an air fryer to cook battered frozen okra? 

You can use an air fryer to cook battered okra. If you pick up a bag of battered frozen okra from your local grocery store you can certainly cook this in your air fryer. 

All you need to do is lay your frozen okra in a single layer and then you will want to lightly spray your okra with olive oil. Place this in the air fryer at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 6 minutes. 

Remove the okra, spray it with olive oil one more time then return it to the air fryer for another 6 minutes. If you do not lightly spray your okra with olive oil it will not get that lovely golden-brown color. 

Likewise, if you have fresh okra either from your garden or the farmer’s market you could fry it in the air fryer as well. You will need 3 small bowls if you are making it yourself. The first small bowl will contain your flour; you can use regular flour with spices that you add yourself or you can purchase a breading flour such as Hooters Wing Breading. 

The second bowl will contain a beaten egg that has been mixed with a small amount of water. Then the third bowl will hold your panko bread crumbs. Once your okra is cut into about 1-inch chunks you will want to roll it in the flour, then dip it in the egg wash, and roll it in the breadcrumbs. 

Once your okra has been put through the breading process you can place it in the air fryer at 375 degrees Fahrenheit to cook for 12 minutes, be sure to give it a shake at the halfway point. 

After 12 minutes your okra will be ready to eat.