Grilled Okra

Okra is an underrated vegetable, but its mild flavor and crisp texture make it surprisingly versatile. If you’re new to cooking okra, grilled okra is an excellent place to start. Quick and easy, it makes a delicious side dish with your favorite grilled dinner recipes, like barbecue ribs, chicken or fish.

Okra is a pod with edible seeds from the mallow family; in some parts of the country they’re nicknamed “ladies’ fingers.” Okra grows well in hot, humid climates, and you’ll see it often in Indian, Nigerian, Pakistani, Mexican and southern cuisines.

The vegetable has a relatively mild flavor—slightly sweet, slightly grassy, a bit like green beans or eggplant—but some people are turned off by the texture. When sliced, okra cells release mucilage, making the vegetable slimy and slippery. The good news is that the high, dry heat of the grill banishes any potential slipperiness. Our grilled okra recipe is a classic southern side dish that everyone, everywhere, can enjoy.

Grilled Okra Ingredients

• Okra pods: Look for fresh okra at grocery stores and farmers markets from May through September. You want smallish and firm okra pods free from blemishes or discoloration. To keep okra fresh, be sure to store it in the refrigerator.
• Lemon: Sweet, acidic lemon juice brightens the charred flavor of the okra.
• Salt: A pinch of salt simply seasons the okra. Use a coarse type of salt, like flaky sea salt, for a fancy finish.
• Wooden skewers: The only special equipment you’ll need for this recipe is wooden skewers. Soak them for a few hours before cooking.

Directions

Step 1: Skewer the okra

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Preheat the grill to high heat. Thread four to five okra pods onto each wooden skewer.

Editor’s Tip: Depending on the size of your okra, you can likely skewer the pods whole—don’t even trim the ends. For larger okra, slice each pod in half before skewering or thread the skewer lengthwise through the entire pod.

Step 2: Grill the okra

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Place the skewers on the hottest part of the grill and cook the okra until lightly charred, about three minutes per side.

Step 3: Serve the grilled okra

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Remove the grilled okra from the skewers and arrange them on a serving platter. Garnish with lemon juice and salt. Serve hot.

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Grilled Okra Variations

• Scale it up or down: You can easily make half this grilled okra recipe or scale it up to serve a crowd.
• Spice it up: Okra’s mild flavor matches with many spices. Heat it up with cayenne pepper, add savory flavor with a shake of garlic salt, or impart smokiness with smoked paprika or cumin.
• Serve it with a sauce: Dip crispy okra in a creamy sauce, like remoulade (a fancy name for seasoned mayonnaise) or curry dip.

How to Store Grilled Okra

Completely dry fresh okra, loosely wrapped in storage wrap, can be stored in the refrigerator’s crisper drawer. Eat it within two to three days before the texture becomes limp or spots appear. Once cooked, store okra in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.

How do you reheat grilled okra?

We like to reheat grilled okra on the stovetop in a hot cast-iron or grill pan. You can also reheat it in a toaster oven. The dry heat will nicely re-crisp the okra.

Grilled Okra Tips

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How else can you cook okra?

There are lots of delicious okra recipes. It’s commonly used in gumbo or added to a stew or curry. Okra is terrific by itself, especially when prepared with quick heat to bring out its delightful crunch. Think deep-fried okra or roasted okra.

What can you serve with grilled okra?

We love grilled okra with classic southern recipes like barbecue chicken, grilled mahi mahi or Cajun shrimp. It also plays well as a summer side dish along with classics like potato salads, tomatoes and fresh greens.

How can you keep okra from getting slimy?

Okra is most known (or notorious) for its texture. When sliced, okra cells release mucilage, making the vegetable slimy and slippery. This viscous texture makes okra a valuable addition to soups and stews since it thickens broth without added flour or thickeners (it is ideal for gluten-free or low-carb eaters).

Cooking okra at high temperatures effectively banishes the slime, which is why grilling and frying are popular cooking methods. Soaking okra in vinegar also helps, hence pickled okra. Chefs also suggest chopping it coarsely, as fewer cuts mean less slime.