This roasted okra with olive oil and garlic is wonderfully flavorful and so easy to make - it's ready in 30 minutes. High-heat baking enhances the okra's flavor, makes it wonderfully creamy, and removes its slimy texture.
I love okra. I find it incredibly flavorful and enjoy its unique taste. A common objection to this vegetable is its sliminess, but high-heat roasting takes care of that. Baking okra in the oven is one of the simplest ways to cook it, and it's just as tasty as more elaborate methods. It needs minimal seasoning to taste good, but you can season it more heavily if you wish.
Ingredients
Here's an overview of the ingredients needed to make this recipe. The exact measurements are included in the recipe card below.
For the Okra:
- Fresh okra: Okra is in season in the summer, so that's the best time of year to make this recipe.
- Olive oil: If you prefer an oil with a higher smoke point, use avocado oil. Melted butter is also very good in this recipe.
- To season: Kosher salt, black pepper, and garlic powder.
For the Optional Dipping Sauce:
Mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, and hot sauce.
Variations
The best way to vary this recipe is to add more spices such as onion powder, smoked paprika, dried thyme, and cumin. You can add ¼ teaspoon of each additional spice.
Another tasty variation is to use melted butter instead of olive oil and sprinkle the okra with grated parmesan after the first 10 minutes of baking.
Instructions
Scroll down to the recipe card for detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps for making this recipe:
Your first step is to toss the okra with olive oil and seasonings. Arrange the coated okra in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet.
Bake it in a 450°F oven until golden brown and tender. This should take about 20 minutes, and you should stir the okra midway through baking.
Serve the okra with or without the dipping sauce.
Expert Tips
- To improve the texture of okra and remove its slime, you'll want to bake it at very high heat. So set your oven to 450°F. In many recipes, you can play a little with the oven temperature, but here, I highly recommend sticking with a truly hot oven.
- I prefer garlic powder to minced garlic. It more uniformly coats the okra and doesn't burn as easily in the hot oven.
Recipe FAQs
That's entirely up to you. The entire okra, including the stem, is edible. As you can see in the photos and video on this page, I sometimes trim it, and sometimes I don't. 
Yes, you can eat it raw. It's crunchy and grassy when raw, very different from its flavor and texture when cooked, which is savory and creamy. When raw, you can dip it in various dips, including cream cheese dip, Greek yogurt dip, tahini sauce, and blue cheese dressing.
There are two ways to do that:
1. High-heat cooking as we do here or in this grilled okra recipe.
2. Cooking it with an acidic ingredient such as tomatoes, like I do in this okra stew.
Both work well to bring out the okra's flavor and remove its slime. See the photo below for a side-by-side comparison. Grilled okra appears different - it has char marks (obviously) and has retained a deep green color.
However, in terms of flavor, my family and I performed a taste test and determined that both versions are very similar. I do slightly prefer the roasted version. It takes on a sweeter, more caramelized flavor. 
Serving Suggestions
Since I cook it in a 450°F oven, I like to serve roasted okra with a main dish I can cook in the same oven. So, I often serve it with one of the following:
Storing Leftovers
You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for 3-4 days. Reheat them uncovered in a 350°F oven. They are also delicious when served cold, antipasti style.
Here's a photo of the reheated leftovers served with crispy-skinned pan-fried salmon:
More Okra Recipes
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Recipe Card
Roasted Okra with Garlic and Olive Oil
Video
Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh okra
- 2 tablespoons olive oil - see notes
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt - or ½ teaspoon of any other salt, including Morton kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
Optional dipping sauce:
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 450℉. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with foil or high-heat-resistant parchment paper.
- Rinse the okra and dry it on a clean kitchen towel or on paper towels. Trim the ends if you wish (this is not mandatory and I usually don't).
- Place the okra in a large bowl and toss with the olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
- Arrange the okra in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet.
- Roast the okra until lightly browned and tender, about 20 minutes, stirring halfway through baking.
- While the okra is in the oven, mix the dipping sauce ingredients (mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, and hot sauce) if you plan on using it.
- Serve the okra with or without the dipping sauce.
Notes
- The nutrition info does not include the optional dipping sauce.
- To improve the okra's texture and remove its slime, you should roast it at very high heat, so set your oven to 450°F. In many recipes, you can play a little with the oven temperature, but here, I highly recommend sticking with a truly hot oven.
- If you prefer an oil with a high smoke point, use avocado oil.
- You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for 3-4 days. Reheat them uncovered in a 350°F oven. They are also delicious when served cold, antipasti style.
Nutrition per Serving
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Most recipes are low-carb and gluten-free, but some are not. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate. Please verify it independently. The carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Please read these Terms of Use before using any of my recipes.
Andy Fields says
Awesome! I’m an okra lover for sure. Just discovered high-heat baked okra today.
Vered DeLeeuw says
So glad you liked it, Andy!