Crispy Baked Eggplant Cutlets, crunchy on the outside and tender and moist on the inside. A delicious satisfying vegetarian main dish or side dish!
Just when I thought I had sampled all of my mother's recipes she surprised us with these crispy baked eggplant cutlets! We devoured them within minutes and my family began asking for them at home. Even my daughter, who is usually a picky eater, wanted more! The question remained, why is it that we never ate these at my mother's until recently?
Apparently she hasn't made them because she forgot all about them. No kidding! I further questioned my mother about them and she replied that she used to make them in Sicily. No surprise here. My repertoire of eggplant recipes is growing and I'm pleased to add this one to my collection as well.
Now you may be thinking to yourself, breaded eggplant? This is no big deal. For some of you breaded eggplant slices are the foundation of your eggplant parmigiana recipe. That is not the case for my mom's eggplant parmigiana recipe which is made with oven roasted eggplant.
But these cutlets are so crisp, yet moist and tender on the inside. The perfect vegetarian cutlet, you'll never miss the meat!
The secret to the amazing texture of these eggplant cutlets is...
The secret to my mom's amazing eggplant cutlets is to boil the eggplant slices. Now I found that rather strange when I first heard this and I know many of you are fond of fried eggplant, but it works.
This ensures they remain crisp on the outside but not dry on the inside. So there's no need to salt the eggplant for this recipe. Just slice it up, boil for about 3 minutes and after they've cooled for a few minutes just bread them and bake!
Do you have fry eggplant to get it nice and crispy?
Not at all! In fact I did the same thing with zucchini (just like my mom makes) and got the same excellent results. Here is my recipe for baked parmesan zucchini crisps! Just be sure to drizzle a little extra olive oil over the cutlets before baking and flip them halfway through. This will ensure a crisp texture and golden color on both sides.
How to serve this recipe
My family and I enjoy them as a vegetarian alternative to traditional breaded veal or chicken cutlets. They are satisfying enough as a main dish along with a salad or other vegetable side dishes.
However, if you think they're a little plain on their own, here are a few suggestions to dress them up!
- Top each baked slice with a spoonful of tomato sauce, grated mozzarella cheese and broil until the cheese is melted.
- Layer them in a casserole dish to make eggplant parmigiana (a much heavier one than my mom's recipe but no doubt delicious!) with tomato sauce, mozzarella and ingredients of your choice.
- Make an eggplant cutlet sandwich panino with tomatoes and lettuce.
- Or simply enjoy them as a side dish alongside your meat course.
Step by Step Instructions:
Bring about 2 inches of water to a boil in a large deep skillet and salt lightly.
Slice a large globe eggplant (mine was about 500 grams) crosswise into approximate 1 cm thick rounds. If you are using smaller sized eggplant, you may choose to slice it lengthwise instead.
Boil the eggplant slices a few at a time, without overcrowding the pan, for 3 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the eggplant onto a dish towel covered tray to absorb the excess water. Repeat with the remaining eggplant.
Prepare 3 bowls with ingredients for the breading. In the first bowl add flour and a pinch of salt; in the second an egg beaten with 1 tablespoon of water and a pinch of salt; and in the 3rd bowl the breading ingredients: dry unseasoned breadcrumbs, grated Parmigiano cheese, fresh chopped parsley, a small clove of garlic (finely minced), dry oregano, salt and pepper.
Prepare a baking sheet by covering it with parchment paper and generously grease it with olive oil. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Dredge both sides of each slice of eggplant first in the flour (1) , next in the egg wash (2) allowing the excess to drip off, and finally in the breadcrumb mixture (3).
Transfer to the prepared baking sheet and repeat with the remaining eggplant. 
Drizzle the tops with a little extra olive oil. Bake for 30 minutes, flipping halfway through, until crisp and golden. Serve hot.
Tips and suggestions:
- You do not need to peel the eggplant for this recipe. In fact, the peel helps hold the eggplant together otherwise the slices will tear and fall apart when cooking.
- Do not slice the eggplant slices too thin or they may fall apart when boiling. Remember, these are eggplant cutlets not chips!
- Do not skip drizzling the breaded eggplant slices with oil before baking to ensure that they turn out crisp.
- Enjoy these eggplant cutlets as a main vegetarian dish; a side dish; in sandwiches; topped with tomato sauce and mozzarella and broiled or layered in your favorite eggplant parmigiana recipe.
- Leftovers keep well refrigerated for up to 3 days. Reheat in the oven before serving.
- This recipe serves 2 as a main dish or 4 as a side dish.
If you try out this recipe, let me know how much you enjoyed it by rating it in the recipe card below. Feel free to Pin it for later. Buon appetito!
Here are lots more eggplant recipes for you to enjoy!
Baked Eggplant and Potatoes with Tomato Sauce
Stuffed Eggplant and Peppers in Tomato Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 large globe eggplant (about 500 grams or just over 1 lb)
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup dry unseasoned breadcrumbs
- ⅓ cup grated Parmigiano cheese
- 2 tbsp. freshly chopped parsley
- 1 small garlic clove finely minced
- 1 teaspoon dry oregano
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- black pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoon olive oil plus extra for drizzling
Instructions
- Bring about 2 inches of water to a boil in a large deep skillet and salt lightly.
- Slice a large globe eggplant (mine was about 500 grams) crosswise into approximate 1 cm thick rounds. If you are using smaller sized eggplants, you may choose to slice them lengthwise instead.
- Boil the eggplant slices a few at a time, without overcrowding the pan, for 3 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the eggplant to a dish towel covered tray to absorb the excess water. Repeat with the remaining eggplant.
- Prepare 3 bowls with the ingredients for the breading. In the first bowl add flour and a pinch of salt; in the second an egg beaten with 1 tablespoon of water and a pinch of salt; and in the 3rd bowl the breading ingredients: dry unseasoned breadcrumbs, grated Parmigiano cheese, fresh chopped parsley, a small clove of garlic (finely minced), dry oregano, salt and pepper.
- Prepare a baking sheet by covering it with parchment paper and generously grease it with olive oil. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Dredge both sides of each slice of eggplant first in the flour, next in the egg wash (allowing the excess to drip off) and finally in the breadcrumb mixture. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet and repeat with the remaining eggplant.
- Drizzle the tops with a little extra olive oil. Bake for 30 minutes, flipping halfway through, until crisp and golden. Serve hot.
Notes
- You do not need to peel the eggplant for this recipe. In fact, the peel helps hold the eggplant together otherwise the slices will tear and fall apart when cooking.
- Do not slice the eggplant slices too thin or they may fall apart when boiling. Remember, these are eggplant cutlets not chips!
- Do not skip drizzling the breaded eggplant slices with oil before baking to ensure that they turn out crisp.
- Enjoy these eggplant cutlets as a main vegetarian dish; a side dish; in sandwiches; topped with tomato sauce and mozzarella and broiled or layered in your favorite eggplant parmigiana recipe.
- Leftovers keep well refrigerated for up to 3 days. Reheat in the oven before serving.
- This recipe serves 2 as a main dish or 4 as a side dish.
Nutrition
Carla
This one is definitely a keeper! I boiled all the eggplant at one time -- eggplant floats so used a metal strainer to retain it under the surface of the water. And I substituted half and half for egg. And cooked it on a broiling tray (no pan underneath) so I didn't need to flip them. I will not miss splattered oil going forward. A game changer. Thank you!!
Nadia
Hi Carla, thank you very much for your comment! Many people are skeptical about the idea of boiling the eggplant first but it really works well in this recipe! Thank you for sharing your tips as well!
Jean leonard
Hi Nadia,
I am a vegetarian (and proud Sicilian) and often crave eggplant for its “meatiness”. I try to avoid frying because of the extra calories and the mess.
I had some eggplants from my garden and searched for a baked eggplant option. Decided to give yours a try. The idea of boiling the eggplant was intriguing to me.
I followed your recipe exactly and the eggplant is so delicious! Light, crispy and satisfying. It’s exactly how I want eggplant to taste.I will never bother with frying again, no need.
Thank you,
Jean
Nadia
Hello Jean, I know I'll definitely choose eggplants over meat any day! I'm so glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe. Many are skeptical when it comes to boiling them however this creates a cutlet that is moist on the inside and crisp on the outside and not at all dry! And so true, no need to fry to enjoy these. Thanks again!
Diane
This recipe is a #5. Just finished making it and eating it. It is outstanding...there is no need to have meat included in the recipe. I am always skeptoical of internet recipes but this recipe upheld moral and ethical standards and not with holding vital iinformation as most internet recipes do. Thank you to the author of the website as well as the authors mom.
Nadia
Hello Diane, thank you so much for your kind words! I told my mother how much you enjoyed her recipe last night and she told me about how she first made this recipe for her brother years ago back in Sicily. Something she came up with totally on her own, thinking that the eggplant would be much more tender if lightly boiled before breading it. And she was right, they are simply delicious and I'm glad you think so as well! Thanks again and all the best to you!
Catherine
Hi.. I changed using a dish towel to drain the eggplant and opted for a cooling rack in a baking tray and then instead of laying the eggplant flat, I used the same set up to bake them which eliminates having to turn them and allows them to crisp evenly. Love the boil method though! I actually used the same pan to make my marinara in because I used a saucier.
Nadia
Hi Catherine, thanks for sharing your tip. Sounds like a great idea! I'm sure it will be helpful to other readers as well!
Brigida
Hi Nadia,
Tried this recipe tonight, this method of boiling the eggplant works like a dream,I could have eaten the whole sheet pan. They were crispy and light not heavy at all like the frying method. Made a parmigiana with them excellent. This will be my go to from now on. Thank you so much for this recipe.
Regards,
Brigida
Nadia
Hi Brigida, I was taken aback when I first learned that my mom boiled her eggplant! And of course once you've tried this technique there's no going back, as you mentioned it's crisp, tender and light. This recipe is now a staple at our house. So glad you enjoyed it and yes I agree it makes for a great parmigiana. Thanks for your lovely comment!
Randy L Tomlinson
Tried this last night. The only thing I changed was the boil time at the end. Three minutes seemed to long and was making them too soft so I cut it down to two minutes. I also added Buttermilk to my Egg Mixture before dipping into the bread crumbs. They probably would have been a little more crispy with a few more minutes in the oven. Other than that they were great. It was the first time we had ever done eggplant other than frying. Thank you for the new recipe.
Nadia
Hello Randy, thanks for sharing your experience with making this recipe. Of course the boiling time may vary according to exactly how thick you cut your eggplant but glad to hear you found what works best for you! And baking instead of frying is definitely a game changer, especially when they turn out just as tasty!
Romina Costantini
I was a little sceptical about this. Let me tell you, I was wrong! These were absolutely delicious and easy to make. I too, don’t like to fry food and this was better! I used panko because I was out of the regular
breadcrumbs. Turned out great. We devoured them. Thank you for the recipe!
Nadia
Hi Romina, thanks so much for sharing your experience with this recipe! I know, the boiling part has had people react but it does work and it is easy. And Panko definitely does work as well. Glad to hear you enjoyed them!
Anna Bucciarelli
I make these all the time and always have some frozen so I can put together a quick eggplant parmesan. I can eat them until I burst just as your recipe (and mine) calls for. Except, and this is a big exception - I have never boiled the eggplant - I have placed the slices in a colander, layering with salt, then placing a plate over top to fit inside the colander with a weight (a large can of tomatoes works fine) to remove excess water and cut bitterness that sometimes comes with eggplants. Then I dry them with a clean dish towel. Otherwise the rest of your recipe is the same as mine. In recent years I have opted to use Panko on occasion because of the crunch factor but I think regular fresh bread crumbs serve as well,
Nadia
Hi Anna, the idea of freezing them is a good one! And yes I know the boiling of the eggplant is quite different, in fact I have ever heard of it before either but it does work! And there's no salting involved in this recipe. I also agree that Panko is a good alternative to regular breadcrumbs, very crispy indeed!
AnnaBucciarerlli
Hi sweet Nadia - just wanted to tell you that I made up a batch of these yesterday, expecting my 91 year old sister to arrive for a visit today so I want her to enjoy them and will surprise her with the boiling of eggplant rather than salting and weighting them as I've been taught by mama and always done - until now! Your method of boiling works beautifully and i don't think I'll go back to mama's way, or in fact, most of my aunts cousins and all family members have always done - the salting and weighting. It's true - you learn something new just about every day and are NEVER too old to learn new tricks. Thanks so much dear girl - you are a treasure for sure.
Nadia
Hello dearest Anna, so nice to hear from you! And I'm so glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe. Many have beeen skeptical regarding the boiling of the eggplant. It is a trick my mom came up with years ago and as you mentioned, it definitely works! Thank you very much for taking the time to comment on this unique recipes. All the best!
Tomasz
These melanzane are so tasty, these are dangerous. You cant stop eating them when these are warm! Comments:
1. Never heard about boiling them, will definitely try next time
2. My nonna always tells me, only round "melanzane tunisine" work for this recipy. I tried few times normal aubergines at home ( far away from palermo :-(( ), and these were good - but round and very light purple colour are amazing.
I found once abroad round small aubergines from france - and these were in the middle between normal and tunisian.
3. I like a lot, you make them in oven. I switched them to oven too, to keep them healthier. But if you want ultimate taste and the way nonnas do - fry them on the low heat in olive oil, both sides. Add oil all the time, because aubergine drinks a lot.
Fried are unreal with taste, and I guess with calories as well 😉
I just finished sicilan way grilled octopus for dinner - and you made me hungry again!
Nadia
Hello Tomasz, you understand why we couldn't get enough! The boiling, although it sounds odd (it did to me too!) does work. I agree, those light purple eggplant are delicious! Although there's no doubt that frying is always tasty, the baked ones are really worth trying. Let me know what you think if you try them!
Tomasz
Hi Nadia,
Ive just made and boiled them - and Im genuinely impressed, it worked like a dream! So juicy, tasty and not heavy like normal ones. Im impressed with boiling part. When this covid wave is gone and some flughts are back, Im going to boil them to the Palermo friends - cant wait to see their faces ;-))
Nadia
Hi Tomasz, thank you so much for your testimony! You really have to try it to believe it works well so thanks for taking the time to share your experience making this recipe. Curious to hear what the Palermo friends think. Just tell them that my mom from a small town in the province of Messina prepares them this way!