Healthy Baked Breaded Eggplant Recipe

Eggplants are simply amazing. You can bake, roast, grill, stir-fry, or braise them, to name just a few.

"Eggplant is one of my favorite vegetables as it is so versatile," says recipe developer Susan Olayinka of The Flexible Fridge. "It can adapt to any seasoning or texture, which is why I loved making this."

Eggplant is also a staple in Italian cuisine. It can be served as a main course, as in eggplant parmesan, or as an accompaniment, as in this easy baked breaded eggplant. "This would make for a good side dish for an Italian meal like spaghetti or a hearty pasta," says Olayinka. "The texture is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. It's so good." 

This recipe has the added perk of reducing the amount of oil you'd use in the fried version, making it a little healthier. And don't worry, you don't have to be an expert in the kitchen to make this baked breaded eggplant recipe at home. According to Olayinka, her recipe is "definitely beginner-level."

To make the baked breaded eggplant, you will need, of course, an eggplant. You will also need two eggs, ½ cup breadcrumbs, ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, 3 ½ tablespoons salt (plus more for sweating the eggplant), 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, and some rapeseed oil spray. 

While Olayinka uses a specific kind of oil spray, you can also use other types of oil, like coconut, olive, or vegetable oil. 

Since the estimated total prep time for this baked breaded eggplant recipe is about 25 minutes, you'll want to get going on prepping your eggplant right away. First, rinse it, then trim the ends and slice the eggplant into ½-inch discs. That will be the ideal thickness for crispy-on-the-outside, soft-on-the-inside baked eggplant slices. 

Next, grab a paper towel and place it on the chopping board, then place the eggplant discs on top.

While waiting for the eggplants to dry out, prepare the breading ingredients. 

Grab a mixing bowl and combine the dry ingredients: breadcrumbs, grated Parmesan cheese, black pepper, garlic powder, salt, and all-purpose flour.

In another mixing bowl, crack the eggs and break them up with a fork or whisk. Then check your eggplants and see if they have started releasing water. You should see droplets forming on top of the slices and the paper towel should be damp. If not, wait another 5 to 10 minutes. 

When the eggplant discs have started releasing their moisture, place them in a colander and rinse them well. You don't want all that excess salt to end up in the finished dish, especially since you'll be adding more salt to the breading.

Pat the eggplant discs dry using paper towel and squeeze each disc gently to get rid of any excess water. Now you're ready to bread them.

Prepare your baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Dip each piece of eggplant into the whisked egg, then into the breadcrumb mixture. As you finish dipping each one, place it on the parchment- or foil-lined baking tray. When all the discs are breaded and on the tray, spray each disc with rapeseed oil. 

"Once you get the hang of breading, it is very easy," says Olayinka.

All that's left is to place the baking tray in the oven and bake at 375 F for about 25 minutes. When the eggplant pieces are cooked and the breading is golden brown, remove the tray from the oven and place the eggplant discs on a serving dish.

Garnish them with the chopped parsley, and you're done! They're definitely best eaten while hot and crispy.