Eggplant Air Fryer

Sliced and breaded eggplant in air fryer is a delicious vegetable snack that comes out super crispy on the outside with very little oil. A healthier way to fry with the same great taste and texture you want.

Ninja Foodi Eggplant Chips

I have both a Ninja Foodi machine and traditional electric air fryer too. It doesn’t matter what brand you have, the directions are the same for them all except that with this, use the lid that is attached. Whether you make this or our similarly coated air fryer cucumber chips, you will want to make these again and again.

THIS is how to get that great crispy deep fried taste with just a light spray of oil. No submerging or extra calories needed to get that great crunch! First grab one of these babies from the store….

Should eggplant be peeled?

Generally it is said that yes you should because the skin can be a bit bitter, we did with our air fryer eggplant fries. Since it is sliced this way there is very little on each piece and the breading masks any bitterness you might want to avoid. You will want it also so it doesn’t want to fall apart, it will keep it in tact in a sense with it on.

Ingredient Notes

You will start with veggie journey with 1 Eggplant cut into 1/4 inch slices or dials if you will. You want to choose one that is rather firm with a slight tenderness but not soft (that means it is starting to go bad.

All purpose flour will coat the outside a bit to start the crispiness. I haven’t used a gluten free variety but Bobs Red Mill has a 1:1 that should work just the same.

Your Egg should be whisked and used in order to get the breading to stick well and not slough off when in the air fryer basket. If you cannot use this, other alternatives would be to brush with mayonnaise or plain Greek yogurt.

I love Panko bread crumbs over Italian for a lighter and crispier texture overall. Season as you wish with Italian seasonings, salt and pepper and/or garlic powder to add more flavor if you wish or leave as is. If you want more flavor add shredded parmesan cheese in there!

Air Fryer Eggplant without Breading

If you wanted to skip the breading like we made with our air fryer kale chips and spinach chips you could but would need to leave the skin on to stay in tact. In addition to that you would need to line the basket with parchment paper and flip halfway thru until tender to your liking.

Can you make this gluten free?

Yes you could use a gluten free flour and alternative bread crumbs like these instead. If you left it off entirely it would have a very different flavor and texture for sure, but possible. That would be the lowest carb and calorie method, but not quite as good.

How do you know when eggplant is done?

First off, make sure your eggplant is sliced the same thickness so they are done at the same time. Lay in a single layer so they aren’t overlapping to get them golden brown and when done the center will be fork tender, easy to slide in and out.

How do you know when eggplant is ripe?

Ideally you should pick them when skin is glossy. Dull fruit indicates that it may be over ripe already. Both under and over ripe picks tend to taste more bitter. Pick white eggplants before skin turns yellow and when it feels firm and no signs of it being soft or beginning to turn mushy.

How to save leftovers

If you do have leftovers we talk about how to freeze eggplant raw or already cooked right here. You wouldn’t want to bread, fry and then save because the texture when reheated is just off and not worth saving. It is best saving just the slices uncooked for best results.

Other air fryer finger food recipes

Want to make a whole meal with these babies in the same machine? You totally can throw in a few wings for finger food fun. Even if you forget to defrost dinner you can still make air fried frozen shrimp and cook to perfection tonight with this.

Try air fryer frozen mozzarella cheese sticks! Our air fryer eggplant parm is done in bite sizes similar to this but not breaded. You can even make Ninja foodi french fries in your handy dandy kitchen appliance in under 20 minutes now. Air fryer green beans rock too. You may not believe it but my kids love these so much they’ll eat an entire plate as a snack.

I think this large purple vegetable is highly underrated and overlooked. If you’ve been intimidated to try and cook it you’ve gotta’ try this! It is similar to slicing it into small finger foods like our ever popular air fryer zucchini chips but with a new veggie. Olive oil cooking spray will make it ultra crispy. That is the key to cooking all the things.