Fried Green Tomatoes got nothin’ on Fried Red Tomatoes!
Dom came home with a sackful of Roma tomatoes. I love Romas. They’re just the right size, dense and firm with very few seeds, making them perfect for frying. Romas are meaty, hold their shape, and don’t get soggy.
They make an excellent choice for this recipe. Romas maintain their integrity even after dipping and frying. (And who can resist a tomato with integrity?)
A mixture of cornmeal, all-purpose flour and Italian-seasoned bread crumbs delivers a crunchy-munchy coating.
It’s all about creating a pleasing texture and taste. Am I right?
Just look at that deep dark golden crust. It’s all I could do to keep from gobbling them up straight from the skillet.
I used equal parts cornmeal, flour and bread crumbs for the crust and then gave them an extra boost of ‘Italian’ with a hefty shave of Parmigiano-Reggiano as they hit the plate.
I love this dish. We can easily get our hands on Romas, and because we keep the pantry items used for the coating stocked, we’re always in business.
We don’t fry food often, but when we do, it’s gotta be worth it.
The lovely thing about frying is that it seals in the moisture to produce a pleasing and crispy texture on the outside while keeping the inside moist and tender.
The combination of outer crispiness and inner juiciness is a combination I can get behind!
I hope you can too!
Buon Appetito!
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Fried Red Tomatoes
- Category: Appetizer
Description
Fried Green Tomatoes got nothin’ on Fried Red Tomatoes!
Ingredients
- 6 fresh, ripe very firm tomatoes, I used Roma
- 1 egg
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup cornmeal
- 1/3 cup Italian-seasoned bread crumbs
- Olive Oil for frying
- Salt
- Freshly shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano
Instructions
- Wash the tomatoes in cold water and dry them.
- Slice, horizontally, about 1/2 inch thick.
- Discard the tops and gently pick out the seeds with the sharp tip of a knife.
- Beat the egg lightly in a small bowl.
- Combine the flour, cornmeal, and bread crumbs in a deep dish.
- Dip the tomato slices in the egg, letting the excess run back into the bowl, then dredge them in the bread crumb mixture, coating both sides.
- Pour enough oil in a skillet to come up the side about 1/2 inch and heat to high.
- When the oil is very hot, place as many slices as will fit comfortably.
- When a golden crust forms on the bottom side, turn them and do the other side.
- Transfer with a slotted spatula to a paper towel lined plate.
- Repeat the process until all tomatoes are done.
- Sprinkle with salt and shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano before serving.
- Serve warm.
Ciao!
Used cornbread mix and flour, and seasoned with lemon pepper. The fried tomatoes turned out SOOOO good! Mine turned out very sweet and smokey, and just melted in my mouth, they were so tender and juicy. I couldn’t even hold them in my hands or on a fork, or else they would fall apart lol. Perhaps I did something wrong, maybe they’re supposed to turn out more firm but it honestly didn’t matter to me, makes no difference because I liked them just as much, if not better 😀 thanks so much for sharing such a DELICIOUS recipe!!
So fun! So happy you enjoyed!
I tried your fried tomato recipe a few days ago and found out they were okay but I didn’t care for fried tomatoes. But let me tell you about the batter – it is the best I’ve ever used. I have used it to fry onions, pickles, jalapeno strips and even squash and zucchini. Other batters are so time consuming with so many steps and the flavor is just okay. Your batter is easy and can be used for so many different things and the taste is great. Thank you!! And yes, we were eating as soon as they came out of the frying pan.
So happy you enjoy the batter (recipe)! Super easy and super yum! Thanks for stopping by with a sweet word!!
Kudos! Yummy! Thanks for sharing the recipe. I tried one red tomato 🍅 tonight (no cornmeal available). Yummy! Will pick up some cornmeal and definitely make this again!
Yay! Enjoy!!
They were amazing!!! I had to improvise on the breadcrumbs. I toasted some bread slices then put it in a blender. I also had to use ground corn tortilla chips as a substitute for the corn meal and I added a bunch of seasoning to the dry mix. It was sooooo gooodd!!!!!
So happy you enjoyed!! Nice improvs!!
Delish EZ
Will make again and again with fish and grits for Sunday brunch.
That sounds great!! Thank you!
A delicious and easy to make fried tomato recipe that i believe everyone should try. This recipe looks really great. Thanks for sharing this recipe with all of us. Even i have a special fried green tomato recipe. Check out the recipe here: https://www.foodybud.com/classic-fried-green-tomatoes-the-recipe-critic/
Thank you!
I found this recipe via pinterest and wanted to take the time to comment on this wonderful dish. Very easy to make, delicious flavours and easy to follow directions. I added 2 tbsp of sriracha sauce and found the spice level good for hubby and I, but a bit zippy for the kiddo’s (which can be easily fixed with less spice). Thanks so much for sharing your recipe.
Oh wow! I love the addition of the sriracha! Thank you for stopping by with a sweet comment! I appreciate it!
Yum – I want to try this, Annie – I’ve got lots of tomatoes coming in! Easy and delicious!
That’s what it’s all about! Thanks, Geraldine!
Oh man! This look so delicious. Saving and pinning this post. I can’t wait to try this. Thank so much for sharing.
Thank you for stopping by!!
I’m all in with Romas and love that they don’t get soggy! Fried like green tomatoes with cornmeal sounds delicious. For sandwiches, I’m in!
The perfect addition to sandwiches! YUM!
Oh Annie! These look incredible! I have pinned, as I am so excited to try this VERY soon!
Yessss! Enjoy!!
I always wondered why people fried green tomatoes but not red, ha! I”m glad you cracked the code. They look extra crispy and crunchy!!
See that?! Great minds! 😉
These look delicious Annie! My husband is very picky about tomatoes (me, not so much, love them all!), and I just know he would love the way these are prepared!
This one’s hard to pass up! Thanks, Leanne!
We fry green tomatoes every summer, but how had it not occurred to me to fry Romas? LOVE this idea, not just for a snack, but to build a mile-high BLT!
I must make that BLT! STAT! xoxo
I am a fan of Roma tomatoes too, Annie! So flavorful. never prepared them this way before and I feel very excited to try, mmm. Might crumble feta on mine, I adore tomatoes and feta. Pinned!
Yes to feta!!!! YUM!
Annie, these look amazing!!! I love the idea of the shaved parmesan on top! How delicious!! The perfect Summer appetizer 🙂
Anything with fresh tomato gets my vote! Thanks, friend!
I love tomatoes with integrity! And grit! This is really a lovely recipe. I probably will prefer red over green.
Yaaaas! You and me both!! 🙂
I’ve made fried green tomatoes before but never fried red ones. You can bet I’ll be trying these soon though! That coating has me drooling!
It was just so obvious to me that blessed day! 🙂
Why have I never tried fried red tomatoes?! Genius Annie! I want to grab a few right through my screen. Pinned!
Now’s the time!! Thanks, Mare! xo
These look so yummy and so perfect for summer! Love the cheese on there 🙂 Hope you have a lovely week, my friend! XOXO
Big chunks of parm on anything makes it special! Thanks, friend! XOXO
We eat fried green tomatoes when we grow them. Now as many as we’ve made in the past — we use panko and buttermilk — we’ve never tried Roma tomatoes. That is going to have to go on our bucket list. Your tomatoes look delish! I bet Dom was VERY happy! Have a great week.
It’s a happy day in the Sageer household when fried tomatoes are on the menu!! Thanks, friend! 🙂