How To Bake Eggplant Fries

Eggplants are members of the nightshade family of vegetables, which makes them a close cousin of potatoes. Obviously that makes becoming fries a sort of family fairy-tale for eggplant. Surprisingly, eggplant is much easier to turn into fries than the legendary potato. Eggplant takes on a simple breading easily and quickly softens in the oven — the results are a fry with a crisp outside and creamy, tender interior.

There are a few tricks to turning vegetables into fries. The first is making sure that the eggplant is cut into uniform shapes. Cut the eggplant into one-inch rounds first and then slice those rounds into batons — or thick columns. Leaving the skin on the eggplant helps it hold its shape while coating and cooking.

We’ve employed a similar breading on vegetable fries in the past (avocado fries are a favorite), but here we’re using a faster method for getting the breadcrumb coating on the fries. Combining the homemade breadcrumbs and Parmesan in a resealable bag and then using the bag to “shake” the eggplant fries in the coating gets the eggplant covered faster. This is important, as eggplant is notoriously absorbent and will suck up the egg white if left uncoated for long.

I’d argue that ranch dressing is a close second to ketchup in the well-loved dip department. Flavoring Greek yogurt with garlic and dried herbs makes a quick and fresh alternative dip for these fries. It keeps incredibly well in the fridge and is equally delicious for spreading on sandwiches as it is for dipping.