Crispy Eggplant Fries
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These eggplant fries are coated in panko and parmesan and baked in the oven until they’re wonderfully crispy. They make a great family-friendly side dish, simple appetizer, or snack. You’ll NEVER guess that they’re made with eggplant!
Eggplant might not be the first vegetable you think of for fries, but it absolutely shines here. With a light coating of panko, Parmesan, Italian seasoning, and garlic salt, these baked eggplant fries turn beautifully crisp in the oven while staying tender and creamy inside. I’ve made everything from carrot carrot fries to zucchini fries, but these are the ones I come back to again and again — the texture is just that good.
They’re also incredibly easy to make. Thick eggplant strips get dipped in egg, then coated in that savory, cheesy breadcrumb mixture before being drizzled with olive oil and baked until golden. The Parmesan adds salty depth, the panko keeps things light and crunchy, and the eggplant softens into that almost silky interior that makes each bite so satisfying.
This is one of those recipes that surprises people. Even our youngest taste testers — who normally turn their noses up at eggplant — happily polish these off. Served straight from the oven with your favorite dipping sauce, they’re the kind of snack or side dish that disappears fast.
Recipe FAQs
Can I make eggplant fries in an air fryer?
Yes, it’s easy to make air fryer eggplant fries! Bread the eggplant slices as per the recipe, then place them in a single layer in the air fryer basket (making sure they’re not touching each other) and cook for 15 minutes, turning once. You’ll likely need to cook these in batches.
What kind of eggplant works best for fries?
We like to use globe eggplants (also called Mediterranean eggplants) for this recipe. However, if you have access to long, Asian eggplants, they will also work. Skip the small Thai eggplants, as they’re too tiny to cut into French fry shapes.
How long do eggplant fries last?
These fries are best eaten shortly after they come out of the oven. If you have any leftovers, you can reheat them in your oven until crispy.
Can I make eggplant fries ahead of time?
Eggplant fries can be breaded up to 8 hours in advance and kept on a baking sheet (covered) in your refrigerator until you’re ready to bake them.
Eggplant Fries Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup panko
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (can sub dried oregano)
- ¾ teaspoon garlic salt (see notes)
- 2 large eggs
- 2 medium eggplants (cut into ½ inch strips)
- Olive oil (for drizzling)
Instructions
- Set an oven rack in the top third of your oven. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly coat a baking sheet with oil. In a medium-sized bowl, mix the panko, parmesan, oregano, and garlic salt. In another bowl, whisk the two eggs with a small splash of water.1 cup panko, ½ cup grated parmesan cheese, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, ¾ teaspoon garlic salt, 2 large eggs
- Dredge the eggplant strips first in the egg and then in the breadcrumb mixture. (Using 1 hand for the egg and the other for the breadcrumbs makes this a lot less messy) Place the eggplants on the oiled baking sheet and drizzle with a little more oil.2 medium eggplants, Olive oil
- Place the eggplant fries in the oven and bake for 15 minutes, until they are golden and crispy, turning them over once about halfway through baking.
- Serve the crispy eggplant fries with some dipping sauce on the side – see notes for some suggestions.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
More fry recipes
For more inspiration, check out all of my eggplant recipes!
ANOTHER winner. Wow ! They were fantastic – and I dont even like eggplant. Until now!!
So happy they turned out for you!
I love eggplant, but my family does not. This might be a good way to convince them to at least give it a try.
(Because, if I fried it and put it on a stick they probably would! 😉
Lol eggplant can definitely be a hard sell for some. Do they like zucchini fries? If so I’m sure they’ll love eggplant fries. And they’re lighter too since they’re baked and have hardly any oil 🙂
These eggplant fries look so good! I can’t imagine what they will taste like ~ have to give this recipe a go. Thanks for sharing, Kristen 🙂
Hi Sam,
You are going to love them. They’re super crispy with just enough softness on the inside. The taste is mostly from the spices you put in the panko mixture. 🙂
I have huge eggplant in the refrigerator and while I was planning on making a roasted eggplant dip .. i think i would rater indulge in the crispy version that you shared 😉
Hi Kankana,
I love a roasted eggplant dip, but these fries are just too good. Hope you love them too!
Hi! I found you through foodgawker.com. These look delicious! I’ve been a vegetarian for almost four years now and I think it’s high time my family started eating more veggies as well! This is the perfect recipe. Thanks, and I’m going to check out 57 Easy and Delicious Eggplant Recipes!
Hey Sue,
Eggplant is one of those veggies I tend to forget about too, but I love it whenever I eat it. Definitely check out her cookbook, it’s a great reference cookbook for eggplants 🙂
Wow…never did I think of making eggplant fries…looks delicious. Great idea…looks fantastic. First time here you have a great blog.
Thanks, Nina! I’d love to take credit for coming up with the idea but it is from Grace Wilders’ book 57 Easy and Delicious Eggplant Recipes. She’s the genius 🙂
I love eggplant! it’s a great alternative to meat or potatoes especially because they’re so hearty. And your photos are awesome
Thanks, Angela! I totally agree, I love eggplants too 🙂
I think I have to make this! I love eggplant and this sounds so tasty!
Hey Nestra,
I hope you end up making them. THey are delicious!
Eggplant is my absolute favourite, and this one I’m going to try very, very soon! Looks delicious!
Hey Renuka,
I love it too! Hope you like these as much as I do 🙂
Yum. I’ll have to try these this summer.
Hey Dona,
I hope you love these too!
Ooo…I love eggplant! Please enter me in the draw!
Thank you!
Wendy
Hey Wendy,
I love eggplant too! You’re entered into the draw. Good luck!
I love eggplant and everything eggplant-y! I want this book so much! 😀 Recommend you Filipino Tortang Talong, very lovely breakfast dish :))))
Hey Hanna,
I looked up Tortang Talong and it looks delicious! Thank you for the suggestion 🙂
I am so thrilled, it’s sooooo awesome to wake up and learn I won the book! It is the first time I won anything from a blog competition, and it is a book about the veggie I love so much!!! Now I will definitely do every recipe in there, one by one, and eat it until the last bite, looking at my eggplant-hating boyfriend 🙂 So good. I passed by your blog just once, saw this awesome give-away and quite frankly forgot about it until today morning. But I am quite sure now I will drop more often, your other recipes look so good too! Have a nice day and a lot of inspiration! 😀
oh, my booooooooooooook 😀 (I am still thrilledly speachless)
Omg a whole cookbook dedicated to eggplant!?! How exciting. Thanks for the opportunity to win in. I stumbled across your blog through tastespotting and love what I see!
Hi Jennifer,
I love eggplant too!
Mmmm, these look like little sticks of heaven! Can’t wait to try them.
Hey April,
Lol they are just like little sticks of heaven!
Awesome! sounds amazing! Gonna try em this week 🙂
Hey Noemi,
I hope you do! I think you are going to love them 🙂
These look delicious, but would appreciate a more specific oven temp. Your ‘highest temperature’ could be different from mine. Later in the recipe it says to broil them. So should I turn on the broiler instead of preheating the oven? Thanks!
Hi Doneta,
I made these twice and used a different oven temp each time. The first time I had them on a lower rack in the oven at 375 and the second time I broiled them on the top shelf. Both times they turned out great so here is obviously a lot of flexibility in how you bake them. Just keep a closer eye on them if you are broiling them 🙂 Hope you love them as much as I did!