These air fried slices of Japanese eggplant are the perfect appetizer for your summer parties.
Crispy Parmesan Japanese Eggplant Slices
We have a gorgeous garden at our new home in the suburbs and I’m having so much fun with it. We’re getting a lot of good harvests, and I find myself racking my brain, asking, “What should I make with all of this?!” So I figured many of you must be thinking the same thing, so I’ll be posting recipes here and on Instagram with garden ingredients.
Japanese eggplants aren’t as popular as globe eggplants (hello, eggplant Parmesan!) and they have less seeds, are thinner, and cook more quickly. I am loving them, and since I’m also always looking for entertaining ideas in the summer, I figured I’d share an appetizer recipe.
The air fryer turns those panko breadcrumbs into crunchy delights and the Parmesan gives the eggplant slices a little nutty and salty flavor. Serve these with a tomato basil marinara sauce, basil, and your guests will have you asking, “what’s the recipe?!” Oh – and for a little spice, garnish with some red pepper flakes.
What seasonal summer produce would you like to see next in this series?
Crispy Parmesan Japanese Eggplant Slices
Ingredients
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese + more for garnish
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- salt and pepper
- 1 egg
- 2 Japanese eggplants sliced into 1/4” thick diagonal slices
- to garnish: basil red pepper flakes
- to serve: marinara sauce I love Rao’s Tomato Basil!
Instructions
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In a shallow bowl, toss together the panko, cheese, garlic powder, and season generously with salt and pepper. Set aside.
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In another shallow bowl, whisk the egg and set next to the breadcrumb mixture bowl. Place a baking sheet next to both the bowls.
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Take an eggplant slice, dip in the egg, and roll in the breadcrumb mixture until covered and lay on the baking sheet. Repeat until all eggplant slices are breaded.
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Transfer the coated eggplant to the air fryer and cook for 8 minutes or until browned and crispy.
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Transfer the eggplant to a serving dish, garnish with sliced basil, red pepper flakes, and extra Parmesan cheese. Serve with marinara sauce.
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