Okra and Tomatoes Recipe with Bacon
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This 4-ingredient Okra and Tomatoes Recipe is a classic Southern side dish that lets the natural flavors shine. The acidity of the tomatoes balances perfectly with tender okra, while crispy bacon and a few simple spices turn it into a flavor party you didn’t know you needed!
Okra and Tomatoes: A Match Made in Flavor Heaven
Some of my favorite recipes begin with “first you fry up some bacon…” and that immediately tells you a lot about this dish. Garden fresh spoils of the spring and summer months to create the ultimate garden dream team. I’ve made many versions of this okra recipe over the years (like my Southern-Style Fried Okra Recipe!), but this one tends to be my favorite recipe—mainly because, well, bacon! I mean, seriously. Bacon.
Take a moment to just stare in appreciation at how beautiful this tomato and okra recipe looks, all mixed up together in my vintage dish. ~sigh~ Makes my heart happy and my stomach growl. I don’t reckon you could ask for much more than that.
This tomato and okra recipe is a Southern classic that’s sure to win over even first-time okra cooks. The secret? Sautéing the okra in bacon grease at high heat to cut down on the slime factor. Juicy tomatoes, crispy bacon, and tender onions come together in this easy recipe to create a popular dish you’ll want to make again and again. The only thing left to do is grab a fork and enjoy!
Ingredients
- Bacon – turkey bacon or pork bacon
- Tomatoes – fresh tomatoes or canned diced tomatoes work
- Onion
- Okra – I used fresh okra from my sweet neighbor, but you can use frozen okra as well!
- Salt & black pepper
Flavor Enhancers
- For a spicier version, add 1 teaspoon of chili powder and 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper. Alternatively, serve it with a drizzle of hot sauce.
- For added flavor, saute 2 minced garlic cloves with the chopped onion. You might also like to add 1/2 teaspoon of Cajun seasoning or Creole seasoning.
- For more fresh vegetables, opt for 1/3 cup each of chopped celery and fresh corn kernels and/or 1 chopped bell pepper.
How to Make Okra and Tomatoes with Bacon
1. Start by chopping up your onion and dicing your okra pods and tomatoes.
2. Next, fry your bacon in a large skillet and set it aside on a paper towel-lined plate once it is nice and crispy.
3. In the bacon grease that is now in the skillet, add your onions and cook over medium-high heat until they are translucent.
4. Add sliced okra and tomatoes and cook, stirring often, until okra is tender. Sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper (according to your taste).
5. Serve immediately because, well, at this point I’m usually eating it right out of the skillet anyway. Enjoy!
Top Tip
If you’re using turkey bacon instead of pork bacon, as I often do, you won’t get a lot of bacon drippings. Instead, add a tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet before adding the chopped onion.
What to Serve with Okra and Tomatoes
Enjoy tomatoes and okra as a side dish with any hearty Southern main dish, like fried chicken, pulled BBQ chicken, chili, Southern fried catfish, or chicken fried steak. Because let’s face it, everything tastes better with a little Southern charm.
Want to turn your side dish into the star of the show? Just invite some protein to the party, like cooked sausage, shredded chicken, or cooked shrimp. Secondly, serve it over mashed potatoes, rice, or grits for a hearty and filling supper.
Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave, and for something different, serve it alongside scrambled eggs for breakfast.
Okra and Tomatoes Recipe with Bacon
This 4-ingredient Okra & Tomatoes recipe is smoky, savory, and full of texture! Crispy bacon, tender okra, juicy tomatoes, and aromatic onions come together in one skillet for an easy, flavorful Southern staple.
Ingredients
- 5-50 pieces bacon*
- 3 medium to large diced tomatoes
- 1 chopped onion
- 2 handfuls diced okra** (2-3 cups once diced)
- Salt & pepper, to taste
Instructions
- In a large skillet, over medium-high heat, cook the bacon until crispy, turning as needed. Remove the cooked bacon to a paper towel-lined plate and set it aside.
- Keep about 4 tablespoons of bacon grease in the skillet and pour the rest into your grease jar to save.
- Place the chopped onion into the bacon grease and continue cooking over medium-high heat until the onion is translucent.
- Add the okra and tomatoes and cook, stirring often, until okra is tender. Sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper to taste.
- Remove to a serving bowl and generously sprinkle the crumbled bacon bits over the top.
Notes
- *I'm not really suggesting that you make this dish with 50 pieces of bacon. However, I would not object to you doing so, provided you invited me to supper. As far as the ingredients in this, you can use more or less of any one item based on what you have on hand.
- **We use turkey bacon and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet when frying the onions.
Nutrition Information:
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 94
Can I can this receip
I use all the ingredients you have posted, but I add garlic, chili powder and sometimes the Rotel with habanero peppers. I love this stuff and make it in bigger batches than y’all do.
Instead of fresh tomatoes, I use a can of Rotel. It gives it a little heat and lots of flavor!!!! If you want even more heat, sprinkle Tony’s instead of salt and pepper.
Great idea Stacy!!
Christy,
This sounds like a great Low Carb side dish? What do you think?
Somehow I missed this when you first posted it. Made it tonight, pretty much doubled the recipe, used the whole package of bacon and also sliced a link of jalapeno summer sausage into it for an electric skillet low carb meal. Two thumbs up from my husband who could not imagine okra without the corn meal. I also left a few okra pods whole and cooked them in with the bacon as I imagined they would take longer to cook – perfection. Served with more uncooked onions and tomatoes. Heaven on a plate!
I am so glad you liked it Melissa!!! Love the idea of cooking a few pods of okra with the bacon!!
I love okra anyway you fix. Especially boiled and pickled. My Granny used to add a Tablespoon of lemon juice when she boiled it water and it does cut down on the slime
This recipe rocks…one of my girlfriends suggested cutting the corn of a couple of cobs…that is good as well if you want a little variation. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe. It is just wonderful.
I am so glad you liked it Vicki!! Love the corn suggestion, I will have to give it a try!