Breaded eggplant, Sicilian style, is one of those recipes that everyone likes: sliced eggplant, dipped in egg, breadcrumbs and fried!
Plus, a special Parmesan cheese mixture breading gives it a deliciously crispy eggplant coating, and you have a winner on your hands.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
This recipe is super quick and can come in handy if you’re looking for a tasty side dish to bring to the table.
Breaded eggplant makes eggplant the queen of the table with is flavorful breading.
The whole family will love this dish.
Why I Love This Recipe So Much
I love making these breaded eggplants, as they remind me of my childhood.
I remember my mom making it and me coming through the kitchen to steal one from her while she cooked.
To this day I continue to make them, the exact way my mom makes them.
They are a delicious way to eat eggplant and they are so easy to make.
What Goes In This Breaded Eggplant?
Few ingredients to prepare these delicious eggplants!
For the step-by-step directions and measurements, scroll down to our printable recipe card.
Eggplant: The main ingredient in this dish.
The best eggplants for this recipe are the round violets.
Breading: To prepare these delicious eggplants we will use delicious Sicilian style breadcrumbs.
To make Sicilian style breadcrumb mixture, combine bread crumbs, salt and black pepper, parmesan cheese, parsley and garlic or garlic powder
That make everything taste so much better.
You can also use panko breadcrumbs if you prefer it.
Eggs: The egg is used to make the breadcrumbs stick to the eggplant.
How To Make These Eggplant cutlets
Step 1
Cut off the ends of the eggplant, wash them and peel them (you can also leave the skin on if you prefer).
Cut them into slices half an inch thick.
Purge the eggplant for at least one hour, to remove the excess water and the bitter.
Step 2
Prepare breadcrumbs in a shallow bowl with parmesan cheese, minced garlic, parsley, salt and pepper.
And beat the eggs in a shallow dish.
Step 3
Dip the eggplant in the beaten egg and then in the seasoned breadcrumb mixture.
Step 4
At this point, take a wide-bottomed frying pan and pour in 1 finger of olive oil.
As soon as the oil is hot, place the breaded eggplant slices in the pan in a single layer and let them brown first on one side and then on the other at medium heat.
The oil should be hot, but not too hot otherwise the eggplant will burn.
Drain the eggplant on paper towels and lightly salt.
Serve them, as a side dish or simply accompanied by a fresh salad like this cucumber salad with sour cream.
Variations
Breaded Stuffed Eggplants: For A Delicious Meal
Eggplants for their compact texture and delicate taste, are also excellent stuffed and breaded.
Add to the ingredients sliced mozzarella cheese and sliced cooked ham.
Place the slice of eggplant on a plate, add a slice of mozzarella and the prosciutto, cover with another slice of eggplant and press well.
Dip the stuffed eggplants in the egg mixture and then in the breadcrumbs, as per the original recipe, then proceed to bake or fry them.
Gluten Free
If you have problems with gluten intolerance, use gluten-free breadcrumbs to bread the eggplant.
Use other spices
Want to spice up your eggplant to make it even tastier?
Add your favorite spices such as rosemary, fresh basil and paprika to the breadcrumbs.
Vegan eggplant slices recipe
For the vegan version, I recommend a “classic” batter with water and all purpose flour and the addition of herbs and spices.
You can either fry them with the batter alone or after dipping the eggplant in the batter, you can bread them.
What To Serve With breaded eggplant
I love serving these eggplants with this delicious orange and fennel salad for a vegetarian meal.
But they go perfectly with this crispy chicken cutlet for a easy weekend dinner.
I used to eat these breaded eggplants between two slices of bread as a sandwich when I was a kid.
The best snack in the world, which I recommend you try! Just bread and breaded eggplant!
Breaded Eggplant FAQ‘s
Do you need to salt the eggplant before frying?
In order to remove the bitterness from eggplant, follow the instructions below!
I always do this. It is an added step, but helps with removing bitterness.
Sprinkle each eggplant slice with coarse salt and place them on top of each other in the colander, so that they are fairly pressed together.
Place the colander on top of the bowl.
For best results, add a weight on top of the eggplants and let them drain.
Do you have to peel eggplants?
That’s up to you, for me it also depends on where I buy my eggplant.
I buy them from my local farmers markets, I know how they were treated so I leave it.
More side dishes:
- Italian Potato Salad With Green Beans & Red Onions
- Sliced Potatoes In The Air Fryer Recipe
- Italian Side Dishes for Christmas: 35 Authentic Recipes
- Air Fryer Potato Wedges Recipe: Crunchiness is Guaranteed!
Breaded Eggplant: The Sicilian Recipe
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Breaded Eggplants
Delicious breaded eggplant cutlets, made the Sicilian way!
Ingredients
- 2 Big eggplants
- Salt & black pepper
- 1 Cup of bread crumbs
- 1/2 Grated parmesan cheese
- 1 Garlic
- A bunch of parsley
- 2 Eggs
- Oil
Instructions
- First, we salt the eggplant to remove the bitterness. Peel and slice the eggplant.
- Place in a pasta colander and place salt on top of each layer of eggplant. Put a weight on top so that it helps to strain them. (about 1 hours)
- After one hour has passed, wash the eggplants under a trickle of water, in order to remove excess salt and dry them.
- Mince the garlic and parsley, and add them to the breadcrumbs with the grated parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- In a bowl, beat the egg.
- Pass the eggplant rounds first in the egg and then in the breadcrumbs.
- As soon as you have finished with the breading of all the eggplant slices.Dip them a few at a time in a pan with plenty of oil, about 2-3 cm.
- Reach a temperature of 170 - 180°C and cook both sides until golden brown. Keep an eye on the oil: it should not get too hot during cooking, otherwise they will cook too fast and you will get eggplants that are cooked on the outside and raw on the inside.
- As soon as they are cooked and golden brown, drain them with a skimmer and dry them with kitchen paper to remove excess oil.
Serve the fried eggplant hot!
Notes
Breaded Eggplant In The Oven
Arrange the eggplants on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and drizzle a little olive oil on top, and bake them in a hot oven.
Bake them for 20 to 25 minutes until they are nice and golden brown.
How To Cook Breaded Eggplant In The Air Fryer
With a cooking spray, oil each slice and place the slices in the basket without overlapping,
Preheat the air fryer to 200°C (370 F degrees ) and cook for 8 minutes, turning them halfway through cooking.
Cook them until golden brown.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 278Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 94mgSodium: 393mgCarbohydrates: 45gFiber: 9gSugar: 11gProtein: 9g
Nutrition is automatically calculated by Nutritionix - please verify all nutrition information independently and consult with a doctor or nutritionist for any and all medical and diet advice.
Storage
They will stay fresh in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to two days.
Freezee: You can freeze them raw and breaded and then cook them when frozen.