Fried Green Tomatoes
Ingredients
- 4 green tomatoes, cut into slices ¼ inch (6 mm) thick
- ½ cup buttermilk
- ½ cup yellow cornmeal
- ¼ cup all-purpose (plain) flour
- 1 teaspoon fine salt or House Seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- pinch cayenne pepper
- freshly ground black pepper
- vegetable oil for frying
- ¼ cup bacon fat (optional)
Directions
- Add the sliced green tomatoes to a medium bowl, pour the buttermilk over the top, and toss to combine. Let sit for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the cornmeal and flour.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and have at the ready. Remove the tomatoes from the buttermilk marinade, then season with the salt, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, and black pepper to taste. Dredge each tomato slice into the cornmeal/flour mixture, making sure to coat each side well. Lay the coated slices on the lined baking sheet and let rest for 10 minutes.
- Line a plate with paper towels and have near the stove. In a large cast-iron skillet, add enough oil to lightly cover the bottom. If you’d like, flavor it with the bacon fat. Heat the oil over medium-high heat.
- Working in batches to avoid crowding, add the tomatoes to the hot oil and cook, turning halfway through, until golden brown, 2–3 minutes per side. Repeat until all your slices are fried and golden. Drain on the paper towels. Serve hot.
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Let us know how it was!About this Recipe
Thanks to the Fannie Flagg novel “Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe,” this humble early- to mid-summer delicacy became a popular culture hit. I remember my Alabama grandmother used to cook bacon, then fry the tomatoes in the bacon fat, and she would have a sword fight with the popping grease as she turned the tomatoes. When served with biscuits, this was a staple summer morning breakfast for her.
About the Recipe Creator
Michael W. Twitty is a recognized culinary historian and independent scholar focusing on historic African American food and folk culture and culinary traditions of historic Africa and her Diaspora.
Extracted from RECIPES FROM THE AMERICAN SOUTH © 2025 by Michael W. Twitty. Photography © 2025 by Nico Schinco. Reproduced by permission of Phaidon. All rights reserved.
