Food Recipes Side Dishes Vegetable Side Dishes Gluten-Free Fried Green Tomatoes Firm-fleshed and slightly tangy, green tomato slices are battered in cornmeal and fried up to golden perfection for this Southern classic. By Jodie Kautzmann Jodie Kautzmann Jodie Kautzmann is an editor, baker, and confectioner with more than 15 years of experience in content creation, recipe development, and pastry production. She's obsessed with the fine details and ingredients that take dishes from tasty to outright otherworldly. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on June 5, 2025 Save Rate PRINT Share Close Credit: Caitlin Bensel Active Time: 30 mins Total Time: 35 mins Servings: 5 Jump to recipe If you've ever wondered what fried green tomatoes taste like, this is your invitation to make our simple recipe and experience them for yourself. They come together in just over half an hour with a handful of ingredients, no special equipment or skills required. Frequently Asked Questions Are fried green tomatoes just unripe tomatoes? Yes, the unripe flesh of green tomatoes is firm and less juicy, making it easy to coat in cornmeal. It's naturally tart with a mild flavor, which is a perfect counterpoint for the crispy fried exterior. What do you serve with fried green tomatoes? Crunchy and lightly salted, fried green tomatoes are delicious as they are, or served with a dipping sauce such as remoulade or ranch dressing as an irresistible snack, appetizer, or side dish for grilled chicken or fish. They're also terrific slathered with pimiento cheese. For breakfast, try topping them with an egg. Fried green tomatoes are tasty tucked into sandwiches; swap them in for the fresh tomato slices in a BLT. Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen Naturally gluten-free, cornmeal is the classic (and perfect) coating for fried green tomatoes. Be mindful when shopping for cornmeal; many brands are actually cornmeal mixes, which include flour and leavening agents. Keep your eye out for stone-ground cornmeal for the best texture; Bob's Red Mill is one of our go-to brands. Keep Screen Awake Ingredients 1/2x 1x 2x Oops! Something went wrong. Our team is working on it. This recipe was developed at its original yield. Ingredient amounts are automatically adjusted, but cooking times and steps remain unchanged. Note that not all recipes scale perfectly. Original recipe (1X) yields 5 servings Vegetable oil or peanut oil, for frying 4 medium-size green tomatoes (about 7 ounces each) 1 cup (about 4 1/2 ounces) cornstarch 2 large eggs 1 cup buttermilk 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided 2 cups stone-ground fine yellow cornmeal (about 11 1/2 ounces) 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper Sea salt Directions Pour oil to a depth of 1/2 inch into a large cast-iron skillet. Heat oil over medium-high to 325°F. (Closely watch the temperature, adjusting heat as necessary to maintain 325°F.) Slice tomatoes into 1/4- to 1/2-inch-thick slices. (You should get 4 to 5 slices per tomato.) Place cornstarch in a wide, shallow dish. In a second wide, shallow dish, whisk together eggs, buttermilk, and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. In a third wide, shallow dish, stir together cornmeal, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt. Working in batches, dredge tomato slices in cornstarch, shaking off excess; dip in egg mixture, then dredge in cornmeal mixture, patting cornmeal coating onto slices. Place breaded slices on a parchment paper–lined baking sheet. Working in batches, fry tomato slices (about 3 to 5 slices at a time) until golden brown and crispy, 3 to 4 minutes, flipping halfway through frying. Place on a baking sheet lined with paper towels and sprinkle with sea salt. This recipe was developed by Karen Rankin; the text was written by Jodie Kautzmann. Originally appeared: August 2019 Cook this recipe and more in the MyRecipes app. Get the App Save Rate Print Loading shell for RecipesUgcThreaded1 Vue component in Globe.