Fried Green Tomatoes

This fried green tomatoes recipe will make you want to harvest tomatoes as soon as possible!

For a delish summery side dish or snack, slice green tomatoes, bread them and then fry them in oil until crispy, golden, and delicious.

This southern-style dish is a classic, and once you try it, you’ll understand why!

Crispy Fried Green Tomatoes

Totally delicious fried green tomatoes will make you happy that those end-of-summer tomatoes never ripened on the vine!
A simple recipe that is fun to make.

Ingredients for Fried Green Tomatoes

Green Tomatoes – It’s always a struggle to figure out what to do with tomatoes that never ripened, but green tomatoes taste the best made this way. Can’t get enough? Go ahead and use very firm red tomatoes as well, or a combination of both!

Buttermilk – If you don’t have any on hand, pour 1 tbsp of white vinegar or lemon juice into a liquid measuring cup. Fill to ¾ cup with whole milk, stir, and let rest for 5 minutes.

Breading – Seasoned flour and cornmeal give this recipe a classic crispy coating, but feel free to substitute Panko if desired. For an option without gluten, use a favorite GF flour with gluten-free cornmeal, seasoning, and spices.

green tomatoes , cornmeal , flour , oil , buttermilk, paprika , salt and pepper , garlic with labels to make Fried Green Tomatoes

Fun Twists on Fried Tomatoes

Change things up easily with this recipe! Add some parmesan cheese to the cornmeal mixture! To make it spicy, try it with some taco seasoning or Adobo, or add some Cajun seasoning to the cornmeal mix. Or go for Greek or Italian seasoning for a milder version.

If you like a classic BLT sandwich or club sandwich, try swapping out the fresh tomatoes for fried green tomatoes!

When it comes to dipping, the sky is the limit!

How to Make Fried Green Tomatoes

For simple frying, slice & season tomatoes.
Dredge tomatoes in flour mixture, dip in buttermilk, then cornmeal mixture (per the recipe below).
Without crowding, add tomatoes to hot oil and cook for 2-3 minutes per side.
Drain on a paper towel and season with salt.

dipping tomatoes in batter to make Fried Green Tomatoes

To bake – Follow the recipe below as directed, but preheat the oven to 375 degrees F, and line a shallow pan with parchment paper. When tomatoes are ready for frying, spray them with cooking oil and bake for 15 minutes per side.

In the Air Fryer – Prepare and bread tomatoes as per the recipe below. Preheat the air fryer to 400°F. Spray the air fryer basket with cooking oil. Spray breaded tomatoes with cooking oil and fry in batches for 10-12 minutes. Flip, spray the other side with oil, then fry for about 4-5 minutes. Drain on a paper towel before serving.

Fried Green Tomatoes with a bite taken out of a piece

Tips for Fried Green Tomatoes

This fried green tomato recipe is best consumed fresh and hot, but reheating in a hot oiled pan or an air fryer at 350°F will make them taste as good as fresh!
Keep them stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
To prevent them from getting soggy, do not stack them, rather store them on a paper towel in single layers.

Tons of Garden Tomatoes?

Did you make these Fried Green Tomatoes? Be sure to leave a rating and a comment below!

5 from 1 vote↑ Click stars to rate now!
Or to leave a comment, click here!

This southern-style fried green tomatoes dish is the perfect addition to the summer menu!

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Author Holly Nilsson

Pour oil into a pan to ½” deep and preheat to 365°F.
Season both sides of tomato slices with salt and pepper.
In a shallow dish combine flour and garlic powder. Pour the buttermilk into a second shallow dish and in a third dish mix together the paprika and cornmeal.
Dredge tomato slices in flour, shaking off any excess. Dip in buttermilk, followed by the cornmeal mixture. Repeat with remaining slices.
When oil is hot, add tomatoes to the pan, a few at a time (don’t crowd) cooking 2-3 minutes per side until golden and crisp.
Drain on paper towels. Season with additional salt.

No buttermilk? No problem, simply add 1 tbsp of white vinegar or lemon juice to a liquid measuring cup. Fill to ¾ cup with whole milk, stir, and let rest for 5 minutes. This can be used in place of buttermilk in most recipes.
Nutritional information does not include all of the canola oil since it’s for frying purposes only.

Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.

Course Appetizer, Side Dish

Cuisine American

© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.