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Crispy, crunchy, and so poppable, this Air Fryer Okra will be a huge hit! Perfect as a quick appetizer, side dish, or a healthy game-day snack, fried okra in the air fryer is sure to become a crowd favorite.
Delicious air fryer okra is super crispy without needing a lot of oil. Packed with flavor and ready in a flash, you’re about to discover your new favorite snack!
Just like my Air Fryer Pickles, Fried Artichoke Hearts, Air Fryer Green Tomatoes, and Air Fryer Zucchini Chips, this recipe takes delicious veggies and turns them into a healthier app or game-day snack.
Ingredients
This recipe uses:
- Okra – fresh or frozen
- All-purpose flour (see notes for gluten-free options)
- Cornmeal
- Seasoning blend – I used Tony Chachere, but Old Bay will work in a pinch
- If your seasoning blend does not contain salt, add 1/4 tsp sea salt to the breading mix.
- Olive oil – just a bit! I use my Misto to spray olive oil over the okra.
Save any leftover cornmeal to make a batch of this Air Fryer Cornbread – YUM!
How to Make Air Fryer Okra
*I’ll walk you through it here with some photos and tips, and you’ll also find a printable recipe card at the bottom of the post with exact measurements, etc. You can also click “jump to recipe” to skip down.
The prep process will vary depending if you are using fresh or frozen okra.
If you’re using fresh okra, rinse, pat dry, and cut off the stem end, and slice into 1/4 inch rounds.
If you’re using frozen okra, place the frozen okra in a fine-mesh strainer and rinse with cold water. Shake to remove excess water.
Now it’s time to bread the okra. Add the prepped okra to a medium mixing bowl. Sprinkle cornmeal, flour, and creole seasoning over the okra, and shake to coat.
Transfer the breaded okra to a large plate or baking sheet. Spray heavily with olive oil spray to coat the breading. Really coat them well, and then let them sit for 2-3 minutes.
Brush your air fryer basket (this is the air fryer we have) with olive oil or use air fryer parchment.
Add the breaded okra to the basket and cook at 400˚F for 10 minutes, then shake. Spray the tops with additional olive oil if desired.
Bake for an additional 3-5 minutes, or until it has reached your desired level of crispiness.
HOW TO MAKE THIS RECIPE GLUTEN-FREE
Feel free to swap out the all-purpose flour for gluten-free flour, or almond flour.
Cornmeal is naturally gluten-free so you will not need to sub that out.
How to Serve
Make a batch of fried okra, and then start dipping to your heart’s content.
Some awesome dip options are Chipotle Sauce, Homemade Tartar Sauce, Yogurt Ranch Dressing, or Vegan Aioli.
The dip shown in these photos is Sweet Potato Fries Dipping Sauce with some Tony’s mixed in for a kick.
HOW TO STORE AND REHEAT
Storing Leftovers: Allow any air fried okra to fully cool before storing them in an air-tight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.
Reheating Leftovers: You can reheat the fried okra for 3 minutes in the air fryer at 360˚F.
Freezing Leftovers: Freeze uncooked breaded okra on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Freeze for 2-3 hours and then transfer to freezer-safe storage.
To cook from frozen, follow the air fryer instructions in the printable recipe card below, but add 1-2 minutes of total cooking time.
Can You Air Fryer Frozen Okra?
Yes! Do not thaw the okra before air frying it. In order to get the breading to stick properly, you’ll want to rinse frozen okra in cold water in a fine-mesh strainer.
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- If you are unable to find Tony’s seasoning, you can sub in Old Bay, or even make your own seafood seasoning.
- Taste a piece of fried okra while it is still fairly hot (don’t burn yourself!) because you can sprinkle more seasoning to taste while everything is still warm.
- Don’t crowd the basket. It’s better to cook in batches rather than try to cook too much at once.
More Air Fryer Recipes You’ll Love
- See all our Air Fryer Appetizers here!
- Air Fryer Pretzel Dogs
- Air Fryer Meatballs
- Air Fryer Potato Skins
- Frozen Egg Rolls in the Air Fryer
- Air Fryer Egg Rolls
- Crispy Air Fryer Potatoes
- Air Fryer Tofu
- Air Fryer Ravioli
- Air Fryer Pretzel Bites
- Air Fryer Chicken Taquitos
- Air Fryer Pizza Rolls
- Air Fryer Potstickers
Air Fryer Okra
Ingredients
- 12 oz okra {frozen or fresh and cut into 1/4 inch rounds}
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp cornmeal
- 1 tsp Tony Chachere's creole seasoning {Old Bay works too}
- 2 tsp olive oil
Instructions
If Using Fresh Okra
- Rinse, pat dry, and cut off the stem end.
- Slice into 1/4 inch rounds.
If Using Frozen Okra
- Place in a fine-mesh strainer and rinse with cold water. Shake to remove excess water.12 oz okra
Breading & Cooking the Okra
- Add okra to a medium mixing bowl.
- Sprinkle cornmeal, flour, and creole seasoning over the okra, and shake to coat.2 tbsp all-purpose flour, 2 tbsp cornmeal, 1 tsp Tony Chachere's creole seasoning
- Transfer the breaded okra to a large plate or baking sheet. Spray with olive oil spray while they're still on the plate/baking sheet. Really coat them and then let them sit for 2-3 minutes.
- Brush olive oil in the air fryer basket.2 tsp olive oil
- Cook at 400˚F for 10 minutes, then shake. Spray with additional olive oil if desired.
- Bake for an additional 3-5 minutes, or until it has reached your desired level of crispiness.
Notes
- Rinse frozen okra with cold water so that it doesn’t defrost.
- If the cornmeal isn’t sticking well, spritz okra with a bit of olive oil and toss to coat.
- Taste a piece of fried okra while it is still fairly hot (don’t burn yourself!) because you can sprinkle more seasoning to taste while everything is still warm.
- Gluten-free options: use a 1 to 1 gluten-free flour instead of all-purpose.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I have learned to start slicing okra pods at the tip cutting to the stem end and you don’t have the slime!
Great tip!
These turned out GREAT, I topped with hot sauce and used only a teaspoon of flour, 2 Ts of cornmeal, added a light shake of garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, a dash of cayenne powder to the mix. YUM!
So glad you enjoyed it, Sara (great name BTW!)! 🙂