Fried Eggplant

Our Fried Eggplant recipe creates an easy, crispy dish that’s all about texture. This Italian delight only needs a few ingredients.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Keyword Fried Eggplant

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 2

Total Time 22

Servings people

Calories 146kcal

Author Kathleen

In a small shallow bowl, beat the egg with 1/4 teaspoon salt. In 2 more separate shallow dishes, pour the cornstarch (1/3 cup) and panko breadcrumbs (1 cup). Dredge each slice of eggplant in cornstarch, coating it thoroughly then gently tapping off excess, then in egg mixture, then in the panko crumbs, pressing them to help them stick. Transfer the coated eggplant to a wire rack and allow the coating to set for 20 minutes.
Heat 1/2-inch oil in a heavy bottom, skillet with straight sides 2 inches tall, to 375ºC (190ºC). Fry the eggplant slices in batches, for 1 minute on each side, or until golden brown. Transfer to a paper towel-lined baking sheet. Season with additional salt and pepper. Over hot eggplant, squeeze lemon wedges, or top with marinara sauce or mozzarella if using, and serve.

Batch frying – You’ll want to cook the eggplant in batches to avoid overcrowding. Keep the fried eggplant warm in a 200-degree oven, on a paper-towel-lined cookie sheet, while you finish.
Eggplant perfection – When you’re picking out eggplants, choose the freshest you can find and use them in less than a week. Look for shiny, plump specimens, not dull and wrinkly ones. Smaller is preferable too since the larger ones tend to be more mature and potentially bitter.
Did you say bitter? – You’ll notice I don’t pre-salt the eggplant for this dish. There are lots of thoughts on whether salting is needed, but the general consensus is if you’re dealing with fresh, young, firm eggplants, salting ahead of time isn’t required.
- In addition to pulling out some of the bitter juices, which adds extra moisture you’ll have to deal with before breading, salting also changes the texture of the eggplant. It’s best to just opt for eggplants that don’t need the whole “youthening” treatment.