Ready in less than 30 minutes, crispy baked eggplant rounds are the perfect side dish. It comes together more quickly than everybody’s favorite, Eggplant Parmesan, but offers a very similar flavor and texture profile. With so many ways to prepare eggplant, this recipe is the most flavorful. Packed with robust seasonings, nutty parmesan, and crunchy panko, this dish is rich enough to serve by itself (with your favorite dipping sauce, of course!). This easy eggplant recipe packs serious crunch in every bite. And guess what? It uses no oil which means that it is much healthier than its pan-fried alternatives. So, go ahead and put this baked breaded eggplant recipe on the menu with no guilt.
Ingredients
To make sliced baked eggplant with panko, you will need globe eggplants, large eggs, panko breadcrumbs, shredded parmesan cheese, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and black pepper. If you prefer to serve it with a condiment on the side, my Homemade Tomato Sauce would be a perfect addition, but any of your favorite tomato sauces would work.
How to Make Crispy Eggplant?
This crispy roasted eggplant is a simple recipe that packs major flavor. Every bite of this easy side dish explodes with seasoned Italian flavor.
Type of eggplant: Though I use globe eggplants—the larger, more spherical type of eggplant most common in the U.S.—you may also use Japanese eggplants for this recipe. However, Japanese eggplant is slightly skinnier, so the baking time may vary. If you are new to the world of eggplants, be sure to check out our guide on Different Types of Eggplants with Pictures. Gluten-free fried eggplant: To make this recipe gluten-free, all you have to do is use gluten-free panko crumbs. Vegan fried eggplant: Wonder how to make crispy eggplant vegan? Simply omit the eggs and parmesan cheese. Instead, dip eggplant slices first in aquafaba and then into a breadcrumb mixture made with panko breadcrumbs and nutritional yeast. No breadcrumbs: If you want to make this crispy baked eggplant with no breadcrumbs, you’re in luck! My recipe for Baked Eggplant Slices preserves the rich flavor of roasted eggplant without the extra breading.
How to Serve
One of my favorite things about this crispy roasted eggplant dish is its versatility. Whether you serve it as a crisp side dish or a savory snack, you never have to be at a loss for what to make with eggplant ever again.
As a side dish: I think we can all agree that a good eggplant side dish recipe is a godsend for meal planning and/or entertaining. Versatile and tasty, these crispy baked rounds make a great pairing with meat dishes like my Chicken Fricassee, Turkish Kofte, and Spaghetti Bolognese. As an appetizer or a snack: Who says you can’t eat baked panko eggplant by itself? (Not me!) Serve these eggplant chips with warm marinara sauce or my Tomato Basil Sauce (drizzled with yoghurt dressing) or blue cheese sauce for dipping, and the whole tray will be gone in seconds. As a topping: For a lighter meal option, I love chopping up this crispy baked eggplant recipe and using it to top my favorite salads. Spring Mix Salad, Mediterranean Quinoa Salad, and Kale Avocado Salad recipes are a few to name. Use it to make my Eggplant Parm Recipe: I used these breaded eggplant cutlets in my go-to easy eggplant parmesan recipe for a healthier twist on the classic eggplant parmigiana recipe. Baked and breaded eggplant slices are not only easy to put together but also mess-free.
How to Store & Reheat
Follow these easy steps for storing any leftovers so you won’t have to waste a single bite of these delicious breaded eggplant slices. Though, if I am being honest, I think these breaded baked eggplant slices taste best on the day they are made, preferably as soon as they come out of the oven.
Storage: To store any leftovers, place the breaded slices in an airtight container in the fridge. It will stay fresh for up to 2 days, though it will likely lose its crisp texture once placed in the refrigerator. Reheat: To reheat your panko-baked eggplant, place it in a 300-degree F. oven for 10 minutes or until warmed through. Freezing: I do not recommend freezing the leftovers of this dish.
Your crunchy eggplant recipe doesn’t have to be rocket science. Whether you want to know how to bread eggplant for baking or make eggplant taste good, below are answers to some of the most popular faqs:
Olive oil spray: This is an optional step, but if you want to give your eggplant slices extra crispiness, lightly spray them with olive oil spray before placing them in the oven. Not all eggplant is created equal: Because eggplants come in different shapes and sizes, depending on the size of your eggplant, you may have to use more eggs and panko to give your slices a complete coating. For this recipe, I used globe eggplants that were approximately 1 lb. each. Seasoning: There’s no doubt that this recipe has—in my opinion—the best breading for eggplant. However, if you want to switch up your eggplants’ flavor profile or add a fresh twist to your recipe feel free to swap out the seasonings you use in your breading mixture. Sweating eggplants: Though not necessary, you may choose to sweat your eggplant slices before coating them in the egg and panko. Salting eggplant before cooking removes any unwanted bitterness, seasons the veggie from the inside out, and gives your slices extra crunch by removing excess water. For more information on sweating eggplants be sure to check out my detailed article, How To Salt Eggplant.
Other Baked Eggplant Recipes You Might Like:
Are you still wondering what can you do with an eggplant? Then, here are a few more baked eggplant recipes for you from the archives:
Roasted Eggplant Halves Mediterranean Stuffed Eggplant Whole Roasted Eggplants Fire Roasted Eggplants Eggplant Pomodoro Pasta Roasted Eggplant with Yogurt
