This low carb fried okra is the perfect keto side dish. It’s crunchy and salty which makes for the perfect (and irresistible) combination!
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This is a low carb twist on one of my favorite childhood recipes. If you’ve never had fried okra (AKA Southern Popcorn), then you are really missing out! It’s a delicious side dish or snack and it’s SO easy to make. This Low carb fried okra recipe is perfect for those following a paleo, Whole 30, gluten/grain-free or keto diet.
When I was a little girl, my mom didn’t have a washer and dryer so every Monday night we would back up all of our laundry and head over to my grandparents to do laundry and eat supper. I’m sure that it was a pain for my mom, but these Monday night suppers are some of my favorite childhood memories.
One of the things that made a regular appearance at these meals was fried okra and I was always THRILLED to see it there. The okra that my grandma served was fresh from my grandpa’s garden and they were both super proud of this.
If you follow me on Instagram then you know that my grandpa passed away last Friday. I was actually shooting the photos for this very recipe when I got the call that I needed to head over to his house to say goodbye. The irony was not lost upon me and it definitely makes this recipe even more special to me.
I sure hope that you enjoy it as much as my family and I do 🙂
Tips for making the perfect low carb fried okra:
Don’t worry too much about cutting your okra uniformly. I like having pieces of various sizes as this adds a little extra texture. Just don’t leave them larger than about 1/2 half inch.
Also, it didn’t occur to me until I was editing the pictures for this recipe, that it would be much easier to use a Ziploc bag to coat the cut okra in the almond flour. Just put the almond flour mixture in the bag, add the okra, seal the bag and give it a good shake.
Lastly, this is best cooked in a cast-iron skillet – but isn’t everything? Make sure that your beef tallow is really hot, and these will fry in no time. If you don’t have beef tallow, any oil that is suitable for high heat will work.
Be sure to check out these other great recipes:
- Keto Fried Fish
- Low Carb Coleslaw
- Zucchini Tots
- Kentucky Burgoo
- Sheet Pan Loaded Cauliflower
- Scalloped Cabbage
- Keto Corn Pudding
Low Carb Fried Okra
Ingredients
- 1 lb Fresh Okra
- Beef Tallow or other frying oil Enough for about 1/4 inch on the bottom of skillet
- 1/3 cup super fine almond flour
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 1/4 tsp Pepper
Instructions
- Slice the okra into approximately 1/4 inch slices, removing stems
- Heat the tallow in a large cast iron skillet, or other heavy skillet suitable for frying on medium high heat.
- In a medium bowl, or a large zip top bag – combine the almond flour with the salt and pepper, then add the sliced okra. Toss until the okra is thoroughly coated.
- Add the okra to the hot oil and gently stir continuously. Once the okra has browned, remove from the skillet and allow to drain on paper towels.
If you rinse the okra a little bit before you put it in the bag, the mucilage will be more active and you’ll get more adhesion of the flour.
Thank you for the tip! I will definitely try that next time 🙂
Hi, Sabra.
My name is Sabra as well.
I’m looking forward to trying the okra recipe.
That’s it😀
Hi!! I am always so surprised meeting other Sabra’s!!
I hope you enjoyed the okra 😊
Can coconut oil be used for frying? Thank you!
Coconut oil should work fine!
I was pleasantly surprised! Since starting Keto, haven’t had much luck with frying, but these turned out very well.
Thanks for the recipe.
I used Coconut oil and it worked out great.
I’m so happy to hear that it worked well for you! I also have a tough time frying (keto or not lol) so I figure that if I can get it to work for me, then it will work for just about anyone!
can this be done in an air fryer?
I used half ghee & half olive oil. It is delish!!!!
Could you use frozen okra instead of fresh?
I use frozen okra all the time! Works great! Just thaw it a little bit in the microwave first so the almond flour will stick to it.
Very sorry for the loss of your grandpa. My grandparents were a huge part of me life.
Trying your Ffied Okra recipe today!
Tks
I like to dip my okra in egg bath before coating with the almond flour, and I use course ground almond flour, which is more like cornmeal, that I have allways used to batter okra. Really yummy stuff😍
My grandmother used bacon grease, egg wash and cornmeal. Heart attack on a plate. But man oh man, was it good.
My mom made “hot stuff” with okra. Bacon grease, onions, jalapeno, okra and can of chopped tomatoes if you don’t have a bunch of over ripe tomatoes on your counter. Chop them all together ans saute until slimy in a cast iron skillet. Takes a while. Serve as a side with anything. (Fried of course)
Can we use coconut flour instead of almond flour?
Hi Amanda! Unfortunately, coconut flour isn’t great for frying. It’s super-absorbent so it sucks up all of the frying oil and the okra end up greasy and not crisp at all 🙁 You could probably get away with crushed pork rinds though! Hope that helps 🙂
I used this recipe, but instead of using the skillet method, I coated the okra in olive oil, put salt & pepper, added the almond flour, and threw it in the air fryer….it was deeeelish! I literally make this everyday!
Soooooo good! Thank you thank you thank you for this recipe. It is now a daily staple. I cooked in a regular pan with extra virgin olive oil and it was amazing! I’ve missed okra so much and now I don’t have to.