Easy Sheet Pan Roasted Okra and Onions

Roasting time for the vegetables is about 20 minutes, and prep time to wash and slice them is 15-20 minutes. If you are serving with Horseradish Cream Sauce, it can be made while the vegetables are roasting so that everything is ready in 35-40 minutes.

Okra is technically a fruit and is filled with round, white seeds, but it is served roasted, fried, or sautéed as a vegetable. It is frequently found in Creole and Cajun recipes such as gumbo when combined with the mirepoix of celery, onion, and green pepper.

For the best results, choose okra that is small and slender. Larger okra pods are can be on the woody side and do not yield the same sweet results as smaller pods. You can see a comparison below, where the pod on the left is the optimal size. Typically okra will be prepackaged unless you are buying it at the farmer's market, so look for the package that overall has the smallest average size pods.


As long as it is fresh when purchased, okra can be stored refrigerated in a paper bag for up to 4 days before cooking.

When you slice okra open you will encounter the characteristic slime (a natural thickener which is one reason it's commonly used in soups and stews), so it's helpful to have a few paper towels handy to wipe off your hands and the knife while you work.

Roasting at high heat is one of the best ways to cook okra so that it isn't slimy. Other methods are frying and grilling. Avoid boiling okra unless you are adding it to a soup such as gumbo (where it is used as a thickening agent). Sautéeing should also be avoided if you want a less slimy result.

This dish is gluten-free as-is; if you serve it with the Horseradish Cream Sauce, the sauce recipe includes adaptations for gluten-free preparation.

Roasted okra is not only delicious, but it is super easy to make. Fried okra is another favorite way to serve okra, but it is messy and more labor-intensive than this easy roasted okra recipe. 

Rinse the okra and pat it dry just before you start cutting. Do not do this in advance, since water can increase the slime factor.
Roasting wet vegetables prevents them from heating up as quickly, producing a result that is less roasted and more baked. The key to delicious okra is high, dry heat.

Yes! In fact, it is easier on the grill because you can grill them either sliced on a vegetable tray or whole on skewers. Just wash and pat dry the pods and grill them on skewers (alternate with wedges of onion).

Roasted Okra and Onions pairs well with any kind of roasted chicken or beef, as well as steak, London Broil, and cubed or Salisbury steak.