Cooking whole eggplants in the air fryer allows you to have perfect eggplants to serve seasoned or to prepare eggplant meatballs or to make quick eggplant pesto. The recipe is very simple, just put the whole eggplants with skin, without oil, in the air fryer.
For a few years now, I often use the fryer to make recipes that need to be baked. I’ve tried the eggplant mini pizzas in the air fryer, the eggplant rolls in the air fryer, and each time, I’m won over. This allows me to reduce cooking times, eliminating preheating times (a phase when the oven consumes more). I published this recipe for eggplant salad a long time ago, and I had indeed cooked the eggplant cubes in the air fryer. I remember that that day, I also prepared the roasted peppers in the air fryer.
In my book on the air fryer (ed. Gribaudo), you can find many other air fryer recipes.
Follow me on the main social channels, I will soon publish many other eggplant-based recipes in the air fryer. You can find me on: Facebook – Instagram.
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Very Cheap
- Rest time: 5 Minutes
- Preparation time: 2 Minutes
- Portions: 2
- Cooking methods: Air Frying
- Cuisine: Italian
- Energy 56.25 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 13.23 (g) of which sugars 7.94 (g)
- Proteins 2.21 (g)
- Fat 0.41 (g) of which saturated 0.08 (g)of which unsaturated 0.21 (g)
- Fibers 6.75 (g)
- Sodium 4.50 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 178 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 1 black oval eggplant (about 1 lb)
What You Need to Cook the Eggplant in an Air Fryer
- 1 Air Fryer
Procedure
Wash the eggplant, leave it whole, and place it in the air fryer basket. Insert the basket into the fryer compartment, set it to 356°F and start cooking for 25 minutes.
At the end of cooking, let it rest for 10 minutes in the turned-off fryer.
After resting, remove the eggplant from the fryer, cut it in half, and scoop out the pulp.
From the Pan to the Jar Recommends
Once the whole eggplants are cooked in the air fryer, you can store them in the refrigerator in a glass container for 24 hours.
Ideas for Enjoying Eggplants Cooked in the Air Fryer
Cut the eggplant pulp into large pieces, distribute them in a deep dish, and season with garlic, basil, salt, oil, and a splash of vinegar, mix and serve.
Eggplant Meatballs in the Air Fryer
Peel the cooked eggplant, place it in a bowl, and mash it with a fork. Let it cool slightly, then add: one clove of minced garlic, 4 torn basil leaves, 2 pinches of salt, 1 egg, 2 tablespoons of grated cheese, and about 3.5 oz of breadcrumbs. Mix the ingredients and, with moistened hands, form meatballs. Roll them in a little breadcrumbs and gradually place them in the fryer basket. Spray them lightly with oil. Cook the eggplant meatballs in the air fryer, for 15 minutes at 392°F, turning them after 10 minutes.
