Are you craving a delicious meal that’s both hearty and healthy? Look no further than this Air Fryer Eggplant recipe! This recipe puts a fun twist on eating eggplant by adding some breadcrumbs and grated Parmesan cheese.
Even if you don’t like eggplant or are skeptical about trying it, trust us, this recipe will become your new favorite way to eat eggplant! So, keep reading if you want to know how to make this delicious Air Fryer Eggplant!
Why You'll Love Eggplant in the Air Fryer
You'll love this recipe because it's a great way to get your veggies in without feeling like you're eating vegetables. The depth of flavor from each ingredient melts together to give you a dish you'll cook on repeat.
In addition, this recipe is straightforward and won't take up much of your time, making it perfect for people who don't have time to cook.
Plus, this recipe makes enough for leftovers so that you can eat them throughout the week! So, grab your Air Fryer and get ready to cook some tasty eggplant.
If you love eggplant, you can also try this delicious Air Fryer Eggplant Parmesan recipe. Another favorite is our air fryer chicken parmesan.
You might also enjoy this article with 21 Low Carb Air Fryer recipes.
Make sure you check out all of our tips and tricks with this recipe. If you are in a rush, head down to the printable recipe card below.
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Tips:
- 30 minutes sitting with salt on both sides is perfect. If you go less it will be watery and too long they get a bit "chalky"
- If cut smaller than ¼ inch the cooking time will be less.
- Shred fresh Parmiggiano as it makes a better crust than prepackaged shredded parmesan.
- I had to add 1 extra egg as my eggplant was about 11-12 slices
- My Cosori 5.8 qt cooked this dish in 8 minutes on each side and they turned out crispy and perfect.
How to Make Air-Fried Eggplant
Ingredients
- Eggplant. The star of the show. Sliced Into ¼ inch rounds.
- Egg. Used in the dredging process to help with the bread coating.
- Panko Bread Crumbs. You can use plain panko or seasoned breadcrumbs.
- All Purpose Flour. Flour is what helps the coating and seal in moisture.
- Grated Parmesan Cheese. I prefer to use freshly grated, but pre-grated works too!
- Salt and Pepper. Sea salt and ground black pepper are the best of the basic seasonings.
Instructions
Step 1
Preheat the Air Fryer to 370 degrees F. Prepare the Air Fryer basket with nonstick cooking spray such as avocado oil if needed.
Step 2
Sprinkle the eggplant slices with salt on both sides and place in a large colander to drain for 30 minutes.
Step 3
Whisk the egg in a shallow bowl. Set aside.
Step 4
Combine the panko breadcrumbs, flour, Parmesan cheese, salt, and ground black pepper in a medium bowl.
Step 5
Pat the eggplant pieces dry with paper towels.
Step 6
Dip the eggplant slices into the egg mixture and then the panko breadcrumb mixture. Place on a plate or baking sheet.
Step 7
Drizzle the coated eggplant slices with olive oil.
Step 8
Place the breaded eggplant in a single layer in the Air Fryer basket.
Step 9
Air Fry for 16-18 minutes until the eggplant slices are golden brown. Flip the eggplant slices halfway through the air frying time. Work in batches if necessary.
Step 10
Carefully remove the eggplant from the Air Fryer basket.
Step 11
Serve with pasta marinara sauce on the side or on top of each slice and garnish with fresh basil.
Servings
Air fryer eggplant is a great low-carb recipe, and if you are looking for other vegetables to serve with this dish, here are a few of our favorites for an easy side dish.
Variations
- Breadcrumbs. Change up the flavor of this dish by using different flavored breadcrumbs.
- Seasonings. While this recipe calls for salt and pepper, consider adding in different flavors such as kosher salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and Italian seasoning.
- Flour. If you don't want to use all purpose flour, consider using almond flour or coconut flour.
If you are looking for more easy dinner recipes, try these air fryer stuffed peppers, air fryer cheese stuffed meatballs, air fryer turkey legs, or air fryer shrimp egg rolls.
Storage and Reheating
- Store. Make sure to place any leftovers into an airtight container with a paper towel and store them in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
- Reheating. When reheating, place the eggplant in a single layer in the air fryer basket and reheat at 350 degrees F for 2-3 minutes, or until heated through.
FAQs
You can use almond flour instead of regular flour. Make sure to use a 1:1 ratio for substituting for regular flour.
Yes! Since this recipe is mostly eggplant with minimal carbs, this recipe is considered low carb.
Absolutely! Mozzarella provides a different flavor profile than Parmesan, but you're more than welcome to use it!
Make sure you only use a small amount of oil, or else the eggplant rounds will get soggy. However, if you accidentally use too much oil, pat away any excess oil with a paper towel.
A sprinkle of fresh parsley on top of each eggplant slice is a great combo for this recipe.
This eggplant parmesan makes a great veggie side dish or as your main course.
You can create thin slices or thick slices. It depends on if you want a crispy texture or a more dense texture. I prefer keeping my slices at ¼" thickness for optimal cooking.
You sure can! Italian breadcrumbs are a great addition to this recipe because of the Italian seasoning in the breadcrumbs.
We recommend sticking to only a single layer of eggplant slices as they will cook more evenly this way. If you put too many in the basket, they will cook unevenly or not crisp up.
We love this recipe at our house. One of my favorite things is the crispy edges you get when air-frying eggplant. If you enjoy this recipe as much as we do, you might also enjoy a few of these other dishes.
More Air Fryer Vegetable Recipes
Are you new to air fryers? If you are, we have a great article about What is an Air Fryer. It talks about what you can make, how to use it, and more.
Looking for the BEST accessories to use with your air fryer? We've put together this list of our favorite Air Fryer Accessories.
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📖 Recipe
Air Fryer Eggplant
Equipment
- 1 Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 1 eggplant sliced into 1.4 inch rounds
- 1 egg
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese freshly grated
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the Air Fryer to 370 degrees F. Prepare the Air Fryer basket with nonstick cooking spray such as avocado oil if needed.
- Sprinkle the eggplant slices with salt on both sides and place in a large colander to drain for 30 minutes.
- Whisk the egg in a shallow bowl. Set aside.
- Combine the panko breadcrumbs, flour, Parmesan cheese, salt, and ground black pepper in a medium bowl.
- Pat the eggplant pieces dry with paper towels.
- Dip the eggplant slices into the egg mixture and then the panko breadcrumb mixture. Place on a plate or baking sheet.
- Drizzle the coated eggplant slices with olive oil.
- Place the breaded eggplant in a single layer in the Air Fryer basket and Air Fry for 17-20 minutes until the eggplant slices are golden brown. Flip the eggplant slices halfway through the cooking time. Work in batches if necessary.
- Carefully remove the eggplant from the Air Fryer basket.
- Serve with pasta marinara sauce on the side or on top of each slice.
Notes
Nutrition
*Nutritional information is a calculated guesstimate. Please note that this can change with different brands and modifications you may make to the recipe. For the most accurate information, use a nutritional calculator with the exact brands and measurements you're using with each recipe.
©AirFryingFoodie 2023
Winnie
Newbie here - when you say “drizzle with olive oil” does every part of the eggplant need to be covered in oil?
Actually just a light coating over the eggplant would be sufficient.
Brian
"1.4 inch rounds", 1/4 inch rounds?
YES!!! Thanks for pointing that out. 🙂