Save My neighbor knocked on the kitchen door one afternoon with a basket of eggplants from her garden, and I had to do something interesting with them besides the usual pasta sauce. I remembered my grandmother frying thin slices until they shattered between your teeth, but I wanted something lighter, something you could grab with your hands without the oil. That's when I started playing with the oven, treating them like chips instead of a side dish, and the moment I pulled them out golden and crackling, I knew I'd stumbled onto something special.
I made these last summer for a potluck where everyone brought something heavy and cheesy, and these quiet little chips somehow became the thing people reached for first. Watching someone's face change when they realized eggplant could be this satisfying and crunchy taught me that the simplest ideas often work best.
Ingredients
- 1 large eggplant, sliced into 1/8-inch rounds: The thickness matters more than you'd think—too thick and the inside stays soft, too thin and they shatter into crumbs before they hit your plate.
- 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs: Panko gets exponentially crispier than regular breadcrumbs, and that's the entire point of this recipe.
- 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese: Don't buy the pre-grated stuff in the green can; it's coated with anti-caking agents that prevent the coating from holding onto the eggplant properly.
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, 1/4 teaspoon salt: These seasonings need to go into the breadcrumb mixture, not sprinkled on after, so they actually stick to each slice.
- 2 large eggs and 2 tablespoons milk: The egg wash is your glue—it's what makes the coating actually adhere instead of sliding off in the oven.
- Olive oil spray: A light coating is all you need; you're not frying these, you're crisping them.
Instructions
- Heat your oven and prep your stage:
- Crank the oven to 425°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper, then give them a quick spray of olive oil so nothing sticks. This temperature is hot enough to make the coating shatter but not so hot that the eggplant stays raw inside.
- Slice and dry your eggplant:
- Cut your eggplant into thin rounds—a mandoline makes this effortless, but a sharp knife works if you take your time. Pat each slice dry with paper towels; this step is non-negotiable because eggplant holds water like a sponge, and any moisture will steam the coating instead of crisping it.
- Mix your two coatings:
- Whisk eggs and milk in one shallow bowl until they're combined, then mix panko, Parmesan, garlic powder, oregano, pepper, and salt in another. The seasoning goes into the breadcrumb mixture so it distributes evenly across every slice.
- Coat each slice with intention:
- Dip each eggplant round into the egg mixture, let excess drip off, then press it firmly into the breadcrumb mixture, turning to coat both sides and pressing so the coating actually sticks. This takes a minute per slice, but it's worth the care.
- Arrange and spray:
- Lay coated slices in a single layer on your prepared sheets—don't crowd them or they'll steam instead of crisp. Lightly spray the tops with olive oil; this helps them turn golden without making them greasy.
- Bake with a flip:
- Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until the bottoms are golden, then flip each chip and bake another 10 to 12 minutes until both sides are deep golden and the edges curl slightly. You want them crackling crisp, not just baked through.
- Cool before you devour:
- Let them sit on a wire rack for a minute or two so they finish crisping up as they cool. Eat them warm or at room temperature, but within a few hours of making them, or they'll start to lose their crunch.
Save My daughter came home from school one day and grabbed three chips straight from the cooling rack without asking, then just stood there at the counter eating them quietly. That moment when a kid chooses your homemade snack over anything else in the kitchen without being prompted—that's when you know you've made something worth remembering.
The Magic of Thin Slicing
The difference between these chips and regular baked eggplant comes down to surface area and thickness. When you slice thin, you're creating more edges that can brown and crisp up, and less interior that stays soft. A mandoline slicer changed my relationship with this recipe because it made consistency effortless, but a steady hand and a very sharp knife will get you there too.
Seasoning at Every Stage
I used to salt the eggplant slices before breading them, thinking I was being clever about flavor, but the salt actually draws out more moisture and makes the coating soggy. Now I put all the seasoning into the panko mixture so it clings to the coating itself, and the result is brighter and crisper. This simple shift made the recipe actually work consistently instead of being a gamble.
Serving and Storing
These are best eaten within a few hours of making them while they still have that essential crunch, but they're delicious cold from the fridge too if you're willing to sacrifice the pristine texture. I've learned that storing them in an airtight container actually traps steam and makes them soft, so if you have leftovers, keep them in a shallow bowl covered loosely with foil and reheat them in the oven at 350°F for about 5 minutes to restore the crispiness.
- Serve them with marinara sauce for dipping, or with a garlicky yogurt sauce if you want something creamy instead of acidic.
- A pinch of chili flakes mixed into the breadcrumb coating gives you heat without overpowering the delicate eggplant flavor.
- These work just as well as a side dish at dinner as they do as a snack, and they're gluten-free if you use gluten-free panko instead.
Save These chips taught me that sometimes the most satisfying food comes from simplifying an old idea rather than complicating it. I keep making them because they never feel like a chore, and everyone who eats them gets a little surprised joy out of how good crispy eggplant can actually be.