Southern Fried Green Tomatoes are a classic Southern delicacy which gained national attention when the iconic movie Fried Green Tomatoes came out in 1991.
Like many Southern recipes, there are as many recipes for Fried Green Tomatoes as there are Southern cooks. This simple and oh so delicious recipe for Easy Southern Fried Green Tomatoes uses panko crumbs instead of cornmeal and is quick and easy to prepare.
Fried Green Tomatoes can be eaten alone as a side dish, served as an appetizer, added to burgers and other sandwiches instead of regular tomato slices, and are a crucial ingredient in my over-the-top Ultimate Southern Style Burger!
In case you are wondering, green tomatoes are simply unripe regular tomatoes. And, no, tomatillos are not the same thing. Especially in the summer, you should be able to find these unripe green tomatoes at most farmers markets and even at most grocery stores.
If you like this recipe, you might also like my recipes for Southern Style Crispy Onion Rings, Kay’s Southern Pimento Cheese Spread, Southern Pecan Praline Cake, Easy Classic Southern Tomato Pie, and Southern Potato Salad.
If you would like to make Easy Southern Fried Green Tomatoes, you will need the following ingredients: green unripe tomatoes, kosher salt, ground black pepper, all-purpose flour, panko bread crumbs, peanut or canola oil, ground red pepper, eggs, milk, and garlic powder.
To prepare Easy Southern Fried Green Tomatoes simply gather your ingredients and slice the tomatoes into 1/4 inch slices. Discard the top and bottom or save them for another use.
Season the tomatoes on both sides with kosher salt and pepper.
Place the flour and garlic powder in a shallow bowl and stir to combine. Add the eggs and milk to another shallow bowl and stir to combine. Place the panko in a third shallow bowl.
Add oil to a large heavy-duty frying pan or dutch oven set over medium-high heat.
Dredge the tomatoes slices first in the flour mixture.
Shake off any excess flour. Then dip them in the egg mixture and coat both sides.
Now dredge the tomato slices in the panko crumbs. Be sure to evenly coat both sides and shake off any excess.
When the oil is shimmering, carefully add the coated tomato slices. Cook 1-2 minutes per side or until they are golden brown. Remove from the pan using a slotted spatula and drain on paper towels.
Serve immediately.
Easy Southern Fried Green Tomatoes Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 large green unripe tomato cut into 1/4 inch thick slices
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 2 eggs beaten
- 1 Tbsp milk
- 1 cup Panko bread crumbs
- 1/8 tsp ground red pepper
- 1 cup peanut or canola oil
Instructions
- Season the tomatoes on both sides with kosher salt and pepper.
- Place the flour and garlic powder in a shallow bowl and stir to combine. Add the eggs and milk to another shallow bowl and stir to combine. Place the panko in a third shallow bowl.
- Add oil to a large frying pan set over medium-high heat.
- Dredge the tomatoes slices first in the flour mixture, then the egg mixture, and then the panko crumbs. Be sure to evenly coat both sides and shake off any excess.
- When the oil is shimmering, carefully add the coated tomato slices. Cook 1-2 minutes per side or until they are golden brown. Remove from the pan and drain on paper towels.
- Serve immediately.
Looks like another delicious recipe to break the “no frying in the house ” rule! Yumm
What can I say, I have an addiction….. Does it help that I made both the onion rings and fried green tomatoes the same day?
This is one of my favorite summer dishes, but it’s so hard to find those green tomatoes!
Hi Sue, luckily they are plentiful here, especially at the farmers’ markets. Whenever I see them, I try and grab some!
This recipe does NOT work. The flour pushes the egg/milk mix away and the panko doesn’t stick. What a mess!
I’m so sorry you had problems with this recipe. I am trying to figure out what might have gone wrong but I’m not sure what you mean by the flour pushes the egg/milk away? I have made this recipe many times without any issues and the breading technique is a classic one that I use for lots of other dishes as well including a fairly recent recipe for parmesan chicken.
I know how frustrating it is to put time and effort into a recipe that doesn’t turn out right and I’m so sorry this didn’t work for you.
All my best,
Sharon
Make sure you put enough milk in with the egg. Let them sit about 10 seconds or so in the egg to soak it up.