Best Italian Fried Eggplant Sandwich
The best Italian fried eggplant sandwich is the one I grew up eating. Made with eggplant slices dipped in egg, fried, and dressed with marinara sauce, it makes the process totally worth it. Two eggplants make a generous amount, so be sure to have plenty of bread on standby for a winning sandwich!
Recipe Mood: Classic Italian Comfort
Indulgence Level: High
Effort Level: Moderate
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What’s not to love about fried vegetables? Sure, you’re taking something nutritious and making it less so, but I believe it’s worth it in moderation, especially when it involves eggplant. One of the times I go this route is with this best Italian fried eggplant sandwich. It has topped my list of desert-island foods since I was a teenager.
This is how my mother—and grandmother—always fried eggplant. It’s thinly sliced, dipped in egg, fried in vegetable oil, finished with kosher salt, and dressed with marinara sauce. That’s it. No flour, no breadcrumbs, and no complex breading stations.
Salting eggplant before cooking it helps draw out the bitterness, but my mother never did it here, and neither do I. In this case, I think frying it helps combat any potential bitterness.
This recipe is a little time-consuming to make because of the frying, so feel free to cook just one eggplant instead of two. However, I think two eggplants justify the effort more because they make a lot, and they freeze really well.
As for serving this recipe, I’ve always been a purist by finishing the eggplant with just a sprinkle of salt because I think anything more detracts from the beautifully fried slices. But, by all means, feel free to finish it with some grated Parm or top with melted mozzarella.
For more eggplant recipes, try this roasted eggplant sandwich or Chinese eggplant in garlic sauce.
Key Ingredients
- American Eggplants: Also known as globe eggplants, these are recommended for this recipe because of their generous size and ability to withstand the frying process.
See the recipe card below for more information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make This Recipe
- Prep marinara: Make a pot of marinara sauce or heat up your favorite store-bought version.
- Heat oil: Pour vegetable oil into a 12″ frying pan, just enough to cover the bottom. Warm over medium-low to medium heat.
- Coat eggplant: Dip several eggplant slices into whisked eggs, turning to coat evenly.
- Fry slices: Add 5–6 eggplant rounds to the hot oil without overlapping. Fry about 5 minutes per side or until golden.
- Drain and season: Transfer fried eggplant to a cooling rack over a sheet pan. Blot excess oil with paper towels and sprinkle lightly with salt.
- Repeat: Continue frying the remaining eggplant, adding small amounts of oil as needed to maintain coverage and temperature.
- Layer with sauce: Spread marinara on the bottom of a serving dish, add a layer of eggplant, spoon more marinara on top, and repeat until all eggplant is used.
- Make sandwiches: Layer eggplant slices onto some Italian rolls/bread.
Pro Tips
Use a splatter guard: Placing one on the pan while frying the eggplant will help prevent the oil from splattering out.
Wear onion goggles: I’m always afraid oil will splash into my eyes when I fry anything, so I often wear them for protection. They work great!
Ensure the oil is at the right temperature before frying: Eggplant is very porous and absorbs oil easily, so you want to ensure the oil is hot enough before frying. You can test it without a thermometer: place a small piece of eggplant into the pan, and if it sizzles right away, it’s good to go.
Eat as soon as possible: Preparing the sandwiches in advance will cause the bread to turn soggy quickly, especially from the sauce. It’s better to eat them not long after they’re made, although a sturdier bread will hold up for longer.
Toast the rolls/bread: Toasting them will help them hold up better to the saucy eggplant. If you’re going to add melted mozzarella, consider placing it on the bottom roll to help block moisture.
Variations & Substitutions
-You can salt the eggplant slices for 20-30 minutes before cooking them to help remove any bitterness and draw out moisture, but it’s not necessary.
-Leave the skin on the eggplant if you like its texture.
-If using a thicker bread like ciabatta or Italian bread, you can remove some of the bready interior instead of compensating by adding more eggplant. Conserving the eggplant makes the frying process feel more justified because it yields more sandwiches!
-Top the eggplant slices with grated Parmesan before serving.
-Top some eggplant slices with mozzarella and melt in the oven before stacking them into a sandwich.
-You can fry the eggplant in olive oil (not extra virgin) instead of vegetable oil. See the Recipe FAQs below for more info.
Recipe FAQs
It doesn’t taste as much like eggplant as you might expect. It tastes similar to other neutral-tasting veggies (mild and slightly sweet), and it has an unmistakable fried, slightly “eggy” flavor from the egg coating.
Fried eggplant has nice, crispy edges and a somewhat meaty yet slightly chewy interior.
You can, but make sure it’s “regular” or refined olive oil, not extra virgin. The flavor of extra virgin can be too strong, and it has a lower smoke point than ordinary olive oil and vegetable oil.
My favorites are rolls that are slightly crispy on the outside but soft overall, such as ciabatta, Portuguese, or kaiser rolls. Italian bread could also work, but I find the texture a little too hard to enjoy as sandwich bread (unless you’re buying the very soft variety sometimes sold in grocery stores).
Storage
Refrigerator: Store in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Freezer: Freeze for up to 3 months. Wrap a sandwich serving securely in wax paper and place it in a freezer-safe bag.
Reheat: Defrost in the fridge, then reheat in the oven or microwave. You can also eat at room temperature or even cold if you haven’t frozen it.
More Italian Sandwich Recipes
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Best Italian Fried Eggplant Sandwich
Ingredients
- ¼ cup vegetable oil plus more
- 2 large eggplants peeled and sliced into about ⅛" rounds (Note 1)
- 6-8 large eggs whisked (you can start with 3-4 eggs)
- Kosher salt for sprinkling
- 28 ounces marinara sauce heated (jarred or make your own)
- 8-10 bread rolls for the sandwiches
Instructions
- Pour the oil into a 12" frying pan. It should be enough to just cover the bottom. Place the pan over medium-low to medium heat.
- Meanwhile, place a few eggplant slices into the whisked eggs. Flip them around with a fork until they're evenly coated.
- Once the oil is hot, add 5-6 eggplant slices to the pan. Don't overcrowd it, and ensure no slices overlap. Fry the eggplant for about 5 minutes on one side or until they turn golden. Flip them over and cook the other sides.
- Transfer the cooked eggplant to a cooling rack placed over a large sheet pan to allow some of the oil to drain. You can also blot any excess oil from the tops with clean paper towels. Sprinkle the tops of the eggplant slices with some salt.
- Repeat the process above until all the eggplant is cooked. Add more vegetable oil as needed, pouring in a little at a time just to replenish. Adding too much will cause the oil to cool.
- Ladle some marinara onto the bottom of a serving dish that has some depth, and cover it with some of the cooked eggplant slices. Spoon some more marinara on top, and repeat the process until all the eggplant is added.
- Layer some eggplant slices onto the rolls for sandwiches. Enjoy!
Delicious! Comforting Italian street food at its best.