Roasted Okra With Warm Bacon Vinaigrette

4 servings

30 Minutes

Cook Roasted Okra with Warm Bacon Vinaigrette in a cast-iron skillet on top of the stove until it is tender and slightly charred, then top with an amazing honey-mustard-bacon dressing and more crumbled bacon.

Savory and sweet, serve this roasted okra recipe from stove-to-table right in the same pan as an appetizer or side dish.

The best okra recipes always start with fresh okra, whether pan-fried, oven-fried, grilled, or roasted like today’s recipe made with whole okra pods sliced in half length-wise for super easy prep!

roasted okra with warm bacon vinaigrette

How to roast okra on top of the stove

Prepare the okra by rinsing it in a colander under cool water. Drain and dry the okra well with paper towels.
Slice off the woody stems, then cut each pod in half lengthwise.
Heat a cast iron skillet on top of the stove over medium high heat with a little oil or bacon fat in the pan. Do not allow the skillet to start to smoke.
Place the okra in the pan cut side down and cook for about 3 minutes, until there are a few char marks.
Flip the okra and cook for another minute, then remove to a plate and season with salt and pepper or drizzle with warm bacon vinaigrette.

How to make warm bacon vinaigrette

Warm bacon dressing is not only delicious on today’s roasted okra, it’s a great dressing to serve with spinach or arugula salads, too.

First, fry bacon slices until they are crisp. Drain on paper towels, reserving the rendered bacon fat or grease.
In a small bowl, whisk together honey, stone ground Dijon mustard, and red wine vinegar, until smooth. Add olive oil and some of the reserved warm bacon grease and whisk until emulsified.
Crumble a slice or two of bacon and stir into the vinaigrette and serve immediately.

How to cook okra without the slime

Let’s face it, slimy okra is just not appealing (although my Mom loved slimy boiled okra—yuck!). Anyway, the way to avoid okra slime is cooking it fast in a hot pan.

With today’s roasted okra recipe, the okra is seared quickly in a hot pre-heated cast iron skillet for just 3 to 4 minutes. This okra recipe doesn’t have any breading, so it gets tender and cooks quicker than sliced okra that has been breaded and fried.

Instructions

Bacon Vinaigrette

In a large cast iron skillet over medium heat, fry the bacon slices until crisp, about 5 to 7 minutes. Drain the bacon on a paper towel lined plate, reserving the rendered bacon grease for the vinaigrette and for cooking the okra later.
In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, stone ground Dijon mustard, red wine vinegar, and sea salt, until smooth. Slowly add the olive oil and 2 tablespoons of the reserved warm bacon grease, whisking until the dressing is emulsified.
When the bacon is cool, crumble a slice and add to the vinaigrette. Crumble the remaining bacon and set aside.
If not preparing the okra immediately, cover the vinaigrette and refrigerate. When ready to serve, warm in the microwave for 20 to 30 seconds.

Roasted Okra

Rinse the fresh whole okra in a colander under cool running water. Drain and dry well with paper towels. Cut off the stem, then slice each okra pod in half lengthwise.
In a large a cast iron skillet over medium high heat, warm add a tablespoon of the reserved bacon fat or vegetable oil. Do not allow the fat or oil to smoke.
Working in batches, add the okra to the pan cut side down and cook for about 3 minutes, until there are a few char marks. Flip the okra and cook for 1 more minute, until tender. Remove to a plate and season with salt and pepper. Repeat with the remaining okra, adding oil as needed to the pan.
Return all the cooked okra to the hot skillet and drizzle with the warm bacon vinaigrette and top with the remaining crumbled bacon. Serve immediately.