Air Fry up a batch of eggplant for a fun snack or a great side dish!
I’m obsessed with how amazing the air fryer makes everything from burgers to vegetables and this eggplant is no exception! Crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, it’s perfect for snacking or dipping!
Crispy Parmesan Eggplant
Not to be confused with eggplant parmesan, this eggplant is coated in a crispy parmesan crust.
To start you’ll need an air fyer. I have this one here and I’m obsessed with it (I literally use it EVERY SINGLE DAY).
We love this easy Air Fryer Eggplant because it always turns out crispy for dipping but tender inside.
This recipe makes for a great snack or a fun side.
How To Cook Eggplant in an Air Fryer
It’s super easy to air fry eggplant, and these come out perfect in 1-2-3!
- Slice the eggplant per recipe below.
- Bread eggplant slices by dipping in flour, egg, and finally a Parmesan/breadcrumb mixture. Spray with cooking spray.
- Air Fry in a single layer until crisp.
Fave Dips
Serve with your fave tasty dipping sauces.
Air Frying Tips
- Don’t cut the eggplant too thin, you want it to have texture.
- Salting the eggplant draws out moisture and seasons it!
- Even though some slices will be larger due to the natural shape of the eggplant, keep all of the slices the same thickness so they fry evenly.
- Air Fry in a single layer in batches. Once all batches are cooked through, you can heat them all together at 400°F for about 3-4 minutes.
Air Fryer Favorites
- Air Fryer Hamburgers
- Air Fryer Zucchini Chips
- Air Fryer Chicken Breasts
- Air Fryer Steak
- Juicy Air Fryer Meatballs
- Crispy Air Fryer French Fries
- Air Fryer Stuffed Mushrooms
Did you love this Air Fryer Eggplant recipe? Be sure to leave a rating and a comment below!
Air Fryer Eggplant
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 large eggplant or two small
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ⅔ cup seasoned bread crumbs
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 eggs beaten
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- cooking spray
- marinara sauce for serving
Instructions
- Slice eggplant into ⅓" slices. Sprinkle with salt and let sit 20 minutes.
- While eggplant is sitting, combine bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder in a small bowl.
- Whisk egg with 1 tablespoon water in a second bowl.
- Quickly rinse the eggplant and pat dry.
- Dip each eggplant slice into the flour, then into the egg and finally into the bread crumb mixture. Spray each side of the eggplant with cooking spray.
- Preheat air fryer to 380°F. Place in a single layer in the air fryer and cook 5 minutes. Flip over and cook an additional 5-7 minutes or until tender and crisp.
- Serve with warm marinara sauce for dipping.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
Hi Holly, thank you for the great recipe! New to the game you gave me a great basic idea. Just like everyone else, we have our own tweaks lol. I put all dry mixture in a bag, egged the eggplant & put into bag in batches & shook to cover all. Instead of sauce I cut cherry tomatoes in half (from the garden) & put 1-2 halves on top & cook an additional minutes or more. After taking out, I shredded locatelli cheese sprinkled on top. *My Eggplant was very thin widthwise, so they were like bite size.
That sounds delicious. Thank you for sharing, Leslie!
Is it ok to eat these cold with a dip please ? I need to take something to a picnic.
I find these best served hot, although they can be eaten cold. My favorite dishes to take to a picnic are pasta salad, macaroni salad, or this cowboy caviar!
I enjoyed this recipe! Sadly my partner didn’t. He prefers oil frying.
How many pieces are in one serving?
This was so yummy and air frying it made it so crispy and yummy. I was NOT an eggplant fan but we grew them in the garden this year and gave this a shot!!! Sooo good
It can vary a bit based on the size of your eggplant but the nutrition information is based on about a 1 lb eggplant and accounts for using 2/3 of the breading mixture (as there will be a little bit leftover) and each serving is 1/4 of the whole recipe. I hope that helps.
Sounds wonderful.
Getting ready to make. How far in advance can I make before cooking?
Hi Cas, you could combine the breading mixture ahead of time but I wouldn’t recommend prepping too far in advance as the breading may get a bit soggy if on the eggplant for too long before air frying.
Grew eggplant in my garden this year. Never was able to get it the right texture and flavor I crave from restaurants. This recipe was amazing! Will definitely make this again. Thanks.
So glad you loved it!
This is so amazing!! I made it and it was delicious. I just had one question. At which point can it be frozen? Thanks so much
Once cooked, you can freeze them by placing them in a single layer on a baking sheet. Once frozen, you can transfer them to an airtight container or zippered bag. To reheat, just let thaw and pop back in the air fryer to crisp up.
So good, thank you for sharing. These turned out very crispy and were really good the next day as eggplant parmigiana sandwiches.
The breading was delicious, and it adhered to the eggplant nicely.
You’re welcome Kathleen, so glad you love the recipe!
Tried for the first time and will definitely be added to my recipes. They were delicious!! Thanks so much for sharing!
This is the first recipe I tried in my new air fryer, and boy did I pick a winner! This is so delicious! And my husband agrees!
So happy you love this recipe, MaryJo!
This was absolutely delicious! I made the garlic aioli for the dip. I love eggplant and this was the best I ever made.
So glad you loved this Donna!
I followed recipe except I used less salt (just a few turns of sea salt from shaker). I also did not salt eggplant first. (When I’ve done that before, the eggplant gets too salty, even after rinsing.) There was no mention of peeling eggplant first, which I recommend. I was most pleased with the flavor and crispy texture on outside and soft in the middle. You should eat promptly after cooking. I ate a couple slices later (2 hrs later) and it was no longer crispy on the outside. Overall, great recipe with reduced amount of calories compared to fried eggplant. I will make it again for preparation for eggplant parmesan.
So glad you enjoyed this recipe, Hilary! Thanks for sharing your tips with us. :)
Love, love! I had eggplant I had to use up. Made these and they are delicious. I’ll freeze them until I’m ready for them!
All I can say is WOW, WOW, WOW! I posted a comment but don’t know if it went through, so I’ll post it again. I used my new Ninja 6 in one grill on the air crisp settings. Came out fantastic. Nice and crisp and dry, no at all soggy which eggplant can be. Served with chicken pesto parmigiana which was a great combo. Husband loved it. Looking forward to making some of your other air fry veggies. Another great recipe from Holly!
I’m so glad you loved these Linda! Sounds like the perfect side for chicken pesto parm!
All I can say is WOW, WOW, WOW!!! I made this in my new Ninja 6 in 1 grill on the air crisp setting. Took a little time to put together, but I cannot believe how flavorful and crispy it came out. Served with chicken pesto parmi; great combo. Looks just like the picture! Not at all soggy which eggplant can be. Looking forward to making some of your other veggie recipes for air fryers. Another winner from Holly!