40 Best Eggplant Recipes for Delicious Flavors

Eggplants are one of the most misunderstood plants in the garden and the grocery. Many people dislike eggplant recipes out of hand because they’ve had a poorly prepared version of it at some point in their lives.

 Eggplant Recipes

The truth is that the shiny, colorful berries of the eggplant have tons of flavor and health benefits to offer adventurous cooks. You’ll just need to learn to prepare them correctly, and you’re sure to have a new favorite ingredient.

Is An Eggplant a Fruit or Vegetable?   

Many people consider eggplant a vegetable since it has a neutral to savory flavor and is cooked like a vegetable in savory dishes. However, eggplant is actually a fruit. These are the two main reasons an eggplant is technically a fruit and not a vegetable:

  • Eggplant grows from a flowering plant: Eggplants develop on the eggplant where their white blossoms drop off the bush.
  • Eggplants contain seeds: Like apples and stone fruit, the purpose of eggplants is to help spread the seeds of the plant by encouraging animals to eat them.

Eggplant is also sometimes categorized as a berry. Regardless of its classification, this odd fruit is not used in sweet dishes like most other fruits.

Instead, it is usually baked, roasted, stir-fried, or grilled as a vegetable. Since eggplant has a neutral flavor, it is a nutritious way to reduce meat in recipes while still providing a vehicle for aromatic sauces and toppings.

Health Benefits of Eggplants

One of the major reasons that eggplants are such a popular addition to cuisines around the world where they’re grown is that they are a nutrient-dense food with many medicinal properties.

Here are a few of the biggest health benefits of including eggplant recipes in your diet regularly:

  • Rich in nutrients: Eggplants have many of the essential vitamins and nutrients necessary for cellular regeneration. The nutrients also help the maintenance of your body’s organs. It is also full of fiber that helps regulate the digestive system.
  • Antioxidants: Along with nutrients, eggplant is also full of antioxidants. These compounds are able to fight free radicals in the body. While fighting, the antioxidants help to prevent degenerative diseases such as cancer and heart disease.
  • Stabilizes blood sugar: The botanical compounds in eggplant act in the body similarly to insulin, helping people who eat it maintain stable blood sugar levels. With this ability, eggplant is a useful dietary choice for people with diabetes or high blood sugar.
  • Weight loss aid: Using eggplant as a substitute for fattier proteins in meals can help you take in fewer calories. The high amount of fiber in eggplant also helps you feel more full so you can be satisfied with smaller portions.

Eggplant helps your body in so many ways, it’s a shame not to try and incorporate it more into your weekly meals. Below, in our recipe list, you’ll find 40 different ways to start adding eggplant to your diet.

How to Prepare Eggplant for Recipes

Most people who don’t like eggplant learned to dislike it from having it prepared incorrectly. Eggplant generally needs to be salted and rinsed to help remove some of its bitter flavors.

The bitterness is especially true for older eggplant or older cultivars of eggplant. Some new cultivars of eggplant and Japanese eggplants are bred for a mild flavor, so you may not notice as much bitterness with these fruits. 

Eggplant can be either skinned or left unskinned since it has a very thin skin that cooks easily. However, skinning the eggplant can help it absorb oils, sauces, and marinades in some recipes.

How to Cook Eggplant Properly

Cooking eggplant well doesn’t just fall to how it is prepared before cooking. The first step in cooking eggplant properly is brining the eggplant after cutting and peeling it. Soaking eggplant in a brine with salt and spices can calm its bitterness and improve its texture.

The biggest mistake people typically make when cooking eggplant is using too much oil. Since eggplant has a sponge-like texture, it will quickly absorb this excess oil and become a soggy mess if you don’t use a light hand with the grease.

It is also important when cooking eggplant to make sure that the eggplant pieces or whole eggplants are spaced out from each other on the cooking surface. Doing so will ensure that the eggplant is cooked evenly on all sides.

What Meat Goes With Eggplant Recipes?

Traditionally eggplant is served with ground beef or ground lamb. The fat and spices in these cooked meats pair well with eggplant. They also help give it flavor where it otherwise doesn’t have much.

Bolognese sauce with ground beef and pork is a popular pairing in Mediterranean-style dishes. On the other hand, Greek eggplant dishes pair eggplant with ground lamb.

If you’re looking for vegetarian or vegan eggplant dishes, you should check out eggplant preparations from India and Southeast Asia. These regions of the world often pair eggplant with strong spices and herbs like basil rather than meat.

What Are The Best Spices for Eggplant Recipes?

Strong herbs and spices are a useful culinary match with eggplant. They provide a neutral palette to show off different flavor profiles and combinations.

Here are just a few of the best spices and herbs to combine with eggplant recipes:

  • Cumin: Cumin is a member of the parsley plant. Its aromatic seeds are used both in whole and ground up in many cuisines, including Mexican and Indian food.
  • Coriander: Coriander is another member of the parsley plant that is also known as cilantro or Chinese parsley. The fresh leaves of coriander and the seeds are both used in cooking.
  • Basil: Basil is a favorite herb to combine with eggplant in Italian recipes, such as eggplant parmesan. Basil is aromatic and can be easily grown in the home garden.
  • Smoked paprika: Smoked paprika is a ground pepper powder made from red peppers that have been dried over oak fires. With this seasoning, you’ll give the pepper blend a smoky, unique flavor and a deep red color. Smoked paprika is used to add both flavor and presentation to eggplant dishes.
  • Alliums: Alliums include all vegetables in the allium plant family. These include onions, garlic, leeks, and chives. Onions are a good way to add moisture to eggplant dishes without oversaturating the eggplant in cooking oils.

These are only a few of the herbs and spices that are commonly used in eggplant dishes. Eggplant pairs well with just about any flavor since it acts as a blank slate to boost with marinades, sauces, and rubs.

Strong flavors are also helpful in covering the mild bitterness in eggplant.

40 Best Eggplant Recipes for Delicious Flavors

Eggplant may not be a familiar ingredient for everyone to use. But it’s versatile enough to star in many different kinds of recipes. Check out the list of forty recipes below to find an eggplant recipe everyone in your family will love.

Grilled Eggplant Recipes

Grilled eggplant is one of the healthiest ways you can prepare this versatile fruit. The charred surface you can achieve on cooked eggplant that has been seared on the grill helps give it a pleasing, smokey flavor.

Pair grilled eggplant with fresh herbs, spicy sauces, and tangy cheeses to get the most out of it whether you’re serving it as a main entree or a side dish.

1. Mediterranean Grilled Eggplant

Mediterranean Grilled Eggplant

Grilling is a useful cooking technique when working with eggplant. By grilling the eggplant with this dry cooking method, it helps prevent the eggplant from getting soggy even when you use a sauce or marinade.

The Mediterranean Dish offers us this Mediterranean grilled eggplant that features infused olive oil with garlic and jalapeno. The oil is used to coat the eggplant before chargrilling it.

Whipped feta makes a tangy addition to the mix and helps the more savory flavors in this dish shine.

2. Grilled Eggplant with Chimichurri

Grilled Eggplant with Chimichurri

Grilling eggplant helps you end up with a texture that is tender rather than mushy. Foodie Crush shows us how to make this grilled eggplant recipe that pairs chargrilled eggplant with a chimichurri sauce.

Chimichurri sauce is a South American condiment that is made out of parsley, cilantro, oregano, onion, garlic, and olive oil. The garlicky, savory green sauce pairs well with the smokey, slightly bitter flavors of the eggplant.

3. Grilled Eggplant Rollatini

Grilled Eggplant Rollatini

A popular preparation for eggplant is called rollatini. It is an Italian technique that involves slicing the eggplant into long, wide strips. Then the eggplant is rolled up and stuffed with cheese, tomato sauce, and other savory fillings.

Serious Eats gives us this grilled eggplant recipe that fills rollatini with marinara sauce, fresh basil, and four kinds of cheese. The grill is used both to tenderize the eggplant before rolling and to melt cheese over the rollatini in a baking dish at the end.

4. Grilled Eggplant Moussaka

Grilled Eggplant Moussaka

Moussaka is a dish from both the Levant and Greece that layers eggplant with a savory meat-based sauce that is made with either ground beef or lamb.

In this rustic version at Feasting From Home, a ground lamb sauce lightly seasoned with cinnamon is combined with a creamy bechamel sauce that is spiced with nutmeg. For a vegetarian version, try using a ground meat substitute rather than lamb.    

5. Grilled Eggplant Baba Ganoush

Grilled Eggplant Baba Ganoush

Baba ganoush is a Middle Eastern appetizer made from cooked eggplant that has been pureed with olive oil, spices, tahini, lemon juice, and garlic.

The baba ganoush recipe from Bon Appetit uses grilled eggplant to give the dip a smokey flavor and aroma. Serve baba ganoush with fresh flatbread or pita bread and plenty of strong0 olive oil for a flavorful Middle Eastern spread. 

Baked Eggplant Recipes

Baked eggplant is a way to serve crispy eggplant without adding a bunch of excess oil or grease through deep frying.

Properly baking eggplant depends on spacing the eggplant out. With the correct spacing, the eggplant can cook evenly. Cooking the eggplant at a high enough temperature will also draw the moisture out of it.

6. Eggplant Parmesan

Eggplant Parmesan

Eggplant Parmesan is one of the most iconic eggplant dishes. In this Mediterranean take at Food Network, eggplant slices are breaded and fried before layering with marinara sauce and topping with melted mozzarella cheese.

Fresh thyme and basil are added for color and their bright, fragrant aroma. The key to delicious eggplant Parmesan is ensuring that the eggplant slices are good and crispy before they are topped with sauce and cheese.         

7. Oven-Roasted Eggplant

Oven-Roasted Eggplant

An advantage of cooking oven-roasted eggplant is that you can prepare the eggplant so that every piece has caramelization. Doing so helps give the eggplant a savory flavor and cuts through the bitterness of the raw fruit.

Roasted eggplant should be chopped into large pieces and roasted at a high temperature. Doing so will help to sear the outside of the eggplant pieces and prevent them from becoming mushy. Learn how to make your own at Recipe Tin Eats.

8. Baked Eggplant Sticks

Baked Eggplant Sticks

Cutting eggplant into sticks is a popular way to bake or fry them. Eggplant sticks make them easy to dip into condiments like marinara sauce. These baked eggplant sticks at SkinnyTaste are flavored with Italian breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese before baking.

By baking eggplant sticks rather than frying them in oil, you’ll be able to keep the calories in this dish low. Baked eggplant sticks are a smart option for those that are watching their diet.

9. Impossibly Crispy Baked Eggplant

Impossibly Crispy Baked Eggplant

A challenge of baked eggplant is that the eggplant has to be cooked carefully to avoid it becoming soggy.

For an impossibly crispy eggplant dish, try this recipe from Kitchn that helps prevent a mushy texture in your eggplant by sweating moisture out of the eggplant before salting it to draw out as much as possible.

You will be left with dehydrated eggplant slices that can be baked into crispy chips that are deliciously paired with marinara and Parmesan.

10. Super Simple Baked Eggplant

Super Simple Baked Eggplant

When cooking eggplant, simplicity is the best policy. The more complicated the recipe is, the more opportunities there are to mess something up.

If you’re new to cooking eggplant, this super simple baked eggplant at The Spruce Eats has all the tenderness of fried eggplant without the grease and calories. You can use this eggplant dish as either a side dish or a light main entree with a small salad.          

Stuffed Eggplant Recipes

Stuffed eggplant is one of the most versatile preparations of the fruit. There are dozens of combinations of cheese, protein, grains, and vegetables that can be used as filling for stuffed eggplant.

A variation of this dish exists in many cuisines especially those in the Middle Eastern and Mediterranean regions.

11. Mediterranean Stuffed Eggplant

Mediterranean Stuffed Eggplant

An important step in baking a delicious stuffed eggplant is parbaking the cored-out eggplant until the interior flesh of the fruit is tender. Doing so ensures that the eggplant is cooked through thoroughly and helps create a crispy, caramelized texture around the edges.

The Mediterranean stuffed eggplant recipe at Bonicelli Cooking Club is filled with a tantalizing mixture of vinegar, sun-dried tomatoes, feta cheese, and oregano.

12. Puglian Stuffed Eggplant

Puglian Stuffed Eggplant

For an eggplant dish that originates from Puglia, Italy, try this recipe from La Cucina Italiana. Incorporating roasted cherry tomatoes, capers, and pecorino cheese, this stuffed eggplant has a more piquant flavor than some versions.

Plenty of fresh red pepper and oregano help spice things up and give the eggplant filling a pop of spice and herbal flavors.

13. Spanish Stuffed Eggplant

Spanish Stuffed Eggplant

Italy isn’t the only country in the Mediterranean region that features a stuffed eggplant dish. The Spanish stuffed eggplant at Spanish Sabores is a simple mid-week meal that can come together in mere minutes.

Spanish stuffed eggplant includes traditional Spanish flavors such as green bell pepper, garlic, tomato sauce, and cheese.

14. Greek Stuffed Eggplant

Greek Stuffed Eggplant

Greek flavors pair well with eggplant. The tangy flavors of tomato sauce and cheese go well with the texture of cooked eggplant.

These Greek stuffed eggplants at My Greek Dish feature the same ingredients as eggplant moussaka and feature a filling of ground meat, mashed potatoes, herbs, spices, and fresh vegetables.

Stuffed eggplant is also a simple meal for feeding a large crowd since it’s easy to double or triple the ingredients.

15. Lebanese Stuffed Eggplant

Lebanese Stuffed Eggplant

In Lebanon, stuffed eggplant is known as mahshi. The dish provides a hearty way for cooks to serve a combination of grains, ground meat, and vegetables in an economical package.

In this version from Feel Good Foodie, the stuffed eggplants are cooked in a spicy tomato-based broth known as kousa. An advantage of stuffed eggplant is that it freezes well.

Being able to freeze stuffed eggplant makes it a good option for weekend meal prepping and saving leftovers.

Vegan Eggplant Recipes

Eggplant is suitable for vegan recipes. Using eggplant in your dishes will contribute plenty of essential vitamins and nutrients necessary to maintain health in a meat-free diet.

In vegan eggplant recipes, beans, mushrooms, and tofu often take the place of proteins such as ground beef and eggs.

16. Vegan Bean Eggplant Casserole

Vegan Bean Eggplant Casserole

If you’re looking for a different eggplant recipe than the typical eggplant parmesan and stuffed eggplant, try this vegan bean eggplant casserole at Everyday Healthy Recipes.

Featuring a mixture of onion, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, white beans, and chilies, this bean eggplant casserole has a texture that is close to a dip or a stew. Be sure to serve with plenty of fresh-baked flatbread to dip in the delicious broth.

17. Thai Basil Eggplant

Thai Basil Eggplant

Thai eggplant dishes are often a smart choice for vegans. They are less likely to include meat and more likely to include aromatic herbs to cut eggplant’s natural bitterness.

The version of Thai basil eggplant from Vegetarian Astronomy is naturally gluten-free and low in calories, making it a healthy choice for vegans and non-vegans alike.

18. Eggplant Rollatini Stuffed with Couscous

Eggplant Rollatini Stuffed with Couscous

Eggplant Rollatini is often stuffed with cheese and meat. However, for a vegan take on a traditional dish, try this recipe at Veggie Belly which stuffs rollatini with couscous and pine nuts instead.

Toasting the pine nuts helps bring out their savory flavor while adding some fresh-cut parsley helps brighten things up.

19. Miso Glazed Eggplant Kebabs

Miso Glazed Eggplant Kebabs

In Japanese eggplant dishes, miso is a popular counterpart flavor. The salty condiment helps give eggplant a deep, smokey, savory taste and a delicious glaze that coats each piece.

Roasting the eggplant on skewers ensures that all of the eggplant caramelizes. The caramelization causes the eggplant to become crunchy on the outside while it remains tender on the inside. Try these eggplant miso skewers at Evergreen Kitchen.

20. Vegan Eggplant Shashuska

Vegan Eggplant Shashuska

Eggplant shashuka typically includes eggs, but this vegan version from Del’s Cooking Twist uses crumbled tofu instead for a high-protein breakfast that contains no animal products.

Serve shashuka with pita bread or flatbread since the cooked eggplant and tofu are sitting in a delicious tomato-based sauce begging to be dipped.

Eggplant Pasta Recipes

Eggplant pasta dishes are one of the simplest ways to use up leftover eggplant when you have more than you know what to do with.

Mix cooked eggplant into tomato-based pasta sauces and freeze them to reheat for an easy, healthy meal on a night when you’re not sure what else to make.

21. Pasta Alla Norma

Pasta Alla Norma

Out of all the eggplant recipes that include pasta, pasta alla Norma is probably the most famous. The classic Sicilian pasta recipe features cooked eggplant along with marinara and fresh basil.

Pasta alla Norma is a simple eggplant dish that is great for weeknights when you need a fast meal but want a light, vegetarian option. Learn how to make your own at Cookie and Kate.

22. Roasted Eggplant Pasta

Roasted Eggplant Pasta

For another take on Pasta alla Norma, try this recipe from A Simple Palate that includes roasted eggplant alongside onion, garlic, and tomatoes.

Tossing the chopped eggplant with olive oil, seasoning, and salt before roasting is crucial to getting a good caramelization on each piece.

Doing so gives the cooked eggplant a pleasing texture and prevents it from falling apart in the marinara. With only six ingredients, it doesn’t get easier than this.

23. Creamy Eggplant Pasta

Creamy Eggplant Pasta

While tomato sauce is the most popular pairing with eggplant, this creamy eggplant pasta at The First Mess is seasoned with shallots, dill, lemon, and garlic. The creamy pasta might seem like a richer variation than tomato-based eggplant pastas, but it’s naturally vegan.

Rather than using real cream, this pasta sauce is created by blending together cooked eggplant with miso and walnuts to create a silky, savory dressing.

24. Pasta with Silkiest Eggplant Sauce

Pasta with Silkiest Eggplant Sauce

A challenge in cooking eggplant is the fact that it easily becomes mushy, especially when cooking certain varieties. A way to combat this is to just roll with eggplant’s natural tendencies to break down under heat and turn your cooked eggplant into a silky pasta sauce.

The eggplant pasta recipe at Food 52 also makes a good pasta salad served cold or at room temperature the next day.    

25. Pasta alla Bharta

Pasta alla Bharta

Pasta alla Bharta is a variation on traditional Sicilian Pasta alla Norma where the charred eggplant is chopped into a mince rather than left in full disks.

The eggplant pasta also incorporates dried red chili peppers to help give the dish some spicy heat. Browned onions are also added to give the sauce some sweetness. Try the recipe for yourself at My Annoying Opinions.

Keto Eggplant Recipes

Eggplant is a useful ingredient to include in keto recipes since it works well with ground meat and cheese. Salted zucchini slices can also serve as a delicious substitute for traditional flour-based noodles for anyone avoiding starches and carbs.

26. Healthy Keto Eggplant Parmesan

Healthy Keto Eggplant Parmesan

Eggplant parmesan is a useful option in keto meal plans since eggplant and the cheeses used in eggplant parmesan are naturally low in carbs.

Eggplant parmesan helps you use up bumper eggplant harvests in late summer and early fall, and this meal freezes well for meals later on in the season too. Learn how to make a keto version of eggplant parmesan at Wholesome Yum.

27. Crispy Fried Eggplant Rounds with Parmesan

Crispy Fried Eggplant Rounds with Parmesan

Crispy fried eggplant rounds are usually cooked with cheese and breadcrumbs. However, this keto version of the classic Italian dish at Low Carb Maven uses pork rinds instead for a low-carb option.

Pork rinds make a delicious, crunchy coating for eggplant when used in place of breadcrumbs, especially if you season them with Mediterranean spices like basil and oregano. Fry the eggplant at high heat to prevent it from becoming soggy.

28. Eggplant Parmesan Casserole

Eggplant Parmesan Casserole

For another keto-friendly eggplant dish, try this casserole recipe at Low Carb Yum that uses pork rinds in place of breadcrumbs.

If you don’t care for the taste of pork rinds, freezing the pork rind prior to using them in the casserole can help remove their meaty smell and flavor. The casserole is simple to throw together ahead of time if you’re trying to prepare some meals for the coming week.

29. Baked Keto Stuffed Eggplant Boats

Baked Keto Stuffed Eggplant Boats

Stuffed eggplants are a useful entree to include in your meal roster if you’re following a low-carb diet since the filling in stuffed eggplants is so versatile.

These stuffed eggplant boats from Low Carb No Carb are filled with a low-carb mixture of bacon, onion, celery, ground beef, herbs, and garlic. The bolognese sauce used in stuffed eggplant is naturally keto-friendly. 

30. Vegetarian Eggplant Lasagna with Mushroom Ragu

Vegetarian Eggplant Lasagna with Mushroom Ragu

Here’s another good eggplant recipe from Low Carb Maven that is heavy on the flavor and light on the carbs.

The recipe uses mushrooms as a rich replacement for the ground meat that is usually a base for ragu sauces, and eggplant provides a low-carb alternative to traditional lasagna noodles.

Vegetarian Eggplant Recipes        

Eggplants are commonly used as a main dish in vegetarian cuisine since they’re nutrient-dense and work well with several different flavor combinations. Eggplant is often paired with mushrooms for a hearty recipe that doesn’t need meat to be satisfying.

31. Grilled Eggplant with Feta and Herbs

Grilled Eggplant with Feta and Herbs

A surefire way to convert even eggplant skeptics is to pair grilled eggplant with tangy feta cheese and fresh herbs. The Mediterranean preparation of eggplant is fast to whip up as a side dish for proteins on the grill, or it can be served as a vegetarian main dish.

Either way, you’re bound to gather compliments over this recipe at Kalyn’s Kitchen.

32. Eggplant Lasagna

Eggplant Lasagna

Eggplant lasagna is a solid casserole to serve if you need a vegetarian option, and this version at Well Plated is no exception. Chock full of creamy ricotta cheese, eggplant, fresh spinach, and mushrooms, it’ll have even meat lovers asking for second helpings.

Eggplant works well in lasagna because you can either use it as a substitute for noodles or incorporate it into the marinara sauce.

33. Pasta alla Forno with Aubergine

Pasta alla Forno with Aubergine

Eggplant is a good vegetable (fruit) to showcase in a vegetarian pasta dish. It pairs well with so many different flavors, and the eggplant’s soft texture serves as a nice contrast to the chewy pasta.

In this recipe from Little Sugar Snaps, cooked eggplant is paired with mozzarella, penne pasta, and ragu sauce for a hearty main course.

34. Hearty Vegetable Curry with Chickpeas, Aubergines, and Halloumi

Hearty Vegetable Curry with Chickpeas, Aubergines, and Halloumi

Indian eggplant dishes are a fun way to incorporate new flavors at your dinner table, especially if you’re not familiar with incorporating eggplant into traditional Indian fare.

In eggplant curry, you can either mince the eggplant up for a smoother texture or leave it chopped in larger pieces for a thicker consistency. The eggplant curry recipe from Super Golden Bakes also incorporates squash, chickpeas, and a halloumi topping.

35. Roasted Eggplant Parmesan Stacks

Roasted Eggplant Parmesan Stacks

Eggplant and Parmesan are a classic combination, and this vegetarian roasted eggplant recipe at Bowl of Delicious combines the two in eye-pleasing stacks.

These roasted eggplant stacks work equally well as an appetizer, a side dish, or the main course. Just add a pinch of chiffonaded basil on top for an aromatic flourish that everyone at the table will appreciate.

Eggplant Air Fryer Recipes

Air fryers are great for cooking all kinds of vegetables, but they’re especially useful for eggplant. Air frying allows you to avoid using too much oil on your eggplant while still creating a nice crispy finish on the fruit.

36. Air Fryer Eggplant

Air Fryer Eggplant

Air fryers are a useful cooking option for many types of food since they help keep them crisp during the cooking process. The breading used in this air fryer eggplant recipe from Love and Lemons is made of panko breadcrumbs, almond flour, and Parmesan cheese.

Salting the eggplant prior to cooking does increase the preparation time for this recipe, but it makes a noticeable difference in the final texture of the dish.

37. Crispy Air Fryer Eggplant

Crispy Air Fryer Eggplant

Other than air frying eggplants in sliced rounds, another method of cooking eggplant in the air fryer involves chopping it up into smaller pieces.

Doing so helps increase the amount of surface area that is exposed during the cooking process. It also allows you to end up with crispier eggplant pieces when it’s ready to serve. Try it out in this recipe from Running to the Kitchen

38. Air Fryer Eggplant Fries

Air Fryer Eggplant Fries

If you’re looking for a healthy substitute for traditional French fries, look no further than these air fryer eggplant fries at Dizzy Busy and Hungry.

Even though they’re as tender and tasty as potato fries, they’re full of fiber and vitamins that potatoes don’t have. They’re also a lower calorie option since you don’t need a bunch of oil for deep frying.

39. Sweet and Sticky Air Fryer Eggplant

Sweet and Sticky Air Fryer Eggplant

When you’re preparing eggplant for the air fryer, it’s a smart idea to cut the eggplant pieces down until they are only about a half-inch in thickness.

By doing so, you’ll allow the eggplant to cook completely and evenly without leaving any soggy half-cooked spots. Sesame oil, soy sauce, and hot sauce give this air fryer recipe from The Toasted Pine Nut a spicy kick.

40. Air Fryer Eggplant Pizza

Air Fryer Eggplant Pizza

Pizza is always a delicious choice for dinner, but it can come with a lot of extra calories and carbs. Placing pizza toppings and cheese over eggplant slices and frying them in the air fryer can give you a decent pizza substitute with only a fraction of the fat and sugars.

These pizzas from The Recipe Critic can also be reheated easily in the air fryer for effortless leftovers.

Eggplant Recipe FAQ

What Does Eggplant Taste Like?

Eggplant has a slightly bitter taste and becomes more bitter as the fruit becomes older. Eggplant’s spongy texture means that it soaks up oil and sauces in cooking easily.

Overall, eggplant is prized for its relatively neutral quality in recipes. The neutrality makies it a good substitute for grain-based ingredients like noodles or even protein entrees.

Do Eggplants Need to Be Washed?

Like all vegetables, eggplants need to be thoroughly washed before you prepare them for cooking.

Doing so will help you avoid any foodborne illness from bacteria that may be on the skin of the eggplant from transport. It will also help you remove any chemical residue that may linger on the skin of the eggplant from insecticides or fertilizer.

Can You Eat the Seeds in Eggplants?

The seeds in eggplant are harmless to eat. It’s best to eat the seeds cooked within the eggplant since they tend to be more bitter than the rest of the fruit when consumed on their own. Seeds from eggplant can also be saved back to grow your own supply at home.

What Can I Do With Too Many Eggplants?

If you end up with too many eggplants in your summer garden, the easiest way to fix the problem is to cook some of the eggplants and freeze them. To prepare eggplant for freezing, simply roast it in the oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit until the eggplants begin to look soft.

Once cooked through, scoop out the interior of the eggplants and freeze it in a freezer bag. The soft eggplant can then be used later in soups, stews, curries, and pasta sauces.

Can Dogs Eat Eggplant Recipes?

Unlike some fruits and vegetables, dogs can safely consume eggplant whether it’s raw or cooked.

While many dogs may not appreciate the flavor and texture of raw eggplant, the fruit actually contains many essential vitamins and minerals that are healthy for a dog to eat.

Eggplant Recipes Conclusion

It is easy to cook and prepare eggplant incorrectly, so tackling eggplant recipes may be intimidating to some home chefs. With the list of eggplant recipes above, hopefully, we have given you plenty of inspiration to find a way to prepare and serve eggplant that you can’t get enough of.

Author: Nicole V L Durham

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