How to Make Fried Green Tomatoes

You don’t have to wait for the tomatoes in the garden to ripen before enjoying them. Green tomatoes have a wonderful slightly lemon flavor and a firm yet tender texture that makes them perfect for frying. A beefsteak variety of tomato is the best for frying. Learn about beefsteak tomatoes in Growing Tomatoes 101: A Simple Guide for Beginners.

Slice the tomatoes from the bottom up a little less than ¼” thick. Set out a plate with a few layers of paper towel on it to be ready for absorbing the oil from the freshly fried green tomato slices.

Make sure your deep fat fryer has fresh oil or shortening in it. Preheat your fryer to about 360°

In a small bowl, beat 1 egg and add to it 3 Tbs. of water to create an egg wash.

In a plastic bag, mix together 2 cups of flour, 1 cup of yellow cornmeal, and about 1 tablespoon of your favorite all-purpose seasoning. I’m using Corky’s Cookout Seasoning. We LOVE it! Close the bag and shake it well to combine the flour, cornmeal, and seasoning.

Place the tomato slices in the egg wash and toss them with a fork to coat them well. Then, one by one, place 3-5 slices in the flour mixture in the plastic bag. Toss the tomato slices lightly in the bag to coat them well with the flour mixture. Let them sit for about 15 seconds so the egg wash on the tomatoes can absorb the flour mixture. It’ll stick better to your tomato slices when cooking if you do this.

When your fryer is ready, carefully pick up each slice and gently place it edge-first into the hot oil.

The Frying Part

Fry them for about 2 minutes on each side. Shake the basket back and forth in the oil while the tomato slices are frying to discourage them from sticking to one another. After frying a couple of minutes, use a fork to carefully flip them over to cook on the other side.

When the tomato slices are golden brown on both sides, lift the basket out of the fryer. Hold it over the hot oil for a few seconds to drain the excess oil back into the fryer. Then carefully dump the basket of fried green tomatoes onto a plate that has a few layers of paper towel to absorb the oil from the slices.

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Tips for Deep Fat Frying

I like to use a deep fat fryer because it cooks evenly and more cleanly than frying in a skillet. In a skillet, the coating that falls to the bottom tends to burn quickly causing smoke and making the flavors a little off.

Keep the Oil or Shortening Fresh

Keeping the oil or shortening fresh is important. Yes, it can be reused, but I like to change it out after about 5 fried batches of something. If your oil is foaming when you place the food in it, that’s a clear sign it needs changing.

Make sure enough oil is in the fryer to completely cover the food you’re cooking.

I recommend a fryer that cooks with the heating coil right in the oil with the food cooked in a basket placed in the hot oil. The heating is much better and the food is wonderfully crunchy.

Good fats for deep frying are lard (hands-down the best!), vegetable shortening, peanut oil, corn oil, and vegetable oil. Check your favorite oil’s label to see if it can withstand the high temperature of deep frying.

Do not deep fry with olive oil, coconut oil, avocado oil, or grapeseed oil. They cannot withstand the high temperatures required for deep frying.

Remove Ice Crystals from Frozen Food

If you fry frozen foods, make sure there are no ice crystals on the food. These will cause the oil to pop and splatter and make a horrible mess. If there are ice crystals present, microwave the frozen food on low just until they’re gone, then blot the food with a paper towel to remove the moisture.