Pan-Fried Eggplant with Garlic and Parsley

Looking for an easy way to prepare eggplant? This Mediterranean-style pan-fried eggplant requires minimal work and just 5 simple ingredients.

Eggplant seems to intimidate a lot of people. Unlike, say, carrots or tomatoes, it is not a very straightforward vegetable. If you have zero experience cooking eggplant, you may have a hard time understanding how it goes from taut, bulbous, and oddly shaped, to melt-in-your-mouth soft.

If you are ready to embark on the eggplant (a.k.a. aubergine) journey, this pan-frying method is one of the easiest techniques you can tackle. You only need 5 ingredients and end up with sweet, buttery eggplant that makes a Mediterranean-style vegan side dish. The tangy parsley-garlic topping complements the eggplant’s sweetness perfectly.

Pan-Fried Eggplant Keys to Success

• Salt the eggplant. Salting eggplant prior to cooking softens the vegetable and draws out some of its bitterness. (More details below)
• Dredge it in flour. Pan-frying eggplant coated in a thin layer of flour helps the eggplant hold its shape, keeps it moist, and makes it less likely to stick to the pan.
• Cover the pan with a lid. A lid traps steam inside the pan, which speeds up cooking time and helps soften the eggplant. These factors also help you use less oil.

Why You Should Salt Eggplant

Eggplant naturally contains a lot of moisture and some bitterness. Sprinkling sliced eggplant with salt and setting it aside for at least 20 minutes before cooking helps combat both of these issues. Salt literally makes eggplant “sweat out” the excess moisture and bitter flavor, and makes it a bit more pliable too.

Don’t worry about excess sodium here. The salt dissolves on the eggplant and most of it is wiped off before cooking.

Key Ingredients + Substitutions

• Eggplant (a.k.a. Aubergine): This recipe is meant for globe eggplant – i.e. the one you’ll typically find on American store shelves – but you can use Italian eggplant too. Look for eggplant with taut, shiny skin without bruising or indentations. (If you have Chinese eggplants, check out this stir-fry recipe instead.)
• All-Purpose Flour: To keep this recipe gluten-free, use a GF blend instead, like Bob’s Red Mill.
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Eggplant absorbs a lot of oil as it cooks, so be sure to use a nice-tasting one like California Olive Ranch.
• Parsley: Brightens pan-fried eggplant with a grassy freshness. Feel free to substitute with cilantro or dill, or use a mix of them all.

How to Pan-Fry Eggplant Rounds

Find complete instructions with ingredient amounts in the recipe card below.

Step 1: Salt the Eggplant

Cut the eggplant into rounds, and arrange on a cutting board or tray. Sprinkle salt on both sides and set aside for 20 to 30 minutes, until the eggplant looks sweaty.

Step 2: Dredge the Eggplant

Pat the rounds dry with paper towels on both sides. Season a bit of flour with salt and pepper, and dip the eggplant into the flour on both sides, making sure to tap off any excess.

Step 3: Fry the Eggplant

Heat a generous amount of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Arrange the eggplant in a single layer (you’ll need to cook it in 2 batches). Cover with a lid and cook until golden brown on the bottom, about 5 minutes. Then flip, put the lid back on, and brown the other side.

Step 4: Make the Parsley Topping

In a small bowl, combine parsley, garlic, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt. This simple topping adds brightness and freshness to pan-fried eggplant, and makes it into a complete dish.

Step 5: Finish the Eggplant

As soon as the eggplant comes out of the skillet, scatter the parsley mixture on top. Be sure to add it while the eggplant is still hot so it warms the raw garlic a bit.

Using the Right Amount of Oil

When cooking eggplant in a pan on the stove, you’ll notice it can absorb a lot of oil. And while you do need to coat the pan in an even layer of oil before adding the eggplant, you do not need to deep-fry eggplant in several cups of oil for good results.

The eggplant will absorb most of the oil you add to the pan while it’s cooking on the first side. Note there is no need to add more oil when flipping it to brown on the second side. As mentioned, covering the pan with a lid ensures you’ll use as little oil as possible.

Serving Suggestions

These fried aubergine rounds will compliment Mediterranean and Middle Eastern dishes. Think Tuscan beans on toast, tofu spanakopita, lobio, or brown rice mujadara.

More Eggplant Recipes…

• Chinese Eggplant Stir-Fry
• Ottolenghi-Inspired Eggplant with Tahini
• Air Fryer Miso Eggplant
• Tofu Eggplant Shakshuka

Let me know if you try this recipe! Give it a rating below and leave a comment, and don’t forget to tag your creation with @thenewbaguette on Instagram.

The Full Recipe