Fried Green Tomatoes

The one thing I love about spring and summer gardens is all of the fresh fruits and vegetables. Being southern one of those delicious summer veggies is green tomatoes. I absolutely love fried green tomatoes, especially on a good BLT.

This recipe is my go-to recipe for really good fried green tomatoes. It is a well-seasoned, slightly spicy, and crispy coating paired with the tartness of the green tomatoes. If you do not like green tomatoes, you can slice up some barely ripened red tomatoes and fry them up as well. This coating mix goes really well with red tomatoes as well.

Let me share with you our favorite fried green tomato recipe.

INGREDIENTS:

1 C. Flour – divided
1/2 C. Bread Crumbs
1/2 C. Cornmeal
2 Eggs
1 C. Buttermilk
Salt and pepper
2 Tsp. Garlic powder
1 1/2 Tsp. Onion powder
1 Tsp. Paprika
1/2 to 1 Tsp. Cayenne pepper
1 Tsp. Parsley
Green Tomatoes – Sliced 1/3-inch thick

DIRECTIONS:

1. Cut your tomatoes and line them on a plate or wire rack. Season both sides liberally with salt. Let them sit for about 20 minutes. This will draw out excess moisture and will allow the tomatoes to be a bit more sturdy when cooking.
2. Pat both sides of the tomatoes off with a paper towel and set aside.
3. In bowl 1 combine 1/2 cup of flour, salt, and pepper. Mix well.
4. In bowl 2 combine the other 1/2 cup of flour, breadcrumbs, cornmeal, salt, pepper, and other spices. Mix well.
5. In bowl 3 combine the eggs and buttermilk. Mix well.
6. Add enough oil to a large skillet to come up 1/4 inch on the sides of the pan. Turn heat to medium-low heat and allow it to get hot.
7. In the meantime bread your tomatoes. Coat your tomatoes in the flour mixture (bowl 1) and make sure to shake off any excess.
8. Coat the tomatoes in the buttermilk mixture allowing the excess to drip off.
9. Place the tomatoes into the breadcrumb mixture and coat well on both sides. I like to press the mixture onto the tomatoes to get a bit more extra coating. Place them on a plate while you finish up the rest.
10. Once the oil is hot, carefully lower the coated tomatoes into the hot oil using tongs. Let them fry on one side until golden. You can see the edges beginning to brown. It should take about 3 or 4 minutes. Carefully flip them over and allow them to cook on the other side for about 2 to 3 minutes or until golden brown. Remove them to a sheet tray that has been lined with paper towels and a wire rack. Immediately sprinkle them with salt. Finish up the rest.
11. Serve and enjoy.

• I like to serve mine with Chipotle ketchup. I like spicy food but plain ol ketchup will do just fine. Here is how I make my Chipotle ketchup. It is so easy. 1/2 cup ketchup and 2 tsp ground Chipotle peppers in adobo. Start off with a little of Chipotle and add more if you need to for your level of spiciness. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 1 to 2 weeks.
• As stated above you can use red tomatoes in the place of green tomatoes. Just make sure the red tomatoes are a bit more sturdy instead of a softer texture.
• These make really good BLTs.
• Add a little cayenne pepper to the breadcrumb mixture. Start out with a little and add more if needed. Build it up to your heat tolerance. I would start off with 1/4 tsp and build up from there.