Talking about one of the most polarizing Southern vegetables today: Okra, specifically Oven Roasted Okra. Often found in stews, soups, or deep fried, this veggie is almost never allowed to shine on its own. Accused of being slimy, often recipes for okra include all kinds of treatments to combat its natural flavors and textures.
I'm here to say - STOP. And lean into the delicious texture and flavor of plain, roasted okra. A little bit of salt and oil, plus some thyme ( or whatever you've got on hand ), make even the FROZEN version of this vegetable the perfect side dish or snack.
In fact, I hardly even mess with the fresh stuff anymore, because roasted okra is JUST as good when made from frozen. Maybe even better - because you can have it whenever you want, not just in the dead of summer, aka Okra Season.
Roasted Okra Recipe
Making okra in the oven is really easy - so grab whatever okra you can: frozen or fresh ( but you read above my vote is for frozen in this case! )
- Cut Okra in half
- Toss with olive oil, salt, and any other herbs or spices you'd like
- Roast at 450F until cooked through and medium to dark brown on the outside ( I like mine after 18 minutes )
There are two tricks to making amazing roasted okra in the oven:
- Don't crowd the pan. Make sure each okra has his own little spot to do his thing in, and is not touching any other okra around him
- High Heat - this gives you that wonderful browning and flavor
If this recipe is your kind of thing, you might also like these other recipes:
- Parmesan Roasted Asparagus
- Roasted Broccolini with Crispy Breadcrumbs
- Sauteed Squash, Corn, and Tomatoes
Roasted Okra
Ingredients
- 12 ounces whole frozen okra ( or fresh okra )
- 2 Tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon fresh thyme leaves or ¼ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450 F. Pile the okra on a large, rimmed sheet pan.
- Drizzle the olive oil over the okra, and sprinkle the thyme, salt, and pepper over it. Toss everything together, then spread out the okra across the pan in a single layer, making sure none of the pieces are touching each other.
- Roast the okra in the oven for 15 to 18 minutes, flipping once halfway between the cooking time. Cook for 15 total minutes for fresh okra, and 18 minutes for frozen.
Does the okra need thawed if using from frozen?
Nope, cook it from frozen!