Oven Roasted Okra Recipe

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This tasty oven-roasted okra is a fantastic side dish! It can be made with fresh or frozen okra and only involves a few simple steps.

Whether you are a long-time okra lover or new to the vegetable, this will be your new favorite way to prepare okra. Roasting removes the slimy texture of okra.

Jump to:

• What is Okra?
• Why You'll Love This Baked Okra Recipe
• Ingredients
• Instructions
• More Great Veggie Side Dish Recipes
• Using Frozen Okra
• Storage
• Tips for Making this Recipe
• Oven Roasted Okra

What is Okra?

Since okra is the seed pod of a flowering plant, it's technically a fruit, but most people think of it as a vegetable. It's generally green but can be red and has the shape of a long, pointy finger.

Okra is low in carbs and rich in nutrients like vitamin K and vitamin C, and even has a bit of protein.

Many of us have very strong feelings about okra because it's incredibly flavorful, but if not cooked properly, can have a slimy residue (known as mucilage). In this recipe, I'll show you how to cook perfectly flavorful, non-slimy healthy okra. 

Why You'll Love This Baked Okra Recipe

Oven-roasted okra is the best way to cook okra because the roasting removes the slimy texture of okra while keeping all the flavor.

Fried okra is another common way to cook okra, but roasted okra is a healthier (and arguably tastier) way for okra lovers to enjoy the flavor and health benefits of okra.  

This recipe preserves the flavor but improves the mouthfeel with the perfect texture and less slime. It's an easy okra dish that doesn't take a lot of time to make. 

Baked okra is a perfect side dish for pork chops or any other main course, eat it as a snack, or add it to a soup, salad, or gumbo.

Ingredients

This easy recipe for roasted okra in the oven requires only a few simple ingredients and spices.

• Fresh or frozen okra - Fresh okra is available in most grocery stores from summer through early fall, and you can almost always find it in the freezer section. See the notes below about altering the cooking time for frozen okra. 
• Olive oil - You'll use just a bit of olive oil to help get the okra perfectly crisp. 
• Seasonings - Sea salt,  garlic powder, paprika, and black pepper come together to perfectly season this okra. 
• Optional lemon wedges - Serve with lemon wedges or slices. Fresh lemon juice is great to squeeze over roasted okra for added flavor. 

See the recipe card for quantities and full recipe instructions.

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper. 

Slice okra into ⅓-inch pieces. Discard the stems and ends.

Toss okra pieces in a large bowl with olive oil, salt, garlic powder, paprika, and black pepper.

Place okra on a baking sheet in a single layer.

Roast in the oven for 15 minutes (if using fresh okra) or 25 to 30 minutes (if using frozen okra) or until the edges of the okra are golden brown.

Serve immediately with optional lemon slices.

More Great Veggie Side Dish Recipes

If you love vegetable side dishes, here are some other easy, delicious ones!

• Parmesan Roasted Broccoli - A simple yet fantastic way to enjoy broccoli and doesn't require many ingredients.
• Cucumber Chickpea Salad - Perfect for a day when you just don't want to turn on the stove and need something quick.
• Roasted Purple Potatoes - These potatoes with garlic and herbs are a flavorful and beautiful side dish.
• Roasted Patty Pan Squash with Parmesan - patty pan is a denser, sturdier summer squash that benefits from a good roast in the oven, and this one is full of flavor. 

Using Frozen Okra

If you'd like to make this recipe in okra's offseason (late fall, winter, and spring), you'll likely be using frozen okra.

Here are some tips you'll need to know.

• Try to find okra that has already been cut into pieces. It's challenging to chop frozen okra.
• If you can only find whole, frozen okra pods, you have two options: allow them to defrost, pat them dry with some paper towels, and then slice them OR roast them whole.
• You will likely need a full 10 to 15 minutes longer of roasting time if you are using frozen okra.

Storage

While the baked okra is best straight out of the oven, you can save it for up to 4 days in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

You can freeze the cooked okra for up to 6 months in a freezer-safe container.

If you need to save fresh okra for a few days before using it, do not wash it. Washed okra needs to be cooked right away or it will begin to rot. Store fresh okra in a paper bag in the refrigerator.

Tips for Making this Recipe

Cooking Tips - Make sure your okra is browned on the edges before removing it from the oven - you want it to have a crispy bite!

Specialty Ingredients - Fresh okra can usually be found at the grocery store or farmer's market in the summer (and sometimes in the early fall). Outside of those months, use chopped frozen okra for this recipe.

Recommended Tools - I highly recommend lining your sheet pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper so the okra doesn't stick while roasting.

Optional Substitutions - If you'd like to add more spice to this recipe, add ½ teaspoon chili powder or cayenne pepper to the spice mixture. You can also add ½ teaspoon of onion powder.

Alternate Cooking Methods - You can also make this recipe in the air fryer. Prepare the okra as stated in the recipe card. Preheat the air fryer to 350 degrees F, then cook the okra for 10 minutes until it's browned and crispy.

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