In the world of food, few things make me happier than the start of tomato season! Thanks to a greenhouse grower here in North Carolina, we’re lucky enough to start seeing locally grown tomatoes at our farmers’ market as early as April and sometimes even March (depending on the season). Granted, you have to set your alarm to get in line early, but it’s oh. so. worth. it! Last weekend at the market my daughters and I were picking through the lovely stock of red tomatoes when my 9-year-old saw the green ones and begged me to make fried green tomatoes. Okay, twist my arm. :)
Many Fried Green Tomato recipes involve lots of steps, including a milk bath and adding seasonings and regular flour to your corn meal. I’m sure they all taste fabulous, but my goal in the kitchen is almost always quick and easy (and tasting great, of course!). So I literally just coat my sliced green tomatoes in corn meal and fry them up in a cast iron skillet for the quickest and easiest of all Fried Green Tomato recipes. Then I whip together a 3-ingredient sauce, and let me tell you what – they are gone in no time. If you’ve never tried this southern delicacy, you are definitely missing out! Better late than never, though. So get cooking. :)
Shortcut Fried Green Tomatoes
Ingredients
For the Dipping Sauce
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
For the Tomatoes
- 2 green tomatoes, weighing 12-14 ounces total
- 2/3 cup whole-grain cornmeal, finely ground
- ghee, (aka clarified butter) or other high-temperature cooking oil
- salt, to taste
- pepper, to taste
Instructions
- To make the dipping sauce, whisk together the sour cream, lemon juice, and garlic powder in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Thinly slice the green tomatoes (about 1/4-inch thick) and dredge both sides in the cornmeal.
- Heat a thin layer of clarified butter (ghee) in a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Cook in batches until tender when pierced with a fork and both sides are golden brown, a couple minutes per side. To prevent the skillet from getting dry, add more ghee when necessary. Wipe out the skillet in-between batches (otherwise the crumbs will burn).
- Transfer to a paper-towel lined plate, season with salt and pepper, and serve warm with dipping sauce.
Recipe Notes
We recommend organic ingredients when feasible.
How to Grow Fresh Herbs (and save loads of money!)
These look yummy and doable. For me, quick is sometimes more of a requirement than perfection!
OK, so have you seen the movie? It’s old now, but all the more reason.
One of the best movies ever!
Long ago! :)
My favorite fried green tomatoes are still the way I grew up eating them. Not fully green…a little orange to make them sweeter. In a bowl you put flour, salt and pepper and mix. Coat the tomato slices and fry in butter or oil. More delicious than any others I’ve ever had!
Second the flour! I can’t stand fried green tomatoes with cornmeal!
I’ve always made my FGTs the same way. And I’m looking forward to trying your sauce. But you know what else makes a nice combination? Peach and Pepper jelly. Which is great because I love Peach and Pepper jelly and I haven’t found many other uses for it,,,,
I love pepper jelly! Never had peach though …sounds good :)
Oh, yum!! Do they sell tomatoes green at the grocery store? We are undergoing a huge garden remodel right now and I am getting a late start getting my tomato plants in, but I’d love to try this recipe soon!
They do but they are best when you get fresh from the a farmer’s market. :)
I use a mixture of flour and cornmeal. Delish!
Love love love fried green tomatoes.
This looks good and I’ll give it a try when ours start to come in. Could this be done for eggplant? We planted some in our garden this year for the first time, so I’m looking for ideas.
Hi. We’ve not tried this with eggplant. Let us know how it turns out!
I have done pretty much the same with eggplant too.
and even quicker, fry in coconut oil, and add salt and pepper for seasoning, no flour or cornmeal needed. Though I might need to do cornmeal and sour cream soon!
Sounds perfect, I use same recipe except soometimes I add in cayenne and turmeric. But MUST try the dipping sauce. Sounds like a perfect compliment.