Air-Fryer Okra: The Perfect Breaded Crunch

Cooking breaded okra in an air fryer is a quick and easy way to make a tasty snack. You can use fresh or frozen okra, and the whole process should only take around 15 minutes. The okra is coated in a breading mixture, which can be made with cornmeal, flour, and seasonings, and then cooked in the air fryer until golden brown.

How to bread okra

To bread okra, you will need cornmeal, flour, seasonings, an egg, water, and oil spray. First, stir together the cornmeal, flour, and seasonings in a bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg and water. Dip the okra pieces into the egg mixture, then the cornmeal mixture, tossing to ensure the okra is evenly coated. Spritz the air fryer basket with oil spray and add the okra in a single layer, ensuring the basket isn't crowded. Spritz the okra liberally with oil spray.

Air fry at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 12 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through cooking. If you prefer your okra crispier, test for doneness and continue cooking until it reaches your desired level of crispness. Alternatively, you can cook the breaded okra for 7 to 8 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove the okra from the air fryer and enjoy!

How to preheat an air fryer

To cook breaded okra in an air fryer, you'll first need to bread the okra. To do this, stir together cornmeal, flour, and seasonings in one bowl, and whisk together egg and water in another bowl. Dip your okra pieces into the egg mix, then the cornmeal mix, and toss to coat the okra evenly in the breading. Spritz your air fryer basket with oil spray and add the okra in a single layer without crowding the basket. You may need to work in batches. Spritz the okra liberally with oil spray. Air fry at 400 degrees for 12 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through cooking. Test for doneness and continue cooking until the okra is as crispy as you’d like.

To preheat your air fryer, first, make sure all removable parts like the basket are clean and dry and inserted into the unit. Then, turn on your air fryer and set the temperature to the recommended heat setting specified in your recipe. Leave the cooking basket in the unit so it can heat up along with the appliance. Press start or preheat, and let your air fryer warm up for a few minutes. If your air fryer does not have a preheat setting, you can manually preheat it by selecting the air fry setting and setting the temperature called for in your recipe. Once the preheat timer has elapsed, add the food in a single layer, handling the basket carefully as it will be hot.

How to cook okra in an air fryer

Cooking breaded okra in an air fryer is a quick and easy way to prepare this tasty dish. Here's how to do it:

Firstly, preheat your air fryer to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Then, place your breaded okra slices in the basket, making sure they're in a single layer and not crowded. Spritz the okra with oil spray or use an oil mister to ensure they're well-coated.

Now you're ready to air fry! Cook the okra for around 12 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through. If you want your okra extra crispy, you can cook it for a few minutes longer.

Once the okra is golden brown and cooked to your liking, remove it from the air fryer and enjoy! You can serve it with a dip if you like.

If you're cooking frozen breaded okra, simply increase the cooking time to around 14 minutes, again shaking the basket halfway through.

How to season okra

To cook breaded okra in an air fryer, you'll need to preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Then, you'll want to spritz the air fryer basket with oil spray and add the okra in a single layer, making sure not to crowd the basket. You may need to work in batches. Spritz the okra liberally with oil spray and air fry for 12 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through cooking.

Now, for seasoning the okra, you have a few options. You can use a blend of paprika, garlic powder, and salt, or you can try a seasoning called Berbere, which is a mix of spices that adds a nice touch to baked okra dishes. If you want to add some heat, you can also include a pinch of cayenne pepper. Another option is to use a Cajun seasoning blend like Tony Chachere's, although you may need to add salt to taste as it can be quite salty.

How to reheat okra in an air fryer

To reheat okra in an air fryer, place the leftover fried okra in the air fryer and cook for about 2 to 3 minutes, until warmed thoroughly. You can also spritz the okra with a little oil before reheating.

If you are cooking breaded okra from scratch, preheat your air fryer to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Place the breaded okra in the air fryer basket in a single layer, making sure not to crowd the basket. You may need to work in batches. Spritz the okra with oil spray and air fry for 7 to 8 minutes, or until golden brown. Shake the basket halfway through cooking to ensure even cooking.

For an extra crispy texture, you can also spritz the air fryer basket with oil spray before adding the okra. This will help create a crispy exterior on the okra.

Depending on your air fryer model and the amount of okra you are cooking, you may need to adjust the cooking time. It is important to keep an eye on the okra to ensure it doesn't burn.

Once the okra is heated through and crispy, remove it from the air fryer and serve immediately. Enjoy your delicious and crispy air-fried okra!

Frequently asked questions