How To Cook Okra In the Oven And In The Air Fryer

This 5-ingredient garlic roasted okra recipe makes for a quick and healthy side dish. But, it's not just downright delicious, it's also super easy to make too. Just 15 minutes of prep work - and 3 simple steps - are all it takes to put this okra recipe together.

The Best Way To Cook Okra

Okra is a wonderful vegetable that's nutritious, affordable, and, if cooked the right way, absolutely addictive as well.

But, if you don't know how to cook okra, it can be a struggle to get it into your weekly rotation. And that's why I love this oven roasted okra recipe so much! It makes it easy to make okra perfect every time.

As I mentioned, just 5 ingredients and a few easy steps are all that's separating you from the most delicious okra you've ever had before.

Plus, unlike frying okra, this oven-baked okra recipe is free of mess, oil, and grease. So, clean-up's a breeze!

Now, of course, every delicious side dish needs an equally delish main to serve it next to. I especially love it with Southern staples like this chicken pot pie, this chicken stew, this creamy salmon, or this Instant Pot bbq chicken. But it goes with practically anything you can think of!

Ingredients

As I mentioned, this okra recipe uses just a handful of ingredients. And I can almost guarantee that you have most - if not all - of these ingredients at home already. 

Anyway, here are the ingredients for this oven roasted okra recipe:

• 10-12 Okras
• 1 tsp. Garlic Powder
• 1 tsp. Smoked Paprika
• 1 tsp. Salt
• 2 tbsp. Butter, melted

Yup, that's all you need to make out of this world okra!

By the way, I also use most of these same ingredients in my blackened chicken recipe. So, if you're looking for a protein to pair with this baked okra, that one might be perfect.

How to Choose Okra

When it comes to choosing your okra, try to pick smaller, smoother, and brightly colored pieces of okra. These ones are generally fresher and will have a better overall taste.

Okra develops a tough, hairy outer skin as it grows. And while this isn't a big problem for stewed okra recipes, oven fried okra - like this one - tastes best with younger harvests.

How to Reduce Okra Sliminess

So, you generally don't want to get rid of the slipperiness of okra completely since it's a huge part of the health benefits of the vegetable. Plus, since this recipe cooks pretty quickly, the okra's slimy texture won't develop too much.

With that said, you can reduce the sliminess even more by soaking the chopped raw okra pods in vinegar for 30 minutes to an hour before cooking. It won't change the final flavor too much, and the okra will be a lot less slimy as a result!

How to Cook Okra

Ok, so as I've mentioned several times already, this recipe for oven baked okra is as easy as it gets. It all comes down to following just 3 simple steps - prepping, seasoning, and cooking.

So, even if you're a novice cook you'll be able to make this side dish with ease.

With that said, let's take a look at the steps for this okra recipe.

Step 1: Prepare Okra

First things first, you'll want to preheat the oven to 350°F (180ºC).

Then, clean the okra and cut it into big chunks - around 1.5 to 2 inches each. And don't leave out the tops or ends, they're both good.

Also, you don't want to cut okra into too thin of slices because they can overcook if you do.

Step 2: Season the Okra

Next, arrange the okra pieces on a baking tray and sprinkle them with garlic powder, smoked paprika, and salt.

Then, top 'em with melted butter, and give 'em a toss to evenly coat each piece in butter and spices.

Step 3: Bake The Okra

Once your okra is seasoned, slide it into the oven and bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Serve with the main dish of your choice, and enjoy!

Air Fried Okra Option

If you've got an air fryer handy you can use it to make fried okra.

To do that, just preheat your air fryer to 325°F (162ºC), and then just follow the prep steps I listed above.

Then, as far as cooking the okra in the air fry goes, you'll just want to fry it for around 10-12 minutes. With that said though, you'll want to flip the okra halfway through air frying it. This ensures that it cooks as evenly as possible.

How to Store and Reheat Cooked Okra

As I mentioned, this recipe for okra will make about 4 servings. And, if you have any leftovers, you can store the cooked okra in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.

However, if you want to store the okra for even longer, you can freeze it. So, to do that, just arrange the okra in a single layer on a baking tray and keep it in the freezer until all the pieces are frozen solid - at least 3 hours.

Then, transfer the frozen okra to a freezer-safe bag, squeeze out any extra air, and store for up to 3 months.

As far as reheating goes, the best way to reheat your okra is in an air fryer or oven preheated to 350°F (180ºC). Cook for 3-5 minutes or until warmed throughout and crispy. With that said, if you're starting from frozen okra, you'll want to add a few more minutes to the cooking time.

Wrapping it All Up

Well, that's how to make okra in the oven or the air fryer!

The okra is packed with flavor and is oh-so crisp yet still tender. It's a fantastic side dish to so many things and I hope you love it as much as I/we do.

As always, if you give this garlic roasted okra recipe a shot leave me a comment below and let me know how it went.

And don't forget to check out my Youtube channel, Instagram, and TikTok for more healthy and delicious recipes just like this one!

More Side Dish Recipes

If you like tasty and nutritious vegetable side dishes, I have a bunch of other recipes that I think you'll really like too!

Check all of these out:

• Air fryer kale chips
• Air fryer brussel sprouts
• Green bean casserole
• Sauteed eggplants
• Roasted kohlrabi

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