If you’re tired of soggy or steamed vegetables, then it’s time to shake things up with this Air Fryer Roasted Okra recipe. This quick and easy recipe uses fresh okra and is the ultimate stress-free addition to your busy weeknight routine. This recipe takes nutritious okra and transforms it into a light, tender, and crispy treat.
This cooking method eliminates the “slime factor” that sometimes turns people away from okra. It’s simple, budget-friendly, and goes with just about every meal that you could make during the week. In our house, sometimes this roasted okra is gone before dinner is even ready!
What is Air Fryer Roasted Okra?
Air fryer roasted okra is a quick, naturally gluten-free side dish that is made by tossing sliced okra with a light spray and garlic salt. The air fryer cooks it at a high temperature and circulates dry heat, which roasts the okra beautifully and locks in the flavor without the need for heavy cornmeal or a deep fryer.
Why you’ll love this Easy Okra Recipe
- Only 3 ingredients including garden fresh okra!
- Naturally gluten-free!
- Made with pantry ingredients.
- Budget-friendly and kid-friendly.
- Great for a side dish or a summer snack.
- Excellent low-carb option.
Ingredient Notes
Okra – Use about 2 cups of fresh okra, sliced into rounds or standard frozen sliced okra. If using frozen okra, it may take a few extra minutes to fully cook.
Olive Oil Cooking Spray – This spray will gently coat the sliced okra so the garlic salt sticks and also helps it turn crispy.
Garlic Salt – All-in-one seasoning that adds the perfect savory, salty flavor that you’d expect in roasted okra.
How do you make Air Fryer Roasted Okra?
- Coat the air fryer basket with olive oil cooking spray.
- Add the okra to the basket and lightly coat with the olive oil cooking spray and garlic salt.
- Air Fry at 360°F for 10 minutes, check on it at 7 minutes and stir, then continue cooking.
Tips for the Best Air Fryer Roasted Okra
- If your family prefers breaded okra, you can lightly add cornmeal or follow this Air Fried Okra recipe that includes a cornmeal breading.
- Be sure to keep the okra dry before adding to the air fryer.
- Expect the okra to shrink; it holds a lot of water, and it will shrink as it roasts.
- Frozen okra works for this recipe too but may need additional cooking time.
- As always, remember that all air fryers heat differently, which means you will want to check on this around the 7-8 minute mark. It will likely need a good stir at that time as well; however, for my Ninja Foodi Air Fryer, it took 10 minutes to fully cook.
- If you want to save okra too, be sure to check out how to freeze okra, so you can enjoy it year-round.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Frozen okra slices work well, too. If you are using frozen okra, you may need to add about 2-3 minutes to the cooking time.
The secret to slime-free okra is high, dry heat. Make sure the okra is completely dry before slicing, and don’t overcrowd the basket.
This recipe is low-carb as no additional flour or cornmeal are used, simply okra, seasoning, and olive oil spray.
Variations and Substitutions
- Use this breaded okra recipe to make air-fried okra with a cornmeal breading. This creates a Southern-style okra.
- Use onion powder, smoked paprika, or Cajun seasoning for a smoky twist.
- If you don’t have olive oil spray, you can also use grapeseed oil spray.
What to serve with Air Fryer Roasted Okra:
Serve with a variety of main dishes such as:
Storage Tips
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. When ready to heat, place in a microwave-safe dish and heat for 1 minute.
Making a healthy, vegetable-packed side dish is very easy when making Air Fryer Roasted Okra. Pick the okra straight from the garden and have a low-carb snack or side dish in literal minutes using just the ingredients that you have on hand.
More Air Fryer Vegetable Recipes
Air Fryer Roasted Okra
Ingredients
- 2 Cups Fresh or Frozen Okra
- 1 Tsp Garlic Salt
- Olive Oil Cooking Spray
Instructions
- Coat the air fryer basket with olive oil cooking spray.
- Add the okra to the basket and lightly coat with the olive oil cooking spray and garlic salt.
- Air Fry at 360°F for 10 minutes, check on it at 7 minutes and stir, then continue cooking.
Swapna Mazumder says
Thank you for this recipe. I am cooking okra curry for a big group and was wondering how I can make arecently purchased air fryer work to my advantage. I will cook the okra in the airfryer and then finish stovetop with the spices. One way to make it less slimy is to squeeze some lemon on it near the end., we use dry mango powder but I think anything acidic would do.
Vicki says
We absolutely loved it. I’m already wait for next harvest of okra.
David Bender says
Dry, chewy, essentially unpalatable, after 7 minutes of cooking .
Lisa says
Delicious