These super tasty Baked Eggplant Fries are a delicious and healthy version of French fries that will satisfy family and impress guests! With a crispy outside and tender inside, this upscaled version of the classic side is filling and yummy.
Serve with a flavorful homemade chipotle basil dip on the side for the ultimate flavor combination! You’ll never go back to regular fries again once you try these.
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💚 Why You'll Love This Recipe
I really love eggplant, but I don't serve it nearly as often as I should. I do the same with spaghetti squash. These are both wonderful vegetables that should have a prominent and regular place in our meal rotations!
These crispy eggplant fries can be served as an appetizer or healthy snack, or you can use them as a side dish for a family meal. The fries themselves are pretty tasty, but I really love them with the Basil Dipping Sauce!
This special sauce for eggplant fries has a bit of kick to it, but you can customize to your taste by adjusting the amount of ground chipotle.
If you love these eggplant fries, you also HAVE to try these Air Fryer Eggplant Fries for a slightly different take on them!
🧂 Ingredients Needed
- eggplant - either one large eggplant or two small-medium ones should be good.
- olive oil - ensures the seasonings and breading stick to your eggplant fries.
- Parmesan cheese - gives your fries a nice cheesy flavor and a bit of extra crunch.
- seasonings - a simple combination of garlic salt, pepper, and dried basil give these fries tons of flavor.
- cornstarch - helps your eggplant fries get nice and crispy in the oven.
🔪 Instructions
- Slice the eggplant into rounds, then slice the round eggplant slices into wedges, approximately 1-inch wide.
- Place eggplant sticks in a large bowl and add olive oil, then stir until well coated.
- Add Parmesan, garlic salt, pepper, basil, and cornstarch, then toss until eggplant strips are evenly coated in the breading.
- Bake breaded eggplant pieces on a large baking sheet at 425 degrees F for 15-20 minutes, or until crispy and golden brown.
- As an optional step, make the chipotle dipping sauce for the eggplant fries while they bake. Detailed instructions included below or in this post for Creamy Chipotle Dip with Basil.
❔ FAQs
No, soaking the eggplant isn't necessary for this eggplant fries recipe! You can simply cut up your eggplant and immediately bread it.
You can. In fact, there's a special antioxidant in eggplant skin called nasunin, which gives the vegetable its purple color. Nasunin can protect brain cell membranes and aid in removal of waste and nutrient transportation!
If you find there's too much internal moisture, sprinkle your eggplant fries with some salt and allow them to sit for about half and hour. Then rinse and with a paper towel, pat as dry as you can before breading. The salt will take out some of the excess moisture.
💭 Expert Tips and Tricks
- To promote even cooking, try to slice all of your eggplant rounds and wedges as close to the same size as possible. Also be sure to arrange them in a single layer on your baking sheet.
- Super crispy baked eggplant fries can be attained by broiling them for 3-4 minutes after baking. Just be careful, as it's easy to burn them this way.
- Add a layer of parchment paper to your cookie sheet for easy cleanup.
📌 Make these tasty and healthy fries as an appetizer, snack, or nutritious side dish the family will love! Paired with the special chipotle basil sauce for eggplant fries, you'll love how flavorful and satisfying this dish turns out.
💡 Substitutions and Variations
- For some extra crunch, use something like Panko bread crumbs on the outside of your baked eggplant fries.
- Other seasonings can easily be added or substituted for the ones suggested depending on what flavors you enjoy. Some good options are garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, and cayenne pepper.
- For a more simple result, you could even use just oil, salt, and black pepper.
- The chipotle sauce for roasted eggplant is a delicious option, but these eggplant fries will pair well with a whole host of dipping sauces! Marinara sauce is a fantastic substitution.
🔊 What readers are saying...
"I love this healthy dish! Thanks for sharing! x"
- Jhuls
🥫 Storage and Reheating
To store your leftovers, wrap baked eggplant fries tightly in plastic wrap or store in an airtight container for 3-4 days. They can also be frozen for up to 4-5 months.
When it comes time to reheat, I recommend popping them back in the oven for a few minutes. In the microwave, they'll likely end up soggy or rubbery. From frozen, just allow them to thaw in the fridge for a bit before reheating.
🍴 What To Serve With This Dish
These baked eggplant fries are the perfect side dish to pair with all of your favorite main courses!
Serve alongside Easy Thai Salmon for a nutritious meal, Bang Bang Shrimp Tacos for a bold taco night, Roasted Red Pepper Soup for a comforting combo, or One Skillet Garlic Chicken with Rice for something filling and super tasty!
✔️ More Baked Recipes You'll Love
- Baked Dill Fries - If you love the flavor of dill, you'll love these tasty potato fries with a simple but delicious coating!
- Baked Avocados - You'll love the caprese salad flavors paired with these creamy baked avocados.
- Easy Baked Chocolate Donuts - These super easy donuts are simply to make in the oven and come with an orange glaze.
- Baked Cod with Panko - Crispy and delicious, this fish dish from Swirls of Flavor is perfect for a quick weeknight meal!
Looking for another vegetarian snack? Take a look at this delicious paneer pakora recipe, with pieces of tender paneer batter fried to a crispy, crunchy golden brown!
Homemade Eggplant Fries
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📋 Recipe Card
Baked Eggplant Fries with Basil Dipping Sauce
Ingredients
For the eggplant fries:
- 1 large eggplants (or 2 smaller eggplants)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ½ teaspoon garlic salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon corn starch
- 1 teaspoon dried basil flakes
For the dipping sauce:
- ½ cup mayonnaise (can use light mayo if desired)
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon ground chipotle
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Slice eggplants into rounds about ¾ inch thick, and then slice the rounds into wedges about 1 inch wide.1 large eggplants
- Place the eggplant wedges into a large bowl, then drizzle the olive oil and toss until well distributed.2 tablespoons olive oil
- Add the Parmesan cheese, garlic salt, pepper, cornstarch, and dried basil flakes and toss again.½ teaspoon garlic salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, 1 tablespoon corn starch, 1 teaspoon dried basil flakes, ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Place the fries on a wire rack on a baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes. (Tip: spray the wire rack with nonstick spray before placing the fries to help prevent sticking.)
- While the fries are baking, make the basil dip by combining the mayonnaise, basil, garlic, lemon juice, ground chipotle, and salt in a small bowl. Chill the dip until the fries are done.½ cup mayonnaise, 1 teaspoon minced garlic, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, ½ teaspoon ground chipotle, ¼ teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- When slicing the eggplant, try to make all the pieces approximately the same thickness for even cooking.
- For crispier fries, after baking, place them under the broiler for 3-4 minutes, but watch carefully so they don't burn.
Video
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate. The nutritional values for your final dish may vary based on measuring differences and products used.
Update Notes: This post was originally published in February 2017, and was republished with tips, step by step photos, and a recipe change in March 2023.
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Quynh says
I made this recipe exactly as is, and it turned out delicious!
Tayler says
I love eggplant but always struggle with what to make with it. These fries look perfect and I can't wait to try them!
Beth says
These look so delicious. I love the texture and flavors. It's such a great way to make veggies fun.