Stewed Okra and Tomatoes

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Stewed Okra and Tomatoes are just so delicious.

This dish is truly a comfort dish like no other. Just so warm, delicious, and utterly satisfying. And comes together in about 35 minutes!  You might also like Skillet Okra with Garlic, Fried Okra, or Classic Shrimp and Okra Gumbo, or even Chicken and Andouille Sausage Gumbo with Okra.

A white bowl holding stewed okra and tomatoes.

STEWED OKRA AND TOMATOES ARE EASY TO MAKE AT HOME

This dish really is delicious any time of the year. Summertime is great, but they are a favorite during the holiday season, too.

And..this dish is surprisingly easy to prepare!

Watch us show you how simple it is to make Stewed Okra and Tomatoes!

Fresh okra is great, but obviously isn’t always in season. Frozen okra that has been thawed works perfectly fine, too.

Okra, when prepare correctly, is so delicious.

fresh okra held by two hands

So, okra can be a little slimy, (I know, I hate that word), so give these sliced gems a quick fry in some bacon fat (or vegetable oil) and you won’t believe how good this dish turns out.

You’ll notice as you sauté these in a nice hot skillet, the ‘slime-factor’ goes away.

cut okra in a hot skillet and wooden spoon
Fried okra is a popular dish, especially in the South, but let me tell you, Stewed Okra with Tomatoes is something special.

The smell as it simmers on the stove is incredible. Stewed Okra and Tomatoes is just the best.

Mmmmmm.

Fresh okra in a skillet with tomatoes

This has without a doubt been been a favorite dish in our house for many years.

It is now a staple on our Thanksgiving table. But also a summertime favorite, too!

It is easy to prepare, and you can even make it in advance, and then re-heat just before serving.

Stewed okra with tomatoes in a bowl with a silver spoon

We just can’t say enough about this amazing Stew Okra and Tomatoes recipe.

Make this and we feel quite certain you and your loved ones will love it as much as we do!

Let’s hear it for OKRA!!

stewed okra with tomatoes

stewed okra with tomatoes

Stewed Okra and Tomatoes

Stewed Okra and Tomatoes is such a delicious dish and is literally exploding with flavor. An all-time favorite!  Great on a holiday table, too!
5 from 18 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Side dish
Keyword: okra, Southern cuisine
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 315kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp quality olive oil
  • 4 cups trimmed fresh okra cut into 1 & 1/2 inch slices
  • 1 tbsp bacon fat or vegetable oil
  • 1/2 medium yellow onion thinly sliced
  • 1 jalapeno stemmed, seeded, and finely chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 28 oz can whole tomatoes drained and roughly chopped (We love San Marzano!)
  • 1 tsp Kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 fresh bay leaves
  • 1 tsp fresh rosemary chopped
  • 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 1 & 1/2 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock

Instructions

  • Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
  • Add the okra and saute for 5 to 8 minutes until the okra starts to slightly brown and most of the 'slime' has disappeared. Set aside.
  • In a medium skillet, heat the bacon fat over medium-high heat. Add the onion, jalapeno, and garlic and saute for 3 minutes.
  • Add the tomato paste, tomatoes, salt, pepper, bay leaves, rosemary, red pepper flakes, and vinegar.
  • Cook for 10 minutes, until the tomatoes start to break down and start forming something like a paste.
  • Add the stock and simmer for 15 minutes longer over low heat.
  • Stir the okra into the tomato sauce, raise the heat to medium, and simmer for another 10 minutes.
  • Taste, and adjust seasonings, as needed. Remove bay leaves and serve at once.

Notes

This dish can easily be prepared a day in advance and re-heated 30 minutes before serving.  Add a little more stock to thin the dish, if desired. 

Nutrition

Calories: 315kcal
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48 Comments

  • 5 stars
    LOVED LOVED LOVED it as much as The Loon did!! I did add sweet corn and I had a few extra garden peppers which got thrown in. Fabulous recipe! So easy to follow & results and excellent! Thank you both for the inspiration! I used my first homegrown okra ever!

    • Hi Kim!! So sorry for the delayed response here!! YAY!!!!!!! We are over-the-moon thrilled that you had such amazing success with the okra and tomatoes….and with homegrown okra, too!!! So fantastic! Sounds absolutely delicious. Thank you so much for letting us and for the fabulous review. That means the world to us!!! Please stay in touch!! All the best, Kris & Wesley

  • 5 stars
    Just whipped this up with our freshly from the garden South Carolina Okra and am IN LOVE with the flavors! I did add a little bacon and used the whole jalapeno but we love heat so it was perfect! I plan to add on to this with some homegrown eggplant and maybe chick peas – it has so much potential yet is perfect on its own. Thank you !!

  • 5 stars
    Delicious I made the recipe with okra and tomatoes that were picked from the garden today! There are various steps but, I promise it is worth the effort. It’s a little spicy for those that don’t like heat, you can adjust to your taste. I plan on making a double batch and freezing! Definitely a keeper! NOLA girl

    • Beth! You have no idea how thrilled this makes us! And we are so honored that we got such raves from a NOLA girl! Woo hoo!! Thank you so much for letting us and we are so happy you had such great success with the dish! Stay in touch! All the very best, Kris & Wesley

  • This is my first time to watch one of your videos. Where have you been all my life? Can’t wait to make the okra and tomatoes. I just pick some out of my garden today. Look forward to more of your recipes.

    • Hi Beverley! We are THRILLED you found us and we found YOU! Woo hoo!!! We think you’re going to love this okra and tomatoes recipe! Especially with homegrown veggies! The BEST!!! Please stay in touch and stay tuned…lots more on the way!!! xoxo Kris & Wesley

  • 5 stars
    Great flavor! I’ve made fresh okra and tomatoes before, but I liked that this recipe had bay leaves, red wine vinegar and rosemary added, which created a nice kicked up version. I only had 2 cups of okra, so I scaled back on the chicken stock and it was delish!

    • Hi Kathy! So sorry for the delayed response! AWESOME!! We are so thrilled you had such great success with the okra and tomatoes! We love this dish so much, too!! Sounds like you made it perfectly! Thanks so much for letting us know and for the wonderful review! That means the world to us! All the best, Kris & Wesley

  • 5 stars
    Love this I wanted this to be more so I added a handful of pasta before adding okra and a can of drained black beans.

    • HI Julia!! Pasta and black beans sound amazing!! Great thinking! Thanks so much for letting us know and for the wonderful review!! Stay in touch! All the best, Kris & Wesley

    • Hey Kevin! We love it! Conecuh sausage sounds like an amazing addition! And loving the Po-Boy sandwich. Thank you so much for letting us know and for the GREAT review! We appreciate that so very much! Stay in touch! All the best, Kris & Wesley

  • 5 stars
    Great dish! I bought a bunch of okra on impulse at a farmers market because it looked so fresh but I never cooked with it before so I searched Pinterest for recipes and decided on this one. I only bought about 3 cups ok okra so I added zuccinni for more green. I also added andouille sausage while browning the onions. Near the end I added 2 ears of corn on the cob crumbled in and tossed with crabmeat! Amazing and delicious. I know this recipe would be good as is but you can also be creative and add on. Mine became more of a gumbo! Highly recommend.

    • Hi Mary! Please forgive the delayed response! Wow! Sounds like you made an AMAZING dish! So glad you had such great success with the recipe and your fabulous modifications. And thank you SO MUCH for letting us know and for the GREAT review! We appreciate that so so much! All the best, Kris & Wesley

    • Hi Carol! We are glad you had success with the stewed okra and tomatoes, and you’re right, it isn’t hard to prepare! Thanks so much for letting us know and for the wonderful review! That means so much to us!! All the best, Kris & Wesley

  • 5 stars
    Oh Kris & Wesley, this was awesome. I followed your recipe exactly, not substituting anything. Which I never do the first time making anybody’s recipes. We’re not allergic to anything & love everything! . My husband has just started coming around to okra, like a lot of ppl, not fan of slime. Love, love this. The aroma was great. I could see serving this with smoked kielbasa on the side, or over basmati, jasmine or brown rice. I have so many ideas that I can’t list them all, lol. I can’t believe I’ve never had this. Okra is plentiful here in the south. (We’re originally from NY) I did find out though that you shouldn’t use okra that is longer than 4 inches. They seem to be tough. Realized that while cutting, the seeds inside were slightly brown, so I threw them out. Thanks for sharing. Will be making this again. I wish I could share a picture here. Maybe I can on IG.

    • Hi Sandra!! That is so WONDERFUL to hear! We are so happy that you had success with this dish. We love it so much and glad to hear your hubby is starting to get on the okra train! And yes, served with smoked kielbasa or over basmati is perfection!! And you are SO correct! The large okra is a bit tougher and stringy. I’m glad you mentioned that, we’ll update the post to indicate that. YES! Post on IG and tag us! Thank you so much for letting us know about your success. It means so much to us!! xoxo Kris & Wesley

      • This recipe was delicious! I added Andouille sausage and Tasso ham when browning my onions served over brown rice!!!!!

      • Hey Marlo!! YES!! andouille sausage and tasso ham sound absolutely amazing in this recipe. Gotta try that next time we whip up a batch!! Thanks again for letting us know how it turned out!!!

  • 5 stars
    Love it, been eating this dish since I was a small child. Thank y’all so much for sharing your delicious recipes.

    • Hi Lindy! We love it so much! And completely agree, there is a nostalgic element to this dish, too. I remember it as a child during the holidays! So good!! And than you so very much!! We LOVE hearing from you! Please stay in touch! All the best, Kris & Wesley

    • Thank you, Yolanda! We are so glad you liked this recipe, we love okra and tomatoes so much!! And thank you for letting us know, we truly appreciate that!! All the best, Kris & Wesley

  • 5 stars
    I absolutely love this recipe! I always liked okra and now I really love it and so does my husband! Thank you for this delicious dish!

    • Hi there!! We are so very happy you loved the okra and stewed tomatoes! It’s one of our favorites, too!! And thank you for letting us know, that means the world to us!! Please stay in touch!! All the best, Kris & Wesley

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