If you ever want to know what to do in order to use up eggplant, you can’t go wrong with making my version of Italian fried eggplant. This crispy fried eggplant recipe is a fun and easy Italian side dish that is full of flavor!
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In this post you’ll learn how to make fried eggplant like a pro. I’ll also share lots of first-hand advice to ensure your eggplant slices come out perfect every time.
Make sure to check out my step by step video below where I walk you through the entire process start to finish.
How to Fry Eggplant – an Overview
The process for how to fry eggplant is very similar to frying just about any other vegetable. Yes, I know eggplant is technically a fruit. I’ll give the overview now so you get the general gist, and then break it down into actual steps you can follow.
For this Italian fried eggplant recipe, you’ll need a skillet or frying pan. The higher the sides the better to avoid any oil from splashing out while frying the eggplant slices.
Once you prepare the eggplant by slicing and breading it, you add the slices to the frying pan that has hot oil in it. For this recipe, we’re using olive oil. After frying the eggplant on both sides, you take them out and let them cool a little then serve!
Okay, are you ready to learn how to make fried eggplant Italian style? Let’s first go over each ingredient that you’ll need.
Ingredients for Fried Eggplant Italian-Style
There are many ways to fry eggplant and every Italian will probably have a slightly different process or different ingredients. The recipe I’m sharing is exactly what I use in my Italian fried eggplant recipe as it was shown to me.
- Olive oil. The best oil for frying eggplant is regular olive oil. You do not need to use extra virgin olive oil, but you do need to make sure it’s olive oil you’re using.
- Flour. Flour is important when frying eggplant because you need it to coat the eggplant slices so the egg can adhere to it. You can use white flour, gluten free flour or even whole wheat flour.
- Eggs. You do not have to use egg when frying eggplant, but I prefer it. It gives extra fullness to the breading, and adds a little flavor. I do not always use egg when I fry foods, such as my Italian chicken cutlets.
- Romano or Parmesan grated. The Italian cheese is the secret ingredient that really makes this recipe shine.
- Breadcrumbs. You can use any type of breadcrumbs, Panko or homemade breadcrumbs. You can also use seasoned breadcrumbs. Fried eggplant with Italian breadcrumbs is an easy way to add additional flavor, thanks to the seasonings.
I chose in my recipe to not use pre-seasoned Italian breadcrumbs because I prefer keeping the flavor simple and not overly complicated. However, you can add your own herbs such as parsley to the breadcrumbs or use store-bought.
Tips for Preparing Eggplant for Frying
- To prepare your eggplant for frying, you have two options. You can salt the eggplant to drain some of the bitterness out, or you can leave it as is and just get to frying it. I usually skip salting especially if my eggplant is younger and on the smaller side.
- You do not need to peel eggplant before frying. The outer skin will soften as it fries and will be soft enough to cut with a fork.
- If however, you’re using a non-organic eggplant and are concerned about pesticides, then go ahead and peel it. Otherwise, it is not necessary to peel the eggplant.
Recipe Video
Step by Step Instructions
Here are the steps I use when making fried eggplant slices. For exact measurements, please refer to my recipe card below.
Step 1. You don’t want the eggplant slices to be too thin or too thick. The best thickness for fried eggplant slices is about 1/4 inch thick. After slicing the eggplant, lay the slices on a paper towel or strainer.
Step 2. The next step is to make the breading for dipping the eggplant. This is the part of the recipe that makes the fried eggplant crispy and crunchy. The process is very similar to our fried zucchini slices which uses a similar breading.
Step 3. Place the flour and egg in separate dipping bowls.
Step 4. Combine the cheese and breadcrumbs in their own bowl together.
Step 5. Dip the eggplant in the following order:
- flour
- egg
- cheese/breadcrumbs mixture
Pro Tip: When breading, it’s often asked why do we dip things in flour before the egg? The reason is that the egg needs something to hold on to, otherwise it will just slide off the eggplant.
Step 6. Add enough olive oil to a pan or skillet with deep sides to cover ¼” on the bottom. Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat.
Pro Tip: It’s important that the olive oil is hot so that the eggplant doesn’t absorb the oil while sitting in the oil and become soggy. We want the breading to crisp up quickly, and that can only happen when the olive oil is at a hot enough temperature.
Step 7. Once the olive oil is hot, gently place the eggplant slices in the pan making sure they don’t overlap. You’ll know when the oil is ready for the eggplant when it sizzles a little when you add a drop of water or breadcrumbs to it to test. If it sizzles, it’s ready.
Step 8. Knowing how to long to fry the eggplant in the frying pan or skillet is never a set amount of time, due to a variety of factors such as heat, thickness of slices, etc. However, the average time is 2 minutes per side.
You will want to keep a close eye on the eggplant the entire time to make sure neither side starts to burn.
Note: Some of my eggplant slices didn’t fry evenly because my frying pan was too large for the induction burner I was using. I should have used the regular stove top. But they still were crunchy and delicious!
Step 9. When the eggplant breading is a nice golden brown color and getting hard – like a shell, gently turn them over and repeat the process for the second side. When the second side of the eggplant is also crispy, remove them from the pan using a fork or tongs.
Place them on a plate or cookie sheet covered with some paper towels to absorb any excess oil.
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Recipe Card
For additional tips and insights into this recipe, read my notes below the recipe card.
Italian Fried Eggplant
Ingredients
- 1 medium eggplant sliced crosswise into 1/4" rounds salt and drain if you prefer
- olive oil enough to fill the frying pan with about 1/4″
- 1 cup flour
- 3 eggs beaten
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup Romano Cheese
Instructions
- Wash your eggplant, and remove skin if concerned over the use of pesticides. If organic, there is no need to peel.1 medium eggplant sliced crosswise into 1/4" rounds
- Slice eggplant into 1/4 inch round slices.
- Place the flour in a dipping bowl or plate.1 cup flour
- Beat the eggs in a second bowl.3 eggs beaten
- Mix the breadcrumbs and Romano (or Parmesan) cheese in the third bowl.1/4 cup Romano Cheese, 1 cup breadcrumbs
- Dip the eggplant in the flour (tap off excess), then egg, then breadcrumbs mixture and set aside until all are breaded.
- Pour in enough olive oil in a frying pan so there is about 1/4 inch of olive oil in the pan. Heat to medium-high heat.olive oil
- Fry the eggplant on each side for about 2 minutes until the breadcrumbs are golden brown on both sides. Use a long handled tongs or fork to avoid oil from splattering on you.
- Remove each slice from the pan and place on a paper towel (on a plate) to let the oil drain.
- Continue the process until all slices are used. Add more oil if needed during the process.
- Serve warm.
Notes
Nutrition
How to Reheat Fried Eggplant
I’ve reheated my Italian fried eggplant slices with success up to two days after making. The key is to place it in an oven proof baking dish and bake at 350F for 10 to 13 minutes or until crispy. The olive oil will begin to bubble as it heats up and this is how you know the eggplant is ready or close to being ready.
Do not expect the fried eggplant slices to be as firm and crunchy as when they were freshly fried over the stove. They will not hold their shape as well and the texture will be softer. However, they still taste amazing and I’ve eaten my fried Italian eggplant as leftovers with much enjoyment. 🙂
What Makes this Fried Eggplant Italian
In this fried Italian eggplant recipe, we combine Italian cheese in with the breadcrumbs. This is the secret to turning this into an Italian-style recipe.
Yes, it will still taste great with the breadcrumbs alone (especially if you’re vegan), but the cheese is what gives it that distinct Italian flavor.
What kind of eggplant to use for Italian fried eggplant?
Eggplant in Italian is melanzana and is used in Italian cuisine in popular recipes such as eggplant parmesan, eggplant lasagna, and eggplant and zucchini with pasta.
However, any type of eggplant will work whether your using regular fried eggplant or Italian-style. Here are some common eggplant types.
Globe eggplant (American eggplant)
Although there are many varieties of eggplant, the most common (at least here in the States) is Globe Eggplant. This is the classic large purple-skin eggplant we see at grocery stores. I’ve used these for frying eggplant many times.
Italian Eggplant
However there is an eggplant that is literally called, Italian eggplant. They are very similar to Globe Eggplant but are slightly smaller, sweeter, and shaped more like a tear drop. If you can find these, buy some for this recipe.
They make a good choice since the sliced rounds will be smaller making them easier to fry, and the extra slight sweetness is a nice addition to the flavor.
There are a good number of other types of eggplant that vary in shape and size. I recommend only using the varieties that can be easily sliced into small to medium rounds no more than 4 inches in diameter.
Can You Freeze Fried Eggplant?
If you don’t eat all the fried eggplant slices, what do you do with the leftovers? You can either freeze or refrigerate any leftover fried eggplant. However, it will not be as crispy when you try to reheat it. I would not recommend freezing fried eggplant if you don’t have to.
Does this Recipe Work Only with Eggplant?
You can use other vegetables instead of just eggplant. For example you can make fried zucchini or squash. I’ve used this recipe for fried eggplant as both a side dish and just for a late night snack.
What Goes with Fried Eggplant
Fried eggplant goes great with chicken dishes, Italian summer salads, and Italian pizzas. Here are some recipes you can try.
Our spinach and ricotta stuffed shells complements the Italian fried eggplant perfectly.
My fried eggplant goes great with our pasta with asparagus and lemon recipe!
Try using the eggplant as a side dish to our Romano pizza using our homemade Italian pizza dough.
Similar Fried Recipes
If you love fried recipes, you will really like these other recipes too!
Have fresh zucchini in your garden? Why not pan fry the zucchini blossoms?
Looking for something meatier to add? Try our fried Italian chicken cutlets!
Take your fried eggplant to the next level with these stacked eggplant slices and mozzarella.
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I love Italian food an can’t wait to try some of your recipes
You do use a lot of eggs, since the flour mixture makes dipping the eggplant into the eggs become from glupy. Therefore, you need to keep adding eggs. I would like that being published, since you do need extra eggs to get through your recipe. It is a very delicious dish!!!
Thanks Grace, so glad you like the recipe! I added a Tip #4 that mentions using additional eggs if needed. Thanks for advice!
Love your recipe. What I do instead of frying, I bake them for about 15 min at 350, then flip them over..My mom used to fry them all the time..they are delicious both ways!!
Hi Nana, I’ve haven’t tried baking them, but I will surely try it next time! Thanks! 😄
This recipe made me cringe. I’ve been making Italian eggplant for over 35 years. You always salt it first to pull the excess water out. This will make the fried eggplant fluffy like a pillow and not heavy. Never use flour to coat. Just into egg then Italian breadcrumbs. And vegetable oil.
This is almost exactly what I do for my eggplant parm. I don’t salt it anymore because it comes out too salty! I peel it; slice it; then put them on layers of paper towels to get rid of excess moisture by pressing down on the eggplant to get rid of excess moisture. I don’t dip it in flour or egg because it’s too much work for me and because a granddaughter is just about vegan and won’t eat eggs or cheese (I put aside eggplant without cheese for her) It turns out great and everyone loves it!
Hi Amy! That sounds delicious and a great way to accommodate vegan eaters! Thanks so much for sharing!
Liz