Crispy Eggplant Bacon Recipe (Air Fry or Oven) (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to cooking eggplant? ›

Eggplants are known to absorb a lot of fat while cooking. A useful tip to prevent sogginess and greasiness is to salt sliced or diced eggplant and let it sit for an hour. This helps to draw out moisture. Next, rinse and drain any liquid from the sliced eggplant, then pat dry before cooking.

It's fantastic cooked in an air fryer , and a very pleasant addition on pizza, or in a risotto. I would definitely recommend it. As a new vegan I can say this is the best facon (fake+bacon) I've ever tried. If you fry it long enough in some olive oil (or any oil of your choice) it comes out crispy and delicious.

Eggplant can be cooked either way: skin-on or peeled. This is entirely based on personal preference. Some love the extra bite and purple hue that peaks through the breading of a slice of fried eggplant, while others find the texture of the skin a little crunchy and unappealing once fried.

I tend to soak the slices in a bowl of water with a couple of tablespoon of salt for about 30-45 minutes. It doesn't have to do with bitterness, but I find that in doing this, the fried eggplant turns out less greasy," Jenkins says.

This article has been viewed 83,844 times. Salting an eggplant can make it less bitter, which is especially important for older eggplants. Salting can also help the eggplant absorb less oil, particularly when you're frying it, and it helps flavor the eggplant by allowing it to pull salt into the vegetable.

Older recipes call for salting eggplant to draw out the bitter juices, but today's eggplants are less bitter (unless very large), so salting is largely unnecessary. It will, however, help the spongy flesh absorb less oil and crisp up like a dream.

Soak eggplant slices or cubes in milk for about 30 minutes before cooking. The milk not only tempers the bitterness, but it actually makes for eggplant that is extra creamy, since the vegetable acts like a sponge and soaks up a good amount of milk in its flesh.

Salting the eggplant before cooking draws out excess moisture so the eggplant has a stronger flavor and a softer, more tender texture. Less water = more flavor. Does eggplant need to be salted? Eggplant does not necessarily need to be salted, but some recipes benefit from the process.

It doesn't sit in grease.

Unlike bacon that is cooked on a sheet pan in the oven, or in a skillet on the stovetop, the air fryer allows the bacon grease to drip into the pan below as it cooks, so the bacon strips will be less greasy when they are done.

Should I use foil in air fryer for bacon? ›

If you're using an oven-style air fryer, you'll want to put the bacon on an air-fry basket (basically a mesh rack) with either a solid pan or a piece of aluminum foil folded up on the edges underneath to catch any bacon grease drippings.

Overcrowding the pan.

The best eggplant is caramelized and crispy on the outside and melt-in-your-mouth tender on the inside. This is achieved by giving the cubes or slices enough room to brown while they cook.

Before you cook

Before you start cooking an eggplant, you should get rid of any liquid residues and coat it well so it won't absorb oil. For this reason, slice your fruit (yes it's a fruit) and place it in a colander. Add a generous amount of salt and let it sit over the sink until all the liquids are eliminated.

Typically eggplant behaves like a sponge, soaking up heroic amounts of oil when fried. The Terzo Piano chefs use this trick to prevent heavy aubergines: Before frying, soak the strips of eggplant in an ice water bath. They will absorb water and drop in temperature.

Soak eggplant slices or cubes in milk for about 30 minutes before cooking. The milk not only tempers the bitterness, but it actually makes for eggplant that is extra creamy, since the vegetable acts like a sponge and soaks up a good amount of milk in its flesh.

Salting the eggplant before cooking draws out excess moisture so the eggplant has a stronger flavor and a softer, more tender texture. Less water = more flavor. Does eggplant need to be salted? Eggplant does not necessarily need to be salted, but some recipes benefit from the process.