Mar 08, 2023, Updated Apr 05, 2024 A side of quickly-cooked eggplant in the air fryer is the perfect way to round out your juicy Air Fryer Turkey Burgers or that succulent Air Fryer Tuna Steak. If you’re an air frying newbie, be sure to read Air Fryer 101: How to Choose and Use an Air Fryer to find out everything you need to know to get started!
Gather Your Ingredients: What You Need For Crispy Air Fryer Eggplant
Eggplant: The eggplant can be dark purple globe eggplant as pictured, baby eggplants, or long, skinny, lighter-colored eggplants. Oil: With the high temperatures of the air fryer, be sure to choose a high smoke point oil. I love the health profile of avocado oil, but you can use your favorite go-to cooking oil. The eggplant will look dry with the quantity of oil listed, but it’s enough. Once it cooks, the eggplant shrinks. Too much oil and it would be greasy. (I tested both ways!) Salt: I find veggies perfectly seasoned when I use 3/4 – 1 teaspoon of coarse salt per pound. I use Kosher salt but you can swap in whatever salt you stock (google the conversion – you’ll need less if using table salt or fine sea salt). I kept the ingredient lineup really simple so that you could use this guide as a jumping-off point, but you can add your favorite seasonings if you like. I’ve given suggestions in the recipe notes.
How to Cook Eggplant in the Air Fryer
Prep the eggplant: Use the method outlined below to chop it. No need to salt the eggplant first to draw out moisture as with some recipes. The high-airflow, intense heat cooking of the air fryer produces really perfectly-roasted results without this extra step. Cook it in the air fryer: I find cooking it at a super-high heat setting gives better results than a lower heat (I tested both!). You can expect crispy outsides with silky, meltingly-tender insides. Perfect little bites. Totally irresistible. Lower heat makes a softer eggplant that borders on mushy (I personally like it both ways). Adjust seasoning to taste: I think you’ll find the salt is perfect, but I love a little pop of green at the end. Fresh thyme is so delicious with eggplant.
How do you cut and prepare eggplant?
To safely cut a wobbly, round eggplant, I like to take a thin slice off of one side, and place this flat side on the cutting board to stabilize it before cutting the rest. I like to cut it into lengthwise slabs, then stack these slabs before cutting them into long strips and then crosswise into cubes (see video in the recipe card below).
Expert Tips & Tricks
Just chill: This is one instance when you want the food to be cold from the fridge before you cook it. It really helps get that crispy outside crust before the eggplant shrinks and gets super soft. I tested both ways. Starting with room-temperature eggplant, it will probably be fall-apart-soft before it gets crispy. It is still delicious, it just may not be as visually appealing. Remove excess moisture so it will brown and crisp, and not just be mushy. Salting it in advance draws out excess water if oven-roasting. If you use an air fryer (as in this recipe), the hot air will dry out the surface sufficiently to crisp it up beautifully. Using enough oil and salt to make it tasty. If you follow this recipe, you’ll have the tastiest perfectly-seasoned results. Continue cooking a few minutes beyond when you think it’s done. Then you’ll get all of the irresistible crispy bits, silky middle, and skin that tastes like a potato chip.
How to Serve Air Fryer Eggplant
These crispy bites of succulent air fryer eggplant are delicious as a simple side dish to Indian recipes like chicken korma, simple fish dinners like panko crusted cod, or even a mixed dish like crockpot lazy lasagna. My favorite way to serve it as an appetizer is with a little Greek yogurt seasoned with salt and drizzled with olive oil. And I can’t tell you how much I also love sprinkling it with a little fresh thyme at the end for an herbal note to cut the natural richness of this silky vegetable.
Other delicious sides you don’t want to miss
Maple Five-Spice Roasted Butternut Squash Crispy Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Maple Syrup Pan-Fried Asparagus
More Easy Air Fryer Recipes to Try
Air Fryer Pizza Recipe plus the complete guide to Reheating Pizza in the Air Fryer Air Fryer Tuna Steak How to make moist Frozen Salmon in Air Fryer Juicy Air Fryer Turkey Burgers The juiciest Air Fryer Boneless Chicken Thighs Air Fryer Roast Beef How to make juicy Frozen Chicken Breast in Air Fryer Can You Cook Bacon in an Air Fryer in a big batch?
