• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Recipe Index
  • Latest Recipes
  • Sweets
  • How To's
  • About

Where Is My Spoon

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipe Index
  • Latest Recipes
  • Sweets
  • How To's
  • About
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipe Index
    • Latest Recipes
    • Sweets
    • How To's
    • About
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×

    Where Is My Spoon > Side Dishes

    Air Fryer Eggplants (Two Ways)

    Published by: Adina September 4, 2020 · Last modified: March 14, 2022 Leave a comment

    Sharing is caring!

    124 shares
    • Share
    • Yummly
    • Reddit
    • Twitter
    aubergine slices on large white plate

    Air fryer eggplants or aubergines – soft, spicy and so versatile. You can either cube or slice them, and you can have them simple or glazed.

    Jump to Recipe
    shiny eggplant slices glazed with honey and soy sauce

    Air fryer eggplants or aubergines – soft, spicy and so versatile. You can either cube or slice them, and you can have them simple or glazed.

    The eggplants can become addictive... I can't even count how many times I've cooked them ever since I got my air fryer. They are creamy soft and spicy, hearty, healthy, easy to make, and ready in no time at all.

    Eggplants are some of my favorite vegetables, I think few others have so much flavor and can be so satisfying when eaten on their own. They have a meaty, hearty, smoky flavor that no other vegetable has.

    When it comes to eggplants, people either love or hate them, there seems to be no middle way. I love them. I adore them. See some of my favorite recipes, for instance, this incredible Aubergine Spaghetti or the Eggplant Stew. Not to mention the traditional Romanian recipes, like Vinete or Zacusca, which are the best spreads you could possibly imagine.

    two plates with differently air fried eggplants

    What do you need?

    Eggplants, spices and a little olive oil.

    The best thing about using an air fryer is the fact that you will only need a fraction of the oil you would use when frying eggplants in the pan (or even when roasting them in the oven). I add 1 tablespoon olive oil because I think they really need a little something, eggplants and olive oil are a match made in heaven.

    If you want to add a little extra, make a glaze, and use it to brush the eggplants during the last minutes of the cooking time. It is the same glaze I use for the air fryer ribs, I had some leftovers.

    close up of shiny roasted eggplant cubes

    How to cook eggplants in the air fryer?

    Do you have to peel eggplants?

    No, I rarely do. I love the taste of the peel, that's what makes the vegetable so hearty, it adds a slightly smoky flavor and a bit of extra texture. And it keeps the cubes or slices together, especially since you always have to cook the aubergines until they are really soft.

    Do you need to salt and drain them?

    Not anymore. The salting used to be important during times when eggplants were be bitterer. Nowadays, they are bread to be less bitter, so the salting, waiting and draining process is not necessary anymore.

    air fried eggplants with a sweet glaze

    Cube or cut into wedges

    • If you want to make air-fried chunks, cut into 4 cm/1.6-inch cubes.
    • For the glazed kind, cut into 6 long wedges.

    Cook

    • Preheat the air fryer, if necessary, mine needs to be preheated to 190 degrees Celsius/ 370 degrees Fahrenheit for 3 minutes.

    Cubes:

    • Mix to coat with 1 tablespoon olive oil, garlic powder, sweet and smoked paprika, a pinch of cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper.
    • Air fry for 8 minutes at the same temperature, shake well and continue cooking for further 5 minutes or until browned and really soft.
    cubed raw eggplants and placed in the basket of an air fryer

    Wedges:

    • Mix to coat with 1 tablespoon olive oil, sweet paprika, salt, and pepper.
    • Cook for 10 minutes, brush with glaze, and cook for further 3-4 minutes until soft and slightly caramelized.
    eggplant wedges on a chopping board and in the basket of the air fryer

    How to store?

    • Keep in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
    • You can reheat them in the air fryer for 2-3 minutes, however, I don't bother, I mostly use the leftovers to make sandwiches.

    How to serve?

    • Serve as a side dish for fish, chicken, or meat.
    • Or a side with Garlic Butter Noodles or Tuna Pesto Pasta.
    • Serve as a main dish with sauteed or roasted potatoes.
    • Make eggplant salad with garlic sauce, Romanian-style. Mix 2 grated garlic cloves with ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard and some salt, add enough water to make a thin sauce. Toss with the eggplant cubes and adjust the taste with salt.
    • Add to pasta together with heated marinara sauce.
    • Add to salads like these couscous, bulgur or buckwheat salads.
    • Use as pizza topping.
    • Stuff into pita breads, tortillas or make sandwiches.
    cubed or sliced eggplants cooked in an air fryer

    More air fryer recipes:

    Carrots

    Frozen Chicken Breast

    Air Fried Chicken Legs

    Air Fried Zucchini

    air fried eggplants with a sweet glaze

    Air Fryer Eggplants (Two Ways)

    Air fryer eggplants or aubergines – soft, spicy and so versatile. You can either cube or slice them, and you can have them simple or glazed.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Pin Share GrowSaved! Rate
    Course: Side Dishes
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Servings: 2 -3
    Calories: 182kcal
    Author: Adina
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients 

    • Cubes Note 1:
    • 1 large eggplant about 450 g/ 1 lb
    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
    • ¼ teaspoon sweet paprika powder
    • ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika powder
    • pinch of cayenne pepper to taste
    • fine sea salt and pepper
    • Glazed wedges:
    • 1 large eggplant about 450 g/ 1 lb
    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • ½ teaspoon sweet paprika powder
    • fine sea salt and pepper
    • Glaze Note 2:
    • ½ tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
    • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
    • ½ tablespoon ketchup
    • ½ tablespoon honey
    • ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika powder
    • fine sea salt and pepper

    Instructions

    • Preheat the air fryer to 190 degrees Celsius/ 370 degrees Fahrenheit for 3 minutes (if necessary, it depends on your air fryer).

    Cubed:

    • Cut the eggplant into 4 cm/ 1.6 inch cubes. Mix to coat with 1 tablespoon olive oil, garlic powder, sweet and smoked paprika, a pinch of cayenne pepper, salt and pepper. Place in the basket.
    • Air fry for 8 minutes at the same temperature, shake well and continue cooking for further 5 minutes or until browned and really soft.

    Wedges:

    • Cut the eggplant into 6 long wedges. Mix to coat with 1 tablespoon olive oil, sweet paprika, salt and pepper.
    • Cook for 10 minutes at the same temperature, brush with glaze and cook for further 3-4 minutes until soft and slightly caramelized.

    Glaze:

    • Mix together the Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, ketchup, honey, paprika, salt and pepper to taste.

    Notes

    1. The nutrition is calculated for the cubed eggplants. One serving of the glazed eggplants has 209 calories.
    2. It makes a little more than you need. It keeps well in the fridge for 3-4 days in an airtight container.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1/2 of the dish | Calories: 182kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Sodium: 152mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 11g
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @adinabeck or tag #WhereIsMySpoon!

    More Side Dishes

    • coleslaw for burgers in a small white bowl.
      Easy Coleslaw for Burgers
    • cooked black salsify close up with parsley.
      How to Cook Black Salsify
    • overhead view of a white plate with creamed leeks and lemon slices.
      The Best Creamed Leeks
    • close up of golden slow cooker roast potatoes sprinkled with parsley.
      Slow Cooker Roast Potatoes

    Sharing is caring!

    124 shares
    • Share
    • Yummly
    • Reddit
    • Twitter

    web banner representing all the websites logos that featured our food blog.

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Follow me!

    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • Instagram

    Hello! Where Is My Spoon is a blog where you will find delicious and family friendly recipes, all made from scratch. From simple healthy soups to sumptuous cakes for special occasions, all our recipes have been tried and loved by our family and our friends.

    More about me →

    Asparagus recipes

    • german white asparagus with white sauce and lemon wedges on a round platter.
      German Asparagus with White Sauce (Hollandaise)
    • bowl with rice and curry with lime wedges
      Asparagus Coconut Curry
    • asparagus chicken soup with noodles in a large bowl.
      Asparagus Chicken Soup
    • pan roasted asparagus
      Pan Fried Asparagus and Potatoes – Green Asparagus Recipe

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    Info

    • Privacy Policy
    • Accessibility Statement

    Our second blog

    The Fast Recipe Food Blog

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2023 - Where Is My Spoon. All rights reserved.