Air Fryer Eggplant with Crispy Herb Seasoning

Name: Air Fryer Eggplant with Crispy Herb Seasoning
Prep time: 70 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 85 min
Ingredients: 1 lb eggplant (cut into 1-2 inch chunks); 3-4 tbsp salt; 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil; 6 tbsp panko bread crumbs; 2 tbsp dried oregano; 1 tbsp dried thyme; 1 tbsp dried parsley; 1/2 tsp black pepper; 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes; 1/4 tsp cumin

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Air Fryer Eggplant made with a crispy herb and spice seasoning is an easy and versatile side dish to enjoy with your dinner.

seasoned and breaded air fryer eggplant in a white plate

This unique recipe for Air Fryer Eggplant is made with a partial breading of fresh or dried herbs and dried seasonings, plus crispy panko bread crumbs. It doesn't contain parmesan cheese like many other eggplant recipes, so it's dairy-free if that's the diet you need to follow.

The eggplant here is coated in an abundance of seasonings that are mixed with a small amount of panko to create a light breading. The breading is mostly made of the seasonings, with the panko's purpose being not so much for flavor but to give an otherwise soft and delicate vegetable a little crunch. Whether you love eggplant on the soft and tender side as is its natural way of cooking, or simply want to find a way to make this watery vegetable a little more "crunchy", the panko bread crumbs help to do just that.

I won't lie- you are unlikely to come across a recipe or secret method that actually turns water-filled eggplant into something crisp like cauliflower, asparagus or broccoli. It's just not the way of eggplant, much like it's cousin zucchini.

So instead, this air fryer eggplant recipe uses a light, crispy breading to act as the crunch that we're hoping to get from our air fryer when we roast vegetables.

MORE AIR FRYER VEGETABLE RECIPES

close up of seasoned and breaded air fryer eggplant in a white plate

Ingredients

Eggplant, cut into 1-2 inch pieces
Salt
Extra virgin olive oil: or any other neutral cooking oil
Panko bread crumbs
Herbs: fresh or dried oregano, thyme and parsley
Spices: black pepper, red pepper flakes, cumin

seasonings and eggplant on a white table

How To Prepare Eggplant For Cooking

Preparing eggplant for cooking involves a few simple steps. Because eggplant is made of mostly water, you'll want to draw as much moisture out of the eggplant before cooking as possible. This will help the eggplant cook more firmly rather than turn mushy or soggy.

Rinse the eggplant under running water.
Trim the ends. Cut off the stem and blossom end of the eggplant.
Peel (optional): If desired, you can peel the eggplant with a vegetable peeler.
Cut the eggplant into 1-2 inch chunks (for this recipe) or other shapes for other recipes.
Salt the eggplant to draw out water. Put the eggplant in a colander in the sink or over a large bowl. Sprinkle the eggplant chunks with a generous amount of salt and let them sit for at least 60 minutes or up to 2 hours. Don't worry about how much salt you use here, as you're going to rinse it off. The important thing is to make sure each eggplant piece has been salted and the water is allowed to drain for at least 1 hour.
Rinse the salt off and pat the eggplant completely dry with a paper towel.

How To Air Fry Eggplant

STEP 1: Place 1 lb eggplant chunks or slices in a colander. Sprinkle with 3-4 tablespoon salt. Toss to coat all pieces in the salt and put the colander in the sink or a large bowl for 1-2 hours to allow moisture to be drawn out of the eggplant. Rinse the salt off the eggplant and thoroughly dry with paper towels.

eggplant pieces in a colander and coated in salt

STEP 2: Toss the eggplant chunks with 3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, 6 tablespoon panko bread crumbs, 2 tablespoon dried oregano, 1 tablespoon dried thyme, 1 tablespoon dried parsley, ½ teaspoon black pepper, ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes and ¼ teaspoon cumin. Mix well to coat. You can also use an Italian seasoning blend in place of the herbs.

eggplant pieces in a mixing bowl tossed with herbs, oil and spices

STEP 3: Arrange the eggplant chunks in the air fryer basket or tray in a single layer and not touching. Air fry at 400℉ for 12-15 minutes, until the eggplant breading is crispy and golden brown. Work in batches if needed.

STEP 4: Remove the eggplant from the air fryer immediately. Taste and season with salt if desired.

Serving Suggestions

If you need ideas for serving this delicious vegetable, here are some good ideas:

With air fried chicken teriyaki or barbecue cheddar meatloaf
Mixed with air fried kielbasa
As a side with air fried ribeye steak or some air fried hot dogs
Along with air fryer salmon

Recipe Tips

Don't let the eggplant pieces touch in the air fryer basket.
Always air fry eggplant in a single layer, working in batches if necessary.
Remove cooked eggplant from the basket immediately and don't keep in the warm air fryer. If kept in a warm air fryer, it will steam and turn mushy.
Leftover eggplant will lose much of its firmness in the fridge. It will still taste good, but you probably want to reheat it in the oven or air fryer rather than a microwave.

close up of air fried eggplant in a white bowl

Recipe FAQs

Using Fresh Herbs Instead Of Dried

If you want to use fresh herbs, use three times the amount as you would dried. So for this recipe you should use 6 tablespoons fresh oregano and 3 tablespoons each of fresh parsley and thyme. The stems on parsley contain a lot of flavor and can be eaten, but those on oregano and thyme should not be used.

Do I Need To Flip The Eggplant?

It's not necessary to flip the eggplant halfway through for this recipe. In fact, doing so will cause some of the seasonings to fall off as you rotate it.

Do You Need To Peel An Eggplant Before Cooking?

Peeling an eggplant before cooking it is optional. The deep purple skin of an eggplant contains nasunin, a unique antioxidant that is believed to to preserve and protect cell membranes from free radicals, according to WebMD. So I say keep the skin and enjoy the extra benefits of it! The skin is easy to chew and should not be tough after its air fried.

At What Temperature Should Eggplant Be Air Fried?

Whether you are air frying, roasting, or baking eggplant, it should be cooked at a high temperature for a shorter duration rather than a low temperature for a longer duration. This is to get the eggplant as firm and crisp as possible. If it's cooked at a lower temperature it will steam and become very soft. Most air fryers only go up to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (204 degrees Celsius), so you should air fry eggplant at this temperature. If your air fryer goes higher than this, you can safely go up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit or 232 degrees Celsius (but shorten the cook time by a few minutes).

How To Store

Store air fried eggplant in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat in the oven or in the air fryer until warmed through. For optimal quality, do not freeze.

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