Crispy Baked Eggplant Recipe

Crispy baked eggplant on a plate with marinara sauce

This Crispy Baked Eggplant is made by breading eggplant slices in a mixture of panko, parmesan cheese, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning and then baking them to crispy perfection. Serve it as a side dish or with tomato sauce on the side.

Course Vegetarian Side Dish

Cuisine Italian American

Diet Vegetarian

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 28

Total Time 38

Servings servings

Calories 174kcal

Author Aysegul Sanford

Ingredients

2 medium- sized globe eggplant rinsed and dried ~1 pound each*
2 large eggs
1 ½ cups panko breadcrumbs
¾ cup grated parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 ½ cups Homemade Tomato Basil Sauce optional

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set them aside.
Slice eggplant into ½ inch thick slices.* Set them aside.
Set up your dredging station: Whisk eggs in a shallow bowl. Whisk panko breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, garlic powder, Italian seasoning and black pepper in another shallow bowl.
Dip each eggplant slice in eggs (letting the excess drip off) first and then into the panko mixture making sure that it is coated on all sides. You may have to gently push it down to ensure that slices are fully coated.
Transfer onto the parchment-lined baking sheet in a single layer. Repeat with remaining eggplant slices.
Bake for 15 minutes, flip each eggplant rounds and rotate baking sheets, and bake for another 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned on top and soft to the touch.
Serve it right away with your favorite dipping sauce (or Marinara sauce).

Notes

Serving size: A globe eggplant that is approximately one pound sliced in 1/2-inch thickness yields 8-10 slices. Based on that, this recipe serves 6 people 3-4 crispy eggplant per person.
Based on the size of your eggplant you may have to use a bit more (or less) egg or breadcrumbs. Use this recipe as a starting point and adjust the amounts as necessary.
* Sweating eggplants: Thanks to modern farming, nowadays the eggplants sold in the supermarket do not need salting. However, if you prefer to salt yours, check out my foolproof guide on How to Salt Eggplant.
Storing leftovers: I think these breaded baked eggplant slices are best on the day they are made, preferably as soon as they come out of the oven. However, you can store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.

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