Air Fryer Eggplant

This crispy air fryer eggplant is a fantastic snack and also the best way to make roasted eggplant for any recipes that call for it. Whether you add it to curries or Mediterranean-style dishes, making eggplant in the air fryer is the easiest way to cook it to perfection.

I love eggplant in all kinds of recipes, from delicious curries like this eggplant curry with peanut butter to this fantastic eggplant ragu with lentils.

But as much as I love eggplant, I find the process of oven-roasting it quite tedious. Obviously, you can always fry it in the pan, but then it may soak up too much oil, and you have to work in batches.

So one day, I decided to try and air fry the eggplant for a curry to see what happens. I liked the result so much that now that's the only way I "roast" it.

Air fryer eggplant is not just the perfect ingredient for many plant-based meals but also a super healthy snack.

You can also customize the recipe to suit your taste or the type of recipe you decide to make with it.

I kept this recipe quite neutral with just olive oil and garlic powder, but you can toss the eggplant cubes in soy sauce or garam masala, for example.

Why you'll love air fryer eggplant

• It only takes about 25 minutes to have perfectly crispy eggplant cubes with little to no effort at all.
• You'll never have to deal with undercooked or mushy eggplant again.
• You can easily customize the spices and herbs to suit the recipe you'll be using the eggplant in.

Ingredients and substitutions

Eggplant - You'll need two medium eggplants or a large one to get approximately two cups of air fried eggplant. That's approximately the equivalent of 1 lb (450 g) of raw eggplant.

I like to cut the eggplant into 1-inch cubes because they will shrink quite a lot during air frying. There's no need to salt the eggplant to remove moisture before adding it to the air fryer.

Olive oil - You can also use avocado oil, canola oil or sunflower oil here. Don't add more than 1 tablespoon because you may end up with soggy eggplant cubes.

Garlic powder - This is optional but adds a very nice flavor to the eggplant.

Salt and freshly ground black pepper - Feel free to adjust the quantities of salt and ground black pepper as you like.

How to make eggplant in the air fryer

Preheat your air fryer at 375°F/190°C.

Meanwhile, cut the eggplants into 1-inch cubes. Try to cut them approximately the same size, so they cook evenly.

Add the eggplant cubes to a large bowl and toss them with olive oil, garlic powder, salt and ground black pepper.

Transfer the aubergine to the air fryer basket and cook for 18-20 minutes at 375°F/190°, shaking the basket halfway through.

Recipe notes and tips

• I tested this recipe in a Cosori Air Fryer XXL (5.7QT / 5.5L). If your air fryer has a small basket, you may need to work in batches. You don't need to place the eggplant cubes in a single layer, but they shouldn't be overcrowded, either.
• If you'd like the eggplant cubes to be extra crispy, cook for 2-3 more minutes but keep an eye on them, so they don't get charred.
• Any leftovers will keep well in the fridge for 3-4 days in an airtight container, and you can reheat them in the air fryer.

If you liked this air fryer eggplant recipe, you might also like some of my other vegan recipes with eggplant:

• Eggplant Ragu with Lentils
• Instant Pot Eggplant Curry
• Instant Pot Aloo Baingan (Potato and Eggplant Curry)
• Aubergine Coconut Curry with Peanut Butter
• Lebanese Moussaka (Maghmour)

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