Fried Green Tomatoes

Last Updated September 23rd, 2023 at 10:42 pm by Lisa

These are the best Fried Green Tomatoes, and one of the most famous Southern recipes of all time. Each slice has a crunchy crust to dip into a creamy remoulade, buttermilk ranch dressing, or comeback sauce.

Use up an abundance of green tomatoes from your own garden, Farmers markets, and now it's easy to buy unripe ones in the grocery stores. There are a few secrets to frying them perfectly golden crisp, and the three dipping sauces take these right over the top...

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Why This Recipe Works

• Use up green tomatoes so they don't go to waste in your kitchen.
• The crunchy and crisp coating on these tomatoes is just right. The combination of cornmeal and Panko bread crumbs adds a nice thick coating with crunchy edges.
• The trick is in the oil temperature to get a crunchy coating, get your oil temperature to 350 degrees for the best results, otherwise, your tomatoes will fry soggy. I recommend peanut oil, as it has a high smoke point and is flavorless.
• The method of triple dipping and post-frying rest also helps get and keep that gorgeous golden exterior crust. I'll give you all the tips and tricks to get them right in the recipe below.
• This is a cost-effective recipe, especially if you grow tomatoes in your garden, or a friend gives them to you! I grew the little ones, and also got a couple from my grocery store.
• All I can say, is these are even better dipped or drizzled. Try a little hot sauce you love like Tabasco or sauces like my recipes for remoulade or buttermilk ranch dressing.
• Enjoy your fried green tomatoes as a lunch, or as a great side dish side for family dinner. I have heard people even love to eat them for breakfast!

The first time I ever heard about fried tomatoes, was in the Whistle Stop Cafe in the now-famous novel Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe published in 1987 by Fannie Flagg and starring Evelyn Couch and Jessica Tandy. It is a wonderful movie, and made me fall in love with this green tomato recipe!

How To Make Fried Green Tomatoes

• 3 firm unripened green tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons sea salt

dry dip mix

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning

wet dip mix

• ½ cup buttermilk (or regular milk)
• 1 egg

crispy coating mix

• ⅓ cup cornmeal
• ½ cup panko bread crumbs
• ¼ cup peanut oil (or canola oil)

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Prep The Tomatoes

1. Wash, and remove the tomato stems using a melon baller or small knife.
2. Slice tomatoes, unpeeled into ½ inch thick slices. Lay on a tray, and season tomato slices on both sides with sea salt. Let tomato slices stand for 5 minutes. This adds flavor and removes some of their liquid. Dab with paper towels to remove extra moisture.

Dredge Tomatoes

1. While the salted tomato slices are resting at room temperature, set out three shallow bowls (or a shallow dishes) with coating ingredients to dip the tomato slices: 1rst dip bowl place flour and Cajun seasoning 2nd dip bowl buttermilk and egg mixture whisked together well 3rd dip bowl breadcrumbs and cornmeal mixture, stir to combine.
2. Dredge tomato slices into first 1) flour cajun seasoning mixture, then second the 2) egg and buttermilk mixture, then finally the third bowl of 3) breadcrumb cornmeal batter. Set on a platter or plate to rest.

Deep Frying The Tomatoes

1. In a large cast-iron skillet, frying pan, or deep fryer, heat the peanut oil (or a flavor neutral one like canola oil) on medium-high heat to 350-375 degrees. The OIL MUST BE HOT OR IT MAKES THEM SOGGY, make sure there is enough oil in the pan, about 1 " deep. During the frying process, use a candy thermometer or stick the end of a wood spoon and if it bubbles, the temperature is high enough.
2. Place a wire rack over a sheet pan. Fry just a few of the coated tomato slices at a time, for about 2-3 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Work safely and carefully to turn over the tomatoes in the large skillet using tongs and a spatula. Let the oil come back up to temp between batches. Once the tomatoes turn golden brown in the frying pan, use tongs and carefully place in a single layer on the wire rack to keep them crisp.
3. Sprinkle with sea salt or a flake salt like Maldon. Serve warm with hot sauce like Tabasco, a creamy sauce like remoulade, buttermilk dressing, or comeback sauce. Best to eat while they are hot!

What To Serve With Fried Green Tomatoes

• Remoulade Sauce
• Buttermilk Ranch Dressing
• Comeback Sauce
• Maldon salt for finishing
• Chives finely diced

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Fried Green Tomato Top Tips

• Tomatoes: You want green unripe tomatoes (firm tomatoes), that are not ripe. Red tomatoes are ripe and don't hold up well to the frying due to the moisture inside them. Buy beautiful firm unripe heirloom tomatoes in your local grocery produce section. I found that I could fry both small and large tomatoes, but the big slices are easier to get the coating to stick and prettier in my opinion than the small ones, but both are delicious!
• Sea salt: When you salt the green tomato slices, it is doing two things. One it pulls extra moisture from the tomato prior to frying, and it also flavors the tomatoes. Sprinkled one teaspoon salt like a flaked Maldon finishing salt over the fried tomatoes, it adds an amazing pop to the flavors!
• All Purpose Flour: AP flour is fine, the flour mixture helps to coat and bind the other coatings and seasoning onto the tomato slices.
• Cajun seasoning: You can buy or make your own Cajun seasoning. Take a look at my recipe for Cajun seasoning, it is a great way to use up your spices.
• Buttermilk: I use buttermilk (and also use this when making fried chicken) but you can substitute milk.
• Egg: The egg acts as a binder for the wet dip.
• Yellow Cornmeal: Adds a smoother coating texture, you can swap in white cornmeal. Yellow cornmeal is made from well, yellow corn and it contains beta carotene (also known as vitamin A), which is where it gets its color. It tastes stronger, a little richer, and, well, cornier than white cornmeal. White cornmeal, as you can guess, is made from white corn and its flavor's a little more delicate.
• Panko Dry Bread Crumbs: Add a crunchy exterior coating to the fried tomatoes. I love to mix the Panko breadcrumbs and cornmeal for the best-fried food results.
• Peanut Oil: I think peanut oil is the best to fry in, it really does the job and gets a crisp golden coating. Peanut oil has a high smoke point which is what you want when heat oil. That's what gives you a golden crunch plus has a neutral flavor, which is important. You can use vegetable oil, canola, or sunflower oil as well.
• Dipping Sauces: For a delicious sauce, serve either remoulade or buttermilk ranch dressing drizzled or in little small bowls to enjoy your crispy tomatoes.
• Garnish: Drizzle sauces and sprinkle with chives or green onions.

Fried Green Tomatoes Dipping Sauce Recipes

Here are three easy dipping sauces classic for Southern foods that have simple ingredients all the grocery stores will carry.

Comeback Sauce

Comeback sauce is a popular sweet Southern-style sauce and dip that is close to a Louisiana remoulade. It originated in a Greek restaurant in Mississippi and is a creamy light pink savory dip with a tangy flavor. Popular as a delicious dip in Southern cooking for french fries, onion rings, fish tacos, and chicken tenders. You will also see it as a salad dressing, and seafood restaurants often serve it for fried and fresh shrimp, crab, and fried fish.

Keep stored in the refrigerator for about 1 week.

• ¾ cup mayonnaise
• ¼ cup ketchup
• ¼ cup chili sauce (such as Heinz®)
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 
• ½ teaspoon dry mustard powder (such as Colman's®)
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco®)
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon paprika

1. Combine mayonnaise, ketchup, chili sauce, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, dry mustard, onion powder, hot sauce, garlic powder, and paprika in a small bowl; whisk until well combined.
2. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours to allow the flavors to meld, though overnight is even better.

Remoulade Sauce

Remoulade sauce is a popular condiment to drizzle on seafood, cold meats, baked fish, fried green tomatoes, or use as a sandwich spread. Use as a dip for hot french fries or bites of scrumptious crab cakes...

A cold smooth sauce made with a mayonnaise base, garlic, onions, mustard, parsley, other fresh herbs, and seasonings. Variations of remoulade are found all over the world, from France to Louisiana, USA. Paprika, anchovies, capers, and horseradish are some of the many ingredient variations added to flavor this popular condiment.

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Buttermilk Ranch Dressing

A classic dipping sauce for Fried Green Tomatoes is Ranch Dressing, it is SO easy and ready in minutes when you make it at home.

Use this famous Cajun spice on chicken, shrimp steaks, fries, or classics like jambalaya, and gumbo! It's the seasoning you want to make the best coating for fried green tomatoes...

Fried Green Tomatoes FAQ

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