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Crispy and juicy, these fried green tomatoes are one of the South’s favorite summer appetizers or snacks. Made using unripe tomatoes coated with a spiced breading, they are fried until crispy and golden. They are surprisingly tasty and perfect dipping in your favorite sauces!
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Why You’ll Love This Vegan Fried Green Tomatoes Recipe
If you’ve never tried fried green tomatoes, now is the perfect time! Summertime means an abundance of these warm-season crops in your garden or in the market stalls. Don’t pass over the green tomatoes you may see, because they make this delightful savory treat!
Besides the tomatoes, you only need a handful of budget-friendly pantry ingredients. It will only take you 20 minutes to prep and cook them. Just make the batter, coat the sliced tomatoes with it, and fry! You can serve them many different ways, but I like to eat them with a quick dipping sauce of Vegenaise, minced garlic & lemon juice.
Why Use Green Tomatoes?
If you have a lot of early-season green tomatoes, or end-of-season ones that did not ripen on the vines because the weather is too cool, you can put them to good use by making this wholesome, southern-style recipe. Green tomatoes have firmer flesh and are less mushy compared to ripe tomatoes. This makes them perfect for coating and frying as they will not fall apart easily. Don’t worry, the flesh will tenderize once cooked. They have a tangy, fresh taste that works so well with the onion-flavored crisp breading. If you love how these fried green tomatoes turned out, you’ll also love these quick pickled green tomatoes!
FAQs
Absolutely! Just like their ripened counterpart, green tomatoes offer nutritional benefits and contains a lot of vitamins, fiber, and antioxidants. These can help reduce heart problems and lower cholesterol levels. However, please refrain from eating them raw to prevent gastrointestinal issues.
You can replacing the all-purpose flour with a gluten-free alternative, like King Arthur’s or Bob’s Red Mill, or other flours that are naturally gluten-free. Just note that using different flours may affect the texture and lightness of the breading.
Toni’s Recipe Tips
- Choose green tomatoes that have reached their mature green stage. These should be the same size as ripe ones. They should be firm when pressed but not hard.
- Any type of tomatoes can be used. However, do not confuse it with heirloom tomatoes that stay green even when ripe.
- If your green tomatoes happen to be juicier than normal, you can use a paper towel to gently blot the excess moisture out before dipping them into the milk and coating them with the batter.
- If you bought a bunch of green tomatoes for later use, store them in the fridge or cool place to slow down the ripening process.
- Fry in batches so you do not crowd your pan. Placing too many sliced breaded pieces at once will affect the oil temperature and will result in soggy food.
- You can add a pinch of salt or seasoning to add more flavors to these fried treats after frying them.
- Place them in a wire rack or a plate lined with paper towels after frying to make sure any excess oil is removed. This will ensure maximum crispiness
Fried Green Tomatoes Dipping Sauces
You can use your favorite dips when making this fried green tomato recipe. Aside from the Veganaise with minced garlic and lemon we used, here are some ideas you might also like!
- Pinto Bean Dip: Using only a can of pinto beans, some salsa, fresh jalapeño, nutritional yeast, and cumin, you can whip up a super delicious pinto bean dip in no time.
- Classic Guacamole Dip: It’s so good and creamy; you’ll be making it time and time again.
- Cucumber Salsa: It’s fresh, juicy and it goes perfectly with so many dishes.
- Go classic with a Vegan Ranch or Vegan Nacho Cheese Dip.
- Or keep it simple with just tomato ketchup!
Serving Suggestions
There are several ways to enjoy these crunchy goodies! You can munch on them as they are, since the perfectly seasoned crispy coating and fresh green tomatoes are delicious on their own. Other ways you can enjoy them are:
- Served with dips for snacking on game days or movie nights.
- Stacked on your sandwiches for a crispier texture and a tangy flavor add-on.
- Served with your favorite grilled food as a side dish for lunch or dinner.
More Appetizer Recipes
Vegan Appetizers
Pistachio Hummus
Vegan Appetizers
Mango Cucumber Salsa
Vegan Lunches
Zucchini Tart
Vegan Desserts
Easy Grilled Pineapple
If you tried this vegan fried green tomatoes recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks!
Photos by Alfonso Revilla
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Fried Green Tomatoes
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Ingredients
- ¾ cup of all-purpose flour
- ½ cup of cornmeal
- 1 teaspoon of onion powder
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- Large pinch of black pepper
- ½ cup of unsweetened plant-based milk
- 3 large green tomatoes
- 1/4 cup of canola oil for frying
Instructions
- In a shallow, medium-size dish (pie pans work well), mix together the flour, cornmeal, onion powder, salt and pepper. In a separate dish, pour plant-based milk. Set both aside.
- Slice green tomatoes into ¼”-thick slices.
- On the stove-top, heat a large skillet over medium. Add two tablespoons of oil.
- Dip tomato slices into non-dairy milk, and then into the flour-cornmeal mixture, making sure to coat them well. Without crowding, place breaded tomato slices in the pan and cook until golden brown. Repeat until tomatoes have all been fried, adding more oil as necessary. If you’d like, sprinkle with a pinch more salt (or Slap Ya Mama seasoning!) while hot. Serve immediately.
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Notes
- Choose green tomatoes that have reached their mature green stage. These should be the same size as ripe ones. They should be firm when pressed but not hard.
- Any type of tomatoes can be used. However, do not confuse it with heirloom tomatoes that stay green even when ripe.
- If your green tomatoes happen to be juicier than normal, you can use a paper towel to gently blot the excess moisture out before dipping them into the milk and coating them with the batter.
- If you bought a bunch of green tomatoes for later use, store them in the fridge or cool place to slow down the ripening process.
- Fry in batches so you do not crowd your pan. Placing too many sliced breaded pieces at once will affect the oil temperature and will result in soggy food.
- You can add a pinch of salt or seasoning to add more flavors to these fried treats after frying them.
- Place them in a wire rack or a plate lined with paper towels after frying to make sure any excess oil is removed. This will ensure maximum crispiness!
Nutrition
Additional Info
These look great! Might they be cooked in an air fryer?
It should work out! Though we at Plant-Based on a Budget haven’t tried it out yet so can’t guarantee the results. Let us know!