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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CB says
This worked so well – thank you. My husband & I cooked the eggplant together last night and I made up a dish that I baked in the oven afterwards (eggplant, tomatoes, red onion, some marinara, spices, and parmesan cheese). My husband said it was one of the top 3 vegetarian dishes he’s ever had (& he’s had a lot). He loved the eggplant, which made the dish, and so did I.
Tori Avey says
Great CB! So happy to hear that.
Veli says
I am so happy you shared this trick with us! Thank you! I love eggplant but never was able to cook it without the excessive oil! It really makes you question how healthy the eggplant you eat really is! Not any more! Thank you!
Tori Avey says
You’re welcome Veli! Seriously changed my life. 🙂
Slack says
I didn’t ezackly follow the distructions. I couldn’t find my basting brush. Should I use a caligraphy brush? No.
I just poured the eggwhites onto a butter dish, then plopped the slices into the egg and then the hot oil. No prolem.
After draining the oil I squeezed some lemon juice upon the slices. Excelente !
Lisa B. says
It worked!!! Thanks for the tip. I used Canola because that was all I had, but I will use one of the others next time.
Nina Meditz says
I just tried your secret of egg white and fried up 3 eggplants. There is a huge difference in the amount of oil and cooking time. Maybe now I will make them more often! Thank you!
Joyce says
I have been cooking for many years. And, I have been frying eggplant for many years, since I’m almost completely a vegetarian. Eggplant is on the menu often.
Where have you been Tori?? What a great idea!! I made vegetarian moussaka tonight using your method of frying the eggplant. WOW! It was great! I normally have to add oil to each batch of eggplant, but did not this time. I’m so happy! Thank-you so much for sharing!! I wish I knew this years ago.
Tori Avey says
So happy it was a helpful tip for you Joyce!
Christina says
What a BRILLIANT idea! I will be using it soon. Can’t believe I did not think of it myself, as you say, we do it all the time with pie crusts. Thanks!
Marla A. says
I CANNOT Believe it……. I just tried this little adjustment and there was hardly any oil used at all! Who would think that a little egg wash would make such a tremendous difference? Thank-you SO very much….I LOVE MY EGGPLANT and this has opened a whole new possibility……I just layered the “eggy eggplant” (lol) in a dish with sauce and cheese, baked for 20 min– and TA-DAH……eggplant Parm! Thanks again, dear!
Tori Avey says
Yay Maria! 🙂 I agree, it’s a fantastic trick.
Pam says
P.S. I love the tip about dropping a small piece of bread into the oil to test it. What a great idea! Thanks Tori, as always.
Pam says
Yummy! When I was younger my best friend Angela and I would steal the fried eggplant slices her Mom would cook for eggplant parmesan. My Dad would slice up an eggplant into “fries” and top them with a sprinkle of salt or parmesan. I’ve tried it but yes they were way too oily. What a GREAT idea! I’m definitely going to give this a try.
Tori Avey says
Pam this will work great for eggplant “fries”! Enjoy!
Mollie Chasen says
Works well, thanks.
Martha says
This is soooooo good! Bought two eggplants as I had high hopes; plenty of oil left for round two. Going to see if holding and baking to warm up works.
Tori Avey says
Fabulous Martha! So happy it worked for you.
emme says
Can I use egg whites from a carton? Thanks!
Tori Avey says
Emme– yes! No problem 🙂
shlomit says
Oh wow! is all I have to say. This will get me back to using eggplants because, I too love them fried. Thank you so much for this.
Tori Avey says
Enjoy the recipe Shlomit! Or come out here and I will make them for you! 🙂
LizD says
That’s genius! I wonder if the guy at the JCC would take this suggestion for the felafel bar. Something tells me, no.
Yvette Sher says
Thank you Tori! Exactly what I needed for Shabbes dinner – they turned out perfectly!
Ann Golub says
finally, I might have a way to do this right, thank you
Autumn says
It looks crispy!Is it?
Tori Avey says
The outside surface of the eggplant is crisp, but the inside is soft and tender.
James Sanford says
Super yummy
Halcyeon Nowack-paniagua says
I love eggplant, but have always hated the amount of oil that it absorbs, thank you for this new recipe.