Southern Bacon and Okra Skillet
This bacon-and-okra skillet is a yummy Southern side dish for summer! With crispy, smoky bacon and tender okra, this will keep you coming back for more.
Featured Reader Review
“My taste buds are singing! Never had okra before or heard of it. Your recipes have never failed me!” – Irena
Why you’ll love this Southern bacon and okra skillet
Growing up in New York, I never ate okra growing up. Actually, I didn’t eat it until my 20s, and I immediately loved it! Seriously, I was missing out on Southern food like this dish and my one-pan Southern fried cabbage and sausage. The flavors are rich, smoky, and perfect for summer.
Here’s why you’re going to love this one…
- Slime free okra. The biggest complaint about okra is that it’s slimy. This recipe cooks the okra quickly at high heat to eliminate the slime.
- Smoky and rich. The bacon, turmeric, okra, and onion come together for a really flavorful and rich dish!
- Rich but not too heavy. This recipe doesn’t involve any deep frying, so it’s still savory, but not too heavy.
How do you get rid of okra slime?
Okra is often regarded as slimy, which sounds off-putting, but with these tips, you can cut down on that mouthfeel.
- Wash and dry it fully. Fully dry your okra slices with a clean dish towel to cut down on excess moisture.
- Cook it quickly over high heat. This makes it crispy rather than slimy.
Is the okra slime good for you?
Surprisingly, the okra slime is actually good for you. It doesn’t sound appetizing, but the “slime” (which is called mucilage) is full of soluble fiber making it amazing for your digestion and slowing down bloog sugar. (source)
Recipe Ingredients
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.
- Okra. Okra is an underrated veggie that I love cooking in the summer! It’s not a nightshade vegetable (though I thought it was for a while) and it’s delicious!
- Bacon. Not only do you get the smoky flavor of bacon, but you get to use the bacon fat to cook this skillet
- Onion, garlic, and turmeric. Turmeric gives this just a little bit of a kick and an extra nutrient boost!
- Apple cider vinegar. The ACV gives this just a hint of acid that pairs well with the smoky flavor of the bacon.
How to Make This Okra & Bacon Skillet
Here are the simple steps, with photos, to make this recipe. Find full instructions in the recipe card.
Step One. Saute the bacon until crispy. Remove the bacon from the pan.
Step Two. Saute the onion in the pan.
Step Three. Add the chopped okra to the pan and season. Cook about 8-10 minutes, then add apple cider vinegar and bacon. Enjoy!
Michelle’s Tips & Tricks
- Don’t overcrowd the pan. Having too much bacon or okra in the pan can cause them both to steam and get mushy rather than crispy. Make sure you have a large pan, or cook in batches!
- Dry the okra well before adding to the pan! This is key to ensure your okra gets crispy!
If you tried this Southern Bacon and Okra Skillet or any other recipe on my blog please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Other Southern Recipes to Try…
Southern Bacon and Okra Skillet
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Ingredients
- 4 strips of bacon, chopped
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- salt and pepper
- 1 lb okra
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ tsp turmeric
- 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- Prepare the okra by washing and deying well and slice off the tops. Continue to slice the okra into about 4-5 slices per piece of okra and set aside.
- Using a large skillet, saute the bacon on medium heat for 4-5 minutes or until the bacon is crispy. Remove the bacon from the pan along with about 2 tbsp of bacon fat, reserving the rest of the fat in a glass container.
- Add the onion to the pan and cook for 4-5 minutes or until the onions are translucent.
- Add the chopped okra to the pan and season with salt, pepper. Cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring often and add more fat if needed. Cook until lightly crispy, adding the garlic at the end.
- Reduce the heat to low. Add the apple cider vinegar and turmeric to the pan along with the bacon to lightly reheat. Stir for a minute and remove from the heat.
- Serve warm as a side!
My husband and I loved this! I accidentally doubled the turmeric & it still turned out. 🙂
So glad you enjoyed it!!
I love this recipe! I don’t know what I should make with it for dinner though… do you have any recommendations?
Grilled or baked chicken and sweet potato would be yummy with it! 🙂
Tasty recipe but there’s nowhere on the page I could find that said the number of people this was intended to serve, so the nutritional facts which say “1 serving” are useless. Is a serving one cup? 1/4 of the total? 1/8? Number of servings would be helpful information. If it’s there and I’ve missed it, I guess it needs to be in a more obvious place – perhaps with the nutritional info?
At the top of the recipe (right above the ingredients), it says how many servings it is… 3 servings 🙂
My taste buds are singing! Never had okra before, or heard of it. Your recipes have never failed me! 🙂
Ahh yay! Thank you, Irena!! 🙂