Crispy air fryer eggplant chips with a golden brown parmesan crust layered on top of a pool of tangy, rich roasted capsicum sauce. Transforming eggplant chips into a healthier side dish option that is easy to make without using much oil at all!
Place red pepper and 2 cloves of garlic (skin on) on a lined baking tray. Drizzle with some olive oil to coat the red bell pepper. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes until red pepper skin is charred and the flesh has collapsed.
Remove from the oven and cool down.
Peel the charred skin, remove the stem and scrape off any excess seeds from the roasted red bell pepper. Place roasted red pepper flesh into a saucepan.
Squeeze the roasted garlic from the skin and add to the saucepan.
Chop tomatoes into small chunks and place in a saucepan as well.
Add vegetable stock/water, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper to the roasted red pepper and chopped tomatoes.
Use a stick blender and blitz everything together until smooth.
Over medium heat, bring the roasted red pepper sauce to a boil and then simmer for 10 minutes to reduce the sauce.
Once the sauce is a thick consistency, remove from heat.
Air Fryer Eggplant
Cut eggplant into thick strips approximately 2cm thick and 10cm in length.
Mix breadcrumbs, grated parmesan cheese, chopped parsley and salt and pepper together.
Take one eggplant chip and place into flour—roll the chip around so that it is fully coated. Then move it to the next plate and roll it in a whisked egg. Finally, transfer to parmesan breadcrumb mix and fully coat eggplant chips.
Once done, place crumbed eggplant chips on a plate ready to be fried in an air fryer.
Repeat the process until all eggplant chips are crumbed.
Preheat the air fryer for 3 minutes at 200°C or 400°F.
Remove the air fryer basket and spray once over with cooking oil. Place eggplant chips in the basket on a single layer. Spray eggplant chips with cooking oil.
Air fry eggplant for 5-6 minutes or golden brown. After 5 minutes, turn eggplant chips around and give them another spray of cooking oil. Fry for a further 5-6 minutes until golden brown. Repeat the process until all eggplant chips are fried using an air fryer.
Once all eggplant chips are fried, return them into a basket and fry for another 3-4 minutes to reheat and crisp up.
On a large serving dish, scoop roasted red pepper sauce on the bottom.
Stack air fryer eggplant neatly in a tower on top of roasted red pepper sauce.
Drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil on the roasted red pepper sauce around the air fryer eggplant stack.
Serve immediately.
Video
Notes
Do not overcrowd the air fryer basket. It is best to leave space between the eggplant chips so that the hot air has room to circulate.
For the 3.2L / 3.4Qt air fryer, I completed the recipe in two batches.
Omit parmesan cheese for a vegan air fryer eggplant recipe. Increase the breadcrumbs to make sure you have enough to coat all the eggplant chips.
Substitute regular plain flour and breadcrumbs for gluten free options. You can also use almond flour if that is available.
You can also substitute fresh tomatoes with 1 can of whole tomatoes—no need to add vegetable stock or water before blitzing. Adjust afterwards.