Fried Green Tomatoes with White Barbecue Sauce
While fried green tomatoes are enjoyed all over the south, they are undoubtedly the provenance of Alabama thanks to the book of the same name by Fannie Flagg. This delicious southern staple combines fresh garden produce with crispy deep frying, resulting in a delightful study in contrasts. Best served with a dipping sauce, opt for tangy, delicious Alabama white barbecue sauce for authentic flavor.
Tips for Making Fried Green Tomatoes
Think outside the box! While typically enjoyed as a side or appetizer, with large, beefsteak tomatoes, you can use a fried green tomato in a sandwich! In particular, make your BLT with an added green tomato for extra crunch. While I’ve kept the sauce traditional, ketchup, remoulade, and tartar sauce are popular choices for dipping as well.
Green Tomatoes Are Crucial
Simply put, green tomatoes are normal ones which have not ripened fully yet! You can use just about any variety for fried green tomatoes, but some varieties are more popular. Use beefsteak for big, round slices, heirloom tomatoes for smaller, crisper ones, and vine-ripened or campari tomatoes for medium ones. Cherry and grape tomatoes are too small, while roma and san marzano tomatoes are difficult to work with due to their shape.
It can be difficult to find green tomatoes out of season (early-to-mid-summer), as most commercial farms won’t harvest tomatoes before they’re ripe. To this day, many people make their fried tomatoes with home grown ones as they are easier to find over your neighbor’s fence. Green tomatoes have a lower water content than red ones, making them ideal for frying as they will take to frying better. Remember, oil and water don’t mix. Plus, green tomatoes are easier to chop into thick strips, making for denser, beefier treats.
Use Tongs for Easier Dredging
The process of coating foods to fry (also known as “dredging”) typically results in a bit mess in my kitchen. I discovered a few years ago that a good pair of kitchen tongs often results in more even coating with less mess. By keeping my fingers out of it, I could fully immerse the food in the flour, eggs, or breadcrumbs without having to wash my hands ever 5 seconds.
Season at the Beginning
One trick to better seasoning? Season throughout. Saving seasonings for the end ensures an uneven distribution and big chunks of salt - gross. I like to add my seasonings to the flour, so they have a chance to really soak into the breading while frying. Hit them with some extra salt and the end for a little more flavor, but don’t overdo it!
Know Your Frying Oils
This recipe calls for vegetable oil, but the really crucial factor is an oil with the right smoke point. The oil needs to get up to 375F without continuously smoking, so any neutral oil will do. If you don’t have vegetable oil on hand, here are some with a high enough smoke point that they will work:
Avocado Oil (refined is better)
Sunflower Oil
Canola Oil
Peanut Oil
Vegetable Oil
Some oils, like sesame and coconut, have a low enough smoke point, but will impart a really strong flavor on the tomatoes, so I don’t recommend them. For a classic southern flavor, take a tablespoon or two of bacon grease and add it to your oil. Any good southern or midwestern mama will encourage you to save your bacon grease.
A note on oil temperature:
I use the extremely unscientific water test when frying. Flick a few drops of water into your oil as it heats up. When it bubbles and pops like a soda, the temperature is just about ready for frying. If oil splatters everywhere, the temperature is much too high. For safer frying, use a candy thermometer to monitor the temperature.
How to Make Fried Green Tomatoes
Ingredients
4 large green tomatoes or 6 smaller ones
2 large eggs
1 c all-purpose flour
1 c bread crumbs
2 tsp salt (I like Lawry’s seasoned salt)
¼ tsp ground black pepper
¼ tsp paprika
4 c vegetable oil for frying (approximately)
Tools
Sharp knife for slicing
Cutting board
2 plates
1 small bowl
1 fork
Tongs
A plate or drying rack covered with paper towels
A large, flat-bottomed frying pan
Instructions
Slice your tomatoes into evenly-sized slices. For smaller tomatoes, do 1/4 inch. For larger, 1/2 inch. Discard both the stem and bottom ends.
Note: I like to use a mandoline slicer for smaller tomatoes.
In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and spices. Dump it out into a mostly even layer on a small plate.
Rinse the bowl to remove any remaining flour, and add the eggs. Beat with a fork until they’re an even consistency, with no visible white. Season with additional salt and pepper.
On a different small plate, pour out your breadcrumbs into an even layer.
Using tongs, dredge each tomato in flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs, making sure the tomato is evenly coated between each. The layers should coat in one even pass; flour that is too thick will prevent the egg from sticking fully. Set each dredged tomato aside on your plate or cooling rack with paper towels.
Pour enough vegetable oil into your flat-bottomed frying pan to cover the bottom completely and go up the sides about 3/4 of an inch (you want the fried tomatoes to have good floating room). Turn your stove on medium-high heat and heat up the oil to 375 degrees F. Turn the heat down to medium to maintain the heat without raising it.
Add your fried green tomatoes one at a time, ensuring adequate room for each tomato. If needed, fry in batches so you don’t crowd the tomatoes. Cook for about 5 minutes on the first side. It’s okay if the tomato slice fully submerges. However, you’ll still need to flip it.
When the tomatoes are a deep golden brown on one side, flip it over and brown on the other side, about 3 minutes. Remove each fully cooked tomato and place it back on the paper towels to drain excess oil.
Cool the tomatoes, and make your sauce.
How to Make White Barbecue Sauce
While many variations of this sauce call for horseradish, mustard, Worcestershire, and any number of things, I like this simple version the best. It requires lots of black pepper, but feel free to add other spices like paprika, garlic powder, or cayenne if desired. To thicken the sauce, add more mayo. To thin the sauce, add more lemon juice and vinegar in equal measure.
Ingredients
2 cups mayonnaise
2 Tbs white vinegar
2 Tbs fresh lemon juice
1 Tbs white sugar
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Tools
Mixing bowl
Whisk
Measuring cups & spoons
Instructions
Combine all ingredients in a small mixing bowl. Whisk thoroughly to combine.
Eat immediately with fresh fried green tomatoes, or refrigerate for up to 2 weeks. Can be used as both a dipping sauce, or as a delicious brine for barbecued chicken.
Did you make these? Let me know what you think!
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