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!
Craveably good! My husband kept coming back for more. I sprinkled eggplant fries after cutting lightly with salt, then blotted off water drops. Then proceeded with recipe (omitting the salt from panko mixture since I’d used it already to sweat the eggplant), baking in convection oven at 425 F for 8 min, turned over fries, then 8 more minutes. Crispy brown crust with soft creamy insides. Used jarred pizza sauce for dunking. Put some on parchment paper in single layer to freeze as appetizer for another day. What little was leftover, I refrigerated in small container then re-crisped in airfryer- 380 for 5 min. Good as the first time around! Also, these can be made using crushed pork rinds instead of panko. SO GOOD!
Aw, I love this — what an amazing review! Your method sounds absolutely perfect, and I can practically taste that crispy-on-the-outside, creamy-on-the-inside goodness. The step of salting and blotting the eggplant was so smart, and I love that you tested every version — convection, freezing, reheating, even an air fryer round!
Jarred pizza sauce for dipping sounds delicious, and great tip about the pork rinds, too. Thank you so much for sharing all your tweaks — your enthusiasm is contagious! 💛
Hi there, what should I use to substitute the egg?
The egg is what helps the breading stick to the eggplant. You could try a flax egg (1 tablespoon of ground flax mixed with 1 tablespoon of water). I haven’t tried it, so I can’t guarantee results, but I think it will probably work. If you give it a go, I’d love to hear how it turned out with the egg substitute!
Luv your recipe They are delicious Can I freeze these Our plants are producing so many this year and if possible I would luv to keep some for when the cold weather arrives
Hi Susan! This recipe freezes quite well. Bread the eggplant and then freeze it in a single layer on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Once it’s frozen, you can move the fries to a freezer bag. I suggest baking them from frozen.
So easy and delicious. My family LOVED them!!
That’s so great! Thanks, Robert!
Followed the recipe and they turned out perfectly. Everyone loved them. Thank you. Didn’t last long enough to take a photo.
That’s wonderful! I’m so happy they were a hit!
We Fry them in Olive oil much better and olive oil is good for you
I’m sure your deep fried version is delicious, too!
Grew waaaaay too many eggplants and made this with 2 eggplants as per the recipe. Delish! Thanks for sharing
Delish! I never knew I could broil eggplant, with the skin, without soaking it first. Yum. Thank you.
You’re very welcome!
Mmmm!! This was absolutely delicious!! I’ve never cooked with eggplant and I haven’t eaten it very much either… But I’m growing it in my garden for the first time this year so I needed to find a recipe to use the two beautiful eggplants I just harvested! There’s a lot of firsts going on over here lol Defiantly will be making this again! How do I add a picture? It’s also my first time to leave a review!
I’m so happy you liked the recipe! I really love eggplant, too.
Re the picture: there’s not a way to do that yet but I think it’s a great idea. If you have an Instagram account you can tag #theendlessmeal so I can see it there!
Loved this eggplant recipe will definitely make them again
I’m so happy you liked it!!!
Thank you Kristen for this delicious recipe! I use many of your recipes. You are the Best! This one is my favorite. I made one change – panko bread crumbs to gluten free homemade bread crumbs.
Awww you are so sweet! I’m so happy to hear that you like my recipes. You totally made my day. 🙂
I apologize for not submitting a picture. Didn’t think to until they were devoured. My husband didn’t hold out much hope for this dish, but placed in front of him, he was immediately impressed and just as immediately started devouring them and declared them “the best way ever to eat eggplant” and we are already eggplant lovers. Thank you for the recipe. A great start to the Super Bowl.
That’s a great reason to not snap a pic! I’m so happy they were a hit!!
I am always looking for new recipes with a crispy taste and these look delicious. Have you ever tried to make them with gluten free bread crumbs?
I haven’t, but I imagine they would be just as delicious!
This recipe looks amazing but I wonder if I can deep fry the same seasoned eggplant?
I’ve tried deep-frying eggplant before, but I suspect it would turn out extra crispy and delicious. 🙂
I am a vegan…is their an alternative to eggs in this recipe….I m so tempted to try thi!!!!
New to the vegan thing, but GROUND chia seeds soaked in water have been used to replace eggs. Soak until gel like, I wouldn’t use too much, Online I see 1 Tablespoon seeds to 3 Tablespoons water, let sit 5 minutes to replace one egg. Having tried chia in my smoothies, maybe try ground seeds, and a slightly higher water ratio? You could then dip the eggplant in that and see if it helps the coating stick. Another thought is “aquafaba”. Basically the water/juice left from a can of chickpeas, or other bean. I would think to try to whip it a bit to make it frothy.
Thank you Kristen for posting the recipe. It’s my niece who has gone vegan, and I know she enjoys eggplant. I thing one of the two ideas should work, and I’m looking forward to trying to make them for her.
Forgot to add that there are vegan parmesan recipes out there, most using nutritional yeast and ground nuts. I plan on trying one made from brazil nuts or walnuts for this. This recipe seems easy to convert to full vegan, I even found a store bought “mayo” that tastes fine, JUST MAYO.
Hey Margaret!
Thank you so much for all the suggestions. You’re right, I bet a chia egg would work perfectly. I love taking a recipe being able to change it around so everyone can eat it. My guy’s daughter is vegan, too. I think I’ll have to try your suggestions to veganize this for her!
WOW, these were reeeeally delicious! I squeezed fresh lemon juice on my eggplants as I was prepping them in advance. This added a really nice zing that went well with the oregano. I am going try making them without the egg next time and see if they will stick enough. If anyone tries the chia replacement let us know how the flavour turns out. I am curious if using the vegan parmesan suggested could replace the panko as well for the GF crew. Thanks for the great recipe.
Great call on the lemon juice! I’m going to try that next time I make these. 🙂
Hi Mini,
So the eggs are used to help hold the bread crumbs to the eggplant. You could try just wetting them with a little water and see if that works. You might just have to press the bread crumbs onto the eggplants a little harder. Also, if you have some nutritional yeast that always makes a good vegan substitute for parmesan ?
Those look delicous! I am going to make them 🙂