Air Fryer Eggplant
Crispy, breaded Air Fryer Eggplant has the same great crunch and flavor as fried eggplant! Cut your eggplant into "fries," serve it with your favorite dip or turn this Air Fryer Eggplant into Eggplant Parm by adding marinara and mozzarella cheese!
Servings: 5
Calories: 280kcal
Ingredients
- 2 small Globe eggplants or 3 Italian eggplants,
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 ¼ teaspoon salt, separated
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup Italian breadcrumbs
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- ¾ teaspoon garlic powder
- Nonstick cooking spray (Avocado, canola, or vegetable oil preferably in an aerosol can), about 2 tablespoons
- See notes if making Eggplant Parmesan
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 400°F for 10 minutes.
- Peel the eggplant and slice it into ½"-thick rings. Then, cut each slice into strips about a ½"-thick.
- Have ready three shallow bowls or trays for a dredging station. In the first tray, mix together the flour and a ¾ teaspoon of salt. In the second tray, whisk together the eggs with 2 tablespoons of water. In the third tray, combine the Italian breadcrumbs, panko bread crumbs, ½ teaspoon salt, and garlic powder.
- Fully coat each piece of eggplant in the flour and shake off the excess. Submerge in the egg mixture, allow excess to drip off, and then transfer to the tray of breadcrumbs. Coat thoroughly, applying gentle pressure as needed to ensure the coating adheres.
- Transfer to a work surface and mist the tops and sides with the nonstick cooking spray. Flip and mist the other side.
- Add a single layer of the eggplant sticks to the basket of the air fryer and cook at 400°F for 6 minutes. Remove and repeat twice more with the remaining eggplant.
Notes
If you're planning to make Eggplant Parmesan, you'll also need:
- 1 ½ cup marinara sauce
- 8-ounces of fresh mozzarella, cut into ¼" medallions and patted dry with a paper towel
- Once the eggplant has finished cooking, remove it from the air fryer and top with a generous spoonful of marinara sauce.
- Place the mozzarella cheese on top of the sauce and return the eggplant to the air fryer to cook for an additional 3 to 5 minutes. Do not stack and take care to do this in a single layer.
- As soon as the mozzarella is melted, remove it from the air fryer and enjoy!
Nutrition
Calories: 280kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 66mg | Sodium: 979mg | Potassium: 530mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 183IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 84mg | Iron: 3mg