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Home » Recipes » Recipes for Summer Celebrations

Fried Green Tomatoes Recipe: Southern Summers

Published: Jun 30, 2018 · Updated: Feb 15, 2025 by Marye

Classic southern side dish that's so good with almost everything! Make sure the tomatoes haven't become fully ripe.
Total time for the recipe to be finished.Total Time 25 minutes minutes
Jump to Recipe
friedgreentomatoesonavintageplatter recipeimage
Fried green tomatoes on a platter with sliced tomatoes in the background. Title image.

Green tomatoes, coated with a combination of cornmeal and breadcrumbs and then fried, end up tender and juicy in the middle and delicately crispy on the outside.

Fried green tomatoes recipe -title -fried green tomatoes on a platter with sliced tomatoes in the background.
You can also fry up red tomatoes but be sure they are not over ripe or they will be too mushy.
Table of Contents
  • ❤️ Why you'll love it
  • 🔪 Instructions
  • 🥄 Equipment
  • 🥫 Storage
  • 💭 Things to know
  • 👩‍🍳 FAQs
  • 📚 Related recipes
  • 🍽️ Serve with...
  • 📞 The last word
  • 📖 Recipe
  • 💬 Comments

❤️ Why you'll love it

If you've never tried fried green tomatoes you are in for a real treat. Serve these on top of burgers, as a side dish, or as an appetizer with a homemade remoulade sauce.

This fried green tomatoes recipe is one of those iconic southern dishes that you have to try at least once.

They're hard to find commercially but luckily this classic side dish is much easier to make than  you might think.

🔪 Instructions

This is an overview of the instructions. Full instructions are in the green recipe card at the bottom of the page.

A collage of step by step images showing how to make fried green tomatoes.
Follow these steps for perfect fried green tomatoes!
  1. Slice tomatoes about ¼-inch thick.
  2. Put flour mixture in one bowl, buttermilk mixture in one bowl, and crumbs in one bowl.
  3. Dip the tomatoes in the flour.
  4. Now dip it in the buttermilk mixture.
  5. Finally dip it in the crumb mixture.
  6. Fry.

🥄 Equipment

The following are affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

You'll need the following items to make this recipe successfully.

One of the most important things to have, as far as I'm concerned, is a couple of cast iron pans. Lodge is my favorite brand - they last forever.

🥫 Storage

Fried green tomatoes are best right after they're made. If there are leftovers cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

Closeup of fried green tomatoes on a vintage rose platter.
Keep fried green tomatoes crispy in a 250 degree oven.

💭 Things to know

Expert Tip: Be sure to heat the oil to 360F between each batch.

  • Use firm, unripe tomatoes.
  • Cut them about ¼ -inch thick with a sharp knife.
  • Use a light, high smoke point oil like peanut oil (unless there are allergies).
  • Make sure the oil is at about 360 degrees before you add the tomato slices.
  • Gently slip the fried green tomato slices onto a thick layer of paper towel to drain.
  • Don't stack them or they'll get soggy.
  • Serve them while they're hot.
Crispy fried green tomatoes piled on a plate on a picnic table.
This fried green tomato recipe takes just 20 minutes or so to make.

👩‍🍳 FAQs

Here are the questions I am most frequently asked about this recipe.

Are green tomatoes and tomatillos the same thing?

Nope. Green tomatoes are unripe tomatoes. They can be any variety of tomato from Big Boy to an obscure heirloom variety. Tomatillos, on the other hand, are the fruit of a related but different plant and are covered with paper-like husks. They don't turn red ever.

How to Keep Fried Green Tomatoes Warm?

If you're making fried green tomatoes for a crowd you can keep them warm in a 250F oven. It's best to keep them on a wire rack over a cookie sheet. If you don't have a wire rack you can put them on the cookie sheet but they may get soggy on the bottoms.

📚 Related recipes

  • Grilled Shrimp Creole with Roasted Tomatoes  - Grilled Gulf Shrimp with an amazing roasted tomato and pepper sauce - it's so easy.
  • If you've let the tomatoes get a little too ripe try this stewed tomatoes recipe, instead.
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🍽️ Serve with...

  • A great dipping sauce like this copycat Red Robin campfire sauce.
  • A delicious homemade remoulade sauce like this spicy avocado remoulade.
  • I love these on top of cheeseburgers with a little chipotle aioli.
Sliced, partially ripened tomatoes for fried green tomatoes recipe.
Green tomatoes mean unripe tomatoes - if they've become a little red it's fine as long as they are still very firm and not quite ripe.

📞 The last word

So you may have noticed that my fried green tomatoes have a distinctly red cast to them. That's because I forgot about them on the counter and they went ahead and started to ripen.

I'm not one to waste food if I can help it so I went ahead and used them anyway. Don't worry if your tomatoes are a little pink - as long as they aren't completely ripe you're good to go.

They need to be firm and not juicy or you'll end up with a soggy crust.

If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need. Don't forget that you can click on "add to collection" to save it to your own, private recipe box!

If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

📖 Recipe

friedgreentomatoesonavintageplatter recipeimage

Fried Green Tomatoes

5 from 2 votes
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Classic southern side dish that's so good with almost everything! Make sure the tomatoes haven't become fully ripe.
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American - Southern
Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes minutes
Servings:6
Calories:129
Author:Marye Audet-White

Ingredients

  • 3 or 4 medium green tomatoes, sliced ¼-inch thick
  • 2 eggs
  • ½ cup buttermilk
  • ½ cup all purpose flour
  • ¼ cup self rising cornmeal mix
  • 1 teaspoon Creole Seasoning (Tony Chachere’s)
  • ½ cup breadcrumbs
  • Peanut oil, or favorite light oil for frying
  • Remoulade Sauce

Instructions

  • Put the flour and seasoning in bowl.
  • Add the buttermilk and eggs to another bowl.
  • Add the breadcrumbs and cornmeal to a third bowl and mix well.
  • Dip the tomatoes in the flour mixture, then the buttermilk mixture, then the breadcrumbs to coat.
  • Add ¼-inch of oil to a heavy skillet and heat until the oil sizzles, about 360F.
  • Carefully add the tomato slices and fry until golden on one side.
  • Flip and fry on the other side.
  • Remove from the oil and drain on absorbent paper towel.
  • Add oil to pan as needed and let it return to 360F.
  • Serve immediately with the remoulade.

Notes

Nutrition information does not include remoulade.
Expert Tip: Be sure to heat the oil to 360F between each batch.
  • Use firm, unripe tomatoes.
  • Cut them about ¼ -inch thick with a sharp knife.
  • Use a light, high smoke point oil like peanut oil (unless there are allergies).
  • Make sure the oil is at about 360 degrees before you add the tomato slices.
  • Gently slip the fried green tomato slices onto a thick layer of paper towel to drain.
  • Don't stack them or they'll get soggy.
  • Serve them while they're hot.

Nutrition Facts

Calories: 129kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0g | Cholesterol: 2mg | Sodium: 205mg | Potassium: 212mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 450IU | Vitamin C: 14.4mg | Calcium: 69mg | Iron: 1.6mg

Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

This recipe has been tested several times. If you choose to use other ingredients, or change the technique in some way, the results may not be the same.

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About Marye

Meet Marye Audet, a wizard in the kitchen and a storyteller at heart. Marye is like your eccentric but fun aunt who knows all the secret recipes and isn't afraid to spill them.

Comments

    5 from 2 votes

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    Love it? Give it 5 stars!




  1. Holly Hooper says

    November 03, 2021 at 5:10 am

    5 stars
    I made this the other day and it was wonderful! My family loved it!

    Reply
  2. Rose Martine says

    February 12, 2020 at 11:02 pm

    This looks awesome! Glad to hear it was good with beef too, as that is what I am more likely to have on hand.
    Regards

    Reply
  3. Alix @A Hedgehog in the Kitchen says

    July 16, 2018 at 10:36 am

    5 stars
    Hi Marye! I was just telling my husband Hugo (who is French) about fried green tomatoes! He really wants to try them, so we will definitely be making your recipe very soon! Thank you! 🙂

    Reply
    • Marye Audet says

      July 17, 2018 at 2:36 pm

      Let me know how he likes them, Alix!

      Reply
  4. Kathleen E says

    June 30, 2018 at 3:48 pm

    How many eggs???

    Reply
Marye Audet-White, founder of Restless Chipotle Media

Hey Y'all, I'm Marye

Welcome to my kitchen! ☕

NY Times bestselling author. 10 cookbooks. Mom of 8 kids. Homeschooling mom for 22 years. Addicted to Hallmark Christmas Movies. Collector of old cookbooks.

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