Air Fryer Fried Green Tomatoes

These air fryer fried green tomatoes are yummy! They are crispy and tangy and taste just as good as those fried in oil.

We have been trying all different ways of cooking fried green tomatoes in the air-fryer and have come up with a recipe that we really love!

Photo of air fryer fried green tomatoes on a white plate on a white countertop. There is a remoulade sauce shown too.

Delicious Air Fryer Fried Green Tomatoes

First let me tell you about some of our experiments in cooking air fryer fried green tomatoes…

We tried them with buttermilk, with whole milk, with and without egg, with cornmeal, with flour and corn meal mixed together, with Panko, with cornmeal and Panko, and with various types of spray oils. We also tried different temperatures and lengths of cooking time.

Y’all, we were SERIOUS about figuring out the best way to cook this southern summer delicacy in the air fryer.

Here are some of the things that we learned:

  • Plain buttermilk is the best liquid for dipping the tomatoes. Adding egg didn’t improve the texture but did add an “eggy” flavor that we didn’t love.
  • We did not like the taste or the texture when we added flour to the cornmeal mixture.
  • When we tried plain cornmeal we felt that the breading didn’t have enough crunch.
  • Panko bread crumbs might not seem like a typically southern ingredient, but when mixed with the cornmeal it gave the breading the extra crunch in the air fryer that you would normally get from pan frying. We found that a mixture of equal parts cornmeal and Panko was perfect.
  • We used an oil mister for this recipe. We ended up preferring the tomatoes misted with vegetable oil. It made them taste like they do when you pan fry them. The batches we made with an olive oil spray were still very good but it did add a different flavor.

Obviously you will need an air fryer for this recipe. This is the air fryer that I have and I definitely recommend it! You will also need an oil sprayer/mister.

Here is our super simple recipe that will give you the delicious taste of a southern fried green tomato in an air fryer.

Photo of air fryer fried green tomatoes on a white plate on a white countertop. There is a remoulade sauce shown too.

Air Fryer Fried Green Tomatoes

Southern style fried green tomatoes made in the air fryer.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 14 minutes
Course Appetizer, Side Dish
Cuisine American, Southern

Equipment

  • Air Fryer
  • Oil Spray Bottle

Ingredients
  

  • 2-3 medium green tomatoes
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk
  • 1/2 cup cornmeal
  • 1/2 cup panko
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • vegetable or olive oil in oil sprayer

Instructions
 

  • Slice green tomatoes in 1/4 inch slices
  • Pour buttermilk into a shallow dish like a pie plate
  • Mix panko and cornmeal into a shallow dish
  • Pre-heat air fryer to 400 degrees
  • Dip fried green tomato slices into buttermilk and then dredge in the cornmeal and panko mixture
  • Salt and pepper the tomatoes to taste
  • Mist the inside of the air fryer with oil
  • Place tomato slices in air fryer basket. Leave space between the tomatoes
  • Mist the top of the tomatoes
  • Air fry at 400 degrees for 8 minutes
  • Turn over the tomatoes and mist them
  • Air fry at 400 degrees for 5 more minutes
Keyword air fryer fried green tomatoes, appetizer, southern side dish

These are best if eaten right away while they are still hot. Fried green tomatoes are wonderful with a dipping sauce. You can serve them with ranch dressing or our Louisiana remoulade sauce.

They are a great side dish with fried catfish, or fried chicken. They go well with all different kinds of seafood. I particularly like them with shrimp.

A BLT is delicious with a fried green tomato in place of a ripe tomato. You can even take the sandwich game up a notch and try one of our favorite decadent sandwiches. It is a grilled pimento cheese with bacon and a fried green tomato. Sounds a little different, but it is SO good.

Two more of our favorite southern recipes are vegetarian purple hull peas or a delicious summer dish of okra, tomato, and corn gumbo!

Photo of air fryer fried green tomatoes on a white plate on a white countertop. There is a remoulade sauce shown too. The background is blue and white tile.

Hope you enjoy these green tomatoes in the air fryer!

Thanks for stopping by!