Vegan fried green tomatoes in the air fryer or pan

The only thing that could make vegan fried green tomatoes more inviting are these three words – potato chip crusted.

This tempting appetizer or side dish can be made in the air fryer or in a skillet. I also give a panko breading option for people who would prefer something on the lighter side.

It’s that wonderful time of year again when summer produce really starts popping. There are cherries, figs, and tomatoes in vibrant green and red. 

When it comes to green tomatoes, there’s only one choice – vegan fried green tomatoes.

I use my air fryer all year ’round. But it’s especially handy in the summer when I don’t want to hang out by a hot stove. (Here are 20+ vegan air fryer recipes I think you’ll love!)

Fried green tomatoes work fabulously in an air fryer with less clean-up and no splattering.

No air fryer? No problem! I also include directions for frying in a skillet in the notes section of the recipe below. Or you can make my beer battered fried green tomatoes with sauce.

What kind of tomatoes should you use?

Green tomatoes can be a little confusing, because there are heirloom tomatoes, like zebra tomatoes, which are also green. That’s not what you want.

For fried green tomatoes, you want unripe tomatoes that would eventually be red, but that haven’t gained their pinkish hue yet.

Firm tomatoes that haven’t started their ripening process work best for frying. They aren’t as juicy as red tomatoes, which makes for easier breading. (And if you’re frying tomatoes in a skillet, less splattering.)

That’s the problem with juiciness. It’s hard to get batter to stick, and the coating wants to come off. So drier is better.

Where can you find green tomatoes?

If you or someone you know are growing garden tomatoes, that’s a great place to start. Just pluck a tomato or two when they are a good size but not starting to turn red.

Or check out your local farmers market. Farmers who usually sell ripe tomatoes may sell green ones as well either early in the season, or late if they don’t think they will ripen by the first frost.

(Or you could even ask if they’d be willing to bring you a few the next week!) 

I have gotten them at the Quad Cities farmers market. And family members have given me some from their gardens.

Potato chip crusted fried green tomatoes

Sometimes the gluten-free option of a dish is the wanting, runner-up version. Not this time!

The gluten-free option is the decadent version – potato chip tomatoes. Yeah, you heard me.

This was easily David’s favorite of the two. If you’re having guests over and you want them to lose any preconceptions about vegan food being uber healthy & virtuous, this is the one to make.

Because the chips already have oil in them, you’ll actually see them sizzling when you open the air fryer after the time is up. They have lots of wonderful crunch and a super satisfying flavor.

I used plain salted potato chips. But I bet that flavored potato chips would add something extra to the mix too.

I’d really like to try my favorite potato chip – salt & pepper – and see how that goes. I bet it would be gooooood. 

Panko crusted fried green tomatoes

If you’re not in the mood for potato chips, the panko breading is lighter in feeling and lower in calories. If you go with this method, I recommend giving a spritz of oil before air frying to help with browning.

This version lets the spices come to the forefront. So you really taste all of that oregano, basil, and granulated onion.

In this post, there are pictures of both the potato chip crusted and the panko crusted tomatoes.

You can tell the difference between the two, because the potato chip version has thicker crumbs and a yellow-ish tone. The panko version is on the whiter side with a thinner crumb.

Get everything ready before you start

For best results, get everything ready before you start. You’ll want to make a work station with cornstarch, vegan mayo, and your crumb mixture.

It’s all about the breading.

In a way, fried green tomatoes are kind of like fried zucchini. There’s not loads of flavor going on with green tomatoes or zucchini.

So it’s all about the breading. Slice the tomatoes thin for best crunch factor & breading-to-tomato ratio.

Cornstarch

As I mentioned above, for the optimum frying experience, it helps if things are dry. Green tomatoes vary in their amount of moisture. Some are pretty dry inside while others are on their way to becoming a ripe red tomato.

So for that reason I like to dry them on a clean towel before moving them through the breading station.

Then I use cornstarch to dry them out further. (It also helps with the browning.) Plus, that way when they move to the mayo, they aren’t diluting the mayo with their juices.

If you have an aversion to cornstarch for whatever reason, it can be done without it, but the results aren’t quite as brown and crisp.

Vegan mayo

I’ve used several different bases for breading when it comes to air frying foods. I used a beer batter for air fried pickles. I used chickpea liquid (a.k.a. aquafaba) for vegan fried ravioli.

Fried green tomatoes are often dipped in egg before coating with cornmeal. Since this is a vegan recipe, obviously I’m not doing that. Instead, I’m using eggless mayonnaise.

It’s handy in that it’s pre-made. So there’s one less step to the process.

(I use Vegenaise. However, if you prefer to make your own, Susan’s recipe for tofu-cashew mayo on Fatfree Vegan is quite good.)

Vegan mayo is brilliant at getting crumbs to stick. I got the idea from Becky Striepe from Glue and Glitter. She’s used mayo as the glue for breading for several recipes, including this one for baked buffalo tofu bites.

(That recipe looks so inviting. And I bet it would work in the air fryer too!)

Serve them hot

As with any fried food, serve them hot. They’re going to be their crispiest, most intoxicating best when they are fresh out of the air fryer. So go ahead and dive into that first batch before you make a second one!

(And remember, subsequent batches will likely cook a couple minutes faster in the air fryer than the first, because it will be warmed up.)

No air fryer? No problem.

These vegan fried green tomatoes can also be made in a skillet on the stove.

Just put a low layer of oil in a non-stick skillet. Bring it to a medium heat. Then lay the breaded tomato slices in an even layer across the pan.

Fry on one side until it’s nutty brown, about 8 minutes. Then flip them and fry for another 4 to 5 minutes, until the other side is equally brown.

(You can also see the directions in the “notes” area of the recipe card. By the way, I haven’t fried the potato chip version on the stove. I’ve only fried the panko version.)

What to serve with them

These vegan fried green tomatoes are delightful with a batch of vegan BBQ Soy Curls or creamy vegan polenta. 

They’re also wonderful in a vegan fried green tomato BLT.

Potato chip crusted vegan fried green tomatoes in the air fryer or skillet

These vegan fried green tomatoes can be made 2 ways in the air fryer - with a potato chip or panko coating. The potato chip coating is extra crunchy and decadent. While the panko coating feels lighter and lets the spices shine. I also give stovetop directions for people who don't have an air fryer. Just check out the notes section.

5 from 2 votes

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Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: American, Vegan

Keyword: air fryer, gluten free

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 7 minutes

Total Time: 22 minutes

Servings: 2 people

Calories: 358kcal

Author: Cadry Nelson

Ingredients

• ▢ ½ cup potato chip crumbs made from 3 big handfuls of potato chips or panko bread crumbs
• ▢ 3 Tablespoons cornstarch
• ▢ ¼ cup vegan mayonnaise
• ▢ ½ teaspoon dried basil
• ▢ ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• ▢ ½ teaspoon granulated onion
• ▢ Pinch salt & pepper
• ▢ 1 medium-sized green tomato sliced thin with the top stem area removed
• ▢ Spritz oil spray Only needed if using panko bread crumbs

Instructions

• ▢
  If you are using a potato chip coating, start by processing your potato chips into crumbs. Put 3 big handfuls of potato chips (roughly 3 ounces) into a food processor. Grind them on a low setting until they become crumb-sized. You may need to stop occasionally to stir for even grinding. That should make about ½ cup of potato chip crumbs. If you don't have enough crumbs, add more potato chips to the food processor and grind them, as needed. (If you're using panko bread crumbs, you can skip this step, of course.)
• ▢
  Next, set up your work area with 3 plates. Put corn starch on one plate, vegan mayonnaise on the second, and potato chip crumbs or panko bread crumbs on the third.
• ▢
  Add dried basil, dried oregano, granulated onion, salt, and pepper to the crumbs. Combine thoroughly with your fingers or a spoon.
• ▢
  Blot the slices of green tomato on a clean towel, so that they are as dry as possible. Then dip each slice into the cornstarch, making sure it's totally covered. Tap each slice against the plate to knock off any excess cornstarch. Then dip each slice in the vegan mayonnaise. Again, make sure it gets fully coated, but wipe off any excess. You don't want there to be big blobs of mayonnaise. It should feel smooth and painted on. Finally, dredge each slice in the crumb mixture, making sure each one is totally covered.
• ▢
  Put the slices in an even layer across the bottom of the air fryer basket.
• ▢
  If you're using a potato crumb mixture, there's no need to spritz oil on the green tomatoes. They have plenty of oil in them already. Air fry the slices at 400 degrees for 7 minutes. Don't flip or shake them. Because the potato chip crumbs are on the heavy side, they will fall off if you jostle them too much in the air fryer.
• ▢
  If you're using a panko bread crumb mixture, give the green tomatoes a spritz of oil. Air fry at 400 degrees for 5 to 7 minutes. Stop to check on them. Once they are nicely browned, they are ready to flip. Flip them, give another spritz of oil, and air fry for 2 more minutes. Add another pinch of salt to the green tomatoes just before serving.

Video

Notes

If you want to make additional batches of fried green tomatoes, they likely won't need to air fry for quite as long, because the air fryer will be warmed up. Remember to only do one even layer of green tomatoes in the basket for every batch.

No air fryer? No problem. These breaded green tomatoes can be fried in oil on the stove. Lightly oil a non-stick pan with organic canola oil (or other neutral-flavored, high heat oil). Bring the oil to a medium heat. Evenly lay the slices across the skillet. Fry on one side until it is toasty brown, about 8 minutes. Then flip the slices. Fry for another four or five minutes, until that side is brown. Remove from the skillet. (FYI: I've only fried the panko-breaded tomatoes on the stove. Let me know if you try it with the potato chip breading!)

Nutrition

Calories: 358kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 271mg | Potassium: 474mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 395IU | Vitamin C: 18.3mg | Calcium: 27mg | Iron: 1.1mg

Tried this recipe?Tag @cadryskitchen on Instagram and hashtag it #cadryskitchen!

Originally posted August 2017. Content updated July 2019.