Air fryer eggplant makes the BEST side dish or appetizer and it's done in under 30 minutes. Flavored with Italian seasonings and a Parmesan and panko coating, these rounds have a serious crunch, all without oil.
There are few foods that coating in breadcrumbs and frying won't make better (hello, leftover risotto cakes), and eggplant is no exception. It's usually reserved in my house for baked eggplant stacks, which are DELICIOUS but I'm having fun branching out and finding new ways to use it.
With air fryer eggplant you get the best of both worlds: classic crunchy fried eggplant taste, all in a much healthier, no-oil package. Plus you don't have to fill up your whole kitchen with a lingering deep frying smell. Can't beat that!
Why This Recipe Works
- Dredging the eggplant in flour, dipping in egg, then coating in panko/Parmesan produces a crisp breading without oil or frying in the traditional way.
- Italian spices bump up the flavor and pair perfectly with warmed marinara sauce for dipping. The combination of a crisp coating and warm marinara reminds me of biting into a mozzarella stick.
- This recipe is versatile and can be served as an appetizer, side dish, or even as a savory snack.
Recipe Ingredients
Here's what you'll need to make air fryer eggplant.
- Eggplant: An eggplant on the small to small-medium side works well here. Look for them to be firm (but not rock-hard) with a smooth surface. Modern American/Globe eggplants are designed to be less bitter, so honestly I've never noticed bitterness even with a larger eggplant or one that has sat in the fridge for awhile.
- Panko: Panko breadcrumbs have larger flakes and provide more 'crunch' than regular breadcrumbs, which is welcome here. Since we're adding spices, unseasoned panko is the way to go.
- Parmesan: Grating your own Parmesan cheese is recommended as it has a punchier flavor. Use the finest section you have on a box grater or use a zester or microplane. Pre-grated can work in a pinch: look for it in the deli section of the supermarket or for varieties sold in tubs or bags (and not plastic shaker bottles).
- Spices: These include dried oregano, dried basil, garlic powder, and onion powder to lean into the Italian flavoring. You can use a pre-made Italian seasoning blend in their place if you like.
Step by Step Instructions
- Start by slicing the eggplant. Try to cut rounds of equal thickness no thicker than one-quarter inch.
- Set up three shallow bowls: one for the flour/salt/pepper, one for the eggs, and one for the panko/Parmesan/spices. Stir up each bowl with dry ingredients and then beat the eggs.
- Dredge each eggplant slice in the flour, then moisten all sides in egg. Last press each round into the panko/Parmesan mixture to coat completely. Repeat until all eggplant rounds are coated.
- Spray your air fryer basket generously with cooking spray, then place eggplant rounds in a single layer leaving a small bit of space between them. You will likely need to cook in several batches.
- Give the tops of the eggplant rounds a spritz with olive oil spray.
- Air fry on 375°F for five minutes, then flip and give the other side a spray. Air fry for an additional five minutes, or until the eggplant is a nice golden brown. Serve immediately with warm marinara sauce for dipping.
Expert Tips
- Cutting the eggplant into slices of equal thickness ensures they air fry to golden brown doneness in the same amount of time.
- Use a two-hand procedure when dredging for less mess. Reserve one hand for maneuvering the eggplant in the flour and panko bowls, while using the other for dipping in egg. Designating a dry and wet ingredient hand minimizes the wet coating that forms and sticks to your fingers.
- Spraying the eggplant with olive oil spray at the beginning and halfway through air frying helps the surface of the food become extra crisp. This is especially helpful in recipes that don't use oil at all.
Recipe FAQs
You don't have to peel eggplant for this recipe. The skin is completely edible, pretty tender (not chewy), and blends right in with the other ingredients.
Not for this recipe. Some recipes call for soaking eggplant in milk in part to counteract bitterness, but also so that the eggplant will absorb the milk and not excess oil when it's fried. Since we're making air fryer eggplant without oil, this isn't a concern.
Not here! Salting is sometimes done to draw out excess moisture from eggplant before cooking. Air fryer eggplant slices crisp up beautifully without the added time and effort that come with salting. You can skip it.
Other Great Air Fryer Recipes
The air fryer is quickly becoming one of my favorite culinary tools (move over Instant Pot???). I have an air fryer/toaster oven combination like this one from Amazon (affiliate link) that truly pulls its weight as a kitchen workhorse. Here are some of our family favorite recipes.
If you've enjoyed this recipe, I'd love for you to leave a star rating in the recipe card and/or a comment review below!
Air Fryer Eggplant
Ingredients
- 1 medium (12 oz, 345g) eggplant cut into ¼" rounds
- ¼ cup (125g) all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¾ cup panko breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- 2 large eggs beaten
- Olive oil spray
- Marinara sauce for serving
Instructions
- Slice eggplant into rounds approximately ¼-inch thick.
- In one shallow bowl, add flour, salt, and pepper and whisk to combine.
- In a second shallow bowl, add panko, Parmesan, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, and dried basil and stir to combine.
- In a third shallow bowl, crack eggs and whisk until beaten.
- Grease air fryer basket generously with cooking spray, then place it to the side of your three bowls. For ease, arrange them in flour, egg, panko order, with the panko bowl next to your prepared air fryer basket.
- Press one eggplant round at a time into the flour mixture so it coats both sides. Next dip it into the beaten egg milk to moisten all parts, then press it into the panko mixture. Using your fingers or a spoon to press the coating onto the rounds to ensure it's well-coated. Place the coated round onto the air fryer basket. Repeat for remaining eggplant rounds and arrange them in a single layer (you'll likely need to cook them in batches). Give the top sides of the eggplant a spritz with olive oil spray.
- Air fry at 375°F for 5 minutes, then carefully remove the basket to flip each round over. Give the now-top sides a spritz of olive oil spray. Air fry again for 4-5 more minutes, or until the eggplant becomes crisp and nicely golden-brown. Serve right away with warmed marinara sauce.
Notes
- Cutting the eggplant into slices of equal thickness ensures they air fry to golden brown doneness in the same amount of time.
- Use a two-hand procedure when dredging for less mess. Reserve one hand for maneuvering the eggplant in the flour and panko bowls, while using the other for dipping in egg. Designating a dry and wet ingredient hand minimizes the wet coating that forms and sticks to your fingers.
- Spraying the eggplant with olive oil spray at the beginning and halfway through air frying helps the surface of the food become extra crisp. This is especially helpful in recipes that don’t use oil at all.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as an estimate. As it can vary due to many factors (brands used, quantities, etc.), we cannot guarantee its accuracy.
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