Air Fryer Aubergine (Perfect for pasta, curries and stews)

This air fryer aubergine is one of my favourite things to cook. It's so easy and adaptable, and it’s a quick and easy way to add one of your five-a-day to a whole host of dishes.

Aubergine is one of my all-time favourite ingredients. It’s so adaptable and air fryer aubergines can be used in various dishes. I love cutting it into chunks to add to curries, stews and pasta bakes. You can also air fry aubergine in slices for moussaka and aubergine parmigiana. Either way, it’s a great addition to salads and makes a great side dish. You could even serve air-fried aubergine as part of a mezze or tapas board with air fryer halloumi fries and air-fried cauliflower.

Aubergines (also known as eggplant) are technically a fruit, but they are cooked and eaten like vegetables. They can be cooked whole, halved, or in slices or chunks. An aubergine's skin, flesh and seeds are all edible, making it a super-fast ingredient to prepare.

Why cooking aubergine in air fryers works so well

I used to shy away from cooking aubergine as I’d heard that they can absorb a lot of oil during the cooking process. Aubergines are indeed super-absorbent, which is why they soak up a lot of oil while cooking. But when you use your air fryer to cook aubergine, you can use way less oil, which means you get all the lovely delicate aubergine flavour rather than just an oily taste. Plus, when you air fryer aubergine, you don’t need to worry about grease splatters from a frying pan or griddle.

The other thing about aubergines is that they can go from perfectly cooked to overdone in just a few minutes. I’ve lost count of the times I’ve left aubergines in the oven for too long and ended up with chewy little squares of aubergine rather than the silky soft aubergine I’d been hoping for. But since I’ve started air frying my aubergines, this is no longer a problem. I simply set my air fryer for 10 minutes and check the aubergine when the time is up. If it’s not quite soft enough, I pop it back in for an extra minute.

Do you need to salt aubergines before cooking?

I used to salt aubergines before cooking them because I’d heard that this step was essential to draw out the bitterness from the aubergine’s flesh. But then I learnt that this isn’t necessary, as modern-day aubergines are grown to be much less bitter than they once were. This means there’s no need to salt your aubergine before cooking, which is a big win for me as it makes preparing and cooking them even easier.

How to prepare aubergines

Preparing aubergines is really easy. Just rinse them in cold water (if they’ve come from a supermarket, you may need to remove any sticky labels), then pat dry. Trim off the ends and cut as follows:

For chunks: Cut the aubergine lengthways and slice each half into 1cm thick slices. Then, turn the slices around and cut them into chunks (I like to keep them reasonably large as they will shrink a little during the cooking process).

For slices: Keep the aubergine whole before carefully cutting lengthways into thin slices.

For air fryer aubergine fries: Cut the aubergine lengthways and slice each half into wedges to make fry or chip shapes.

How to cook aubergine in an air fryer

Here’s the method I use for air fryer aubergines – it works every time!

1. Preparation Time: Cut the aubergine into cubes (don’t worry if they look a little big; they will shrink during cooking) and pop into your air fryer basket in a single layer.
2. Season It Up: Toss the cubes with a drizzle of olive oil (avocado oil or sesame oil will also work well). Then add any seasonings you want, such as salt and pepper, garlic powder, oregano or paprika.
3. Let’s Cook: Cook the aubergine at 375°F (190°C) for 10 minutes, shaking a couple of times as it cooks. After 10 minutes, test a piece of aubergine (a knife should slip through the flesh easily, or you can taste a piece to make sure it’s cooked to your liking). If the aubergine needs a little longer, pop it back in for another minute.

How to Serve Air Fryer Aubergine

I like to stir air-fried aubergines into vegetarian pasta dishes—they go perfectly with tomatoes and mozzarella. Chunks of silky aubergine also make a great addition to vegetarian and vegan curries.

Another way to use air-fried aubergine is to add it to salads and Buddha bowls or serve it with hummus in a wrap. Slices of eggplant are perfect for aubergine bakes, tomato dishes, moussaka or parmigiana.

As a side dish, aubergine pairs well with chicken, lamb and feta.

What Flavours Go With Aubergine?

Aubergines are a great ingredient for pairing with different flavours and can handle lots of different seasonings.

For Asian aubergine dishes, spices such as cumin, chilli and coriander are all great.

For Mediterranean pasta dishes, oregano, basil and rosemary are my favourites.

For side dishes, you can choose your favourite spices and flavourings – garlic, sesame seeds, thyme, paprika and chilli are all great options.

How Long Does Aubergine Take to Air Fry?

Aubergine chunks cook in 10-12 minutes when air-fried at 375°F (190°C).

When is Aubergine Overcooked?

Aubergine is overcooked when it starts to go dry and chewy. Perfectly cooked aubergine should be soft and silky with just a little bite to the skin.

Can I Reheat Air Fryer Aubergine?

Got leftovers from air-frying aubergine? No problem! Just pop them into an airtight container and put them in the fridge, where they’ll stay fresh for up to three days. You can add them cold to a salad, or if you want to serve them hot, reheat them in your air fryer for a couple of minutes.