Fried Green Tomatoes

When green tomatoes are in season, this Southern staple is the first dish we think of. Nothing complements a juicy, tart green tomato quite like a crunchy, slightly sweet cornmeal crust. Paired with a homemade tangy sauce, these fried beauties are the perfect summer appetizer to take advantage of green tomato season. Here’s everything you need to know to make this classic recipe at home:

How to make fried green tomatoes:
Some like to peel their tomatoes before slicing; some leave the peels on. Peels or not, whatever you do, do not skip salting your tomato slices. Salting your slices brings moisture to the surface, which helps your tomatoes adhere to the cornmeal. Skip this step, and your cornmeal mixture may have trouble sticking to your tomatoes when frying. 

After salting and coating your tomatoes, you’ll fry them until golden and crisp—around 2-3 minutes per side. Serve with your sauce of choice, and you’ve got the most delicious summer app on your hands in less than an hour. 

The sauce.
A classic remoulade is our condiment of choice for these fried tomatoes, but if you don’t feel like whipping one up from scratch, making a simple two-ingredient spicy mayo will absolutely do the trick. Looking for more serving ideas? Really any creamy, tangy sauce you love will do, but if you’d prefer to focus on the tomato, just a little drizzle of hot sauce would also be delicious. 

Make ahead.
Making these ahead? Keep fried tomatoes in a 200° oven in a single layer on a wire rack fitted into a sheet tray until you’re ready to serve. These tomatoes are best enjoyed day-of, so we recommend devouring them as soon as possible.

If you tried this recipe, let us know how it went in the comment section below!