Southern Fried Green Tomatoes Recipe - the hungry bluebird (2024)

By: Author Kelly

Posted on - Last updated:

Categories Appetizers, Recipes, Side Dishes, Southern

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Easy, crispy southern fried green tomatoes, with optional spicy Louisiana rémoulade sauce ~ an iconic classic in the South.

Last summer, a lot of people came to the farm stand I worked at for green tomatoes. Not the red, ripe ones we were famous for, they wanted the green ones for fried green tomatoes. Many people shared with me how they make them, and this year I decided to try my hand at them. These are easy southern fried green tomatoes, and being in Missouri definitely qualifies as southern!

Southern Fried Green Tomatoes Recipe - the hungry bluebird (2)

I opted for a buttermilk-cornmeal rendition, very similar to the way I make fried okra, except not deep-fried but pan-fried in a cast iron skillet. The tomatoes should be green, very green. You don't want any that are even slightly starting to ripen, many people stressed that to me.

Southern Fried Green Tomatoes Recipe - the hungry bluebird (3)

Basically, this is how I did it. I seasoned some flour and cornmeal in one bowl. I put several shakes of hot sauce in some buttermilk in another bowl. Then it's dip, dredge and pan fry. Drain on paper towels, salt while hot, and pop into a warm oven while you fry the rest. Pretty easy, it really is.

What to serve with fried green tomatoes?

I love, love rémoulade sauce and that is perfect to serve alongside tomatoes. Also traditional ~ a simple squeeze of lemon and some hot sauce. I served with both these options and have included the rémoulade sauce in the recipe below, should you so desire.

Southern Fried Green Tomatoes Recipe - the hungry bluebird (4)

I'm so glad I finally tried making these at home. Easy, crispy fried green tomatoes ~ a southern classic. Try them yourself, and then watch the classic movie of the same name, definitely a feel good combination ~Kelly🍴🐦

Southern Fried Green Tomatoes Recipe - the hungry bluebird (5)

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Southern Fried Green Tomatoes Recipe - the hungry bluebird (6)

Southern Fried Green Tomatoes

Easy, crispy fried green tomatoes, made with buttermilk and cornmeal ~ serve with rémoulade sauce.

4.84 from 6 votes

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Course: Appetizer, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes minutes

Servings: 8 servings

Calories: 195kcal

Author: Kelly

Ingredients

  • 4 green tomatoes, ends removed, sliced ¼-inch thick
  • 1 cup cornmeal, medium grind, preferably stone ground
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne
  • cups buttermilk
  • A few shakes of hot sauce
  • ½-1 cup vegetable oil (I used avocado oil)
  • 1 tablespoon butter (or bacon drippings)
  • Kosher salt
  • Lemon wedges, hot sauce and/or rémoulade sauce for serving

Rémoulade Sauce:

  • 1 cup good quality mayonnaise (the southern choice would be Duke's)
  • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • 1 tablespoon Louisiana-style hot sauce
  • 2 teaspoons creole mustard, whole-grain mustard
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 teaspoons capers, finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 scallion, finely chopped
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions

  • If serving, make rémoulade sauce. Whisk together all sauce ingredients in a small bowl until well-combined and smooth. Let sit for one hour so flavors meld while you prepare the tomatoes. (Cover and refrigerate any leftover sauce.)

  • Pre-heat oven to 200º and fit a sheet pan with wire rack, set aside.

  • In a wide bowl or pie plate, combine flour, cornmeal and seasonings. In another small bowl, combine buttermilk with a few shakes of hot sauce and a little salt and pepper. Dip green tomato slice in buttermilk mixture, shake off excess, then dredge in cornmeal-flour mixture until well-coated. Repeat and put tomato slices on a plate.

  • Heat oil in a large cast iron pan, about a ½-inch high. Add the butter and mix in, it gives flavor and helps with browning. When hot, but not smoking, add tomato slices to skillet, and working in batches, fry until golden, about 3-4 minutes a side. Transfer to paper towel-lined plate to drain and sprinkle with salt while hot. Transfer fried slices to sheet pan with rack and keep warm in oven while continuing to fry remaining slices.

  • Serve hot green tomatoes with lemon wedges, Louisiana hot sauce and/or rémoulade sauce. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

  • Green tomatoes can be hard to slice in ¼-inch slices. If you have a mandolin, and are comfortable using one, that would be a great option for slicing.
  • Adding a little butter to the hot oil helps with browning and gives a little flavor. Bacon drippings would also work!
  • These are best served hot and crispy, although the cornmeal helps keep that crispiness even as they cool.

Nutrition

Calories: 195kcal Carbohydrates: 33g Protein: 6g Fat: 5g Saturated Fat: 2g Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g Monounsaturated Fat: 1g Trans Fat: 1g Cholesterol: 9mg Sodium: 192mg Potassium: 302mg Fiber: 3g Sugar: 5g Vitamin A: 680IU Vitamin C: 17mg Calcium: 71mg Iron: 2mg

Did you make this recipe? Please comment, rate it and share! And mention me on Instagram @thehungrybluebird or tag #thehungrybluebird so I can see!

Southern Fried Green Tomatoes Recipe - the hungry bluebird (2024)

FAQs

How much older is Ruth than Idgie? ›

Also when Ninny talks about having a special needs son, Idgie could very well have had a child after Ruth passed away, and if she was older when she had him that could have contributed to his disability. After all she was about 8-10 years younger than Ruth.

Who did Idgie marry? ›

In the movie, Idgie did not marry, nor have any children. Is 'Fried Green Tomatoes' based on a book? Fried Green Tomatoes, the movie, is based on the novel Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by American author Fannie Flagg. What are the differences between the Theatrical Version and the Extended Version?

How old was Idgie Threadgoode? ›

In the past, 16 year old Idgie Threadgoode is the youngest of nine children and a tomboy who runs wild. But when Idgie's mother asks Ruth Jamison, a young friend from church, to befriend Idgie, Ruth must decide if she will persist despite Idgie's refusals.

Is Whistle Stop, Alabama a real place? ›

The "Whistle Stop Cafe" is loosely based on the Irondale Cafe in Irondale, Alabama, a suburb near Flagg's birthplace. The cafe was bought by Flagg's aunt, Bess Fortenberry, in 1932 and run for four decades by her and two friends. It is still operating and, like the fictional cafe, is known for its fried green tomatoes.

Were Idgie and Ruth lovers in the book? ›

this kind of relationship simply wasn't talked about. But the book makes clear that Idgie was gay and that she and Ruth were together (or would be) when Ruth sent Idgie that biblical verse. I never felt that Idgie and Ninny were the same person, whether book or movie...

Was Idgie Threadgoode the old lady? ›

Although in the book Idgie and Ninny are two distinctly separate characters, at the end of the film it is largely hinted that they are one and the same. This runs counter to Ninny's earlier comment that "I was practically adopted by the Threadgoodes; I married her [Idgie's] brother, Cleo".

What did Idgie do after Ruth died? ›

After the cafe closed and Ruth died, Idgie went away. Some say she went to Florida, Ninny still thinks she catches a glimpse of her now and again, but Idgie is still alive to this day, charming bees and selling honey.

What is Idgie Threadgoode's full name? ›

Imogene "Idgie" Threadgoode is the main protagonist of the novel Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café and the 1991 movie Fried Green Tomatoes.

Why does Idgie say towanda? ›

“Towanda” is a reference to the alter-ego of Idgie, a character in “Fried Green Tomatoes.” Idgie refers to Towanda as an “Amazon woman” and introduces herself at least once as “Towanda.” It is also a word you say when you want to be empowered, such as when Evelyn runs her car into the snobby ladies who take her parking ...

Is Ninni really Idgie? ›

Along the way, Bud tells stories of life in the old days and adventures with Aunt Idgie. Contrary to the ending of the movie, though, Idgie did not become Ninny Threadgoode, the Jessica Tandy character. Ninny married Idgie's older brother, Cleo.

What happened to Ruth's son Buddy in Fried Green Tomatoes? ›

Buddy unfortunately died in a train accident. His younger sister the tomboy Idgie Threadgoode was badly affected by the untimely death of her brother. Having a hard time dealing with her grief she distanced herself from her family and largely withdrew from society.

Who is the old lady in the nursing home in Fried Green Tomatoes? ›

During one of middle-aged housewife Evelyn Couch's (Bates) Wednesday nursing home visits, she encounters Ninny Threadgoode (Tandy, in an Oscar-nominated performance), a colourful old woman who brightens Evelyn's outlook by sharing tales from her past, giving her the confidence to change her own life for the better.

Did Idgie have a crush on Ruth? ›

In the novel, Idgie Threadgoode meets Ruth Jamison, but it's more than a meeting. Idgie is, in fact, a suitor for Ruth's love. Yes, Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe is wholeheartedly a lesbian love story.

What age did Ruth get married? ›

According to the midrash, Ruth was forty years old and not a young woman when Boaz married her, a fact that stresses the urgency of her desire to marry and bear children (Ruth Rabbah 4:4; BT Shabbat 113b). The midrash puts Boaz's age at that time as eighty (Ruth Rabbah 7:4; Ruth Zuta 4:13).

Was Ninni really Idgie? ›

Depends on how you view the story in the movie. In the book it is clear that Ninny and Idgie are two different people. The movie hints that Ninny and Idgie could be the same person but leaves room for doubt.

Did they eat Ruth's husband in Fried Green Tomatoes? ›

In Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe, Frank Bennett meets a grisly end. After being killed by Sipsey, he's cooked on a barbecue by Big George and inadvertently eaten by detectives investigating his disappearance. This ironic twist of fate ensures that the evidence of his demise is never discovered.

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