I have a lot of different food influences. I’ve mentioned a couple of times on here that half of my family is Brazilian, so I enjoy South American food. The other half of my mom’s side of the family is very southern, so I also love a lot of the classic southern delicacies. Country ham with red-eye gravy? Yes, please. You’ve already seen me use sawmill gravy a few times in my breakfast foods. And this one…well, I’ve grown up eating fried green tomatoes almost every summer. When done properly, they’re a perfect blend of crispy but light breading, and juicy and tart tomato inside. I’m hungry just thinking about it.
Our garden finally started producing actual decent-sized tomatoes recently. We’re just waiting for them to turn. Two nights ago, I went out to check on them, and there were three big tomatoes just speaking to me, saying “Pick me now and make fried green tomatoes with me!” And who am I to argue with a talking plant? Plus, I needed a side dish to go with my grilled burger patty, so it worked out entirely too well.
Start with three green tomatoes. Make sure they’re big enough for you to get four slices out of each one. Put those on a plate. In a small bowl, beat one egg, and put that next to the plate of tomatoes. Finally, make your breading by mixing together 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese, 1/2 cup of pork rind crumbs, a teaspoon of salt, black pepper to taste, and two teaspoons of your favorite spice blend. I used a za’atar blend for a little Middle Eastern kick, but your possibilities are endless. I’d definitely consider using Old Bay if you want to keep them with a more Southern flavor, or even Cajun seasoning for a little spicier kick. Cut back the salt if the spice blend you use has salt in it. If you want to make them vegetarian, you can try omitting the pork rinds and using only parmesan, or substituting almond flour for the pork rinds. I haven’t tried this, but if you do, please leave a comment and let me know how it worked!
Heat up 6 tablespoons of avocado oil in an enameled cast iron skillet. I suggest cast iron here because it keeps a more even heat for frying than a non-stick skillet, but won’t have the potential for the breading to stick as much as a stainless steel skillet would. Plus, it’s just more southern to cook in cast-iron. So get the heat up to medium high and make sure the oil is nice and shiny, then start breading. Dip a slice of the tomato into the egg, then dredge in the breading to coat both sides. Carefully place it into the oil, then repeat. Depending on the size of the tomatoes, you’ll need to do these in 2-3 batches. By the time you get your last slice in, the first one will probably be ready to flip. Check to see if the bottom breading is golden brown, and if it is, flip the slice over. You’ll probably want to fry them for about 3 minutes per side. When both sides are brown, put them on a plate that’s lined with paper towels to drain. Put them in an oven set on warm if you need to keep them warm while the next batches cook.
When they’re all done, serve them immediately. These won’t reheat well. I sprinkled mine with goat cheese, but they’d also be excellent with ranch dressing or pimiento cheese. If you want to get super fancy, try making them into a great breakfast by topping them with a poached egg and some hollandaise to make a fun version of Eggs Benedict!
Keto Fried Green Tomatoes
Equipment
- Cast-iron skillet
Ingredients
- 3 medium green tomatoes
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup pork rind crumbs
- 2 teaspoons za'atar or other spice blend see notes above
- 1 tsp salt
- black pepper to taste
- 6 tbsp avocado oil
Instructions
- Slice each tomato into 4 slices of even thickness. Beat the egg in a small bowl. Combine the parmesan, pork rind crumbs, spice blend, salt, and pepper with a fork, then place it on a plate.
- Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a cast-iron skillet. Once the oil begins to shimmer, dip a tomato slice into the egg, then coat with the crumbs. Gently place it into the oil and repeat with the remaining slices, placing them about an inch apart. Flip each slice with tongs when the bottom begins to turn golden brown, about 2-3 minutes, then cook for 2-3 minutes more. Remove from the pan and place on a plate or baking dish lined with paper towels. Place in the oven on warm if needed. Repeat in batches until all the tomatoes are fried.
- Macros per serving: 211 calories, 3 grams net carbs, 10 grams protein, 17 grams fat.
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