Simply the best fried green tomatoes recipe, perfect-every-time! No messy, drippy batter needed, making it easy to make them air fryer "fried", too! You'll get crispy, crunchy cornmeal coating on the outside, and tangy, tender-but-not-mushy on the inside!
I'll tell you the secret to keeping on the crunchy coating (even on the SIDES) of my recipe for fried green tomatoes!
In the South, we eat fried tomatoes like potato chips. You can never eat just one- unless you are using grand champion-size tomatoes, then maybe, just maybe you could stop at one.
Whether you like them thin and crispy or thick and hearty, this quick and easy method of cooking green tomatoes will be your go-to recipe.
Either way, they're still "Southern-Fried"!
If you're looking for simple and easy fried green tomatoes to make, look no further!
I'll also answer all your burning questions like "How to freeze and reheat fried green tomatoes?", "How to air fry fried green tomatoes?" and "What tomatoes are fried green tomatoes made of?".
Scroll to the bottom of the post above the printable recipe for a list of FAQ's.
What are fried green tomatoes?
Made popular by the Fannie Flagg movie Fried Green Tomatoes, unripe or "green" tomatoes were sliced, battered and deep fried in hot oil and served at a restaurant called Whistle Stop Cafe.
Another fried green tomato appetizer you may love is my Fried Green Cherry Tomatoes if you have unripe grape or cherry tomatoes in your garden. They are perfect for game day or any party appetizer if you are looking for other green tomato ideas.
Using green tomatoes in recipes like these is a tasty solution to the dilemma of what to do with your tomatoes that are not ripe at the end of the gardening season.
Ingredients for fried green tomatoes
Here's a list of what you'll need:
- 3 small to medium (unripe) green tomatoes
- All-purpose flour
- Buttermilk, whole milk or or 2% milk
- Large egg
- Cornmeal (I prefer yellow)
- Fine dry breadcrumbs
- Salt and ground black pepper
- Vegetable oil, canola oil or peanut oil
How do you make fried green tomatoes?
Here's a step by step guide:
Scroll down to the bottom of this post for the detailed, printable recipe. Pictures below will help guide you as you read the recipe.
How thick to slice the tomatoes?
- First, slice the tomatoes according to how thick you want them. For thick tomato slices, cut them 3/8 inch thick. (That's between 1/4 and 1/2-inch). For thin slices, cut them 1/4-inch thick.
Now, if I was making them to fit on a grilled burger or serve them with a dipping sauce for fried green tomatoes and eat them with my fingers, I'd slice them thinly.
To serve them as a side dish, I'd go with the thicker 3/8-inch-thick slices and eat them with a knife and fork.
Prep for dredging
- Next, prepare three separate plates for dredging the tomatoes before frying them. In one plate, combine all-purpose flour and salt. In the second one, whisk together the egg and milk, and in the third plate, cornmeal, breadcrumbs, salt and black pepper.
A good rule of thumb for coating amounts is:
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt
- One egg and 1/4 cup milk
- 1/4 cup cornmeal and 1/4 cup breadcrumbs, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper
This is a general rule. You may have a little left over but it's better than scraping to the bottom and not covering the entire green tomato.
Dredging
- Next, press the tomato slice into the flour mixture on both sides.
- Don't forget the sides of the tomato! This is the key step to dredging the tomato so all the crunchy coating stays on the green tomato when frying.
Always start with the flour because that gives the egg and milk mixture something to "hang on to". Otherwise, if you just dip in egg/milk mixture then cornmeal mixture, it will drip back into the plate leaving the cornmeal mixture struggling to adhere to the tomato.
As a bonus, the added layer of the flour boosts the thickness and crunch of outside crust.
- Carefully place the flour-coated tomato slices in the egg and milk mixture, then flip it over. Run the edges of the tomato in the egg mixture to coat the sides, too.
- For the last step of dredging, gently press the green tomato slices into the cornmeal and breadcrumb mixture.
The secret to keeping the coating on the green tomato slices
Here's where the magic happens.
This is where many recipes fall short of explaining how to make the perfectly coated fried green tomato.
The flour sticks to the cut side of the tomato easily because it's already damp. If the sides of your tomato are dry and the flour is falling off, quickly run the edge of it through the egg/milk mixture and tap it back into the flour.
Voila! All surfaces are coated.
Frying
- Lower the coated slices of tomato carefully into the hot oil with a slotted spoon or frying spider strainer.
- Carefully turn them over with tongs or the slotted spoon when the bottom side is golden brown, about 2 mins.
The oil gets too hot for some nonstick skillets so I recommend a cast iron skillet or stainless steel skillet with high sides.
This isn't a video, but can't you just hear that sizzle when I drop in the cornmeal-coated green tomatoes!
Pro Tip: You will know it is ready when you sprinkle a few grains of cornmeal in it and it immediately sizzles.
I don't fry nearly as much as I used to but get excited when I hear that old familiar sound. Ya know, it's just like Pavlov's dog. When I hear that sizzle, my mouth starts watering.
You don't have to have a lot of oil to have the texture of deep-fried green tomatoes.
How much oil do I need to make green fried tomatoes?
The oil in the pan doesn't have to be very deep at all. One-fourth inch is plenty if you are small batching it. One-half inch is a good amount if you are frying 3 large tomatoes because the coating does absorb some of the oil.
Heat enough oil to a depth of 1/4 to 1/2 inch in your skillet over medium heat to between 360F and 375F degrees or until very hot but not smoking.
It's ok for the coated tomato slices to wait while the oil heats up. You don't want to get your oil too hot.
Drain them on paper towels and enjoy!
Cool tool for checking oil temperature for frying
I absolutely love using a digital, no contact infrared thermometer. You just point it at the oil and it reads the temp.
Amazing!
Remember, this carpenter's tool is meant for surface temperatures, not internal temps or on humans.
Air fryer fried green tomatoes
Since this dredging method isn't a messy, drippy batter, you can use this recipe to fry green tomatoes in the air fryer.
While the air fryer is preheating, use an oil sprayer to generously spray both sides of the dredged tomato slices with oil. Air fry in a single layer at 390F degrees for 4 to 5 minutes or until golden on the top. Carefully turn them over and air fry another 2 to 3 minutes or until golden brown on top.
How to reheat
The most common way to reheat any leftover fried green tomatoes is in the oven. Of course, they are best served hot and fresh. To reheat them straight from the fridge, bake them at 400F degrees for 7 or 8 minutes or until thoroughly heated and crisp.
How to freeze
It's easy to preserve fried green tomatoes in the freezer to reheat for later. I recommend layering them in a freezer container between wax paper or parchment paper. This is a better way to keep the coating from breaking off like they would in a resealable zip top bag.
Videos
Click on the images below to watch my video how-to's for Fried Green Tomatoes (Perfect Every Time) on WBRC's Good Day Alabama and ABC 33/40's Talk of Alabama.
Kathleen showing tv host the best way to fry tomatoes.
I did not grow up eating fried green tomatoes but when I tried them for the first time in my twenties, it was love at first bite, for sure.
I did eat my fair share of other Southern fried side dishes, though, including fried yellow squash, okra, and pan-fried potatoes.
FAQ
To make fried green tomatoes without cornmeal, simply double the fine dry breadcrumbs and omit the cornmeal. You can also just dredge them in seasoned flour before frying. These will still be delicious but slightly less crunchy.
I use yellow cornmeal in most of my recipes. It is a personal preference but I believe we also eat with our eyes and the sunny yellow color is much more inviting to me and stands out on my plate. And as a food stylist, I would always pick the colorful yellow over white.
The variety of tomato is not as important as the firmness of the green tomato when choosing a tomato for fried green tomatoes. Heirloom tomatoes tend to be unevenly shaped and harder to get that perfect round slice. Any evenly round green tomatoes like Beefsteak are the best choice.
I like to use small to medium size green tomatoes so I can get more of the crunch coating in every bite. And to be honest, that's the size my little garden produces!
It's ok if your green tomatoes start to turn yellow or orange before you get a chance to fry them. They will just be less tangy and slightly softer.
Simple fried green tomatoes can be made with really green or slightly yellowish-green tomatoes. If they get any more ripe than that, the sugars have developed and the tomato gets a little too sweet for my taste.
Green tomatoes vs. red tomatoes
You can fry red tomatoes but be prepared for a lot more tomato juice that will potentially make the crunchy coating soggy. Red tomatoes are also sweeter, rather than tangy and will fry up slightly mushy in the middle.
The short answer to keeping unripe tomatoes green is to store them in the refrigerator. You can keep green tomatoes in cold storage to prevent them from releasing ethylene gas which cause them to ripen.
This is actually how tomatoes can be picked green in one part of the country to arrive in another country and slowly turn red when they are removed to room temperature.
What to serve with fried green tomatoes
If you're serving them as a summer appetizer, the best secret dipping sauce is my Comeback Sauce.
They can be serve alongside these dishes or in them like a BLT sandwich.
- Grilled burgers
- Easy Cheesy Baked Mac and Cheese
- Crab Cakes
- Breakfast sandwich
- Eggs Benedict
- Green Beans
- Fried and mashed potatoes
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Best Fried Green Tomatoes (Perfect Every Time)
Equipment
- 10 inch cast iron or stainless steel skillet with high sides
Ingredients
- 3 small to medium green tomatoes (unripe tomatoes)
- Vegetable oil, canola oil or peanut oil (About 2 cups)
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt, divided
- 1/4 cup buttermilk, whole milk, or 2% milk
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup cornmeal (I prefer yellow)
- 1/4 cup fine dry breadcrumbs
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Rinse the green tomatoes with cool water and pat them dry with paper towels. Slice them into 1/4 inch thick for thin slices and 3/8 inch thick for thick slices. (That's between 1/4 and 1/2" thick).
- Gather 3 small plates or shallow bowls.In one plate, combine the flour and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt.
- In the second plate, whisk together the milk and egg with a fork. In the third plate, the cornmeal, breadcrumbs, black pepper, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt.
- Working with 2 or 3 tomato slices at a time, press the tomato slice into the flour, coating both sides. If the flour doesn't stick to the edge of the tomato, run the edges through the egg/milk mixture, then back in the flour.
- Dip the flour coated slice into the egg/milk mixture, then gently press it into the cornmeal mixture.
- Pour enough oil into a cast iron or stainless steel skillet to reach a depth of 1/4" to 1/2". Heat the oil over medium heat until very hot (360 to 375 degreesF) but not smoking. You will know it is ready when you sprinkle a few grains of cornmeal in it and it immediately sizzles.
- I use tongs or a slotted spoon to lower the tomatoes, one at a time, into the hot oil and to remove them. Cook them about 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown on both sides.
- If the tomato slices do not sizzle, the oil is probably not hot enough and will absorb too much oil and take too long to get brown on the outside. This also causes the tomatoes to overcook and become mushy. Drain the tomatoes on paper towels and enjoy when warm but not too hot!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition analysis on GritsAndGouda.com recipes are mostly calculated on an online nutrition calculator. I am not a dietitian and nutritional information is an estimate and can vary based on products used.
Updated June 9, 2023 with valuable information and new images.
Sharon P
I made your fried green tomatoes recipe today, along with pork cutlets, both done on cast iron ! Fantastic!,, I only had herb & garlic bread crumbs, and my Hubby said it was the Best Fried Green Tomatoes that I’ve ever made !!!! I totally agree ! I had watched your video as well ! ❤️ The paper plates idea too ! Thanks again ! Sharon P from Michigan !
gritsandgouda
Yay! I'm so glad you both loved them! Thank you for sharing. It's great to hear from someone in Michigan!
Nancy
Made the fried green tomatoes and totally enjoyed them.
Kathleen
I'm so glad you enjoyed them! They are my favorite served on a burger, too!
Jesse
Love this recipe. But I dry them on a brown paper bag because paper towels can stick to the tomato slices.
Kathleen
What a great way to recycle clean paper bags! Thanks for sharing!
Jan
This is the best recipe I've found. I will stop looking and use this from now on.
Kathleen
Oh thank you so much! You've made my day! So glad you loved the recipe!
Sharon
you had mentioned fried green tomatoes baked in the oven but i can't find the recipe? thank you- can't wait to try this recipe this weekend
gritsandgouda
I have a recipe for Oven-Fried Okra. would that be the recipe you are thinking of? I don't have one for baking fried green tomatoes. Here's the link to the okra.https://gritsandgouda.com/fried-baked-okra/ I haven't used this coating on fried green tomatoes but it may work. Let me know if you try it!
Carol Jackson
When I served these tonight, I told my husband I didn't know what to expect. Neither of us had even eaten fried green tomatoes before. We're now converts - love these!! Best thing, I planted a new kind of tomatoe this year and although large, they're very bland. But they're fabu for this recipe! Thank you so much.
gritsandgouda
I love trying new things and so glad you tried my fried green tomatoes! Your new tomato variety sounds perfect for them. Green tomatoes are often overlooked as useless in the garden at the end of the season, too. I like to fry the small green ones and eat them like appetizers/chips! Thank you for sharing your recipe experience with me!
Liz
Best Fried Green tomatoes ever!!!!!! Used buttermilk in the egg mixture! Fantastic!
gritsandgouda
I love the idea of using buttermilk! Thank you for sharing and I'm thrilled you loved my fried green tomatoes recipe!
Christina Browning
II made this for dinner . And this is the first time ever in my life and I did not have soggy fried green tomatoes God bless you for this recipe thank you
gritsandgouda
That makes me so happy! Yay! Best comment ever! Thank you for sharing and I'm so glad you loved them.
Michelle Parrish
Ive always struggled to successfully fry tomatoes because the breading always came off! This recipe was perfect!! Easy and everything fried beautifully!
gritsandgouda
This comment makes me so happy! I'm thrilled to know my recipe solved a problem for you and that you loved it! Thank you for sharing.
Kristen
Can I use this recipe and “fry” them in the oven?
gritsandgouda
It won't be quite the same but it is possible to bake them. I recommend spraying the cornmeal coated tomato slices with oil in a spray bottle (not aerosol cooking spray). If they do not have any oil on them at all, they won't get crispy. Brushing them with olive oil or vegetable oil would work fairly well, but be careful not to rake off the coating. Try baking them at 400F degrees fot 20 minutes, then turn them and bake until lightly browned. Let me know if you try it!
sheilobobeil0
I made this with just panko bread crumbs (instead of cornmeal). They were awesome. First time ever making and eating fried green tomatos... I ate nearly all of them in one sitting.
gritsandgouda
I love the idea of using Panko! So happy you tried my fried green tomato recipe as your first experience with them. They are addictive, for sure!
Chriscilla
I plan to make this in the near future, but I just wanted to let you know that your print recipe link just takes me to a duplicate of this page.
gritsandgouda
Oh! Thank you! I immediately put in a support ticket to get this looked into! Hopefully, it will be fixed in a jiffy. I'm so glad you are going to make these and that you alerted me to this issue!
John Rhoe aka. “Moose”
Good old-fashioned eats, and you know it.. My Sissy Francis came visiting back in 2010 and we spent a day hunting for okra, summer squash, paddipan squash, and green tomatoes. We did up a country fried dinner loaded with memories and special dips. We were tripping back to childhood. This post holds just such a ticket. Thanks!
gritsandgouda
I'm so glad you loved the post. It sounds like you had a wonderful time gathering and cooking up some good old fashioned memories! Thank you for sharing with me!
Quanna Brown
Want a few more tips for crispy breaded fried anything?
If the food can hold up to a cold water soak prior to battering them, do so. Then by adding baking powder to your flour mixture helps crisp your batter. Another step or trick to get crispy is cold batter and hot oil. If you can keep your batter items cold before placing them in the hot oil, it is amazing. Lastly, when draining your cooked food, lay them on a cooling rack with the paper towels underneath so that the food doesn’t lay in the oil. 😃
gritsandgouda
I'm always open to suggestions and love tips and tricks. I agree about the hot oil. I wouldn't go any hotter than my 375 degrees. That's an interesting tip about baking powder in a batter for fried foods. I'll be sure to try that when I am frying something with a wet batter like shrimp. Thanks for sharing!
Quanna Brown
I have a suggestion for an added little kick to fried green tomatoes. Prior to battering them sprinkle them with lemon pepper seasoning. Lemon brings up the tangy zip of the tomatoes.
gritsandgouda
Oh yes! I love that idea. I'll try it! Thanks for sharing.