Crispy cornmeal-breaded air fryer okra is a snap to make with much less oil than the Southern classic. It makes a satisfying plant-based appetizer or side dish!
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Y'all, I love fried okra. And this air fryer okra with cornmeal breading is based on my favorite fried okra in all of Atlanta.
Six Feet Under, a restaurant here in town, makes bangin' fried okra. Instead of the little rounds that are so breading-heavy, they simply slice their okra in half. It's a whole different fried okra experience, and it's a far superior method, in my estimation.
Of course, their crispy cornmeal okra is deep fried. In this homemade version, we are making air fryer okra. It's just as crispy-crunchy with a lot less oil and a lot less cleanup.
If you love okra, also check out my recipes for air fryer frozen okra and spicy quick pickled okra!
💖 Why You'll Love this Recipe
- simple to make with only 5 ingredients, plus herbs and spices
- deep fried flavor in air fried form - just use a little spray oil
- flavorful, crunchy breading with tender okra inside
- serve with creamy dipping sauce of choice!
- naturally soy-free and nut-free as long as your vegan milk is soy-free and/or nut-free
✓ Ingredients and Substitutions
- vegan buttermilk - Choose a creamy milk, like soy or oat milk, and mix with a little vinegar, so it curdles. Boom! Vegan buttermilk. Choose nut-free and/or soy-free vegan milk, if needed.
- okra - You'll slice the okra in half lengthwise before breading.
- cornmeal - Adds texture and flavor to the breading.
- flour - Helps the cornmeal stick and fully coat the okra pieces.
- salt and spices - We are adding a ton of great seasoning to the breading with Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper. You can also add some cayenne, if you want a kick, or some regular or smoked paprika, if you want even more flavor in the breading.
🔪 How to Make Air Fried Okra
In a large bowl, mix together the milk/vinegar mixture and the okra. In another large bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, and seasonings.
Toss the okra by the handful in the cornmeal mixture, and transfer it to a lined baking sheet in a single layer. Put the okra into the freezer for 15 minutes.
Transfer the okra from the baking sheet to your air fryer basket, until you've filled the bottom with a single layer. It's okay if they are touching some, but you don't want a ton of overlap. Spray the okra lightly with the spray oil, and air fry for eight to 12 minutes at 400° F, stopping every four minutes to shake the basket and spritz any parts of the okra that look dry with the spray oil. Your okra is cooked when it's golden brown.
Repeat with the remaining okra, until it's all cooked. You can keep the cooked okra warm on a cookie sheet in the oven at 200° F while you cook the rest of the batches. It will take two to three batches, depending on the size of your air fryer.
💡 Helpful Tips
- Mix the non-dairy milk with the vinegar before you start slicing the okra, so it has time to curdle. Curdling isn't usually the goal with cooking, but today it is!
- Don't skip the chilling step! Chilling helps the coating set, so it coats the okra the best.
- You want the okra in a single layer in your air fryer basket, so they don't stick together, and they get nice and crispy-crunchy.
- It's very important that you use non-aerosol spray oil in this recipe, because you will be spraying the okra while it's in the air fryer basket. Aerosol oil sprayers can damage your basket's nonstick. Invest in a spray bottle like this one.
- Total cooking time will depend on the size of your okra and on your air fryer, so keep an eye on it during the last few minutes of cooking time.
- If you are cooking in batches, the second batch will cook more quickly, because the air fryer will be hot from the jump. Just check in often during those last 4 minutes. Your okra is cooked when it's golden brown.
🍽️ How to Serve and Store
You can certainly devour this as-is, but it's also lovely with a dipping sauce. Here are some ideas:
- 2 tablespoons vegan mayo mixed with 1 to 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
- cashew ranch dressing
- garlic cashew cream sauce
- avocado-lime-basil aioili
Really, any creamy dipping sauce is fair game here.
Air fryer okra is also a great bowls or salad topper to add some crispiness!
Store leftover air fryer okra in the refrigerator in an airtight container, where it will keep for three to five days.
♨️ How to Reheat Air Fryer Okra
To reheat your air fried okra, toss it back into the air fryer at 350° F for three to five minutes. There's no need to worry about a single layer here. If it's not fully warmed up, just give it a shake and cook for another few minutes at 350° F.
I wouldn't microwave this to reheat it, because it will be mushy.
More Air Fryer Veggies!
📖 Recipe
Air Fryer Okra
Ingredients
- ¼ cup soy milk or oat milk mixed with 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- ¼ pound fresh okra sliced in half lengthwise (about 4 cups)
- ⅓ cup cornmeal
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¾ teaspoon black pepper
- spray oil
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix together the milk/vinegar mixture and the okra. In another large bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, and seasonings. Toss the okra by the handful in the cornmeal mixture, and transfer it to a lined baking sheet in a single layer. Put the okra into the freezer for 15 minutes.
- Transfer the okra from the baking sheet to your air fryer basket, until you've filled the bottom with a single layer. It's okay if they are touching some, but you don't want a ton of overlap. Spray the okra lightly with the spray oil, and air fry for 8 to 12 minutes at 400° F, stopping every 4 minutes to shake the basket and spritz any parts of the okra that look dry with the spray oil. Your okra is cooked when it's golden brown.
- Repeat with the remaining okra, until it's all cooked. You can keep the cooked okra warm on a cookie sheet in the oven at 200° F while you cook the rest of the batches. It will take 2 to 3 batches, depending on the size of your air fryer.
Cadry
Thank you for helping out an okra neophyte! This recipe was really easy to follow. The okra got nice & crispy in the air fryer, and the breading was very flavorful. I dipped the fried okra in vegan ranch dressing.
Becky Striepe
Thank you so much, Cadry! I definitely endorse ranch for all dipping purposes!
Jwiltz
These were really good. Nice and crispy. It was the first time I have made okra, and it turned out perfect. I ate the whole batch. I would definitely make it again.
Becky Striepe
That's wonderful to hear, Jwiltz! So glad I could help introduce you to the deliciousness of crispy okra!