How to Make Easy Air Fryer Okra
As most who grow up in the south, I have been eating okra since I was a little kid. While I've tried other versions, fried is the way it's presented 99% of the time. And usually, there's more crunchy batter than okra, but in my Air Fryer Fried Okra, I let the okra do the talking. Oh...and it's also much easier than traditional deep fried okra. Give it a go!
How to Make Traditional Fried Okra
Traditional fried okra has a thick coating. You dip okra in whisked eggs, then dredge in a flour and cornmeal mixture. You then have to use several inches of hot oil in a large pan to fry. The cleanup and figuring out what to do with all the leftover oil have kept me from ever making it like this. If you want to try this more traditional way, but still healthy, try this recipe from Second Heart Paleo.
How to Make Air Fryer Okra
Far less complicated than breading okra, here are the steps. See photo gallery for how to:
Cut okra into desired shape
Mix Tapioca and Potato starch with seasonings
Add okra to bowl
Put lid on and shake well
Completely coated with no mess!
Place into Air Fryer basket and spritz heavily with avocado oil
Air fry for 10 minutes at 400 degrees
Serve with your favorite dipping sauce
What to Serve with Fried Okra
Typically, fried okra is part of a heavy meal like fried chicken or chicken fried steak in the south. It's a "more is more" kind of spread.
Serve this Air Fryer Okra as an easy side dish or appetizer with almost anything including a grazing table. Without the greasy nature of deep fat frying, it stays crispy for awhile without needing to be piping hot. We love serving it alongside Homemade Ranch dressing.
Cut into thin strips, add Mexican Spice Blend to the breading and top the fried okra with Pico de Gallo. It sounds weird but it’s delicious. See photo.
Is air Fryer Okra Paleo and Whole30 friendly?
YES! Because it contains no grains, eggs or dairy it works with Whole30 as well as those following paleo, gluten-free, egg-free and dairy-free.
Substitutions for Making Air Fryer Okra
Potato Starch and Tapioca Starch - If you don't have one of these, use double the amount of one of them. You can also use GF flour blend if you aren't grain-sensitive.
Magic Salt - This spice mixture is my all-purpose seasoning blend (recipe here). It's a mixture of granulated garlic, salt and pepper. If you don't have it made up, use 1 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp granulated garlic, 1/2 tsp pepper instead.