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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Robin Orfe says
Sounds great, but is it really the egg yoke that causes the eggplant to soak up so much oil? I was going to make this late last night, and then it hit me. I forgot to buy bread crumbs. I’m wondering how they would come out, minus the bread crumbs. I make eggplant Parmesan, and I’ve never made it without bread crumbs. Any thoughts?
Thank you.
Robin
Tori Avey says
Robin, this recipe uses egg white, not yolk. It is the egg white that forms a barrier to keep the oil from penetrating. You can include the yolk also if you like, the result will be the same. This is not a breaded recipe, it is different than the eggplant traditionally used in eggplant parmesan. Omitting the breadcrumbs would make this a much lighter version of the dish you’re used to.
doris says
hi, you can try soaking the slices in a whole egg, I mean yolk as well, you’ll get a nice crust around them, it’s delicious!
Tomas says
Oh man I need one of the ladies on this forumn to come make this for me.
How much?
Jennifer Williams says
Genius! Simple and delicious. Lets the eggplant flavor come through. My husband who grew up on fried breaded eggplant loved it too. Thanks.
Lela says
thanks for the ideas ..I have never prepared eggplant before but I’m looking forward to seeing how they taste ..
2tattered says
There is no thermometer that will be able to measure degrees in 1/4 inch of oil. The sensor is too high up on the probe.
2tattered says
I should add that a Thermapen will register the temperature, but will also set you back close to 100 bucks. I have one, and consider it indispensable, for everything from frying, to roasts, to making jam, but the average cook will not have one at hand.
Janice says
Can you used the egg whites and bread crumbs prior to frying?
Rita says
I will never fry eggplant any other way again! The egg white really worked fantastic! I could not believe it!! I thought I would use some herbs to give the eggplant more flavour so after I sprinkled the black pepper on the eggplant I sprinkled dried thyme on top too…I also sautee’d some sliced green and red bell pepper with some whole garlic cloves in the oil…then removed this from the pan and set it aside…After frying the eggplant I placed them on top of a paper towel to rid of some oil…When I served it on the plate I placed some sautee’d bell peppers on top…sprinkle with julienned basil and parsley!!! Came out so delicious!!!
Nick Cowley says
Superb, especially with roast lamb and roast potatoes. When I cooked this for a large group of people, I was able to cook it in batches and keep the slices warm in the oven before serving, without there being any noticeable drop in quality. Given that courgettes/zucchini also soak up oil, I imagine that the egg-white approach will work equally well on them, so I’m going to try that over the next few days.
Donna says
Great idea for the LARGE number of eggplant I’m getting from my garden every day! And someone asked about an alternate to using chicken eggs because they are allergic, the solution is duck eggs. I raise both ducks and chickens for their eggs and many of my customers buy the duck eggs because they are are allergic to chicken eggs.
donna says
I love fried eggplant but I want it crispy like french fries try cutting them into sticks like thick french fries salt them to absorb liquid lay on 2 layers paper towels with
Towels this will absorb liquid then dip in egg wash then in half flour half yellow cornmeal will come out chrispy every time sprinkle with salt an pepper when taken out of Oil ull love them
Bessie says
My husband is trying this recipe for supper tonight. Looks DELISH.
Paula says
Miss Tory, you are a genius! I tried this tonight and it worked like a charm! I followed your recipe exactly and it was the best eggplant. There’s even oil left in the pan. I never put pepper on before and it really added to the flavor. Thank you so much!
Tori Avey says
Haha, genius? I’ll take it! Happy you liked it Paula!
Joe M says
Tried it today for the first time. Have to say this is my new way of cooking Italian style egg plant. Alternative was no fried eggplant cooked the conventional way. Thank you
A. Azari says
Thank you, I had heard about this technique before but I just tried it today and WOW! my eggplant slices ended up plum, juicy inside,crispy outside and It took a quarter of oil I used to use.
Rosemarie says
This was super easy and delicious. Use only one egg white if you’re only cooking one or two eggplants.
ash says
I’ve recently discovered your website, and I’m hooked already!! Have you got a recipe for the eggplant that is often served together with shawarma ? I think it’s sort of fried then marinated
Tori Avey says
Hi Ash, I think this is similar to what you’re looking for: https://toriavey.com/toris-kitchen/2014/11/roasted-eggplant-matbucha/
Deni says
This is delicious-I was skeptical at first but you proved right
Tori Avey says
Great Deni! Happy it was helpful for you.
Cheryl Cornor says
loved it loved it loved it…..thanks for sharing the egg white trick…perfect every time
Elizabeth Osman-Zaki says
This is a great idea, I will definitely be trying it. Another method I use and have had good results with, giving the eggplant a similar fried texture, is to spread out slices of eggplant on a large cookie sheet, drizzle both sides generously with oil (I usually use olive) and place them under the broiler until they start to brown, then flip all the slices over and do the other side. Just make sure not to over crowd the pan, or they wont be able to dry out enough and liquid may collect, and watch carefully so as not to burn.