These crisp rounds of battered and fried green tomato slices are compulsively eatable. If you’ve never made fried green tomatoes, now’s the time to try it!
This week we had heavy thunderstorms, one with winds so strong that it broke several branches off my tomato plants. Of course, all of them were laden with large, green tomatoes.
Was I bummed out? No. Because I was already planning to harvest some of those tomatoes to make one of my favorite savory summer treats: fried green tomatoes.
If you have never tried fried green tomatoes please, please – do yourself a favor and make this recipe. They are utterly munch-able with crisp, lightly salted batter surrounding tender and tangy green tomato slices. This is the kind of recipe that will have your family counting how many slices are left and competing for who gets to eat them. I personally think they are best served with a cold glass of hard cider! If you are looking for a main dish to serve these with, I recommend homemade sourdough pizza.
I have been making fried green tomatoes for years using a very slightly modified version of a recipe that is no longer online. The only change I made is to combine the flour with the breadcrumb mixture so that there is only one plate of dry mix to dredge the tomato slices in.
What You’ll Need
- Green tomatoes – I recommend using medium to large tomatoes because they are easier to slice.
- Eggs
- Milk – Mixed with the eggs to form a wet mixture that will help the batter stick to your tomato slices.
- All-purpose flour
- Cornmeal
- Breadcrumbs – I use unseasoned breadcrumbs but if you have Italian seasoned breadcrumbs those would work too.
- Kosher salt
- Ground black pepper
- Vegetable oil – For frying.
How to Fry Green Tomatoes
Warm the frying oil: In a large, deep skillet (enough so that there is 1/2 inch of oil in the pan) heat the oil over medium heat. While the oil is heating, prep the tomatoes.
- I recommend using vegetable oil for this recipe because it has a high smoke point. Other oils with a high smoke point that would work for this recipe are avocado oil and peanut oil.
Slice the tomatoes: Remove the ends and slice each tomato into slices 1/2 inch thick.
- Don’t slice them too thin or they will fall apart when you are trying to fry the tomatoes. Similarly, don’t slice them too thick or the insides won’t cook through.
Combine the dry mixture: Pour the flour, cornmeal, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper onto a large plate. Mix everything together with your fingertips or a spoon. Set aside.
Make the wet mixture: In a large bowl whisk the eggs and milk. Set aside.
Dredge the tomatoes: Dip both sides of each tomato slice into the dry mix. Then dip both sides of the same slice in the wet mixture. Dredge in the dry mix again to coat completely.
- I recommend using one hand to do all the dredging and dipping. The batter will start to coat your fingertips so I just like to have one hand free to do other things. 🙂
Fry the tomatoes: Place the battered slices in the oil and fry in batches of 4 or 5, depending on the size of your skillet and the slices. Don’t crowd the tomatoes. When they are golden, flip them over carefully with tongs and fry on the other side.
Drain and serve: Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with a bit of additional kosher salt if desired.
How to Store and Reheat Extras
Fried green tomatoes are best eaten warm right after they are made. If you really, really can’t devour them all at once (hard to believe!) then you can reheat them in a 350F oven for about 10 minutes. I don’t recommend microwaving them because the batter will get soggy.
PrintFried Green Tomatoes
These crisp, flavorful rounds of battered & fried green tomato slices are compulsively eatable. If you have never made fried green tomatoes, now’s the time to try it!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 12-16 slices
- Category: Sides
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 4 medium to large green tomatoes
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup cornmeal
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
- 2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 quart vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
Warm the frying oil: In a large, deep skillet (enough so that there is 1/2 inch of oil in the pan) heat the oil over medium heat. While the oil is heating, prep the tomatoes.
Slice the tomatoes: Remove the ends and slice each tomato into slices 1/2 inch thick.
Combine the dry mixture: Pour the flour, cornmeal, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper onto a large plate. Mix everything together with your fingertips or a spoon. Set aside.
Make the wet mixture: In a large bowl whisk the eggs and milk. Set aside.
Dredge the tomatoes: Dip both sides of each tomato slice into the dry mix. Then dip both sides of the same slice in the wet mixture. Dredge in the dry mix again to coat completely.
Fry the tomatoes: Place the battered slices in the oil and fry in batches of 4 or 5, depending on the size of your skillet and the slices. Don’t crowd the tomatoes. When they are golden, flip them over carefully with tongs and fry on the other side. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with a bit of additional kosher salt if desired.
Notes
Slightly adapted from this recipe by Diana Swenson-Siegel
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