Baked (Not Fried) Green Tomatoes, the Zippy Cajun Way

There’s a recipe in this post, but it has a long set-up waxing poetic about summer. Skip all that if you’re in a hurry for this treat and jump to the recipe here.

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Fried green tomatoes—is there anything that screams “summer in the South” louder than they do?

I can’t think of anything. Well, except… maybe…

Essential Summer Feels

Summer is… the screech of crickets and cicadas, the beautiful cacophony of children (of all ages) in the pool, or the reassuring hum of air conditioners at every house on your street.

Summer is… (if you were alive and flirting in the 70s and 80s) the glistening oiliness and alluring smell of Tropical Blend tanning oil, a cocktail of coconut, banana, and warm vanilla, which you can almost imagine as a libation. There should be a Tropical Blend Frozen Daiquiri, don’t you think?

Summer is… the feel of sand on your toes, or crusty dried saltwater in your hair and on your skin after splashing in the waves of the Gulf, making sandcastles or burying loved ones for fun.

Fried Green Tomatoes are the Taste of Summer

But other than all those summer essentials listed above, is there anything more summery than fried green tomatoes? They are the quintessential taste of summer.

Because green tomatoes are seasonal (unless they’re frozen or shipped from somewhere far, far away), I usually order fried green tomatoes when I find them on a restaurant menu. Here are a couple of standouts.

But I Don’t Really Fry Things

I love fried green tomatoes but I don’t love frying. It’s one of the only cooking methods I don’t embrace. It’s just plain hard to fry things at home. The temperature has to be just right, you use a boatload of oil that you feel obligated to save and reuse, except … icky(!), the house smells like … fried stuff (for days), and the payoff isn’t really worth the effort.

UNLESS you’re one of those people who can effortlessly make perfect fried chicken.

You’re special. And you know it.

You have my respect and I’ll come to your house and eat your fried chicken any time, and never mention that your curtains smell like McDonald’s.

For mere mortals like me, I’m either going to your house (McDonald’s-smelling curtains be damned) or a restaurant like The Post if I want ‘real’ fried food, but at home, finding ways to get a satisfying, fried-like crunch without frying is the better choice. High-temp baking can get you close enough, in my humble opinion. I tried this recently, doing a hot-baked take on ‘fried’ green tomatoes, and it worked!

Join Me in the Gumbo Cove Kitchen for My Fab Faux-Fried Green Tomatoes

The genesis of this recipe creation was finding green tomatoes at the farmers market when we were at Gumbo Cove for Memorial Day Weekend. I love to create recipes there, because the pace is slower and the water view just out the windows is inspirational. Below is a step by step tour through this meal in pictures, or you can jump to the recipe here.

First, the Tomatoes

While the Tomatoes are Cooking, Make the Zippy Cajun Shrimp Remoulade

Bonus Track: Make Mini-Muffins with the Batter Ingredients

Recipe: Baked (Not Fried) Green Tomatoes, with Zippy Cajun Shrimp Remoulade

Serves 4-6 for dinner, 6 for lunch and 12 for an appetizer; Cooking and prep time: about an hour

Ingredients

Baked Green Tomatoes

• 4 green tomatoes small to medium, sliced quarter inch thick
• ½ cup cornmeal
• ½ cup flour
• 4 pulverized saltines (put them in a sealed bag and smash the heck out of them), or ¼ cup Panko
• ½ cup Parmesan grated, separated
• 2 tablespoons Zippy Cajun (or your favorite Cajun spice mix), separated, plus a little extra for sprinkling (optional)
• 2 eggs
• ¾ cup milk

• Optional garnish: 1 tbsp chopped or torn parsley and/or sliced green onions

Zippy Cajun Shrimp Remoulade

• 8-9 cooked shrimp, chopped roughly, about a cup (see note)
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp cocktail sauce or ketchup (cocktail sauce preferred)
• ½ cup mayonnaise (I use light mayo)
• ⅓ cup creole mustard
• 1 tsp Zippy Cajun (or your favorite Cajun spice mix)
• 1 heaping tsp prepared horseradish

Bonus Track Zippy Cajun Muffins

• The rest of the wet and dry batter ingredients, after dunking the tomatoes in them
• ½ cup cornmeal
• 2 tsp baking powder.

Cooking Instructions

For step-by-step photos, click here.

Tomatoes

Preheat the oven to 450℉. Spray cooking spray on a large baking sheet.

In a shallow dish like a pie pan, combine ½ cup cornmeal, ½ cup flour and 4 pulverized saltines or ¼ cup Panko with 1 tbsp of the Zippy Cajun or other Cajun spice mix. Mix well and spread evenly across the dish. Beat the 2 eggs in a small, shallow bowl and stir in the milk and other tbsp of Zippy Cajun or other spice mix. (The Parmesan doesn’t go on until the tomatoes are battered and ready to be baked.)

Create an assembly line with your sliced green tomatoes on the left, then the wet mixture in the bowl, then the dry mixture, then your greased baking sheet. Dunk each tomato, one at a time, in the wet bowl, then into the pan with the dry mixture, turning it to coat it all over. Place the tomatoes on the baking sheet with room between them, then sprinkle half of the grated Parmesan (¼ cup) over the tops of the tomatoes and optionally, a pinch more of your spice mix. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove from the oven, turn the tomatoes and sprinkle the second ¼ cup of Parmesan on them and a bit more of the spice mix (optional) and return to the oven to bake for 10 more minutes.

Bonus Track: Zippy Cajun Muffins

While the tomatoes are baking, if you want to make the muffins, spray a 12-muffin mini-muffin pay thoroughly with cooking spray. Put the dry ingredients from the tomato batter into a medium bowl, add ½ cup of cornmeal and 2 tsp of baking powder, and then mix thoroughly. Add the remaining wet ingredients from the wet bowl and stir gently until just mixed. It’s ok to have lumps; over-mixed batter will be dense. Spoon the batter into the greased muffin pan, add to the 450℉ oven, and bake for about 10-12 minutes, checking after 10 for doneness.

Zippy Cajun Shrimp Remoulade

For the remoulade, in a small/medium bowl, combine 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tbsp cocktail sauce or ketchup, ½ cup mayonnaise or light mayo, ⅓ cup creole mustard, 1 tsp Zippy Cajun or other spice mix and 1 heaping tsp prepared horseradish. Stir or whisk to mix well, then stir in the chopped shrimp.

To Serve

For dinner as a main course, allocate 3 tomatoes per person, and as a side or lunch, 2 per person. One tomato per person is fine for a small appetizer. Plating the tomatoes is best if you first put a generous schmear (about ⅓ – ½ cup for 2-3 tomatoes, less for a solo) of the Zippy Cajun Shrimp Remoulade on the plate and then put the tomatoes partially over the sauce. Garnish with parsley and/or sliced green onions, if desired. See the notes for pairing suggestions.

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Notes

• Remoulade Options: this spicy remoulade recipe is excellent, with or without the shrimp. You can use crab or even lobster instead of the shrimp for a fancier version. Or, if you’re strapped for time or don’t have the ingredients, a store-bought remoulade works just fine. Just use ¾ cup and stir your chopped shrimp into it.
• Shrimp for the Remoulade: there are so many sources for the cooked shrimp this recipe calls for: leftovers from a shrimp / seafood boil, leftovers from shrimp cocktail, or our easy baked shrimp.
• Cajun Spice: This recipe calls for Zippy Cajun, and lot of it. I guarantee that you will not regret it you whip up a batch before you get started on your Baked (Not Fried) Tomatoes. You’ll also be really glad you have it on hand for… just about anything! You can absolutely use another Cajun spice mix, but will need to watch the salt – there may be too much or too little.
• Vegetarian, Gluten Free and Dairy-Free Options: this is a vegetarian dish if you don’t add shrimp. To make it gluten-free, simply substitute gluten-free flour and gluten-free crackers or Panko. For a dairy-free approach, use another sauce, like a homemade or store-bought salsa verde, and add your shrimp to it.
• Serving Suggestions: two of the tomatoes with a healthy schmear of the Zippy Cajun Shrimp Remoulade is fairly filling. I created the recipe intending for it to be an appetizer or a lunch portion, but were so full after eating that first batch that we didn’t need dinner (the muffins probably contributed to that). But there are some simple ways to make this a more complete full meal:
  • Add 2-3 whole shrimp to each plate to amp up the protein and make it a dinner
  • Serve the dish as a side for grilled chicken or fish, or this Plank-Grilled Salmon
  • Pair it with a lavish portion of a big green summer salad
• Wine Pairings: This dish has bright, tangy flavors with a little kick, so it pairs well with wines that are crisp and refreshing. A dry Vermentino, Sauvignon Blanc, or Chenin Blanc will balance the acidity of the green tomatoes and stand up to the creamy remoulade. Or try a dry rosé — its subtle fruit and clean finish make it a surprisingly great match for the shrimp, spice and tartness that make this dish a winner.

Let me know if you try these – you won’t be sorry! It’s a Glover Gardens take on the quintessential taste of summer, without the bother of frying. And also, do YOU have a candidate for the quintessential taste of summer?

© 2025