Fried Green Tomatoes With 3 Dipping Sauce Recipes
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. There are a few secrets to frying them perfectly golden crisp, and the three dipping sauces take these right over the top.
Servings: 8
Calories: 218kcal
Ingredients
green tomatoes
- 3 firm green tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons sea salt
dry dip mix
- 1 cup AP flour
- 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
wet dip mix
- ½ cup buttermilk or milk
- 1 egg
crispy coating mix
- ⅓ cup cornmeal
- ½ cup panko bread crumbs
- ¼ cup peanut oil
optional dips and garnish
- remolaude sauce
- buttermilk ranch dressing
- 1 teaspoon Maldon salt for finishing
- chives finely diced
Instructions
Prep The Green Tomatoes
- Wash, and remove the tomato stems using a melon baller or small knife.
- 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
- 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.
- 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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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!
Video
Notes
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, 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 have green tomatoes from 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 hot sauce you love like Tabasco or sauces like remoulade or buttermilk ranch dressing.
Enjoy your fried green tomatoes as a lunch, or side dish at family dinner. I have heard people even love to eat them for breakfast!
- Tomatoes: You want firm (not ripe) green tomatoes. 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.
- Flour: AP flour is fine, it 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.
- Cornmeal: Add a smoother coating texture to the fried green tomatoes.
- Panko dry bread crumbs: Add a crunchy exterior coating to the fried green tomatoes. I love to mix Panko 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, and a neutral flavor, which is important. You can use vegetable oil, canola, or sunflower oil as well.
- Dipping sauces: You can serve either remoulade or buttermilk ranch dressing drizzled or in little bowls to enjoy your fried green tomatoes.
- Garnish Drizzle sauces and sprinkle with chives.
Nutrition
Calories: 218kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 22mg | Sodium: 2016mg | Potassium: 223mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 870IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 78mg | Iron: 2mg