How to Fry Eggplant with Less Oil – Learn to fry eggplant slices perfectly golden crisp without getting soggy or oil-soaked. Healthier frying method for eggplant.
Do you love fried eggplant, but hate that it soaks up oil as it cooks? For years I avoided cooking eggplant slices; they really slurp up oil like a sponge. I replaced fried slices with roasted eggplant pieces in many dishes (those roasted pieces are great, by the way!). But there are times when we crave the taste of fried eggplant.
Well guess what? You CAN fry eggplant in oil without it turning soggy or greasy! The secret? Egg whites! Hey, it works for pie crust, doesn’t it??
I’ve run through the basic concept below. This method has consistently given me perfect, golden brown slices of fried eggplant while minimizing the amount of oil needed for a great result. The only thing you need to watch out for is splattering… wear an apron, and be aware that in the first 60 seconds of frying there may be a few little splatters here and there.
Those of you who love eggplant will adore this recipe. If you try it, let me know how it works for you! One more tip… I love to serve the fresh, hot fried slices topped with tahini sauce and a sprinkle of fresh chopped parsley. Toasted pine nuts are a nice touch as well. Highly recommended!
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How to Fry Eggplant with Less Oil
Ingredients
- 1 pound eggplant, about 1 medium
- Salt and pepper
- 2 large egg whites
- Oil with a high smoke point for frying (grapeseed, avocado, and peanut oil work well)
NOTES
Instructions
- Slice the eggplant into 1/2 inch rounds. Place the rounds in a colander and sprinkle them with salt (sea salt, kosher salt, any kind of salt will work). Make sure each eggplant round has a thin sprinkling of salt on it. Let the slices sit for 20-30 minutes until beads of liquid form on the surface. This process helps to remove any bitterness that may be present in the eggplant. Note that if you're using smaller eggplant pieces here, like Japanese eggplant, they are very rarely bitter and likely will not need salting. I usually use a medium-sized eggplant in this preparation because I like the size of the slices it produces for frying.
- Rinse the eggplant pieces thoroughly to remove the salt. Pat dry and spread out on a cutting board. Sprinkle the eggplant slices lightly with salt. The salt from the colander will be mostly gone after rinsing; if you're salt sensitive, you can skip adding salt at this point and add to taste after frying. Sprinkle the slices lightly with black pepper (also optional, but recommended). Whisk the two egg whites in a small bowl for about 60 seconds. Brush the seasoned eggplant slices with a THIN layer of egg white, making sure the entire white surface of the slice is coated. Turn the slices and brush the other side with another thin layer of egg white, so all white surfaces of the slices are covered with egg white.
- Heat 1/4 inch of grapeseed oil in a nonstick skillet over medium until hot enough for frying. The ideal temperature for frying eggplant is about 365-375 degrees F. The best way to monitor the temperature is to use a deep fry or candy thermometer; or, you can drop a small piece of bread into the oil. If it takes 60 seconds to brown, the oil temperature is perfect for frying. Heat up the oil while you're brushing the eggplant slices with egg white to save on time!
- Place 3 slices gently into the hot oil (do not cook more than 3-4 slices per batch, or the oil temperature will drop). Careful, it may splatter a bit, especially during the first minute or so of cooking. Let the slices fry for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden brown.Remove slices from the hot oil and drain on a drying rack or paper towel.
Nutrition
tried this recipe?
Let us know in the comments!
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Margo Futterman Raimondi says
That looks yummy!
Karen says
Anyway it can be breaded and fried without all that oil? Thanks.
Tori Avey says
Hi Karen, breading will soak up more oil than the simple egg white coating, but less than the eggplant alone without any coating at all. The best way to ensure that your breading does not turn out greasy is to make sure that you are frying with oil at the proper temperature. See the tips in this post re: oil temperature.
Donna Campbell says
Yummy looking!
Rivkah B'racha says
I just picked one this morning!
Elicia Mcginn says
Awesome, thank you !
Susan Linck says
def going to try as soon I have eggplants in my garden !!!
Sharon says
Two?s…just trying to understand. With the oil to the right temperature , you fry it, and then drain it on paper towels or a rack. How does that limit the replenishing of oil, or is it the egg white coating that somehow helps?
Also, what about using another oil, such as pure (T.J) olive oil? Or would other oils work as well? Thanks.
Tori Avey says
Sharon, the draining step is only to get rid of any residual surface oil. The egg white coating keeps the oil from soaking into the eggplant slice, so you get a less oily and greasy result. If you’ve ever fried eggplant before, you’ll know that the eggplant soaks up oil like a sponge… this technique helps to eliminate that problem. I recommend grapeseed, avocado, sesame or peanut oil for frying, they have a higher smoke point than olive oil and will yield a better result.
MJS says
The draining step is the last part of the instructions. The comment about no longer needing to replenish the oil is commentary on the whole technique. I had to read it a couple times to get that cleared up!
Christine Sauter Johnston says
thanks for sharing, i love eggplant, but do hesitate to fry
Linda Rosenblatt says
i also like that you’re giving a light brush of egg as opposed to dipping in an egg wash before placing into the oil! thanks for the tips!
Jocelyn Lawry Monacelli says
Tori ypu are a genius ! Can’t wait to try this technique !
Deborah Allen says
How clever you are! I do my pie shells with egg white before I fill them he cause I hate soggy crust. So clever of you to figure that out with the eggplant! Im gonna try that with squash and green tomato’s too!
Bev Hoffman-Rush says
Love eggplant! Will make these
Kimberley Barca says
I bake mine
Lynda Davis Wood says
I love eggplant!!!!
Shawn Cady says
GOD BLESS YOU!!!! I’m doing this soon! WOW! Love it!
jeff says
i grill my eggplant. punch a couple of holes in it with a fork. grill (or bake) until it collapses in on itself turning every 10 min or so if baking. remove from teh skin and serve
Tori Avey says
Jeff, I do that too for certain preparations. It’s great if you want a softer eggplant pulp, like for babaganoush – see here: https://toriavey.com/toris-kitchen/2011/06/how-to-roast-eggplant/ and here: https://toriavey.com/toris-kitchen/2011/06/classic-baba-ghanoush/. This tip produces fried, structured slices, which are useful for recipes like eggplant parmesan or when you want a meatier piece of eggplant.
Stewart Nasar says
love this
Patricia Garces says
Love eggplant!
Thank you!! 🙂
Paula Quillen says
I’m trying this tonight!
Ilke says
Thank you!!! I have stopped frying for a while because of the sponge effect. When I get back to my kitchen, this will be one of the first techniques to try and master.
Tori Avey says
Ilke, I’m really amazed at how well it works. It’s totally changed the way I cook eggplant! Let me know if you get a chance to try it.