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Easy Air Fryer Crispy Parmesan Eggplant Fries are a delicious way to prepare eggplant. They are perfect for a healthy appetizer, snack, side dish or pair with salad or pasta for a meal. All you need is a few simple ingredients and you will be air frying these eggplant fries in no time!
This easy recipe is a great way to use eggplant during the eggplant season of July through October. The crispy texture that these eggplant parmesan fries has will keep you coming back again and again for more!
How to Make Easy Air Fryer Crispy Parmesan Eggplant Fries
Before slicing up the eggplant, prepare your breading station. In one bowl, combine breadcrumbs, cheese, garlic salt and pepper; stir well. In a second bowl, combine eggs and water and whisk well.
Next, peel the eggplant (if desired) and then slice into “fries”. I like to do this buy slicing the eggplant into round eggplant slices then cutting those into french fry like strips. Try to keep size uniform so they cook evenly. Before beginning breading, preheat your air fryer. Set it to 375 degrees for 10 minutes.
Then, place all eggplant fries in a large bowl and add flour. Toss to coat. Next, dip eggplant into egg then breadcrumb mixture. Repeat until all fries are breaded.
Depending on the size of your air fryer these may need to be done in 2-3 batches. After the air fryer is preheated place a single layer of eggplant fries in the air fryer basket. Spray cooking spray over the fries to help them get more crispy. Cook at 375 degrees for 6 minutes or until golden brown.
This cooking time may seem quick but that is really all it takes. If the fries don’t seem done enough or crispy enough add a minute or two as all air fryers do vary.
Remove from the air fryer and sprinkle lightly with Parmesan cheese if desired. Serve with pasta sauce for dipping or enjoy plain.
These are perfect on their own for an appetizer or side dish. To create a meal consider adding a salad or pasta dish.
Any leftover fries can be stored in the refrigerator. Toss them into the air fryer for 3-4 minutes at 375 degrees to crisp them up before serving.
Eggplant Buying Tips
If you aren’t familiar with eggplant, they can be an intimidating vegetable to buy. According to The Kitchn, there are 5 things to look for when buying an eggplant at the grocery store or farmers market.
First, look for one that is heavy for its size. Then, make sure it is shiny and the stem is green. It should also be slightly firm. Smaller eggplants may be less bitter than larger ones as well.
Globe eggplants are the ones most commonly found in the United States grocery stores. However if you go to a farmers market you may be able to find Italian eggplants which would also be great to use for this recipe.
If you can only find medium-sized eggplant or small eggplants you may want two for this recipe! Especially if you would like to have some leftovers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Swap the breadcrumbs for your favorite gluten free breadcrumbs and use gluten free flour in place of the all purpose flour.
Of course! Panko breadcrumbs tend to be larger and may not coat the eggplant fries as completely but they can be used. A trick to using panko breadcrumbs is to pulse them in a blender or food processor to make them more fine which will allow them to coat the food more evenly. If you do use panko breadcrumbs add all of the ingredients as described in the recipe card to them before breading the eggplant to create a flavorful panko mixture.
No worries, go ahead and use them. Season them with italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper so that they have a similar flavor to the italian seasoned breadcrumbs.
Absolutely! If you don’t mind a little more oil in the eggplant fries (I mean really who does) then go ahead and fry them in a deep fryer after breading them as described. I would recommend letting them cool for a minute on a plate covered in paper towel to drain off any excess oil before eating.
Simply store leftover eggplant fries in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Then, to reheat cook in the air fryer for about 5 minutes and they will be crispy and ready to eat again!
For a behind the scenes look at Return to the Kitchen, be sure to follow us on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, TikTok and Pinterest! Also, if you make this recipe or any of our recipes be sure to tag us @returntothekitchen!
Looking for more appetizer recipes? Try our Simple Cheddar Cheese Fondue, Cranberry Pecan Goat Cheese Log, Vegan 7 Layer Mexican Dip, Crock Pot 3-Ingredient Buffalo Chicken Dip, Pork and Brown Rice Meatballs, Avocado Black Bean and Corn Salsa, Black and Green Olive Tapenade, Gluten-Free Teriyaki Chicken Wings, Leftover Mashed Potato Pizza and Healthy Deviled Eggs.
Easy Air Fryer Crispy Parmesan Eggplant Fries
These Easy Air Fryer Crispy Parmesan Eggplant Fries are a delicious snack, appetizer or meal! Pair with your favorite pasta sauce for dipping.
Ingredients
- 1 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
- 2/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 3 eggs
- 3 tablespoon water
- 1 large eggplant
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- cooking spray
Instructions
- Prepare your breading station in two bowls. In one shallow bowl, combine breadcrumbs, cheese, garlic salt and pepper. Stir well. In a second shallow bowl, combine eggs and water and whisk well.
- Peel eggplant (if desired) and then slice into "fries" (similar to the way you would slice potatoes if making french fries.) Try to keep size uniform so they cook evenly.
- Before beginning breading, preheat your air fryer. Set it to 375 degrees for 10 minutes.
- Place all eggplant fries in a large bowl and add flour. Toss to coat.
- Then, dip eggplant into egg then breadcrumb mixture. Repeat until all fries are breaded.
- Depending on the size of your air fryer these may need to be done in 2-3 batches. After the air fryer is preheated place a single layer of eggplant fries in the air fryer basket. Spray with cooking spray over the fries to help them get more crispy.
- Cook at 375 degrees for 6 minutes or until golden brown.
- Remove from the air fryer and sprinkle lightly with parmesan cheese if desired.
- Serve with dipping sauce if desired such as a marinara sauce, alfredo sauce or our roasted red pepper cream sauce!
Notes
Leftover eggplant fries can be stored in the refrigerator and then warmed up in the air fryer for 3-4 minutes to make crispy again.
Want to spice it up a little bit? Add some crushed red pepper flakes to the breadcrumb mixture or add some on top for some heat!
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 320Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 154mgSodium: 759mgCarbohydrates: 42gFiber: 5gSugar: 6gProtein: 16g