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Crispy Baked Eggplant Fries with Marinara Dipping Sauce (aka Eggplant Parmesan Fries!)

[heart_this] · Sep 19, 2012 · 38 Comments

Crispy Baked Eggplant Fries

Healthy baked eggplant parmesan ‘fries’ in a crispy panko breadcrumb and parmesan coating that are perfect for snacking!

After the recent extraordinary success of the crispy baked portobello mushroom fries I was thinking about what other vegetables could be turned into fries and with the abundance of cheap eggplant these days, it seemed like the perfect candidate to try next! I was a bit worried about using eggplant to make fries as eggplant can have a lot of moisture, and no one want soggy fries, but given how addictively good roasted eggplant is, I just have to give it a shot! Once again the recipe for the eggplant fries is extremely quick and easy! You really just need to slice the eggplant, coat it up in the breadcrumbs, parmesan and seasonings and bake it until crispy. (There is really no excuse for reaching for that bag of chips all the way at the back of the cupboard!) As it turns out, I had nothing to worry about as the eggplant fries came out perfectly crispy and golden brown and as you can see from the photos, I have made several batches already! Snacking just got so much better!

Crispy Baked Eggplant Fries
Serve with some tasty marinara sauce and turn it into a light meal. With the eggplant, parmesan and breadcrumb coating and the marinara dipping sauce it is almost like
eggplant parmesan fries !

Crispy Baked Eggplant Fries

Crispy Baked Eggplant Fries with Marinara Dipping Sauce (aka Eggplant Parmesan Fries!)

Crispy Baked Eggplant Fries with Marinara Dipping Sauce (aka Eggplant Parmesan Fries!)

Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 10 minutes Total Time: 20 minutes Servings: 2

Healthy baked eggplant parmesan ‘fries’ in a crispy panko breadcrumb and parmesan coating that are perfect for snacking!

ingredients
  • 1 medium eggplant, cut into 1/4 inch thick ‘fries’
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
  • 1/4 cup parmigiano reggiano (parmesan), grated
  • 1 teaspoon italian seasoning
  • salt and pepper to taste
directions
  1. Dredge the eggplant slices in the flour, dip them in the egg and then into a mixture of the panko breadcrumbs, parmesan, thyme salt and pepper.
  2. Place the eggplant slices on a wire rack on a baking sheet and bake in a preheated 425F/220C oven until golden brown, about 7-10 minutes.
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Appetizer, Food, Recipe, Vegetable, Vegetarian

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. jeri says

    September 19, 2012 at 9:33 pm

    I tried your zucchini fries and they were a big hit so I'll be making these ASAP.

    Reply
  2. Rosa's Yummy Yums says

    September 19, 2012 at 9:34 pm

    Those must be scrumptious! What a wonderful idea.

    Cheers,

    Rosa

    Reply
  3. kitblu says

    September 19, 2012 at 9:54 pm

    I have an eggplant! I usually make some form of Eggplant Parmesan and this is another version I will put in my repertoire. YUM!

    Reply
  4. Cocco says

    September 19, 2012 at 10:02 pm

    Oh my Mom, I need try this because I love eggplants and I hate cooking in grease, but I love baked. Wonderful idea to share with friends in home parties

    Than fast I do it, I come to say you.

    Thank you, from the Caribbean blue

    Reply
  5. Ashley says

    September 19, 2012 at 10:14 pm

    Eggplant fries?! Looks delicious!!

    Reply
  6. Lisa says

    September 19, 2012 at 10:36 pm

    This is a timely recipe as I am just discovering a new found love of eggplant. Excellent.

    Reply
  7. Anonymous says

    September 19, 2012 at 11:44 pm

    Why do you put them on a rack to bake?

    Reply
  8. Vimitha Anand says

    September 20, 2012 at 6:06 am

    Oh god they look so crispy and inviting…

    Reply
  9. Lauren @ Part Time House Wife says

    September 20, 2012 at 2:06 pm

    These look amazing! This is the 2nd eggplant recipe of the day I'm dying to try! Looks like a few eggplants are on the grocery list today! Yummmmm

    Reply
  10. Chris says

    September 20, 2012 at 2:29 pm

    Was there any need to salt the eggplant to pull out any bitterness? Or was this not an issue?

    Either way, it looks like a great recipe.

    Greetings from Italy.

    Reply
  11. Katie @ Oh Shine On says

    September 20, 2012 at 2:59 pm

    This is a great recipe… I might try substituting zucchini or even firm tofu 🙂

    Reply
  12. Kevin says

    September 20, 2012 at 4:59 pm

    Chris: Tip: Get younger, smaller eggplants to avoid the bitterness. I use medium sized eggplants for these eggplant fries.

    Reply
  13. skaterina says

    September 20, 2012 at 11:47 pm

    i like eggplant fries drizzled with honey / yummy

    Reply
  14. Apolita says

    September 21, 2012 at 2:45 am

    Hi Kevin,

    What other veggies would be good for this recipe? And I wonder if chicken breasts fillet would also be good? I love it cuz it's not fried yet crispy!

    Reply
  15. kerry says

    September 23, 2012 at 8:40 am

    Trying these tonight – just found your blog via punchfork- made your spinach fritters last week. Yum!!!

    Reply
  16. Anonymous says

    September 27, 2012 at 9:03 am

    Use a Parmesan substitute if you want the dish to be vegetarian ( Parmesan is never vegetarian)

    Reply
  17. Anonymous says

    October 1, 2012 at 6:37 am

    Eggplant my favorite!i don't have an oven can I fry it?

    Reply
  18. Margaret says

    October 1, 2012 at 7:29 pm

    I did zucchini fries the other day and they were so good! I think hubby is trying the same method with eggplant tonight!

    Reply
  19. Anonymous says

    October 3, 2012 at 8:13 pm

    I made these last night and served with homemade tzaziki sauce, too. My non-loving eggplant husband gobbled them up and couldn't get enough!! Absolutely delish!! Easy, easy, easy!!

    Reply
  20. Kevin says

    October 4, 2012 at 1:09 pm

    Anonymous: I am not sure about frying them as eggplant absorbs a lot of oil.

    Reply
  21. Shane's Simple Soaps says

    October 9, 2012 at 3:33 pm

    To the person who asked why they were baked on a rack: the fries get an even browning and don't need to be turned. There is hot air all around them.

    Reply
  22. Anonymous says

    January 16, 2013 at 12:24 am

    could I use Italian flavored breadcrumbs for this?

    Reply
  23. Kevin says

    January 16, 2013 at 5:16 pm

    Anonymous: Italian flavored panko breadcrumbs would definitely work! I have not tried this with regular breadcrumbs and if it does work, they won't be nearly as crispy as the panko breadcrumb version.

    Reply
  24. Anonymous says

    January 27, 2013 at 3:14 am

    Thank you for sharing this! Made them tonight and they were a big hit! One of my children ate almost half the pan!

    Reply
  25. Natallia Moore says

    August 3, 2013 at 10:17 am

    Tried it last night. Excellent!

    Reply
  26. Anonymous says

    September 17, 2013 at 12:07 am

    This was excellent! One exception… you didn't specify whether or not to peel the eggplant. I tend to leave them on, unless I am cooking/freezing them, as the skin gets tough. In the future I will peel the eggplant ~ Thanks for a !great recipe

    Reply
  27. Tina Jui says

    February 18, 2014 at 10:06 pm

    Just made these, and used them to dip in a roast pepper and cauliflower soup. They were delicious!!! Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
  28. kevin says

    February 23, 2014 at 10:12 pm

    Tina Jui: Great idea to dip them in the roasted pepper and cauliflower soup soup!

    Reply
  29. Anonymous says

    February 9, 2015 at 4:06 am

    I used peeled Japanese eggplants and it just turned out badly, despite following the steps very carefully. I ended up having to fry them to make them palatable, and even then… I'll stick to zucchini next time.

    Reply
  30. SAVAGESFreeFOREVER says

    July 30, 2017 at 7:09 pm

    deeze were the best

    Reply
  31. Dottie Hart says

    August 28, 2017 at 9:07 pm

    I was given an eggplant and have never cooked one before! So I went searching online for an eggplant recipe and this one looks delicious!! It also received great reviews! Looks like I found my recipe… thanks so much for sharing it!!

    Reply
  32. Judy Goldin says

    September 24, 2017 at 9:46 pm

    Should the eggplants be salted first to get rid of the bitter taste.

    Reply
  33. Caroline says

    March 1, 2018 at 4:59 pm

    These were great. I DID salt to draw out the bitterness, and also because I only had regular breadcrumbs, and wanted them to be crispy. I peeled the eggplant, too. Added a quick spray of olive oil. VERY CRISPY and sweet. It was the "girl's weekend" and we were having cocktails, so we went a little nuts. We added a TOUCH of grated white truffle before plating, and served with marinara and a crazy but delicious greek yogurt dip mixed with Knorr Pesto mix. Some of us girls are Weight Watchers, and it fit right into the program. Thanks for this! It will be a go-to for parties!

    Reply
  34. Judy Goldin says

    March 1, 2018 at 6:06 pm

    Not interested

    Reply
  35. G B-T says

    April 22, 2019 at 9:41 pm

    I used gluten free flour and utilized gluten free crushed crackers instead. Big hit at our house!

    Reply
  36. Prplhz says

    June 18, 2020 at 2:30 pm

    This has been my go-to recipe for “Oven Fried” Eggplant for 5 yeras, and was the first time I ever used Panko bread crumbs. I will never use regular breadcrumbs again! -everything Panko touches is golden, crispy and delicious! Rather than slice the eggplant fry shaped, I cut it into thin rounds. I peel first with a potato peeler, then place the rounds in a big collander in as much a single layer as possible. Then I salt each round a little on both sides and set it in the sink to drain. This draws the extra moisture out of the fruit. After 20 -30 minutes you then wipe both sides off with a paper towel. Don’t worry if they turn brown a little while standing because your panko coating will hide this. Eggplants and apples turn brown when their flesh is exposed to air. Now you need not add any salt to the recipe. Just a light touch of salt and pepper after product is baked. Bake as directed on a rack placed on a cookie sheet. If you do not have such a rack, simply flip each round over about half way through the baking time, carefully with a spatula. Divine! And EASY!

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Morgan's Post: Welcome Eggplant Season! - Seacoast Eat Local says:
    July 30, 2018 at 10:36 am

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    Reply
  2. Welcome Eggplant Season! - Seacoast Eat Local says:
    January 20, 2023 at 2:58 pm

    […] https://www.closetcooking.com/crispy-baked-eggplant-fries-with/ […]

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