Fried Green Tomatoes (No Eggs or Milk)

Learn how to make delicious and crispy fried green tomatoes without eggs or milk with this easy recipe. These perfectly crispy treats are perfect for a summer snack, side dish or appetizer. Serve them drizzled with hot honey for the perfect amount of spice.

Fried Green Tomatoes Recipe

Usually I prefer a nice, vine-ripened red, Indiana tomato straight from my garden if I had a choice between red or green tomatoes; however, this year, it’s October 30 and we still have loads of tomatoes on the vines.

The tomatoes are mostly green, and I know that their time will be cut short by a sneaky fall frost.

I decided to pick the tomatoes while they are green, and whip up some of these fried tomatoes.

Ingredients for Fried Green Tomatoes without Eggs or Milk

My recipe for fried green tomatoes was inspired by Southern Fried Green Tomatoes recipe in my Vegetables on the Side Cook Book. I used it as my base but then I jazzed it up to meet my personal preferences.

• Green tomatoes
• Yellow Cornmeal
• All Purpose Flour
• Smoked Paprika
• Grated Parmesan
• Salt
• Black Pepper
• Vegetable Oil (canola oil or corn oil work too)
• Hot honey (optional, for serving)

I particularly like this recipe because it has no eggs or milk. It’s a really basic breading made with yellow cornmeal, all purpose flour, smoked paprika, grated Parmesan cheese, salt and black pepper.

Are fried green tomatoes just unripe tomatoes?

Yes, fried green tomatoes is a dish that uses not-ripened tomatoes picked green from the vine, breads them, and fries them until golden brown and crispy.

What do you eat fried green tomatoes with?

Fried tomatoes are the perfect accompaniment for any summer meal. Start your meal with these crispy tomato fritters, and then follow it with grilled chicken, steak or pork chops. Add a side of corn on the cob and fresh rolls, and it’s the perfect meal.

How to make fried green tomatoes?

Step by Step Instructions

1. In a shallow bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, paprika, parmesan cheese, salt and black pepper.
2. Slice green tomatoes into quarters.
3. Dredge the tomato wedges in the cornmeal mixture, and lay out on a sheet pan for 10 minutes to dry out a bit.
4. In a large skillet or cast iron skillet, heat vegetable oil over medium heat.
5. Fry the dredged tomato wedges in the hot oil turning once or twice until both cut sides are golden brown. This may take a few batches of frying.
6. Remove from the oil, and drain on an oil-lined plate or sheet pan. Sprinkle with extra salt, if desired.
7. Serve drizzled generously with hot honey or topped with your favorite condiments.

Storage Instructions

Store cooled leftover fried tomatoes in an airtight container in the fridge. The coating will become soft in the fridge. Reheat the leftovers in an air fryer to crisp up the edges.

For the full ingredient amounts and recipe steps for fried green tomatoes without eggs, scroll the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Recipe FAQs

• I prefer to cut my green tomatoes into wedges instead of slices. This is a personal preference. This recipe works for tomatoes slices too.
• For the grated parmesan cheese, I prefer to use the cheap kind in the green jar.
• Modify the seasonings to your own taste.
• Don’t want to get your kitchen greasy? Take your electric skillet outside and fry these up.
• Dip these southern fried green tomatoes in ketchup, mustard, salsa, gravy, remoulade sauce, etc. I prefer to drizzle them in spicy honey. Yum!
• You may need to fry these up in batches.
• Paper towels are great to soak up any excess oil from frying.

Recipe Variations

• Add fresh herbs or dried herbs to the batter, if desired. Parsley, dill, cilantro, etc. will work.
• Use white cornmeal instead of yellow cornmeal.
• Swap in your favorite spices. Chili powder, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, etc.
• Instead of an oil for the frying process, use bacon grease.

Are fried green tomatoes actually tomatillos?

No, tomatillos and green tomatoes are not the same thing. A tomatillos is a green fruit covered in a papery husk, and is used in many Latin American recipes. Green tomatoes and tomatillos cannot be used interchangeably.

What to do with leftover fried green tomatoes?

Let the leftovers cool down, and then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. To reheat, throw them in a preheated air-fryer to crisp them back up and bring them back to life.

Tomato Recipes

We love using tomatoes in all kinds of recipes, especially when they are in season. However, we don’t discriminate and use canned tomatoes as needed! If you want to take tomato usage to another level, try this roasted tomato and basil sauce from Leah at Beyers Eats and Drinks.

Stewed Squash and Tomatoes

Grandma’s Macaroni and Tomatoes

Scalloped Tomatoes

Dill Tomato Cucumber Salad