Stewed Okra and Tomatoes is a classic Southern dish! Flavored with bacon, onion, garlic and cider vinegar, you know these vegetables are bound to be good. Serve garden fresh okra and tomatoes during the summer months, or use canned and frozen ingredients in the off-season. Paired with a side of cornbread, this is a simple and affordable dish to enjoy year-round!
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How to Make Stewed Okra and Tomatoes | 1-Minute Video
Okra seems to be quite divisive: folks either love it or they hate it! This mild green fruit (yes, we treat it like a vegetable, but it’s actually a fruit) that has a unique grassy flavor — somewhat similar to eggplant or green beans — thrives in hot and humid climates, making it a staple in Southern cuisine. My mom has always loved fried okra, so I suppose that I come by my affinity for the little pods naturally! That said, I think that I might just prefer this easy stewed okra and tomatoes recipe over the breaded, fried variety. Hard to believe, right?! It’s just that good…
Maybe it’s the bacon, onion and garlic that really sets this dish apart? My local friends were laughing recently when I shared my recipe for Southern-Style Green Beans (which of course includes bacon as well) — one said that, “I was a teenager when I learned not all vegetables have meat in them or are soaked in butter,” and another said, “whhaaaaaaatttt????? “Fat back” isn’t a vegetable????” I suppose that we learned a long time ago — bacon, fatback, and ham hocks make okra and just about every other vegetable taste better!
Why This Recipe is So Delicious
This dish, which is adapted from Paula Deen’s okra and tomatoes recipe, has been a favorite around here for years. I’ve tweaked the original over time, landing on what we deem to be the best version of this Southern classic. Here’s why you’ll love it, too:
- You can use garden fresh okra and tomatoes during the summer months when these veggies are at their peak;
- You can use frozen okra and canned diced tomatoes in the off-season (or for a shortcut);
- Bacon adds a rich, smoky element to the dish, which is balanced nicely by a touch of sugar, fresh herbs, and a dash of vinegar.
- The recipe comes together quickly in a skillet or Dutch oven on the stovetop, so you don’t need to turn on your oven and you don’t have to wait for hours while the veggies simmer.
- You can serve the versatile dish as a light lunch or dinner entrée with cornbread or biscuits, or offer it as a side dish with heartier meat-based meals.
How do you make okra not slimy?
Okra contains mucilage, a substance that acts as a natural thickener when heated. While this is beneficial to dishes like gumbo, it also produces the sliminess that’s often associated with okra. Honestly, I haven’t noticed that the okra has a slimy texture in this particular recipe. That said, there are a few proven methods for reducing the slime quotient of cooked okra. Some folks suggest waiting to slice the okra until right before you’re ready to cook it. Others claim that soaking it in vinegar before cooking helps minimize a slimy texture. Again, I’m not too worried about slimy okra here, as I haven’t noticed that it’s a problem.
Ingredients
This is just a quick overview of the ingredients that you’ll need for this Southern okra and tomatoes recipe. As always, specific measurements and step-by-step instructions are included in the printable recipe box at the bottom of the post.
- Okra: fresh when it’s in season, or frozen as a great substitute. If using frozen, you don’t even need to thaw it before adding it to the pot.
- Tomatoes: use fresh tomatoes when they’re in season; otherwise canned tomatoes are your best bet.
- Bacon: I always use thick-cut bacon. If you’re using regular bacon, you’ll need an extra strip or two.
- Vidalia onion: for delicious sweet and savory flavor. If you can’t find Vidalia onions, just use any other sweet onion variety.
- Garlic, thyme, bay leaf, salt and pepper: for even more flavor.
- Apple cider vinegar: a bright, acidic touch.
- Sugar: balances the acidity in the tomatoes.
- Worcestershire sauce: for salty, umami flavor.
How to Cook Okra and Tomatoes
Okra and tomatoes are a classic combination that takes advantage of fresh-from-the-garden late-summer produce. This simple dish comes together easily in a skillet or Dutch oven on the stovetop. When the summer heat is beating down, you don’t even have to turn on your oven!
- Cook bacon in a large skillet or Dutch oven for about 5 minutes.
- Add the onion and garlic, cooking for about 5 more minutes.
- Stir in the tomatoes, sugar, thyme, bay leaf, vinegar and Worcestershire sauce.
- Simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
- Add the okra, cover with a lid, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the okra is tender. This takes about 10-12 minutes for fresh okra or about 7-8 minutes for frozen okra.
- Remove the bay leaf.
- Taste and season with salt and pepper, if necessary. Serve and enjoy!
What to Serve with Southern Okra and Tomatoes
If you’d like to offer the okra and tomatoes as an entrée for a light lunch or dinner, pair the dish with cornbread, corn muffins, rice, cheese biscuits, sour cream muffins, or buttermilk biscuits. Don’t forget to add a glass of sweet tea, too.
As a side dish, okra goes well with any of these easy Southern-inspired entrées:
- Crispy Fried Chicken or Cajun Chicken Pasta
- Chicken Fried Steak with Gravy
- Pecan-Crusted Chicken
- Virginia Crab Imperial
- Southern Chicken and Pastry (Chicken and Dumplings)
- Grilled Pork Tenderloin
- Oven BBQ Chicken Breast
- Shrimp and Grits or this New Orleans BBQ Shrimp Recipe
- Slow Cooker Cowboy Pork and Beans or Pulled Pork Casserole
- Oven-Fried Cornflake Chicken
- Crock Pot Ribs
- Pulled BBQ Chicken in the Crock Pot
- Crab Cakes
- Shrimp Creole or this Fried Shrimp Recipe
- Chicken Fried Steak with Gravy or Old Fashioned Chicken Pot Pie
- Chili con Carne or “Good Luck” Southern Chili
- Smothered Pork Chops
- Southern Fried Catfish
- Sheet Pan Low Country Boil
- Whole Roasted Chicken
- Sweet Heat Southern Glazed Salmon
- Mississippi Roasted Pork Shoulder
- Ham and Cheese Casserole or Lima Beans and Ham
- Smothered Round Steak
Storage
Leftover okra and tomatoes will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. To reheat, just microwave until warm or transfer to a skillet and cook over low heat until warmed through.
Can you freeze stewed okra and tomatoes?
Yes, you can freeze this dish; however, the vegetables will have a mushier, more watery texture when thawed. Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Recipe Variations
- If you don’t have thick-cut bacon, increase the total amount of bacon to 4-5 regular strips.
- For a heartier meal, add shrimp or sausage to the dish.
- Try Creole seasoning for a Cajun twist, or a bit of cayenne to make it spicy.
- Corn is also a nice addition to the pot. You can use fresh corn off the cob, or stir in frozen kernels instead.
Tips for the Best Okra and Tomatoes Recipe
- Use fresh okra and fresh tomatoes in the summer when the produce is at its peak. Otherwise, frozen okra and canned tomatoes also work beautifully and offer consistent flavor and texture.
- Frozen okra tends to soften a bit faster than fresh okra, so reduce the cooking time slightly if using frozen vegetables. You do not need to thaw the okra before adding it to the pot.
- If using fresh tomatoes, you’ll need about 2 ½ cups of seeded and diced tomatoes. You’ll also need to add about ½ cup of liquid to replace the juice from the canned tomatoes. Water, broth, or red wine will all work well.
More Okra Recipes to Try
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Watch How to Make It
Okra and Tomatoes
Ingredients
- 3 slices thick-cut bacon, diced
- 1 small Vidalia onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 (14.5 ounce) cans diced tomatoes, NOT drained(see note below to use fresh tomatoes instead)
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves (or ½ teaspoon dried thyme)
- 1 dried bay leaf
- ½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 cups fresh or frozen okra, stems trimmed and cut into ½ -inch pieces
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- In a large skillet or Dutch oven, cook bacon until the bacon is starting to get crispy and the fat is rendered, about 5 minutes. Add the onion and garlic; saute for 5 more minutes.
- Stir in tomatoes (with their juices), sugar, thyme, bay leaf, vinegar and Worcestershire sauce. Use the juices from the tomatoes to deglaze the pan, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
- Add the okra, cover with a lid, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the okra is tender (about 10-12 minutes for fresh okra or 7-8 minutes for frozen okra). Remove the bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Use fresh okra and fresh tomatoes in the summer when the produce is at its peak. Otherwise, frozen okra and canned tomatoes also work beautifully and offer consistent flavor and texture.
- Frozen okra tends to soften a bit faster than fresh okra, so reduce the cooking time slightly if using frozen vegetables. You do not need to thaw the okra before adding it to the pot.
- If using fresh tomatoes, you’ll need about 2 ½ cups of seeded and diced tomatoes. You’ll also need to add about ½ cup of liquid to replace the juice from the canned tomatoes. Water, broth, or red wine will all work well.
- If you don’t have thick-cut bacon, increase the total amount of bacon to 4-5 regular strips.
- For a heartier meal, add shrimp or sausage to the dish.
- Try Creole seasoning for a Cajun twist, or a bit of cayenne to make it spicy.
- Corn is also a nice addition to the pot. You can use fresh corn off the cob, or stir in frozen kernels instead.
- Recipe adapted from Paula Deen.
My Husband loved this!!! I had everything on hand and super easy to make!!! Thank you!
Yay! Thanks, Dawn. I’m so happy to hear that. 🙂
I made this recipe and it was delish! It was a little too sweet for my taste as outlined as I like savory much more than sweet. When I make it again, I will cut the sugar in half to see if that adjusts to my taste. Thanks for sharing!
My husband loved it!
Wonderful! Thanks, Jana. It’s always a win when I can get my husband to eat some veggies! 🙂
Absolutely delicious! Didn’t use bacon but added a patty pan squash instead and white wine in place of water as I used fresh tomatoes.
Thank you, Dottie! We’re so glad you were able to make it work for you.
Delicious! I used fresh plum tomatoes and okra from my summer garden.
Yum! We’re so glad you enjoyed it.
I have never been a big fan of okra, but living in NC made it a good idea to find a way to enjoy it. This recipe was awesome! Even my anti-veggie husband loved it. Instead of sugar I used hot honey and soy sauce instead of worchestershire (didn’t have any). This will definitely make recurring appearances in out summer meals!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Melanie! Thank you for trying it out.
Wonderful recipe! Flavorful and perfect. I waited until the last minute to cut okra, and it turned out perfectly. I used fresh everything.
It’s one of our favorite ways to use summer veggies! We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Evelyn.
Made this tonight! Absolutely delicious! Served seared tuna and wild rice! ❤️
Thank you, Cheryl! We’re so glad you enjoyed it.
Excellent recipe!!..I should’ve made the cornbread.
Thanks, Douglas! Next time you can add the cornbread. 🙂
My husband loved it. I browned some sliced smoked sausage and sautéed chopped cayenne peppers in addition to the recipe as written. They were not necessary, as this recipe is perfect on its own. The addition of the sausage was to be able to use it as a main course.
That sounds like the perfect main course, Theresa. Thank you for letting me know! 🙂
Excellent! I don’t eat bacon so I left that out, but it was good anyway.
I’ll be making it again.
Thanks, Penny! I’m so glad that you enjoyed it!
Came out great! Served with traditional dirty rice and cornbread.
We’re so happy to hear this, Becca! Thank you for trying it out and taking the time to leave a review.
Thanks for this recipe. I made this a few nights ago. We don’t eat bacon, so subbed about a tsp of smoked paprika. Had some pearl onions I wanted to use so put those in place of the chopped Vidalia. The amount of sugar you need will depend on the acidity of the tomatoes. Sugar to taste works for me.
We hope you enjoy it, Pete!
This recipe reminded me of childhood when my Granny made. Being poor in the South we ate what was in the garden. My husband first looked this warily, but since he eats everything, he had a huge bowl and said we need to have this more often! Did not add sugar and added a tad more vinegar. Thanks!
We’re so glad you and your husband enjoyed it, Donna! We hope it brought back fond memories. We appreciate you trying it out and taking the time to leave a review!
It was delicious and easy to cook! I had fresh okra out of our garden!! And we ate it over rice!!
Thank you, Jo Ann! We’re so glad you enjoyed it.
I used fresh tomatoes and with the added sugar, it was way too sweet. I’ll try again without sugar.
Blair: Terrific recipe!! My wife has long stated, “I don’t like okra.” Okay, I said, I do and I am making it for myself and not for you, so don’t eat it. I did tweak the recipe a little bit. We do not routinely use bacon; she doesn’t like the taste and if I buy a one pound package most of it will languish in the back of the ‘frigde meat drawer until it is well past the printed experation date. So, instead I used bacon bits and added finely diced Frick;s sliced hickory smoked ham slices. I also used frozen cut okra and canned San Marzano tomatoes. She retreated into a different room and I put it together about carefully, following the rest of the listed ingredients and amounts recommended. Oh, I did add, to taste some ground cayenne pepper, rated 40,000 Scoville units. And, then after I followed each step, let it come together under low-medium eat until the aroma suffused through the house. I made a 1x recipe, because I loooovvvve okra.
After I had moved to the living room, I heard the bedroom door being quietly opened. I heard footsteps moving down the hallway toward the kitchen. Then I heard the cutlery drawer being opened. Then, I heard, “Oh! My! God! This is so delicious.” I heard no footsteps leaving the kitchen until she walked into the living room with a bowl and spoon in hand. “If I didn’t know who made this I would swear it was made by an old Black grandmammy! This is amazing” She was unable to say anything else, because she had dipped her spoon into the bowl and transferred more into her mouth.
She ended up eating more than 3/4 of the pot all by herself over the next two days. Today, I am the cooker of a one side (OKRA!) and Paula Deen’s cream cheese pumpkin pie for the extended family feed. She is doing the turkey. You can imagine the rest. If you can’t, I can assure that a whole bunch of her family will say, “Damn, that ol’ pale male of Auntie’s knows how to cook!” Amen, my brothers and sisters.
We’re so happy to hear the recipe was a hit and that you were able to adjust it to your liking! Thank you for trying it out and taking the time to leave a review. We hope you and your family have a very happy Thanksgiving!