If you’ve ever been turned off by the texture of okra before, and want to know how to make it so it is crispy and not slimy, this is the recipe for you. Roasting it in the oven at a high temperature gives it a delightful crispy texture, and coating it with this easy DIY Cajun blackening seasoning gives it a flavorful kick. Drizzle with the easy homemade lemon garlic aioli, and you’ll be an okra fan at last! It is Paleo, Whole30, keto, and gluten-free, and can be made vegan with my AIP mayonnaise.
I have always loved okra in all its forms. I would look forward to fried okra day at school and happily gobble them up. If you need a recipe for Paleo and AIP fried okra, I’ve got you with my Southern Fried Okra.
Some people get really turned off by the mucilaginous quality of okra. My husband Andy, for example, can’t stand it when it has a slimy texture. Me? I don’t mind it. But I also sure love to cook up okra so it is nice and crispy.
My two favorite ways to cook okra so it isn’t slimy are to either grill it whole or roast it halved. Here’s my method for roasting okra to make crispy and well-seasoned thanks to a simple DIY Cajun blackening seasoning.
If blackened isn’t your thing, just a mix of salt and pepper is all you really need, the garlic powder is nice, too. This recipe is more about the method, so you can enjoy non-slimy okra.
If you love simple, weeknight-friendly recipes like this one, you need to add a copy of my newest cookbook Fast & Flavorful Paleo Cooking to your library ASAP.
It was released on March 31, 2020, so you may have missed it due to the pandemic. It’s filled with easy and delicious weeknight-friendly meals that are on the table in 15, 30, or 45 minutes, with helpful charts to match mains and sides to make meals come together easily based on cook time and cook method. Click here to learn more about the book, and order a copy below. You can also get a signed copy mailed directly from me.
I took extra effort to include a huge range of different vegetables in the cookbook, with preparation methods, seasonings, and sauces that highlight their best qualities and will turn picky eaters into veggie lovers. Kinda like this recipe!
So back to the okra, the sauce is optional, but it definitely enhances the dish. If you need an AIP-compliant mayonnaise, I have a recipe for a killer one in my first cookbook Latin American Paleo Cooking.
Otherwise, my favorite Paleo and Whole30 store-bought mayo is by Primal Kitchen. Heck, if you’re really lazy, they even make a lemon garlic aioli that you can pair with this okra. Use my coupon code CURIOUS at checkout for 10% off your order. I also love their umami-bomb unsweetened ketchup and the dairy-free ranch dressing!
If cooking a full pound of okra, you’ll need to use two baking sheets. I recently discovered the magic of using two jelly roll pans to perfectly fit on one rack in the oven. How did I make it this long without knowing this?! I have been loving my new Nordic Ware jelly roll pans. Just make sure to never use metal utensils with these pans or you will scratch them.
I’m keeping this blog post short because I am still (yes, still) dealing with symptoms from COVID19, which, as of today, July 31, I have been sick with for exactly 7 weeks. I’ll be sharing more about “long COVID” or being a “long hauler” later, but if you read my blog post about my experience, I give some detail. I’ll also leave you with this article that describes the not-rare experience of so many others in my shoes, and the Long COVID organization which was started to advocate for rehab, recognition, and research on people who don’t recover in 1-2 weeks.
Crispy Roasted Blackened Okra Spears with Lemon Garlic Aioli
Ingredients
- 1 lb okra, halved lengthwise
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ tsp fine Himalayan salt
- ½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper
- ¼ tsp granulated garlic
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper (use 1/8 tsp for mild)
- ¼ tsp paprika, either sweet or smoked
- ¼ tsp dried oregano
- ¼ tsp dried thyme
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 2 large cloves garlic, minced
For the blackening seasoning:
For the lemon-garlic aioli:
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425F.
- Prepare okra by slicing in half lengthwise. There is no need to remove the cap at the end. Add to a bowl and drizzle with the olive oil.
- Mix the blackening seasoning together in a small bowl by combining the salt, pepper, granulated garlic, cayenne, paprika, oregano, and thyme. Sprinkle over the okra in the bowl and toss to mix.
- Spread the okra on a metal baking sheet in a single layer with the cut side facing down (important) and without crowding them; use two sheets if necessary (I use 2 jelly roll pans). Bake for 15 minutes, then stir. I like to keep them cut-side down, but you don’t have to. Bake for another 5-10 minutes, or until they are well browned and tender. Larger pieces will need to cook longer to fully crisp up.
- While the okra are roasting, prepare the lemon garlic aioli by adding the mayonnaise, lemon juice, black pepper, and garlic to a bowl and stirring with a fork until well blended.
- Serve the okra with the sauce drizzled over top, or with the sauce on the side for dipping. Pick them up by the caps to eat them like fries, and discard or compost the cap/stem.
Details
Other Information
Cuisine: Southern
Keywords: okra, non-slimy okra, roasted okra, Cajun blackening seasoning, easy vegetable recipe, Paleo okra, Whole30 okra recipe, keto okra recipe, weeknight veggie side, whole30 okra
Suitable for: Gluten-Free
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