Using eggplant to make this crispy delicious baked breaded eggplant or fried breaded eggplant is a great way to use up excess vegetables from your garden. Substitute zucchini for crispy baked eggplant and make crispy zucchini slices baked or fried.
Easily convert this recipe for Paleolithic or Whole30 diets by substituting bread crumbs and grated parmesan cheese with unsweetened shredded coconut for amazingly delicious eggplant slices.
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- Ingredients Needed to Make Fried/Baked Breaded Eggplant
- Instructions on How to Make Crispy Fried/Baked eggplant
- Top Tip
- Variations and Substitutions for Crispy Eggplant Slices
- Equipment Recommended to Make Crispy Fried/Baked Eggplant Slices
- Storage Recommendations
- Food Safety
- Other Sides
- PIN for Later Here
- Recipe Details
- Comments
These crispy baked eggplant slices can be made any time of the year. You don't need to wait for summer. Eggplant is readily available at your local grocer for you to buy anytime.
Make this Easy Marinara sauce to pour over your fried crispy eggplant. And if you like zucchini, then you will love this recipe for Zucchini Fritters.
Ingredients Needed to Make Fried/Baked Breaded Eggplant
- eggplant
- parmesan cheese (omit for whole30)
- egg
- bread crumbs or unsweetened shredded coconut
- salt
See the recipe card for quantities needed for this eggplant recipe.
Instructions on How to Make Crispy Fried/Baked eggplant
Slice your eggplant, salt both sides of the eggplant and layer them in a colander. Set the colander over a bowl to catch the excess moisture from the eggplant.
Let sit for at least one hour to draw out as much moisture as possible from the eggplant.
Pat dry the eggplant on both sides, and dip them in an egg wash then coat them with shredded coconut or breadcrumb/grated parmesan mixture that you placed in a shallow dish.
For a healthy version, place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake them in the oven at 350 F for 20 minutes flipping half way.
If you are frying them, place them in heated olive oil or ghee and flip them once you see that the edges are white around the edges and the bottoms are brown.
Flip them and brown the other side. Once cooked, transfer them to a dish lined with paper towel and let sit so that the excess oil is absorbed by the paper towel.
You can top these fried crispy eggplant with tomato sauce as well to make an eggplant parmigiana.
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Top Tip
Preparation in making these eggplant slices crispy is really important. Salting and the eggplant slices is important because it allows the eggplant to expel excess water for that delicious crispy texture.
HINT: This method works well for either crispy baked eggplant slices or crispy fried eggplant slices.
Variations and Substitutions for Crispy Eggplant Slices
- Marinara Sauce - make marinara sauce to dip or drizzle on your crispy eggplant.
- Eggplant Parmesan - cut the eggplant lengthwise and fry them, then layer them with mozzarella and marinara sauce to make eggplant parmesan. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes, then slice like lasagna and mangia!
- Grill them - skip the breading and grill them. Then pour a vinaigrette (made of ⅓ wine vinegar and ⅔ olive oil, salt and pepper, and Italian seasoning) over them.
- Herbs - add herbs like parsley, Italian seasoning or basil for a fresh taste.
Equipment Recommended to Make Crispy Fried/Baked Eggplant Slices
The equipment you use to cook affects the finished products. That's why I recommend Wilton's Baking Sheet and parchment paper if you are going to bake these crispy eggplant slices.
For frying, use a good quality ceramic non stick frying pan
This page contains affiliate links, which means I may receive commissions if you choose to purchase through links I provide (at no extra cost to you). Thank you for supporting the work I put into this site! As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Storage Recommendations
If your family is like mine, you probably won't have any leftovers!
But if you do, these will store very well in an airtight container lined with a paper towel to catch any excess grease.
I can't recommend freezing instructions as I've never frozen fried eggplant.
Food Safety
Note that the storage guidelines provided on this page and site are estimates from personal experiences. We are all adults and as an adult you are responsible to ensure that the food you eat is safe to eat. Since, I'm not a food safety expert, you are responsible to review your local guidelines on food storage prior to storing any food left-overs.
Remember to:
- Not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
For Canadian Guidelines check Government of Canada's Food and Safety Guidelines, see more guidelines at USDA.gov.
Other Sides
PIN for Later Here
Recipe Details
Crispy Fried/Baked Eggplant Slices
Ingredients
- 550 grams of Eggplant 1 medium sized eggplant, sliced
- 1 Egg
- ¾ cups of unsweetened shredded coconut or
- ⅓ cups parmesan cheese and ⅔ bread crumbs
- 2 tablespoons of salt
Instructions
- Slice your eggplant, salt both sides of the eggplant and layer them in a colander. Set the colander over a bowl to catch the excess moisture from the eggplant.
- Let sit for at least one hour to draw out as much moisture as possible from the eggplant.
- Pat dry the eggplant on both sides, and dip them in an egg wash that you have in a shallow bowl. (Do not season them with salt)
- Then coat egg coated eggplant with shredded coconut or breadcrumb/grated parmesan mixture that you placed in a shallow dish. Be sure to press the breadcrumbs into eggplant with your hand and ensure that the eggplant is fully covered.
Baking Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350 F
- Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake them in the oven for 20 minutes flipping them half way.
Frying Instructions:
- place them in heated olive oil or ghee and flip them once you see that the edges are white around the edges and the bottoms are brown.
- Flip them and brown the other side. Once cooked, transfer them to a dish lined with paper towel and let sit so that the excess oil is absorbed by the paper towel.
- You can top these fried crispy eggplant with tomato sauce as well to make an eggplant parmigiana whether they are fried or baked.
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