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Roasted Okra

August 24, 2006 By Susan Voisin 55 Comments

Roasted okra is simple to prepare and delicious. Okra loses its characteristic sliminess when roasted and develops a sultry flavor. And it’s even easier to make in the air fryer.

Roasted Okra

My new favorite way to eat okra is so simple and easy that it almost can’t be called a recipe. All you have to do is wash the okra, put it in an oiled baking dish, sprinkle it with seasonings, and bake it. The beauty of this is that no cutting is involved, so you never come in contact with the dreaded slime!

The okra come out slightly crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and they’re perfect finger food (like green French fries, but don’t use ketchup). Even my husband, who says that okra is not his favorite vegetable, loved these. For me they’re the perfect side dish or light lunch–super-easy, fat-free, and delicious.

Smaller okra is best for roasting

One thing to bear in mind when you’re buying okra is that the smaller the okra, the better. Larger okra is tougher, and while that toughness might cook out in a gumbo or soup, it doesn’t when the okra is roasted. I spend a lot of time at the local farm stand selecting the smallest pods of okra I can find.

Roasted Okra from the Air Fryer

Roasted Okra in the Air Fryer

Update 8/6/18: Since I posted this recipe in 2006, a lot has changed in my kitchen, and maybe yours. Since then, I’ve invested in not one but two air fryers, a small Phillips Viva and a Breville Smart Oven Air.

Recently, I made this recipe again using the air frying setting on the Breville Air. Instead of a baking dish, I put the okra directly in the Breville’s wire basket. I set the temperature to 425F, and air fried the okra for 14 minutes.

The main difference between baking and air frying in the Breville is that I did not have to stir the okra at all. The pods were evenly cooked in 14 minutes. I also did not have to oil the air fryer basket, which is stainless steel and fairly non-stick.

I highly recommend the air fryer for roasting okra. If you have a model other than the Breville, I suggest cooking them at 390-400F for 10-14 minutes or until they are beginning to brown.

Roasted Okra
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Roasted Okra

Roasted okra is the simplest way to prepare okra. Okra loses its characteristic sliminess when roasted or air fried and develops a sultry flavor.
Course Side Dish, Vegetable
Cuisine Vegan
Keyword roasted okra
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 1
Author Susan Voisin

Ingredients

  • 1/2 pound small whole okra , per person
  • salt to taste
  • pepper to taste (or seasonings of choice)
  • olive oil spray (optional, if needed to prevent sticking)

Instructions

  • First, start with the smallest okra you can find. Larger okra tends to be woody, which wouldn't work in this recipe.
  • Wash the okra. Trim off any excess stems, but do not cut into the okra pod itself.
  • Preheat the oven to 450 F. Spray a shallow baking dish with olive oil, if necessary, add okra, and season to taste. Give the okra one quick (1/2 second) spray with olive oil and put them into the oven. Bake, stirring every 5 minutes, until okra is browned on all sides, about 15 minutes. Serve hot out of the oven.

Air Fryer Instructions

  • Preheat a standard air fryer to 390F or a Breville Air to 425F. Toss the freshly washed okra with seasoning and spread it in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Begin air frying, checking after about 7 minutes. Air fry until the okra is browning on all sides.

Notes

You can also jazz these up with spice blends such as garam masala, curry powder, chili powder, Creole seasonings, or jerk seasonings--whatever your taste demands. But simple salt and pepper is amazingly good and allows the fresh flavor of the okra to shine through.
Air fried okra naturally has zero Smart Points under Weight Watchers Freestyle Program.
Nutrition Facts
Roasted Okra
Amount Per Serving (1 serving)
Calories 70 Calories from Fat 2
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0.2g 0%
Sodium 9mg 0%
Total Carbohydrates 16g 5%
Dietary Fiber 7g 28%
Protein 5g 10%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutritional info is approximate.

Tried this recipe?Post a photo and mention @susanffvk or tag #fatfreevegan!

If you like Indian food, be sure to check out Roasted Okra Masala. And if you’re a fan of fried okra, try my battered, oven-fried version.

Please pin and share!

Roasted Okra: Roasted okra is the simplest way to prepare okra. Okra loses its characteristic sliminess when roasted or air fried and develops a sultry flavor. #vegan #gluten-free #wfpb

This post contains Amazon affiliate links. When you buy something through them, I receive a commission that helps support this site. Thanks for your purchase!

Filed Under: Recipes, Snacks, Vegetables, Zero Smart Points Tagged With: Air Fryer, Eat-to-Live, Gluten-free, Ridiculously Easy, Weight Watchers Points

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Comments

  1. Pann

    August 13, 2009 at 1:50 pm

    sounds good to me! I am growing okra in my garden this year, so I am excited to give it a try.

    I love the "green french fries" idea. wonder if my kids will agree?!

    Reply
  2. Anonymous

    August 18, 2009 at 10:07 pm

    I'm trying new foods and bought some okra at the farmers' market. Found this recipe and tried it.

    Awesome! Totally dee-licious!

    No slime, sweet and tasty.

    Okra gets added to the regular rotation.

    Thanks for a great recipe!

    Reply
  3. MBandas

    August 31, 2009 at 4:28 pm

    I am a native Texan, but I must be a terrible Southerner, because when I got a bag of these curious-looking little veggies in my CSA box this week, I had no idea what they were! I hadn't a clue how to find out either- how do you google search "What the heck is this veggie??" I enlisted the help of my neighbor, and finally solved the mystery… So now that I know what it is, I also know how to cook it!

    Reply
    • Jennifer

      October 31, 2010 at 5:23 pm

      Ha ha MBandas, the same thing happened to me when I got it in MY box this week! My husband hates the fried stuff, so I’m going to try roasting it. Wish me luck!

      Reply
  4. Margaret

    September 2, 2009 at 6:18 pm

    My kids love this! Okra is also nutrient rich, so having another way of serving it is just great! We eat them like french fries!

    Reply
  5. cygnosis

    February 1, 2010 at 2:44 pm

    We roast okra on the grill every summer as soon as we can pick it from the garden. Olive oil, some herbs, salt, whatever. It's always great.

    Reply
  6. su

    April 27, 2010 at 3:24 pm

    Can we use whole frozen okra?

    Reply
    • SusanV

      April 27, 2010 at 3:33 pm

      I haven’t tried it, but one of the old comments said that it did work with frozen okra:

      Meghan said…

      I used frozen whole okra and it still worked great.

      9:44 PM, December 03, 2008

      Reply
  7. SusanV

    April 27, 2010 at 3:41 pm

    All of the comments before August 2009 were lost during the site transfer. Here are those comments:

    Alanna said…

    OH so simple! Bookmark! Hmm. Skip the bookmark. Head for farmers market, need tomatoes anyway.
    9:10 AM, August 24, 2006
    ———
    FunLauren said…

    I’ve been craving okra lately, so this looks REALLY good. 🙂
    10:00 AM, August 24, 2006
    ———
    tamara said…

    i’ve never gotten around to trying okra, but it’s one of my mother’s favorite vegetables. i think it’s time to try it. 🙂
    i do this exact thing but with asparagus, and that comes out really delicious.
    11:23 AM, August 24, 2006
    ——–
    Brooke said…

    I don’t think I have ever had okra that wasn’t breaded and fried. I will have to try it this way, it looks pretty darn good! 🙂
    11:33 AM, August 24, 2006
    ———-
    zenpawn said…

    Do you trim the ends before eating?
    1:25 PM, August 24, 2006
    ———-
    Just call me Orangie said…

    Wow that sounds (and looks) really good. I’ve never tried okra before, because everytime I’ve seen it cooked it’s really slimy and smells awful, so I swore to never try it, but maybe I’ll take it back and try them. Do you think frozen, thawed okra would work for this?
    2:18 PM, August 24, 2006
    ——
    SusanV said…

    zenpawn, I used them untrimmed, but if there had been any excess stem on them, I would have trimmed it off.

    Orangie, I have a feeling that frozen okra wouldn’t work for this, but I haven’t tried it. It just seems that when it thaws, it gets very soft–not the firm texture of the fresh okra. If you try it, please post a comment telling how it came out.

    Thanks for your comments, everyone!
    3:26 PM, August 24, 2006
    ———
    maybepigscanfly said…

    I had okra for the first time last year at a few restaurants and fell in love. So then I tried it at home but didn’t know what I was doing– (verdict- it wasn’t a good experiment). Now with your cooking expertise I can’t wait to give okra another at home try. Thanks!

    -Teresa
    7:50 PM, August 24, 2006
    ———–
    Ana said…

    I always had okra in stew type dishes, or stewed by its own (ie, only cooked okras, with onions, garlic, spices).
    This method sounds great, thanks for the idea, I am sure going to try, I like okra a lot! Yum!
    I even have a little bag full in my fridge right now!
    Ana
    9:46 PM, August 24, 2006
    ————
    Blogger funwithyourfood said…

    I really like roasted foods. just adds so much flavor
    teddy
    10:13 PM, August 24, 2006
    ——-
    Blogger laura jesser said…

    Sounds great! I’ve been looking for a way to enjoy okra (other than fried…), so I’ll probably make this immediately!

    12:04 AM, August 25, 2006
    ———-
    Blogger inspireyrslf said…

    This sounds absolutely delicious! I love fried okra and this sounds like the perfect alternative. I never thought to bake them. Thank you!

    3:28 PM, August 25, 2006
    ———–
    Anonymous pennymca said…

    This was absolutely delicious! You’re right..I felt like I was eating green french fries!
    4:19 PM, August 26, 2006
    ———
    Blogger inspireyrslf said…

    I tried this and it’s WONDERFUL and so easy. Thank you!

    8:33 PM, August 27, 2006
    ——
    Anonymous Kake said…

    I discovered roasted okra just a few months ago. It’s really simple and really tasty!

    10:31 PM, August 27, 2006
    ——
    Anonymous Mark said…

    Great idea Susan! I’ve a great overabundance of Okra in my garden, although I’ve cooked it Indian style (stuffed with coconut/almonds,spices), Southern (either cornmeal-coated slices fried) or a creole/cajun gumbo, I never thought to roast it.

    I love roasting fresh veggies from the garden, and I added okra “chunks” to eggplant, tomatoes, peppers, onions, and potatoes… just marvelous. I did add a little oil, little tamari, little balsamic vinegar, dusting of pepper.

    Thanks much for the idea… Best, Mark

    9:04 AM, August 28, 2006
    ——-
    Blogger zenpawn said…

    Thank you for introducing me to okra. I made these for lunch today. A new addition to my roasted veggies addiction. 😉

    3:15 PM, September 01, 2006
    ———-
    Anonymous Anonymous said…

    This is so tasty and simple. Thanks for the “recipe.” It will certainly become a part of my rotation!

    8:26 PM, January 07, 2007
    ——-
    Anonymous Kim said…

    I have now made the roasted okra twice. It is really delicious! Thanks, Susan! 🙂

    9:49 AM, January 10, 2007
    ——–
    Anonymous Snowpea said…

    When I saw some okra at the produce store last week, I decided to try your “unrecipe”. The hubby and I both enjoyed it so much I bought more today and I’m really looking forward to it.

    With bindhi bahji, this is now a favourite orka dish at la Casa de Snowpea.

    1:58 PM, March 24, 2007
    ——–
    Blogger Maya Papaya said…

    I’ve made this about five times already. I think it works best with salt and pepper too.

    It’s totally yummy. I’ll be sorry when I can’t find any more okra this summer!

    12:32 PM, August 09, 2007
    ——–
    Anonymous claudia said…

    perfect. where have you been all my life. i’ve been looking – no searching – for a recipe like this. hey, i love your blog. it’s great. but don’t read my last post, ok? it’s so not what you want to see. but tomorrow you’ll approve of my dinner that i’m making tonight. does this make ANY sense?

    6:09 PM, August 11, 2007
    ——-
    Anonymous Bitterman said…

    Tried them……LOVED THEM!!!

    4:30 PM, August 20, 2007
    ———
    Anonymous Anonymous said…

    who knew okra could be so easy? i added a teaspoon of cumin seeds along with the salt and pepper. the roasted cumin seeds added a nice little flavor kick!

    -alex

    6:50 AM, February 24, 2008
    ——
    Anonymous Anonymous said…

    I never tried okra until I moved to north carolina last year and I went to a local farmers market. The vendor told me to try it raw – it was so yummy!

    They don’t start to get that natural goo until they are cut so as long as you keep them whole they will have a different flavor.

    I cant wait to try this recipe tonight!

    9:48 AM, June 27, 2008
    ———
    Blogger Caleb said…

    my grandma taught me that you can sprinkle fresh Lemon juice on Okra when cooking with it, and it cuts down on the “slime”. i don’t know how it works, but it does. i suppose you could use vinegar too. i guess thats why pickled Okra doesn’t seem to be so slimy…

    9:53 AM, September 09, 2008
    ———
    Blogger Meghan said…

    I used frozen whole okra and it still worked great.

    9:44 PM, December 03, 2008
    ———
    Blogger Jenn said…

    I loved this! I like okra anyway (the slime doesn’t bother me) but this was an awesome quick and easy recipe and one that would make okra naysayers give it a try!

    11:10 AM, January 11, 2009

    Reply
  8. Bill

    July 17, 2010 at 6:45 pm

    Thanks for your post! I knew I liked battered and fried okra, so I decided to try growing it in my garden this summer. I’m in the desert in AZ and okra seems to love the heat. I picked some pods yesterday, and had to figure out how to cook it. I ran across your post and tried the recipe. I cut them in slices instead of leaving them whole. They came out like little crispy tasty chips. Yum!

    Reply
  9. Hope

    August 23, 2010 at 9:47 pm

    OMG. Awesome. I made them in my toaster oven and wow. 10 minutes wow. Thanks

    Reply
  10. Ricki

    August 24, 2010 at 8:38 am

    I adore okra and have made it in curries and stews and soups, but never just plain ole roasted! I have got to give this a try, asap. 🙂

    Reply
  11. skye

    August 30, 2010 at 12:14 pm

    I’m trying this now only carrying it a step further and preparing some to store in the freezer. I’m leaving off the last 5 mins. of baking time and writing that on my freezer bag to finish preparing it when the time comes.
    I used Cajun spices on mine and it is yummy. Thanks for this great new way to prepare okra!

    Reply
  12. Rebecca Redus

    September 7, 2010 at 11:29 am

    I was a bit skeptical at first…I mean, I love okra, but roasted?? Then my sister came to my house with a small pail of okra from her garden and I decided to give it a try.
    AMAZING!
    These will be such a wonderful replacement for french fries and also a fantastic side dish to bring to potluck. Love it!
    Thanks for the great idea!

    Reply
  13. StephanieC

    September 12, 2010 at 8:04 pm

    This is fantastic! I had never tried okra before this, and your simple but tasty method blows those gooey/nasty youtube ideas out the window.

    I am helpless and hopeless in the kitchen, so the easier the better.

    Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  14. sylvia

    February 16, 2011 at 5:02 am

    tried it last night with carrot sticks and baby tomatoes in the roasting pan with the okra, it was yummy! thanks for your recipe. it is the first time i have ever cooked okra tasted it for the first time in greese, many years ogo.

    Reply
    • Kellie

      February 21, 2011 at 11:04 am

      This recipe is so easy and delicious! Thank you in general for opening our eyes to the awesomeness of oven roasted veggies (squash, okra, etc.)!

      Reply
  15. Trevor

    March 10, 2011 at 4:44 pm

    I have been a vegetarian for almost 40 years and I love okra.

    Reply
  16. skinny-anne

    March 15, 2011 at 2:57 pm

    My husband is a vegetarian. He is not a fan of okra because of the slimy texture, but I like it. I will have to try your recipe. I’m sure he will love it. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  17. Get Skinny, Go Vegan.

    March 15, 2011 at 9:22 pm

    Love Okra!! Especially when it is whole like this.

    Reply
  18. How to get skinny fast

    April 5, 2011 at 9:26 am

    Looks yummy!And the calorie count looks good, so worth a try.

    Reply
  19. Jane

    July 14, 2011 at 11:21 am

    I must admit that I did not know what Okra is. I made a research and now I know it, but I live in Europe and asked a few friends and they don´t know it. Does anybody know how is Okra called in French?

    Reply
  20. sowmya

    July 23, 2011 at 9:33 pm

    Hi–
    I am a vegan and recently moved to India. Everyone knows what vegetarianism is here, but I’m shocked that even at 5 star hotels, many chefs are dumbfounded.

    I’m trying to create a short workshop that introduces executive chefs to veganism, gluten-free food, and allergy/ dietary restrictions.

    I’m not a chef myself– just an activist who is tired of talking to people about veganism from the bottom up.

    I’d love to have your thoughts on what I could do….

    Reply
  21. MartinaJ

    September 4, 2011 at 7:58 pm

    Hi, my neighbour have some ochro trees in their yard and they have been giving us ochro on a regular. So as you can imagine I have run out of ways to cook my ochro. Thus my search for a different ochro recipe and found yours. I like it a lot and would most definately be giving it a try in the morning. I don’t want my stock to spoil.

    BTW in the Caribbean this is how we spell okra – OCHRO!

    Reply
  22. stephanie

    April 3, 2012 at 8:03 pm

    So simple, so tasty, and completely unforgettable. I will be prowling the farmers markets for more okra. Thank you!

    Reply
  23. sara

    July 14, 2012 at 12:07 pm

    Susan i tried okra for the first time using this recipe! thanks so much! they were delicious.

    Reply
  24. Timothy

    August 6, 2012 at 4:50 pm

    Delicious!!!

    Reply
  25. Andi @ Herby the LOVE blog

    August 15, 2012 at 3:14 pm

    Thanks for this WONDERFUL recipe … so good, in fact, there is a link to it and your site in my most recent Herby the LOVE blog post! I am grateful you are contributing to our big, beautiful vegan world!

    Happiness,

    ~ Andi and the Herby the LOVE blog team

    Reply
  26. Jenny Nichols

    August 21, 2012 at 7:42 pm

    Roasting okra is far better then fried. My husband was a little unsure when I first tried it. Now, he loves it. I toss mine with coconut oil since it can take the higher oven temp better. Sometimes I sprinkle with salt and other times with cayenne pepper or chili powder for something different. Yum!

    Reply
  27. Rachel B.

    August 31, 2012 at 9:14 am

    I tried this last night and it turned out awesome! One pound for 2 people definitely was not enough… too delicious! Thank you for finding an easy way to cook okra!

    Reply
  28. stephanie

    September 9, 2012 at 9:27 pm

    Hello Susan!
    Is the “tip snap” method the best way to determine if the okra in my garden is ready? This is my first summer growing it and although it’s been steadily productive something has munched all the pods all summer. I finally have three big fatties the bugs have left un-munched and I know it won’t make much of a meal, but I just have to try it!

    Reply
    • Susan Voisin

      September 9, 2012 at 9:41 pm

      The tip snap just tells you whether they are old or not–meaning, they have been picked and are getting old and soft. You can pick them at almost any time, and usually the smaller the better, so I say pick those big boys!

      Reply
  29. Ian

    February 3, 2013 at 6:05 pm

    Man these were delicious!
    I’m not a huge fan of okra cut. It’s too slimy. I finally saw some fresh okra at the grocery store today so I bought some and I did exactly what you said, except I roasted it for 5 more minutes and sprinkled some old bay seasoning on them. They were delicious! Thank you. As long as I can find okra I’ll be eating this more often.

    Reply
  30. Kathleen

    February 23, 2013 at 10:09 am

    Susan, do you think the okra would get crispy w/o the oil? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Susan Voisin

      February 23, 2013 at 10:18 am

      I think it’s much trickier to get it browned but not dried out without a quick spray of oil, but I wouldn’t say it’s impossible. You probably just need to watch very closely.

      Reply
  31. Janet M

    July 22, 2013 at 3:59 pm

    Finally got enough okra out of our garden for our first 2013 batch of Roasted Okra–BETTER than I remembered. I love it cooked this way–no breading, no fat! We like to season it with Tony Chachere seasoning. YUMMMM

    Reply
  32. Melissa

    August 1, 2013 at 8:32 pm

    I just tried this last night – delicious!!!!!! I like okra but rarely buy or cook it at home for no particular reason but something in this recipe (which I found referenced in the roasted okra masala recipe) compelled me to go to the store and buy a pound – and I ate the entire amount for dinner. It was so good I couldn’t stop. Thanks for this recipe!

    Reply
  33. catherine

    February 3, 2014 at 4:32 am

    Bought a small package of okra yesterday. I roasted them for the first time. Simply delicious. I am going to find some more tomorrow. I roasted them for quite a while until they were crispy. Everyone try this. Crunchy and delicious.

    Reply
  34. Phyllis

    August 24, 2014 at 11:25 am

    Are they as crispy as the dehydrated okra sold in the bulk section of grocery stores? I love dehydrated okra, but have been too lazy to pull my dehydrator out of storage. This recipe sounds much easier and quicker too.

    Reply
    • Susan Voisin

      August 24, 2014 at 11:49 am

      No, they’re slightly crispy on the outside but moist inside–not like a dehydrated okra at all.

      Reply
  35. janet

    August 8, 2018 at 7:45 pm

    I tried okra tonight for the ffirst time in 45 years…..I’d had it only once and hated it….slimy! But your recipe was great! And I loved the picture of them. One question: besides the corn on the cob, what else was on the plate (beans of some sort I imagine)?

    Reply
    • Susan Voisin

      August 8, 2018 at 7:59 pm

      I’m glad you liked it! The beans are fresh baby lima beans, also called butter beans here. I cooked them with some chopped onion, celery, and bell pepper—one of my favorite summer meals.

      Reply
  36. Avis

    January 25, 2019 at 2:17 am

    How long do u cook frozen okra in the air fryer?

    Reply

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Susan VoisinI'm Susan Voisin, and I love creating delicious whole foods plant-based dishes with no added oil. Be sure to follow me on Facebook and Instagram.
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