Arkansas Fried Green Tomatoes

4 Servings
75% would make this recipe for Arkansas Fried Green Tomatoes again.

In the early 1800s, tomato fritters, sliced tomatoes rolled in flour and cornmeal, were popular. They evolved into this tasty Southern delicacy, using firmer green tomatoes which are just regular tomatoes picked before they turn red, and which have a more piquant flavor than their ripened brethren... This is another of our family favorites, originating from my maternal (Southern) grandmother.

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Arkansas Fried Green Tomatoes Ingredients

4 to 6 medium very green tomatoes, with skin	1 cup peanut oil, or a mixture of oil and bacon dripping
2 large eggs, lightly beaten	salt, to taste
3/4 cup all purpose flour	freshly ground black pepper, to taste
3/4 cup white cornmeal, finely ground (preferably stone ground)

Instructions for Arkansas Fried Green Tomatoes

Remove the stems of the tomatoes then using a serrated knife, slice crosswise into slices about 1/4-inch inch thick. Break the eggs into a shallow bowl and season with salt and pepper. Set aside. Combine the cornmeal and flour in a second shallow bowl and season with salt and pepper.

Season sliced tomatoes a few at a time with salt and pepper.

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. When it is hot but not smoking, dip the slices of tomato one at a time in the beaten eggs, letting the excess drain back into the bowl, roll them quickly in the breading, gently shake off the excess, slip them into the hot pan.

Fry the tomato slices until they are golden on the bottom, about 2 to 3 minutes, then gently turn them with a spatula and continue cooking until both sides are golden. Drain them briefly on paper towels and eat at once!

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Main Ingredient: TomatoesCuisine: American-South

Ingredient Insight - look inside this recipe

Bacon

Black pepper

Cornmeal

Eggs

Flour

Salt

Tomatoes

Side Dish Vegetables peanut oil Cornmeal Tomatoes Easy Eggs AP flour Fry American-South bacon grease

for flavor and categorization

This southern staple is absolutely delicious--the perfect comfort food for me! Some recipes use plain cornmeal, some use plain flour. I like the mixture of both. The flour helps the coating to stick, while the cornmeal adds more flavor and crunch! If you like a thicker coating you can double coat them...after dipping the tomato slices in the eggs and rolling in the breading, re-dip the coated tomato slices in the eggs, letting the excess drain off, then rolling once again in the breading. One secret is not to fry the slices too long. Overcooking results in a mushy, soggy interior. Have the oil HOT and only cook until lightly golden and crisp, about 2 minutes on each side. If you'd like, fry these in bacon grease, or a mixture of oil and bacon grease. Using bacon grease makes a big difference in flavor. For a little zip, I sometimes add about 1/2 teaspoon cayenne to the flour/cornmeal mixture and/or a few good dashes of hot pepper sauce to the beaten eggs. These are delicious hot off the stove, used as a side dish, and great served with Buttermilk Ranch dressing, a spicy Southwestern dressing, or my favorite...Chipotle Mayonnaise.

sgrishka
on Dec 6 2007 8:35PM

Everyone has different taste, expectations and opinions...and, I respect anyone's right to express their opinion. But, to give a recipe a poor rating of "1 star" and to check "No, I would never make this recipe again." without also posting a reason for that rating...that's simply wrong! When rating a recipe, either good or bad, you should indicate what you liked or disliked, what you felt was right or wrong with the recipe, or if perhaps you simply didn't like the dish in general. I (and I'm sure others) don't mind constructive criticisms. That's how we grow and improve ourselves...we just need to know what is wrong to do so! [I made edits to this recipe.]

sgrishka
on Dec 6 2007 6:43PM

Green tomatoes should neither be too hard, like an apple, nor too soft, like a ripe tomato. They should be green all the way through, though a tinge of pink on the inside is OK. They should stand up well either to deep frying or pan sauteing. Slices should be neither too thick nor too thin; 1/4-to-3/8-inch slices are good. These will soften during the cooking process, so if they're not ripe to begin with, you'll have mush when you're done. Use a metal spatula for turning the tomatoes, scraping the surface of the pan when you lift them. This ensures that you won't accidentally separate the cornmeal coating from the tomato. I'll repeat this great Southern tip in many deep-fried recipes...adding a small amount of bacon drippings to the oil, gives the dish a slightly smoky flavor, making a great product even better!Fried green tomatoes are best when served hot--straight out of the skillet, but use caution as the insides of the tomatoes retain a lot of heat and could burn your mouth.The way my dad ate these, we were lucky to get any ripe tomatoes from the garden! One of his best ideas was to use fried green tomatoes on his BLT sandwich...talk about yuuumy!My sister likes them with melted cheese. Preheat the broiler. Place the fried tomatoes in a baking dish and sprinkle with 1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar. Broil just long enough to melt the cheese, and serve right away.

bettyann9
on Aug 26 2007 5:47PM

Green tomatoes should neither be too hard, like an apple, nor too soft, like a ripe tomato. They should be green all the way through, though a tinge of pink on the inside is OK. They should stand up well either to deep frying or pan sauteing. Slices should be neither too thick nor too thin; 1/4-to-3/8-inch slices are good. These will soften during the cooking process, so if they're not ripe to begin with, you'll have mush when you're done. Use a metal spatula for turning the tomatoes, scraping the surface of the pan when you lift them. This ensures that you won't accidentally separate the cornmeal coating from the tomato. I'll repeat this great Southern tip in many deep-fried recipes...adding a small amount of bacon drippings to the oil, gives the dish a slightly smoky flavor, making a great product even better! Fried green tomatoes are best when served hot--straight out of the skillet, but use caution as the insides of the tomatoes retain a lot of heat and could burn your mouth. The way my dad ate these, we were lucky to get any ripe tomatoes from the garden! One of his best ideas was to use fried green tomatoes on his BLT sandwich...talk about yuuumy! My sister likes them with melted cheese. Preheat the broiler. Place the fried tomatoes in a baking dish and sprinkle with 1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar. Broil just long enough to melt the cheese, and serve right away. [I posted this recipe.]

sgrishka
on Apr 20 2007 1:34PM