These Oven “Fried” Green Tomatoes give you all the irresistible crunch of the southern classic—minus the fryer. Baked until golden, the Parmesan-panko crust provides the ultimate savory, crispy contrast to the tart green tomatoes.
At the end of the growing season last year, Emily had lots of green tomatoes. She picked them on the eve of the first frost and offered me a generous portion.
For several days, the unripe tomatoes sat in a bowl on the counter (they looked quite pretty!), until I finally decided it had been a very long time since I had made a fried green tomato.
Many people like to avoid frying, whether for health reasons or because it can be messy. An oven “fried” green tomato seemed to address both objections, so I used my Crispy Baked Eggplant recipe as inspiration.
The sliced tomato is first dipped in beaten eggs, and then dunked in a simple mixture of Italian bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, and basic seasonings. From there, the tomatoes are transferred to a baking sheet that has been liberally coated in olive oil. A quick spritz of oil on top, and then the tomatoes are popped in the oven.
The trick is to bake them long enough to create some golden-brown caramelization — but not too long. We don’t want mushy tomatoes. A quick broil at the end is the solution if you’d like more color but not softer tomatoes.
When I first served these to my family, I was actually surprised by how much they enjoyed them. Green tomatoes have an inherent tanginess, but the flavorful coating provides welcome balance.
Over time, I’ve served these tomatoes with marinara (a personal favorite) and pizza sauce, an herby homemade ranch dressing, and smoked paprika aioli. Recently, I had some leftover creamy horseradish sauce, and it provided a welcome zip.
You need not wait until the first frost is upon us, however. Think of this recipe throughout the summer, especially if you, like us, have deer, bunnies, groundhogs, and squirrels that graze on your tomatoes the moment they show the first hint of red — or for the batch that will inevitably ripen while you’re away on vacation. And of course, this recipe does comes in handy at the close of the growing season, when you need to harvest all the unripe tomatoes before the first frost hits.
I’d love to know if you try this recipe! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo @fountainavenuekitchen on Instagram and Facebook. Your feedback is always appreciated. 💛
Oven Fried Green Tomatoes
Ingredients
- 2 pounds green tomatoes (unripe, very firm tomatoes, not a green variety like green tigers or other heirlooms)
- 2 large eggs
- ¾ cup Italian breadcrumbs (weight will vary slightly by brand; Gillian’s is a great gluten-free option)
- ¾ cup (60g) finely grated Parmesan cheese
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano or Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon each kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- Olive oil spray
- Optional for serving: marinara sauce, Smoked Paprika Aioli, or Small Batch Ranch, or Cilantro Lime Aioli
Instructions
- Before you start: A dark coated baking sheet will facilitate browning on the bottom of the tomatoes. If you don’t have one, worry less about color on the bottom. Rather than cooking too long and ending up with mushy tomatoes, you can briefly broil the tops of the tomatoes at the end to accomplish that toasty, caramelized flavor.
- Preheat the oven to 400℉. Liberally coat a large baking sheet with olive oil. Set aside.
- In a shallow bowl, whisk together the eggs. In another bowl (a pie plate works well), combine the breadcrumbs, Parmesan, oregano or Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
- Cut the tomatoes into thick rounds, discarding a thin slice from the top and bottom. (I like to cut them to be between ½ and ¾ inches thick so they have time to brown in the oven before they become too soft.) Dip the tomato slices in the egg mixture, letting the excess drip off. Dredge the dipped slices in the Parmesan crumb mixture, pressing very gently to coat well. Transfer the coated slices to the baking sheet. Lightly spray the tops with olive oil.
- Bake until golden brown on the bottom but not mushy, about 18-20 minutes. At this point, I like to switch the oven to the broil setting and broil on the top rack for a minute or two to brown the tops, watching very closely so as not to burn.
- Remove from the oven and serve as is or with a side of marinara or sauce of choice for dipping or spooning overtop.
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