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Roasted Cajun Okra

Cajun Roasted Okra is quick and easy to make, has lots of flavor, and is super healthy. Okra is a great vegetable to add to your rotation. I'll show you how to make roasted okra that is not slimy.

cajun okra

Okra. You love it or you hate it. I love it... once in a while to switch up my boring vegetable rotation!

One of my favorite ways to eat Okra is roasted with Cajun seasoning. This also happens to be the easiest way to prepare okra. I'll show you how to roast okra and even learn to love it! And I'll show you how to make okra that is not slimy.

This is a great recipe if you're craving those Cajun flavors but want to keep it light and low-carb.

Related: Are Grits Low-Carb?

roasted okra on a plate

Related recipe: Instant Pot Gumbo with Okra

Roasting okra

Roasting okra, just like roasting most vegetables, is a great hands-off way to prepare a vegetable and often tastes better than pan-frying, steaming, stewing or any other way of cooking vegetables.

Roasting is especially good for okra because it minimizes the slime factor. Okra pods release a liquid when they are sliced that can can get very slimy, and sliced okra adds sliminess to any dish that okra is cooked with. This can be OK for some things, such as soups, gumbos, jambalayas, but might not be a pleasant texture for roasted okra.

When you roast okra, you don't have to slice then too much - just cut off the "cap" and you're good to go. This minimizes the slime factor.

Just like other vegetables, just toss okra with salt and seasonings and pop it in the oven.

You want to roast okra at a high temperature - this also prevents the okra from getting slimy. Think of it as "shocking" the okra and just locking in the slime, kind of like how you want your oil to be preheated when you deep fry something. You don't want to put battered chicken in oil that is not hot enough - it will not form a nice crispy coating that way.

For this recipe, I roast okra at 425F for about 12 minutes. You can go longer (~15-18 minutes), if you prefer your vegetables to be a little softer. I definitely like my vegetables to retain a crunch.

Cajun okra

Cajun seasoning is a natural choice for okra! Okra is a common food in Louisiana and southeast US cuisine, where creole and Cajun seasoning is commonly used.

cajun seasoning in a bowl

I love Cajun seasoning on okra. It's flavorful and spicy, and tastes so good that I use very little salt with my recipes thanks to all the flavor from the Cajun seasoning.

Two of my favorite Cajun seasonings are: Badia Cajun Seasoning and Healthy Solutions Spice Blends Cajun Seasoning.

Healthy solutions is spicier and doesn't contain any salt, so you can control how much salt to add to your recipe. Badia is a bit more mild in spice but more flavorful, and has a little salt.

Healthy solutions comes in a small packet perfect for several recipes - it is great if you don't use Cajun seasoning often so you won't forget about it in the back of your spice cabinet. Badia is a huge container and great for those who like to add more flavor and spice to EVERYTHING. You decide what's right for you and your kitchen!

If you are not into spice, then use smoked paprika instead of Cajun seasoning. You'll still have delicious, smoky, flavorful okra without it being spicy.

If you follow this recipe, you should end up with perfectly seasoned, perfectly roasted okra that is not slimy.

fresh young okra pods

But here are are some tips on how to make okra not slimy:

  • Get fresh, not frozen okra
  • Get younger, small okra instead of older, larger pods
  • Soak the okra in a 1:1 solution of water:vinegar for 30 minutes before cutting*
  • Let the okra dry completely before cutting
  • Let the okra come to room temperature before cutting it
  • Minimize cutting the okra - if you don't need small bite size pieces. The slime comes out of the okra as its being cut
  • Cook okra quickly over high heat instead of longer over low heat

*To be honest, I always skip the soaking step.

If you have never roasted okra before, I encourage you to give it a try! And if you do try this recipe, please let me know in a comment below!

Best Cajun-Spiced Recipes

Looking to try other Cajun-spiced recipes? Try these reader favorites.

And don't forget to share it on Facebook and save it on Pinterest for later!

roasted cajun okra - pinterest graphic

cajun okra on a plate
Print Recipe
4.73 from 11 votes

Roasted Cajun Okra

A 20 minute side dish recipe of Roasted Cajun Okra - delicious and healthy. 
Prep Time3 minutes
Cook Time12 minutes
Total Time15 minutes
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American, Cajun
Servings: 4 servings
Author: Kate
Cost: $4

Ingredients

  • 1 lb okra - (look for young okra pods)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoom Cajun spice - (or more to taste, if you like things spicy)
  • Optional: salt to taste - , if your Cajun spice does not contain salt

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 425F. Brush a medium-sized baking tray with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
  • Rinse the okra and let it dry completely and come to room temperature.
  • Slice the 'caps" off the okra. Toss the okra 1 tablespoon olive oil and then with Cajun spice. Season with salt if your Cajun spice does not contain salt.
  • Roast the okra for 11-13 minutes (or longer, if you like softer vegetables), tossing halfway through so that the bottom does not burn.

Nutrition

Calories: 102kcal (5%) | Carbohydrates: 9g (3%) | Protein: 2g (4%) | Fat: 7g (11%) | Saturated Fat: 1g (5%) | Sodium: 9mg | Potassium: 362mg (10%) | Fiber: 4g (16%) | Sugar: 2g (2%) | Vitamin A: 1304IU (26%) | Vitamin C: 26mg (32%) | Calcium: 93mg (9%) | Iron: 1mg (6%)

The nutritional information displayed is an estimate and not to be used as dietary or nutritional advice. Consult a nutritionist or dietician for nutritional info based on the exact ingredients you use.

Comments or questions about the recipe?
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Little Cooking Tips

Tuesday 5th of April 2016

We LOVE okra!!! You're right about the slimy part, what we do ourselves is buy small okras and then sprinkle them with vinegar and a little salt and bake them (or saute in a pan) before cooking them. This helps "shield" the okra so that the slimy goo doesn't leak:) Okra is very popular here, we cook them with tomato sauce and chicken often. We never had some with cajun seasoning though, so we'll check it out ASAP!:) Thanx for another fantastic idea dear Kate! xoxoxo

Southern Dirrrty

Tuesday 18th of January 2022

@Little Cooking Tips, pickled okra. Fried. It really is love!

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