Tips On How To Fry Eggplant Without or Eggs

Have a surplus of summer eggplant? Try this super easy recipe for Fried Eggplant Without Egg (or flour). Truly, neither egg nor flour is necessary for this perfectly fried eggplant.

Sometimes simple is best when it comes to in-season vegetables. With fresh produce, less is often more and this recipe proves that 100 percent. The result is eggplant with a crispy crust and creamy inside.

Fried Eggplant Without Egg

Each week during the summer, my sister and I share a CSA bag from the Purdue University Student Farm. It’s always a surprise on what is going to be inside each week. It’s fun to get fruits and vegetables you wouldn’t typically buy at the grocery store but are in season. This means the flavors are amazing and the quality is great.

Eggplant is not on my typical grocery list, but I do look forward to using eggplant during the summer months. Over the years, there’s a few different recipes that I typically make with eggplant including Old Fashioned Eggplant Casserole and Eggplant Goulash.

Grandma’s Fried Eggplant

I found this recipe in a West Virginia Catholic Church Cookbook. It’s such a down-to-earth recipe. I can truly imagine a Grandma making this all the time. She wrote the recipe so very detailed that you know it is tried and true.

I love recipes like that. One time, I found a recipe in the cookbook of my husband’s grandmother that said to “stir the dish for three Hail Mary’s, which means start stirring, say three Hail Mary prayers, and then you can stop.” It doesn’t get much more real than that.

Fried Eggplant Without Breadcrumbs

Most fried eggplant recipes call for flour or breadcrumbs, which is why I love this easy fried eggplant recipe. There are no breadcrumbs and no flour in this fried eggplant recipe. And really, you won’t even miss those ingredients. The hot oil will give a crispy outside texture to the fried eggplant, while the inside stays perfectly creamy.

Ingredient List for Fried Eggplant (No Eggs or Flour)

• Medium to Small Eggplant
• Salt
• Vegetable Oil
• Black Pepper

How To Fry Eggplant Without Eggs or Flour

Step By Step Instructions

1. Peel eggplant, and slice into 3/8 inch slices.
2. Arrange eggplant slices in a colander and liberally sprinkle with salt. Let sit for 30 minutes.
3. Dry completely with paper towels to remove excess moisture.
4. Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet (enough oil to have about an inch up the side). Turn to medium-high heat.
5. When the oil is hot, slide eggplant in a single layer in the oil.
6. Fry until golden brown; flip and repeat on the second side.
7. Transfer to paper towels to drain.
8. Taste, and then season with salt and pepper.

For the full ingredient amounts and recipe steps for how to make fried eggplant without flour, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Recipe FAQs

• I use regular eggplant or Japanese eggplant for this recipe.
• Peel the eggplant first. Cut the eggplant into the desired width; I prefer around 3/8 inches.
• The trick to a crispy fried eggplant is to remove moisture from the eggplant. To do this, salt generously and arrange in a single layer in a colander. Let is sit for a minimum of 30 minutes. You’ll be surprised how wet it looks after that. Press out all the excess moisture with paper towels.
• For the oil, use a vegetable oil that is good for frying. I either use generic vegetable oil, soybean oil or canola oil.
• Some of the salt remains after the salting step. Taste the fried eggplant before adding more salt and black pepper. If desired, sprinkle with garlic powder or Parmesan cheese before eating.
• Love sauces? Try dipping these in marinara sauce or tomato sauce with Italian herbs.
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Fried Vegetable Dishes

Easy Pan Fried Zucchini 

Fried Cabbage with Bacon 

Crispy Fried Potatoes