Eggplant Parmesan Bites: the recipe for a crunchy and delicious side dish

Eggplant parmesan bites are a greedy and crunchy side dish you can serve with a tasty marinara sauce. A delicious variation of classic Italian eggplant parmesan, it is a quick and easy recipe you can make in a pan in a few minutes.

The eggplants are cut into large cubes, passed in beaten eggs and then in a rich breading of breadcrumbs and grated parmesan cheese, then fried in boiling seed oil. The end result is nuggets that are crunchy and golden brown on the outside, and so tender on the inside that they literally melt in your mouth.

You can serve them with any main course of meat or fish or serve them as a delicious snack to share with friends. So let’s find out how to make eggplant parmesan bites by following our recipe step by step.

Tips

Dry the eggplants well before passing them in the egg and in the mix of breadcrumbs and grated parmesan cheese, so they will not release moisture during cooking. The temperature of the oil must also be precise. For a light and dry frying, you must fry between 170-180°C/340-250°F. You can measure the temperature with a kitchen thermometer.

For a lighter recipe, you can also bake the eggplants in the oven; once breaded, arrange them on a baking sheet, lined with a sheet of parchment paper, and bake at 180°C/350°F for about 30 minutes, or until they are well golden.

To make eggplant bites even more crunchy, you can replace the classic breadcrumbs with panko.

How to store Eggplants Parmesan Bites

We suggest you taste your eggplant parmesan bites immediately, to fully enjoy their crunchy texture. In any case you can store them in the refrigerator, tightly closed in an airtight container, for 24 hours.

How to make Eggplant Parmesan Bites

Step 1

Step 1

Wash the eggplants, dry them and cut them first into slices a couple of centimeters thick and then into cubes.

Wash the eggplants, dry them and cut them first into slices a couple of centimeters thick and then into cubes.

Step 2

Step 2

Collect the cubes in a colander, sprinkle them with a pinch of salt, mix and let rest for about 15 minutes.

Collect the cubes in a colander, sprinkle them with a pinch of salt, mix and let rest for about 15 minutes.

Step 3

Step 3

Dry the eggplant cubes with absorbent kitchen paper, pass them in the flour and then in the beaten eggs.

Dry the eggplant cubes with absorbent kitchen paper, pass them in the flour and then in the beaten eggs.

Step 4

Step 4

Mix the breadcrumbs with the grated parmesan cheese and bread the eggplants in the resulting mix.

Mix the breadcrumbs with the grated parmesan cheese and bread the eggplants in the resulting mix.

Step 5

Step 5

Fill a pan for ⅔ with oil and heat it up. Dip a few cubes of eggplant in the boiling oil at a time, taking care to brown them on all sides.

Fill a pan for ⅔ with oil and heat it up. Dip a few cubes of eggplant in the boiling oil at a time, taking care to brown them on all sides.

Step 6

Step 6

As soon as they appear crunchy and golden, gradually drain the eggplants bites on absorbent kitchen paper.

As soon as they appear crunchy and golden, gradually drain the eggplants bites on absorbent kitchen paper.

Step 7

Step 7

Season with a pinch of salt and serve the eggplants parmesan bites very hot with marinara sauce.

Season with a pinch of salt and serve the eggplants parmesan bites very hot with marinara sauce.