How To Cook Eggplant In The Air Fryer
I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.
Eggplant – I recommend small to medium ones, because they are less bitter and not as seedy. If you’ve got larger ones, you’d need to salt them to remove the bitterness — and who wants that? The whole point of an air fryer eggplant recipe is to make it quickly! Olive Oil – I use this one. Avocado oil also works great. Grated Parmesan Cheese – My secret to that perfect crispy coating without breadcrumbs! You can buy it pre-grated or grate it yourself. Just make sure it’s finely grated, not shredded, because shredded won’t get you that crispy crumb exterior. If you still prefer actual breadcrumbs, you can replace half the parm with them (like my fried eggplant recipe). Once I even made this recipe using almond flour instead. Seasoning – You can use my 5-minute homemade Italian seasoning, or just grab store-bought. Make sure it’s unsalted, or your eggplant will be too salty. You can also choose individual dried herbs instead, like basil, thyme, rosemary, or oregano. Feel free to add spices, too, like garlic powder or paprika. Sea Salt & Black Pepper
Start slicing your eggplant opposite the side of the leafy top. This way, you’ve got more to hold onto while you’re slicing. I always cut off the leafy part at the end. Keep the slices uniform. My recipe is based on 1/2 inch thick rounds. This gets you a good balance of coating and tender inside. Slice them all to the same thickness, so that they cook evenly. Brush on the oil. If you drizzle it, I find that it tends to soak into the spongy eggplant very quickly, so it’s not even. Don’t crowd the basket. Keep your eggplant pieces in a single layer. I usually need a few batches to air fry eggplant that’s average sized. You can turn halfway through, but you don’t have to. Turning does get you more even browning, but I find that I lose some of the cheese after flipping, so oftentimes I don’t. It’s up to you! Adjust the time as needed. Different air fryers cook differently, and the time can vary with just slightly thicker or thinner slices. So, poke the eggplant to confirm that it’s very soft. If it’s still firm but the outside is already golden, you can lower the temperature to 320 degrees F and continue to air fry until it’s soft. Trust me, your air fryer eggplant won’t taste very good if it’s firm! Prefer to skip the parmesan coating? I think it’s amazing, but you definitely can. The air fryer time would be the same without it.
One of my favorite ways to repurpose the leftovers is a makeshift air fryer eggplant parmesan — just layer the slices with marinara sauce and mozzarella. Bake until hot and melty, and finish it off with fresh basil. The same concept works to speed up my eggplant lasagna.
Chicken – You can’t go wrong with crispy air fryer chicken wings or juicy air fried chicken breast. My family’s fave lately is air fryer chicken leg quarters! Seafood – I make air fryer salmon every few weeks, and love it with this air fried eggplant. You can also choose air fryer cod with my Cajun seasoning if you like a kick, or air fryer lobster for a special occasion. Beef Or Pork – My foolproof air fryer steak recipe will make you feel like you’re at a steakhouse, but it’s super easy. Or just throw some pork chops in the air fryer for a fuss-free weeknight meal.
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