Fried Green Tomatoes are very popular in South Louisiana where vegetable gardens and roadside stands are overflowing with many varieties of fresh tomatoes. This includes Creole Tomatoes, the name for any variety of tomatoes grown in the rich alluvial soils along the river, primarily in St. Bernard and Plaquemines Parish. Tart, firm tomatoes, before they have ripened are sliced and breaded, then quickly fried to a golden brown. One bite of the crisp thin fried green tomato and you'll be headed back for more.
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A Simple Process
Choose a full-size, not yet-ripe tomato and slice it. Use salt to remove as much of the moisture as possible, then bread it in any number of delicious coatings of anything from flour to cornmeal to breadcrumbs. Quickly fry them in hot oil for a few minutes until golden brown and crispy. Then they are ready to eat all by themselves or in a variety of ways that are only limited by your imagination. Be prepared, you'll be doing this every year during tomato season.
Here’s What You Need
Here are some of the key ingredients for this recipe:
Note on the Tomatoes: Use any variety of unripe tomatoes.
Note on the Creole Seasoning and Salt: I developed this recipe using Le Bon Papa Creole Seasoning, a No Salt all purpose Creole or Cajun seasoning. If you use a different brand, check the salt content before you any salt to the breading. You should still use salt to help extract some of the moisture from the tomatoes before breading.
Note on the breading: Check the Hints and Tips (FAQ) Section below for options other than breadcrumbs
Equipment
Here is some of the equipment I used in making this recipe:
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. The price you pay as a consumer does not change, but I may make a small commission based on your purchase. These items from Amazon will help you with this recipe:
I also used this IR Thermometer and this timer from Thermoworks.
Note on Cast Iron Skillet: A cast iron skillet is my choice when I'm frying things. It's durable, improves with use, handles the heat well, and when properly cared for, is non-stick. Heat the oil slowly, starting with medium or medium-low heat.
Here’s What You Do
First…you have a beer. This is the type of recipe that's fun to make with some family or friends helping out. Enjoy some beers, then start out by reading the recipe all the way through. That way, you'll know what ingredients and equipment you'll need, make sure you have everything, and learn what you're going to do with each item. The mise en place for this recipe is almost the most important step, and it's as easy as pie.
Mise en Place
Slice tomatoes to approximately ¼ to ½ inch.
Place the tomato slices on a cooling rack and sprinkle both sides of each slice with kosher salt. Set this aside for 15 to 30 minutes while the salt draws moisture from the tomatoes.
Set up three containers to use as the breading stations.
- In the first container place the AP Flour and 2 tablespoons of Creole seasoning. Mix well.
- In the next container scramble 2 eggs and add milk and Tabasco.
- In the third container place the breadcrumbs and ½ teaspoon each of Kosher Salt and Ground Black Pepper.
Note on Breading: You can use other breadings besides Bread Crumbs. Check out the Hints and Tips (FAQ) section below for more on that.
Add ½ inch oil to a cast iron skillet. The amount of oil will vary depending on the size of the skillet.
Bread the tomato slices
What happens in this step? If the breading process is done correctly, the result will be a crispy, crunchy fried green tomato.
Wipe each tomato slice with a paper towel to remove the moisture that has accumulated.
Use the dry-wet-dry method to bread the slices:
- Place each slice of tomato in the seasoned flour and coat both sides. Let the tomato sit for a minute in the flour.
- Shake off the excess flour, dip the floured tomato in the egg wash, and coat thoroughly.
- Allow any excess egg wash to drip off, then dredge the tomatoes in the bread crumbs, pressing the bread crumbs lightly into the tomatoes.
Let the breaded tomatoes rest on the cooling rack for 5 minutes while the oil comes up to temperature.
Fry the breaded tomatoes
What happens in this step? Now that the tomatoes have been properly coated, the next factor in a crispy fried tomato is the oil temperature and frying time.
Heat the oil to 360 degrees.
Pro Tip: I start out slow when I'm heating oil in a cast iron skillet. Set your heat to medium or just below. Check the temperature as it increases so that it does not overheat.
Place the breaded tomato slice into the pre-heated oil and fry for about 2 minutes on each side. Place the fried tomatoes on a cooling rack over a paper towel-lined baking sheet to drain.
Pro Tip: Don't overcrowd the pan with tomatoes because this will make it difficult for the oil to maintain temperature. Fry the tomatoes in batches. Make sure to let the oil come back to temperature between batches.
Pro Tip: Want a crisp crust? Make sure your oil is hot enough, but not too hot. I have found that the range from 360 to 375 degrees Fahrenheit is a perfect temperature zone for the oil. If your oil is cooler than that, the coating will have a tendency to absorb a lot of oil, and the crust will be soggy. Much hotter than that, the outside will cook a lot faster than the inside and the crust will be too browned and the fruit will still be raw.
I use an Infrared Thermometer like this one from Thermoworks (of which I am an affiliate and earn a modest commission on sales through my website) to make sure my oil temperature is just right. This is my go-to timer for timing the fry.
Ways to Serve Fried Green Tomatoes
Fried Green Tomatoes are at their best just after frying. Once they have drained for a few minutes, the crust is at its crispiest and the tomato's natural tartness has mellowed and the fruit has softened. These morsels are just dying to be dipped in Sweet Daddy D's White Remoulade Sauce!
These are also an excellent appetizer served with Cajun Dipping Sauce, on top of a salad of fresh greens with Cajun Thousand Island Dressing, or even as an entre with Crawfish Cream Sauce ladled right on top! What's your favorite way?
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Hints and Tips (FAQ)
Green tomatoes are nothing more than tomatoes that have not yet ripened and turned red. Compared to a ripe tomato, green tomatoes have firmer skin and a sharper, more tart taste. The fruit inside is at its firmest with a lower water content than ripe tomatoes. These characteristics make them perfect candidates for frying.
Just about any variety of unripened tomatoes will work. I have seen a lot of recommendations for Beefsteak tomatoes, but try to get full-size tomatoes that have not started to ripen. Be careful with some heirloom varieties because they may have a different color than traditional tomatoes that go from green to red.
You can make them in advance up to the point they are ready to fry. Go all the way through the breading step, then place the breaded slices on a parchment paper-lined baking pan and place them in the freezer for up to 2 hours. Once fully frozen, lay a flat layer of frozen tomatoes in a vacuum-sealed bag. If you layer your frozen tomatoes, place some parchment paper between each layer before vacuum sealing. If you don't have a vacuum sealer, use a freezer bag or other air-tight container. These should maintain their quality for two months frozen and can be cooked without defrosting.
Leftover Fried Green Tomatoes (if there is such a thing) can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 2 to 3 days. You can reheat them in a frying pan, or in the oven or air fryer. I do not recommend freezing cooked fried green tomatoes.
If you'd like to try different breedings, think about these options: Corn Meal; Corn Flour; Plain or Seasoned AP Flour; Corn Meal/Corn Flour 50/50 mix; Corn Meal or Corn Flour/Breadcrumbs 50/50 mix. The first two steps of seasoned flour and egg mixture should be used with any breading.
Le Bon Papa Cajun Seafood Fry is a great breading mix that's perfect with Fried Green Tomatoes. Use your discount code FYHAB10 for a discount on your order.
Check out these other great recipes from Sweet Daddy D:
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Yeah You Right!
Recipe
Fried Green Tomatoes
Here's What You Need
- 4 Green Tomatoes
- 1 cup All-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons Creole seasoning See Notes
- 1 cup Seasoned Bread Crumbs See Notes
- 1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt in all
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 Eggs
- ½ cup whole milk
- 1 teaspoon Tabasco See Notes
- 1 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper Optional, or to taste
- Vegetable or Canola oil for frying
Here's What You Do
- Slice tomatoes to approximately ¼ inch. Sprinkle with about 1 teaspoon of kosher salt over both sides of all the tomatoes. Place on a cooling rack for 15 to 30 minutes.
Breading Stations
- In one container beat 2 eggs and add milk and Tabasco.
- In the next container place the AP Flour and 2 tablespoons of Creole seasoning. Mix well.
- In the third container place the breadcrumbs and ½ teaspoon each of Kosher Salt and Ground Black Pepper.
Fry the tomatoes
- Add about ½ inch oil to a cast iron skillet. The amount of oil will vary depending on the size of the skillet.
- Heat the oil to 360 degrees.
- While the oil is heating, pat the tomato slices dry with a paper towel.
- Dredge each tomato in the seasoned flour to coat both sides. Let the tomato sit for a minute in the flour.
- Shake off the excess flour; dip the floured tomato in the egg wash, and coat thoroughly.
- Allow any excess egg wash to drip off, then dredge the tomatoes in the bread crumbs, pressing the bread crumbs lightly into the tomatoes. Let the breaded tomatoes rest on a cooling rack for 5 minutes.
- Place the breaded tomato slices into the preheated oil and fry for 2 minutes on each side. Do not crowd the pan, do this in batches if necessary.
- Remove the fried tomatoes to a paper towel baking sheet to drain. You can place a cooling rack over the paper towels if desired.
Recipe Notes
- Corn Meal;Â
- Corn Flour;Â
- Plain or Seasoned AP Flour;Â
- Corn Meal/Corn Flour 50/50 mix;Â
- Corn Meal or Corn Flour/Breadcrumbs 50/50 mix.Â
Nutrition
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Louisiana is a wonderful place where the rich cultural heritage enriches and entertains. I'm Dave Howson, aka Sweet Daddy D. I'm glad you found my website and I look forward to exploring the cultural mosaic of Louisiana with you…
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Jan S.
I enjoy trying several FGT recipes. One thing I always do is to peel the tomatoes. I use a serrated peeler. What this does is it lets the breading mixture stick to every bit of the tomato. The skin is so thick & slippery so the breading doesn't want to stick. That way, the oil doesn't seep in & make them soggy. It's worth noting that the same method works great for eggplant.
Sweet Daddy D
Thanks, Jan. That's interesting. I've found the breading sticks better if the layer of flour isn't too thick and sets for a minute or so before dipping in the egg. Same goes for the outer breading, let it set for at least 5 minutes before dropping on the oil. Thanks for reaching out.