Simple and easy to make, and so delicious, this crispy air fryer eggplant recipe makes for one crowd-pleasing appetizer. Eggplant is sliced into rounds and coated with breadcrumbs for a crispy and healthier bite.

Crispy air fryer egg plant on a plate served with a marinara dip.

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Whether you are looking for a quick snack, or an appetizer to serve to guests, this crispy air fryer eggplant is one delicious bite!

Simple to make with just a few basic ingredients, eggplant never tasted so good! Coated in seasoned Italian breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese, they are a breeze to cook in the air fryer, and come out extra crispy without the need for lots of oil.

Be sure to try my Air Fryer Fried Mushrooms and Crispy Air Fryer Bacon too!

How to make crispy air fryer eggplant slices

Gather your ingredients.

Place eggplant rounds on a wire rack in a single layer and sprinkle kosher salts on all sides. Let sit for 30-40 minutes to release any excess moisture.

Rinse the salt off the eggplant and dry with a towel.
Preheat the air fryer basket to 370 degrees Fahrenheit.
Add eggs and milk in one bowl and whisk to combine. In another bowl, add Italian breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese and mix to combine.
Dip the eggplant rounds in the egg mix, then the breadcrumb mix to coat.

Eggplant rounds being coated in the egg and breadcrumbs.

Spray the preheated air fryer basket with a little bit of oil and then add eggplant slices in the basket in a single layer. Note that all your eggplant slices may not fit in the basket and you may need to cook these in batches. Close the air fryer basket and cook eggplant slices on 370 degrees Fahrenheit for 12-14 minutes, flipping and spraying halfway through.

The breaded eggplant slices in the air fryer basket.

Remove eggplant slices and lightly sprinkle with kosher salt to taste.
Cook the remaining eggplant slices the same way.

The cooked eggplant slices in the air fryer basket.

Can you make them ahead of time?

These crispy eggplant rounds are best served as soon as they are cooked so that they are nice and crispy. You can get ahead of things by salting and breading them earlier in the day and keep them covered in the fridge til you are ready to cook and serve them.

The good news is, is that they are easily reheated in the air fryer and they will get nice and crispy again, so perfect if you have leftovers. Reheat them at 370F for around 3 to 4 minutes until crispy.

Why do you need to salt the eggplant?

It's really important to salt the eggplant slices before you bread and air fry them. Salting them helps to draw out the moisture so that they crisp up. If you skip this step, the eggplant will steam as it cooks instead of crisping up.

What do you serve them with?

Once cooked, I like to sprinkle this crispy air fryer eggplant with a little salt and fresh parsley. They are great enjoyed by themselves, but work wonderfully with a dipping sauce like marinara or ranch.

Cooked crispy eggplant in an air fryer basket.

Recipe Notes and Tips

Use panko breadcrumbs for extra crispiness.
Cook the eggplant slices in a single even layer so that they get crispy all over and the breading stays intact.
These eggplant slices are great for making eggplant parmesan. In the alternative, you can serve them with marinara on the side and dip them in the sauce.
These are very crispy once done but will lose the crispiness the longer they sit out.

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5 from 11 votes

Crispy Air Fryer Eggplant

Simple and easy to make, and so delicious, this crispy air fryer eggplant recipe makes for one crowd pleasing appetizer. Eggplant is sliced into rounds and coated with breadcrumbs for a crispy and healthier bite.

Course Appetizer

Cuisine American

Keyword air fried eggplant, breaded eggplant slices, how to cook eggplant in the air fryer

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 12

Resting time 30

Total Time 52

Servings servings

Calories 286kcal

Author Tanya

Ingredients

1 medium sized eggplant about 1lb, sliced into ¼ inch rounds
4 teaspoons kosher salt for salting eggplant
2 large eggs lightly beaten
¼ cup milk
1.5 cups Italian Breadcrumbs
⅓ cup grated parmesan cheese
Oil for spraying olive, canola, or avocado
Salt to taste

Instructions

Place eggplant rounds on a wire rack in a single layer and sprinkle kosher salts on all sides. Let sit for 30-40 minutes to release any excess moisture.
Rinse the salt off the eggplant and dry with a towel.
Preheat the air fryer basket to 370 degrees Fahrenheit.
Add eggs and milk in one bowl and whisk to combine. In another bowl, add Italian breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese and mix to combine.
Dip the eggplant rounds in the egg mix, then the breadcrumb mix to coat.
Spray the preheated air fryer basket with a little bit of oil and then add eggplant slices in the basket in a single layer. Note that all your eggplant slices may not fit in the basket and you may need to cook these in batches. Close the air fryer basket and cook eggplant slices on 370 degrees Fahrenheit for 12-14 minutes, flipping and spraying halfway through. Remove eggplant slices and lightly sprinkle with salt to taste.
Cook the remaining eggplant slices the same way.

Video

Notes

Use panko breadcrumbs for extra crispiness.
Cook the eggplant slices in a single even layer so that they get crispy all over and the breading stays intact.
These eggplant slices are great for making eggplant parmesan. In the alternative, you can serve them with marinara on the side and dip them in the sauce.
These are very crispy once done but will lose the crispiness the longer they sit out.

Nutrition

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