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.
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.
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 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
Roasted okra is the simplest way to prepare okra. Okra loses its characteristic sliminess when roasted or air fried and develops a sultry flavor.
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.
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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
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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.
Recipe 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.
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.
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Pann
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?!
Anonymous
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!
MBandas
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!
Jennifer
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!
Margaret
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!
cygnosis
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.
su
Can we use whole frozen okra?
SusanV
I haven’t tried it, but one of the old comments said that it did work with frozen okra:
SusanV
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
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FunLauren said…
I’ve been craving okra lately, so this looks REALLY good. 🙂
10:00 AM, August 24, 2006
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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
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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
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zenpawn said…
Do you trim the ends before eating?
1:25 PM, August 24, 2006
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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
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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
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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
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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
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Blogger funwithyourfood said…
I really like roasted foods. just adds so much flavor
teddy
10:13 PM, August 24, 2006
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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
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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
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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
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Blogger inspireyrslf said…
I tried this and it’s WONDERFUL and so easy. Thank you!
8:33 PM, August 27, 2006
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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
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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
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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
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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
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Anonymous Kim said…
I have now made the roasted okra twice. It is really delicious! Thanks, Susan! 🙂
9:49 AM, January 10, 2007
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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
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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
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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
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Anonymous Bitterman said…
Tried them……LOVED THEM!!!
4:30 PM, August 20, 2007
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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
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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
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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
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Blogger Meghan said…
I used frozen whole okra and it still worked great.
9:44 PM, December 03, 2008
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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
Bill
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!
Hope
OMG. Awesome. I made them in my toaster oven and wow. 10 minutes wow. Thanks
Ricki
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. 🙂
skye
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!
Rebecca Redus
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!
StephanieC
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!
sylvia
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.
Kellie
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.)!
Trevor
I have been a vegetarian for almost 40 years and I love okra.
skinny-anne
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!
Get Skinny, Go Vegan.
Love Okra!! Especially when it is whole like this.
How to get skinny fast
Looks yummy!And the calorie count looks good, so worth a try.
Jane
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?
sowmya
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….
MartinaJ
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!
stephanie
So simple, so tasty, and completely unforgettable. I will be prowling the farmers markets for more okra. Thank you!
sara
Susan i tried okra for the first time using this recipe! thanks so much! they were delicious.
Timothy
Delicious!!!
Andi @ Herby the LOVE blog
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
Jenny Nichols
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!
Rachel B.
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!
stephanie
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!
Susan Voisin
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!
Ian
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.
Kathleen
Susan, do you think the okra would get crispy w/o the oil? Thanks!
Susan Voisin
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.
Janet M
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
Melissa
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!
catherine
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.
Phyllis
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.
Susan Voisin
No, they’re slightly crispy on the outside but moist inside–not like a dehydrated okra at all.
janet
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)?
Susan Voisin
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.