Air Fryer Fried Green Tomatoes are crispy, crunchy, and golden on the outside, yet tender and bursting with flavor on the inside. This lightened-up twist on traditional fried green tomatoes is the perfect savory summer snack or appetizer to whip up in the air fryer.
Now, don’t get me wrong. There are few Southern comfort food dishes I enjoy more than a plate full of crispy fried green tomatoes. But if I fired up the deep fryer weekly, my wife might have some words for me. So what can you do? That’s where the magical air fryer comes in.
Air frying foods like fried green tomatoes is a great way to enjoy your favorite indulgent dishes without the greasy heaps of oil. With an air fryer, you just need a little spritz of olive oil spray to enjoy the same crispy, golden perfection.
To make air fryer fried green tomatoes, we’ll start by seasoning green tomatoes with Cajun seasoning and coating them in a flavorful batter. Once they’re in the air fryer, the battered tomato slices take under 15 minutes to transform into the fried green tomatoes of your dreams. Paired with a Creole mustard dipping sauce, you’ve got an instant hit on your hands.
Stay tuned to learn how to air fry green tomatoes, how to make the best batter for fried green tomatoes, and how to make the ultimate dipping sauce to serve with them. Now, grab some green tomatoes and get your air fryers ready—it’s time to get cooking!
Key Ingredients
Here’s a breakdown of the fresh ingredients and pantry staples you’ll need to make your own air fryer-fried green tomatoes at home.
- Green Tomatoes: You can find green tomatoes (aka unripe tomatoes) at most grocery stores and farmer's markets between July and August.
- Flour: Any regular all-purpose flour will work here. Personally, I only use unbleached flour for health purposes because I don’t want bleach in my flour.
- Panko Bread Crumbs: I love the crispy, crunchy texture that panko bread crumbs give to these fried green tomatoes.
- Eggs: You’ll need these for the egg mixture that helps the batter stick to the green tomatoes and form that crispy coating.
- Cajun Seasoning: My preferred Cajun Seasoning is Savory Cajun Seasoning because it’s full of flavor and low in sodium. That way, I can use a little extra without worrying about my food being too salty.
- Creole Mustard: This is the base of my favorite sauce for fried green tomatoes. I love the tangy, sharp flavor of Creole mustard. Dijon mustard is a notable swap, but it’s more sweet than tangy.
- Heavy Cream: This makes our sauce extra creamy. You can lighten it up by using sour cream or Greek yogurt, but it won’t be the same. For the creamiest dipping sauce, stick to the original.
- White Pepper: A little goes a long way and ensures that the dipping sauce is well-balanced. I used white pepper, but feel free to use black pepper if preferred.
Air Fryer Fried Green Tomatoes Recipe
Who’s ready for a batch of irresistible air fryer fried green tomatoes? Just follow the easy steps below and be sure to check out the section below for storage tips.
Step 1: Prep Green Tomatoes
Season tomato slices evenly on both sides with Cajun seasoning. Add flour, bread crumbs, garlic powder, cayenne, salt, and pepper to a small bowl.
In another bowl, beat eggs with salt and pepper. Dredge each tomato slice in the egg mixture, then the flour and panko mixture until all tomatoes are evenly coated.
Step 2: Make Air Fryer Fried Green Tomatoes
Spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray, then layer green tomatoes evenly, spray the tops with cooking spray, and make sure you don’t see any white from the flour. Air fry at 400°F for 10 minutes, flip tomatoes over, spray with cooking spray, and cook for an additional 3 minutes or until golden brown.
Step 3: Make Creole Mustard Dipping Sauce
While the green tomatoes air fry, mix the sauce ingredients together in a medium bowl until smooth. Serve fried green tomatoes hot with dipping sauce, and enjoy!
Recipe Tips and Tricks
Here are some of my top tips to help you make the best air fryer fried green tomatoes:
- Pay attention to how thick you slice your green tomatoes. Thinner tomatoes will cook faster and may fall apart while cooking. On the flip side, too large of a cut will make the green tomatoes take longer to cook and may result in burning the crispy coating.
- For the crispiest air fryer fried green tomatoes, make sure to place them in the air fryer basket in a single layer and keep them from touching. You may need to fry in batches depending on the size of your air fryer.
- Feel free to use gluten-free flour and panko bread crumbs for gluten-free fried green tomatoes.
- The key to ensuring that your batter sticks to the green tomato slices, press each slice firmly into the batter when you first add it in. Then, toss to cover evenly.
- My Savory Cajun Seasoning is low in sodium, so if you want to use more seasoning on your green tomato slices, go for it.
- Every air fryer basket is different in size, so only batter just before frying. Some recipes call for letting the batter set for 10 minutes, but I’ve found that the green tomato juices make the batter soggy if you wait too long to air fry.
- Don’t feel like making your own dipping sauce? Ranch dressing works well as an alternative.
Make-Ahead and Storage
As with most air fryer recipes, these air fryer-fried green tomatoes are best when served right away. For that reason, I don’t recommend making them ahead of time. However, you can prepare the Creole mustard dipping sauce ahead of time and store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two weeks.
If you wind up with leftover fried tomatoes, you can store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. To freeze air fryer fried green tomatoes, allow them to cool completely before spreading the tomato slices out on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Place the baking sheet in the freezer for an hour, then transfer the fried green tomatoes to an airtight container or freezer-safe bag. You can freeze fried green tomatoes for up to 3 months. To reheat them, simply pop the fried tomatoes into the air fryer basket and cook at 400°F for 5 minutes or until hot.
Air Fryer Fried Green Tomatoes FAQs
Here are the answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about air fryer-fried green tomatoes.
Can you cook tomatoes in an air fryer?
Absolutely! Air frying green tomatoes makes them crispy on the outside while retaining their juiciness on the inside. It’s similar to crispy fried eggplant but way juicier and without any bitterness.
How do you know when a green tomato is ready to fry?
When choosing green tomatoes to air fry, look for firm tomatoes with tight skin. While you want them to be firm, they also shouldn’t be too hard. You’ll also need to check them to make sure they are completely green on all sides with no hints of red or yellow.
Are fried green tomatoes just unripe tomatoes?
Yes! While I would love to tell you that green tomatoes are some fancy tomato variation. Grown only in the delta of Louisiana, green tomatoes are just unripe tomatoes. You can find green heirloom tomatoes that stay green, but to make air fryer fried green tomatoes we just use plain old unripe tomatoes.
How do you cut green tomatoes for frying?
To cut green tomatoes for frying, place each tomato on its side before carefully slicing it into ¼ inch slices with a sharp knife.
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More Delicious Air Fryer Recipes
Looking for more air fryer recipes to try out? You’ll love these:
- Easy Honey Garlic Air Fryer Chicken Wings
- Garlic Air Fryer Asparagus
- Air Fryer Hash Browns
- Crispy Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts
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📖 Recipe
Air Fryer Fried Green Tomatoes
Ingredients
Fried Green Tomatoes:
- 4 green tomatoes sliced ¼ inch
- 1 tablespoon Savory Cajun Seasoning
- 1 cup unbleached flour
- ¾ cup panko
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon cayenne
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt divided
- 1 teaspoon black pepper divided
- 2 large eggs
- cooking spray
Creole Mustard Sauce:
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ cup creole mustard
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper
Instructions
- To make fried green tomatoes: Season tomato slices evenly on both sides with Cajun seasoning. In a bowl add flour, panko, garlic powder, cayenne, ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper.
- In another bowl beat eggs with remaining salt and pepper. Dredge tomatoes slices in egg, then flour and panko mixture. Spray air-fryer basket with cooking spray, then layer green tomatoes evenly. Air-fry at 400°F for 10 minutes, flip tomatoes over, spray with cooking spray and cook for 3 minutes or until golden brown.
- To make Creole mustard: While the green tomatoes air fry. In a medium bowl mix all ingredients together until smooth. Sauce will remain fresh for 14 days. Serve fried green tomatoes hot with a teaspoon of sauce and enjoy!
Notes
- Pay attention to how thick you slice your green tomatoes. Thinner tomatoes will cook faster and may fall apart while cooking. On the flip side, too large of a cut will make the green tomatoes take longer to cook and may result in burning the crispy coating.
- For the crispiest air fryer fried green tomatoes, make sure to place them in the air fryer basket in a single layer and keep them from touching. You may need to fry in batches depending on the size of your air fryer.
- Feel free to use gluten-free flour and panko bread crumbs for gluten-free fried green tomatoes.
- The key to ensuring that your batter sticks to the green tomato slices, press each slice firmly into the batter when you first add it in. Then, toss to cover evenly.
- My Savory Cajun Seasoning is low in sodium so if you want to use more seasoning on your green tomato slices, go for it.
- Every air fryer basket is different in size, so only batter just before frying. Some recipes call for letting the batter set for 10 minutes, but I’ve found that the green tomato juices make the batter soggy if you wait too long to air fry.
- Don’t feel like making your own dipping sauce? Ranch dressing works well as an alternative.
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