Skillet Roasted Okra is an easy way to cook okra. As the okra browns, the natural sugar develops and results in a ton of flavor with no slime.
Roasting vegetables is nothing new to me. I’ll roast anything thing that tries to move. Recently, it occurred to me that I had never roasted one of my very favorite vegetables: okra. When it’s okra season, they’re always on my mind. I’ll use fresh if I can find good ones but I’m not the least bit snobbish about using frozen. Okra is a vegetable that freezes well. That means I can have Skillet Roasted Okra any time of the year. For frozen okra, thaw and drain it before adding cooking oil and seasoning.
I found some gorgeous okra at a local farm stand. I knew I would be bringing a couple of pounds of those beauties home with me. I used one pound for Classic Southern Okra and Tomatoes and saved a pound to roast.
Goodness gracious day in the morning! They are unbelievably good. You really get the flavor of fried okra without all the extra work and clean up. For those of you with an aversion to okra because of the texture (you say slime, I say texture), you should give this version a try. Roasting takes care of the “texture”. I’ll eat okra anyway you throw it at me so the “texture” isn’t offensive to me.
The okra browns up nicely which gives it a wallop of flavor. Brown means flavor. I especially like the seeds that escape from the pod and get crispy.
If air frying is more your thing than roasting, look at this Air Fryer Okra Fries recipe. Try serving roasted okra alongside Instant Pot Butter Chicken .
I’ll be thinking about Roasted Okra until I eat it again….which will be tomorrow.
Can I use frozen okra pods in place of fresh for Skillet Roasted Okra?
Yes! Using frozen okra is a great way to enjoy roasted okra year round. Thaw and drain the okra, then proceed with the instructions.
Can I substitute another cooking oil for olive oil?
Use your cooking oil of choice.
Instructions for Skillet Roasted Okra
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- Wash okra and trim stem ends.
- Place in a cast iron skillet. Add olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic salt.
- Stir until well coated.
- Bake in a 450 degree oven, stirring occasionally, until okra has browned to your liking.
Skillet Roasted Okra
Ingredients
- 1 pound whole okra pods, washed and stem ends trimmed Avoid large pods which can be woody
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Place okra in a cast iron skillet.
- Add olive oil and seasonings.
- Stir until well coated.
- Roast at 450 °F, for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned to your liking.
sherrie says
i dated a fella who told me his fave food of all time was okra. i wasn’t so familiar w/it so i asked how he liked it cooked. he belly laughed and said there was only one way to cook it. i didn’t wanna feel stupid so i didn’t ask how that was. i asked my momma who explained to roll it in corn meal and fry it in bacon grease. i worked so hard on that dish and even had a test run in momma’s kitchen. i was so excited to serve it to him. he tasted it and said ain’t nuttin wrong w/that. i was crushed! that’s all? i knew there was nothing wrong w/it, but it wasn’t fabulous? my momma later explained that if fried okra was his fave food then that comment was his way of saying it was amazing. lol!
Jackie Garvin says
Sherrie,
The fella was a little reserved with his emotions! What a funny story! I’m sure your fried okra was fabulous. Do you still make it? 🙂
sherrie says
no! i couldn’t get over the slimy furriness of it. (aka “texture”) lol! i would prob make it if i have a special request from a prince charming. too bad this one moved away. he has no idea what he’s missing! 😉
Jackie Garvin says
Sherrie,
May your prince charming make an appearance soon! Okra Dude is definitely missing out. You just go on to bigger and better things. 🙂
sherrie says
thank you, Jackie! 🙂
trish says
That sure sounds good… have to try this one. as I love okreee any way you make it… LOL
Jackie Garvin says
Me, too, Trish! I could eat okra everyday. 🙂
Joyce Lane says
Non-Southerners just don’t know what they are missing. I love Okra, but rarely find it in the grocery store. What I also miss are black-eyed peas. I have NEVER found them in the grocery store. I once found them at a farmer’s market near where my son went to college, and thought I had died and gone to heaven. Mom used to fix the black-eyeds the way she fixed green beans–with bacon and onion–and then put fresh okra on top to steam just a bit before serving. The okra was a bit slimy, but still delicious.
Jackie Garvin says
Joyce,
I keep frozen okra in my freezer when the season for fresh is over. It freezes very well. I usually put some up sliced, whole and breaded.
I rarely make Southern peas without putting okra on the top just as your mother did. I hope you give roasted okra a try. Even though I’m a die-hard okra lover, I was surprised by how good they are. 🙂
Danielle says
I’m anxious to try this method. I had some okra at Husk in Charleston, SC this summer that had been charred – presumably on the grill – that took most of the slime out. I hadn’t even thought to roast it in the oven though. I have some from my CSA and now I’m anxious to try it. Thanks!
Jackie Garvin says
Danielle,
I hope you give this a try. I’m going to roast my a little longer next time and flip them so they get caramelized on both sides. They smelled so good I couldn’t wait to get them out of the oven. Please let me know how they turn out for you. 🙂
Jean says
I sometimes bake my okra…but the pods need to be rather small to cut down on the slime factor. It is so good when it gets crisp. I can eat my weight in it!
Jackie Garvin says
I love it. Smaller pods do work better! 🙂
Jolene says
Jackie,
I have tor try roasting the okra. We don’t get it fresh up here in the PNW so I have to depend on the frozen variety. I’m gonna try it this weekend. Thanks for the idea.
Jackie Garvin says
Jolene,
I used frozen okra and it worked just fine. Thaw and drain it first. Roast until the pods are well browned. YUM!!
Anita says
Okra is good to fight Cholesterol!
Jackie Garvin says
Anita,
In addition to okra being healthy, it just flat out tastes good!
Thanks for stopping by. 🙂
Vicky says
Will of course make it a litle less healthy, but my family does okra exactly like this with Parmesan sprinkled over the top. Yummo!
Jackie Garvin says
Vicky,
I don’t think a little Parmesan cheese is going to hurt anybody. That’s a great idea that I’m going to have to try. Thank for sharing!
Bonnie Banters says
Bought the frozen okra and gonna give this a shot tonight…can’t wait!
Jackie Garvin says
Bonnie,
I hope you love it as much as we do!
Mona Thomas says
What is 4-1-1 seasoning
Jackie Garvin says
Here you go!
https://syrupandbiscuits.com/4-1-1-seasoning/
Nancy says
My mom is southern and is in NC now visiting family. I planted okra for her and hope it will be almost ready when she returns. Mom loves okra to. I hope it will be a big surprise. It is growing really fast and hardy.
Jackie Garvin says
What a wonderful daughter you are! God bless you!
Faye says
Just tried this recipe—excellent! So much easier than batter and fry method. Thanks for sharing!
Jackie Garvin says
Faye,
Isn’t it good? While I’ll always love fried okra, roasted is an excellent cooking method, too. Thanks for stopping by!
NOVIAN says
Just hear about okra, should be nice