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.
Okra. You love it or you hate it.
Or rather, you tolerate it or you hate it.
I don't think I know anyone who loves okra. Most people I know just eat it when it is part of their meal, or part of a jambalaya recipe.
But okra is really not so bad! No, it's never going to be my favorite vegetable but I gladly added roasted okra to our side dish rotation once I figured out how to cook it properly.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Instant Pot Sausage Jambalaya
This Instant Pot Jambalaya with Sausage is super easy to make and tastes SO GOOD! Perfect comfort food!
Cajun Shrimp with Cheesy Grits
Cajun shrimp with cheesy grits - a classic recipe. Roasted okra would make a GREAT side dish for this!
Keto Cajun Shrimp and Cauliflower Grits
Cajun shrimp with cheesy cauliflower grits - a low-carb, keto-friendly take on the classic Shrimp and Grits recipe.
This is a good one even if you're not following a low-carb diet because it is SO tasty, packed with veggies, and super easy to make in 20 minutes with just 4 main ingredients.
Jambalaya with Kidney Beans
Is there anything more satisfying than a bowl of Jambalaya?? This one is seasoned with plenty of Cajun seasoning and has red beans to make it tastier and heartier.
Jambalaya is actually quite easy to make! Give it a try.
Cajun Shrimp Salad with Cilantro Lime Dressing
This is a lighter recipe - a flavorful salad with perfectly cooked Cajun-spiced shrimp and crumbles of crispy bacon. The easy homemade cilantro lime dressing is amazing.
This recipe is low-carb and keto-friendly, and makes a great lunch.
Cajun Pork Chops
These pork chops are one of the most popular recipes on this blog! The tasty tomato sauce is so easy to make with just a few ingredients.
Serve these over rice or with bread to soak up the tasty Cajun sauce.
Cajun Shrimp Sweet Potato Hash
Full of flavor and lots of different ingredients, this one-skillet meal of sweet potatoes, beans, shrimp, and Cajun seasoning is healthy, filling, tasty, and easy to make.
Cajun Shrimp Stuffed Avocado Recipe
These shrimp-stuffed avocados make a great elegant appetizer or lunch. The Cajun seasoning is perfect with the creamy dressing on the shrimp - it's like a lighter version of bang bang shrimp!
Creamy Grits with Cajun Sweet Potato, Kale, and Chickpeas
A vegetarian take on the classic grits recipe, this dish has lots of healthy, nutrient-rich veggies and chickpeas instead of shrimp or meat on top of creamy grits. So satisfying and delicious.
Cheesy Grits Fritters
Cheesy grits fritters are a fun little appetizer that is easy to make. Dip these bite-size fritters into a Cajun marinara sauce. So good!
And don't forget to share it on Facebook and save it on Pinterest for later!
Roasted Cajun Okra
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
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.
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!