Fried Green Tomatoes

A Southern staple, fried green tomatoes are like slices of gold with their crispy coating and tender tomato center.

Table of Contents

Fried Green Tomatoes Ingredients
Substitutions And Additions
How To Make This Fried Green Tomatoes Recipe
How To Serve
Storing This Recipe For Fried Green Tomatoes
Why We Love This Recipe
Frequently Asked Questions
More Recipes You’ll Love
JUMP TO RECIPE
Even More Recipes You’ll Love

Our Southern classic fried green tomatoes are not to be missed with unripened tomatoes that are breaded in a flavorful breadcrumb and cornmeal coating and fried. They come out crispy on the outside and tender on the inside; be careful, they are addictive!

Fried Green Tomatoes Ingredients

fried green tomatoes raw ingredients that are labeled

The coating of these fried tomatoes is a savory mixture of flour, cornmeal, and spices, creating a crispy, golden-brown crust.

The buttermilk and hot sauce-infused batter provide a creamy richness with a hint of heat while the tangy tomatoes remain tender inside.

NOTE: Green tomatoes are just unripened red tomatoes. They are a bit more tart (in a very delicious way) than a fully ripened red tomato.

Remember that all tomato varieties taste different, so that also goes for green tomatoes.

Just try to find your favorite variety. A great place to find green tomatoes is at local farmers’ markets.

You’ll need:

Vegetable oil for frying (you will need enough oil to come up about 1 ½ inches in your skillet)
3 unripe green tomatoes, sliced
1 cup of all-purpose flour
1½ cups of buttermilk
1 egg
6 dashes of hot sauce
1 cup of regular breadcrumbs
½ cup of yellow cornmeal
1 teaspoon of Lawry’s seasoning salt
½ teaspoon of white pepper
½ teaspoon of garlic powder

PRO TIP:

You can make your own buttermilk using whole or 2% milk and lemon juice or distilled vinegar. For every 1 cup of milk, stir in 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar.

Substitutions And Additions

SPICE: If you like a little spicy kick, you can increase the amount of hot sauce in your buttermilk mixture.

SEASONING: You can substitute two teaspoons of a creole or cajun seasoning blend instead of the other spices in your breadcrumb mixture.

BREADCRUMBS: You can substitute panko bread crumbs for an extra crunchy crust on your tomatoes.

BUTTERMILK: If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, a handy substitute is to mix one cup of regular milk with one tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice.

Let it sit for about five minutes before using.

This DIY buttermilk will work just as well in the batter, giving your fried green tomatoes that tangy kick.

How To Make This Fried Green Tomatoes Recipe

Once you coat the tomatoes with the seasoned breadcrumb mixture, we’ll show you how to fry up the tomatoes to create this irresistible treat.

STEP ONE: In a heavy-duty large skillet that is at least three inches deep, heat your oil to 350°F.

It is best to use a thermometer so that you have an accurate reading of your oil temperature.

OUR RECIPE DEVELOPER SAYS

If you have an electric fryer, that would work great as well.

STEP TWO: Slice your tomatoes into ¼-inch thick slices and lay them on a plate lined with paper towels.

Once all of your tomatoes are sliced, place another paper towel on top of them and blot away as much excess moisture as possible.

tomatoes cut into slices on a baking tray

STEP THREE: Set up your dredging station by setting out three shallow dishes (about two inches deep). Pie plates work great for this.

STEP FOUR: In the first shallow dish, place your flour.

STEP FIVE: In the second dish, place your whisk buttermilk, eggs, and hot sauce together.

buttermilk, eggs, and hot sauce whisked together

STEP SIX: In the third dish, place the bread crumbs, cornmeal, seasoning salt, garlic powder, and pepper.

Mix them together until they are evenly combined.

bread crumbs, cornmeal, seasoning salt, garlic powder and pepper combined

STEP SEVEN: You will start dredging your green tomato slices by first evenly coating them in the flour.

You will want to carefully shake off any excess flour back into the dish.

STEP EIGHT: Dip your flour-coated green tomato into the buttermilk egg mixture, allowing any excess buttermilk to drip off back into the dish.

both side of tomatoes dredge in buttermilk mixture

STEP NINE: Place your buttermilk-coated green tomato into the last dish with the breadcrumb and cornmeal mixture.

Make sure all sides are evenly coated, and any excess mixture is gently shaken off back into the dish.

STEP TEN: Gently place your breaded tomato slices onto a clean plate and repeat this process until all of your green tomatoes are ready to be fried.

STEP ELEVEN: Carefully place three to four coated tomatoes into the hot oil and allow them to fry for two minutes or until a beautiful golden brown.

Make sure not to overcrowd your skillet, and keep an eye on your oil temperature. You want to make sure your oil stays at 350°F.

STEP TWELVE: Remove the fried green tomatoes and place them onto a plate lined with paper towels to absorb excess oil.

Repeat this process until all the green tomatoes are fried.

OUR RECIPE DEVELOPER SAYS

Garnish with a sprinkle of kosher salt after frying.

How To Serve

You can serve these crispy tomatoes as an appetizer with a simple side of ranch dipping sauce.

These also make a fantastic BLT sandwich. You will just substitute your sliced red tomatoes for these fried green tomatoes, along with the lettuce and bacon.

You could also pair the tomato slices with grilled chicken, burgers, or even pork chops.

Serve them with our iced tea, raspberry iced tea, sweet peach iced tea, or our southern strawberry sweet tea on the side, and you’ll have an authentic Southern-inspired meal.

These tomatoes are the perfect summer appetizer. For more appetizer options, check out our stuffed mushrooms and cucumber bites.

We also have plenty of Southern recipes. Try our tomato sandwich, fried pork chops, and Southern fried cabbage.

MORE FRIED RECIPES

Side Dishes

Cauliflower Fried Rice

Side Dishes

Crispy Fried Potatoes

Storing This Recipe For Fried Green Tomatoes

These fried green tomatoes should be enjoyed right away. They are tasty served warm or at room temperature.

IN THE FREEZER: We do not recommend freezing this recipe.

close up shot of a bite taken out of fried green tomatoes

Why We Love This Recipe

SOUTHERN CLASSIC: Fried green tomatoes are a beloved Southern dish that brings a taste of comfort and tradition to your table. The crispy, tangy tomatoes are a culinary symbol of the South, making this recipe a cherished part of Southern cuisine.

CRISPY TEXTURE: The combination of the cornmeal and breadcrumbs in the coating creates a delightful, crunchy texture that contrasts perfectly with the tender green tomatoes.

PERFECT APPETIZER OR SIDE DISH: Fried green tomatoes are versatile; they can be served as a delightful appetizer, a flavorful side dish, or even a satisfying snack.

This fried green tomatoes recipe is a great way to use up tomatoes at the end of the growing season when they don’t get a chance to ripen on the tomato plants before the weather turns cold. These delicious breaded tomatoes are perfect for a snack, a side dish, or on a sandwich.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do you use green tomatoes?

Unripened tomatoes are firmer and less juicy than their ripe counterparts. They tend to be tangier and milder in taste and perfect for frying.

What kind of hot oil is best for deep frying?

Fry only with oils that have a high smoking point. The smoking point is the temperature it takes for the oil to start to break down and smoke. Once it smokes, it’s not good for frying.

Good oils to use are peanut oil, canola oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil, corn oil, or vegetable oil. Olive oil, on the other hand, is not a good oil to fry in.

Where can I buy green tomatoes?

You may not find green tomatoes in all grocery stores. Your best bet to find an abundance of green tomatoes might be at a farmers’ market.

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Fried Green Tomatoes

5 from 7 votes

A Southern staple, fried green tomatoes are like slices of gold with their crispy coating and tender tomato center.

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 8

Total Time 23

Servings

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Ingredients

vegetable oil, for frying (you will need enough oil to come up about 1 ½ inches in your skillet)
3 green tomatoes, sliced
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 ½ cups buttermilk
1 egg
6 dashes hot sauce
1 cup regular bread crumbs
½ cup yellow cornmeal
1 teaspoon Lawry’s seasoning salt
½ teaspoon white pepper
½ teaspoon garlic powder

Instructions

In a heavy-duty skillet that is at least 3 inches deep, heat your oil to 350°F. It is best to use a thermometer so that you have an accurate reading of your oil temperature.
Prepare a clean plate with paper towels to place tomatoes on once fried and set aside.
Slice your tomatoes into ¼ inch thick slices and lay them on a plate lined with paper towels. Once all of your tomatoes are sliced, place another paper towel on top of them and blot away as much excess moisture as possible.
Set up your dredging station by setting out 3 shallow dishes, about 2 inches deep. Pie plates work great for this.
In the first dish place your flour.
In the second dish place your buttermilk, eggs, and hot sauce. Whisk them together.
In the third dish place the bread crumbs, cornmeal, seasoning salt, garlic powder, and pepper. Mix them together until they are evenly combined.
You will start dredging your green tomato slices by first evenly coating them in the flour. You will want to carefully shake off any excess flour back into the dish.
Next, dip your flour-coated green tomato into the buttermilk mixture again, allowing any excess buttermilk to drip off back into the dish.
Finally, you will place your buttermilk-coated green tomato into the last dish with the breadcrumb mixture. Make sure all sides are evenly coated, and any excess mixture is gently shaken off back into the dish.
Gently place your coated green tomato slice onto a clean plate and repeat this process until all of your green tomatoes are ready to be fried.
Carefully place 3 to 4 tomatoes into the hot oil and allow them to fry for 2 minutes or until a beautiful golden brown. Make sure to not overcrowd your skillet and keep an eye on your oil temperature. You want to make sure your oil stays at 350°F.
Remove the fried green tomatoes and place them onto the prepared plate to absorb excess oil. Repeat this process until all the green tomatoes are fried. At this point, you can sprinkle a small pinch of kosher salt onto the hot fried tomatoes.

Notes

If you have an electric fryer, that will work great also.

Nutrition

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Proudly Prepared by the Spaceships Kitchen

This recipe was developed, tested, cooked and photographed by the Spaceships Kitchen. From our dinner table to yours, we hope you think it's out of this world!

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Lexus Monroe Editorial Assistant
Angela Sessions Recipe Developer

Fried Green Tomatoes Recipe