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My Easy Trick for Impossibly Crispy Baked Eggplant That’s So Good You’ll Think It’s Fried

Jan Valdez
Jan ValdezAssistant Recipe Producer at The Kitchn
I got into this field by spending 10 years working in Research & Development and Product Development test kitchens, testing new products and recipes. For nearly eight years, I was the Senior Culinary R&D Specialist at Weber headquarters, where all the grills are designed, engineered, and tested. I've helped launch numerous best-selling, top-rated grills across the globe (you should see my grill collection at home!). One of my proudest accomplishments happened years earlier, when I had the opportunity to visit the Good Housekeeping Institue in NYC after developing an award-winning Tropical Citrus Shrimp recipe that jumpstarted my career in test kitchens and food editing. Since then, I've worked at Serious Eats (one of my favorite food sites) and EatingWell as an updates editor. I'm passionate about both classic recipes and new, unique twists. I'm constantly learning and that's what makes food and cooking so fun (just ask me how to bake light and airy pavlovas on the grill – I've tested them countless times!).
published Aug 8, 2024
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slices of Baked Eggplant on plate with a lemon wedge and red sauce on the plate.
Credit: Perry Santanachote

It’s peak eggplant season, which means I’ve been adding a few tasty eggplant recipes to my weekly dinner rotation. A few of my favorite recipes are Ina Garten’s roasted eggplant Parmesan, spicy Chinese-style spicy eggplant salad, and one-pot eggplant caponata pasta. But once I tried Perry Santanachote’s recipe for her impossibly crispy baked eggplant, I was hooked. It’s crispy, crunchy, and flavorful. The best part? You don’t have to fry it, and that’s a big win for me!

Get the recipe: Impossibly Crispy Baked Eggplant

What Makes This Impossibly Crispy Baked Eggplant So Good

There are a couple of tricks to getting perfectly crispy eggplant in the oven.

  • Salting the eggplant slices. This draws out excess moisture, which prevents the eggplant from getting soggy. 
  • Preheating the rimmed baking sheet. Preheating the baking sheet in a 425°F oven before adding the breaded eggplant jumpstarts the browning process, and is the key to achieving that golden-brown, crispy crust.

This eggplant is also super-flavorful from adding grated Parmesan cheese and seasonings like Italian seasoning or za’atar to the panko breadcrumbs. You can serve the eggplant with marinara sauce or herbed labne for dipping. It’s also really good with homemade ranch dressing! Crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside, this baked eggplant is so delicious that you’ll never make it another way.

Get the recipe: Impossibly Crispy Baked Eggplant

Filed in:
Recipe Review
Side Dish
Vegetables