Like many Southern recipes, there are almost as many recipes for fried green tomatoes as there are Southern cooks. This simple and oh so delicious recipe uses panko bread crumbs instead of cornmeal for a delightfully crispy crust.
1large green unripe tomatocut into ¼ inch thick slices
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
½cupall-purpose flour
1teaspoongarlic powder
⅛teaspoonground red pepper
2eggsbeaten
1tablespoonmilk
1cupPanko bread crumbs
1cuppeanut or canola oil
Instructions
Season the tomatoes on both sides with kosher salt and pepper.
Place the flour, ground red pepper, and garlic powder in a shallow bowl and stir to combine. Add the eggs and milk to another shallow bowl and whisk 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 bread crumbs. Be sure to coat both sides evenly 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.
Notes
You will have enough coating ingredients and oil to cook additional tomato slices. If you want to double the recipe, simply use two tomatoes.Plan to use your tomatoes within a few days of purchasing them; they will ripen quickly. You can tell if your oil is hot enough by adding a small pinch of panko. If the oil is hot enough, it should start sizzling immediately. If not, let it heat a bit more before adding the tomatoes. If your oil is not hot enough, the tomatoes will be greasy. I like to drain my tomatoes on a wire baking rack over a paper towel. If you don't have a rack, you can drain them on a paper towel, but don't leave them there too long, they can get soggy.