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This sauteed eggplant recipe transforms a classic summer veggie into a quick-cooking side dish that goes with so many mains! I have always roasted eggplant or grilled eggplant when I want to cook this veggie, but recently experimented with how to saute eggplant. And you’re going to love it! Pan fried eggplant caramelizes even more than the oven version!
Just like the roasting method, these simple sauteed eggplant slices take a few common kitchen ingredients. The main difference is that pan frying takes even less time — and you don’t have to wait for your oven to heat up! (You can also try air fryer eggplant as another quick — and more hands-off — method.)
Can You Saute Eggplant?
Yes, you absolutely can saute eggplant! It’s quick, easy, and delicious. Similar to sauteed zucchini, it browns perfectly for a flavorful and fast side dish.
Why You’ll Love This Sauteed Eggplant Recipe
- Rich, savory and sweet flavor
- Soft texture with caramelized edges
- Just 5 basic ingredients
- Ready in 20 minutes total
- Easy to pair with lots of dishes
Sauteed Eggplant Ingredients
This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for eggplant saute, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.
- Eggplant – Get a firm one, with smooth, shiny skin and no nicks. Cook it as soon as you can for freshest flavor.
- Garlic Powder – Sauteed eggplant with garlic brings out natural flavors in this veggie. You could also use fresh minced garlic, but you’ll want to add it later in the cooking process to avoid burning.
- Sea Salt & Black Pepper
- Olive Oil – Eggplant sauteed in olive oil (especially extra virgin) has so much flavor, but you can also use any cooking oil you have on-hand.
How To Cut Eggplant For Frying
There are a few different ways to cut eggplant for sauteing:
- Slices. Cut the eggplant crosswise into 1/4 inch circles. Start with the end that does not have the stem, so that you have the leafy end to grab onto as you slice.
- Strips. Slice the eggplant into 1/2 inch slices, then stack the slices and cut them into long strips.
- Cubes. Cut the same way as strips, but then cut all the strips in the opposite direction to make cubes.
The last two methods work well in sauces or as a component in other recipes.
For pan fried eggplant, I prefer slices, for several reasons:
- It’s the fastest method.
- You get caramelized edges on each slice.
- It’s easier to get nice browning because you can saute without moving and flip once.
- The ideal thickness is 1/4 inch thick, which allows the eggplant to cook quickly and caramelize well
How To Saute Eggplant
This section shows the best way to saute eggplant with step-by-step photos and details about the technique, to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.
- Season. Sprinkle eggplant with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. If you want more flavor, you can add some Italian seasoning as well.
TIP: No need to pre-salt! This is a common practice with eggplant to remove bitterness, but most eggplants today are bred to avoid this problem. Eggplant cooks up much faster this way, too.
- Saute. Heat oil in a large skillet and add eggplant slices in a single layer. Working in batches, saute the eggplant on both sides, until completely soft and caramelized. Repeat with remaining eggplant, adding oil between batches, until done.
TIP: Don’t move the eggplant around! Unlike some sauteing methods, in this case we want to leave the eggplant untouched except when flipping. This will give us that beautiful, delicious browning.
How Long To Saute Eggplant?
Eggplant slices need to cook for 3-6 minutes per side, assuming you slice them 1/4 inch thick. They’re done cooking when soft, browned, and caramelized on the outside.
Pan Fried Eggplant Variations
- Sauteed eggplant and zucchini – Fry a mix of eggplant and zucchini slices. Both work great using this method, just make sure they are sliced to the same thickness.
- Sauteed eggplant with garlic – If you prefer fresh minced garlic instead of the garlic powder used in this recipe, add the garlic toward the end of cooking so that it doesn’t burn.
- Mediterranean sauteed eggplant – Pan fry the eggplant using the instructions below, then add the toppings from this Mediterranean chicken recipe.
- Pan fried eggplant cubes – Like I’ve explained above, I much prefer to saute eggplant slices, but if you prefer, you can saute cubes instead. Be sure to turn them occasionally so that all sides get browned.
- Eggplant with feta – When the eggplant is almost done, place a cube of feta cheese on each eggplant, cover, and let it soften.
Storage Instructions
Store eggplant in a sealed container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.
Can cooked eggplant be frozen?
Yes! Freeze cooked eggplant slices between layers of parchment in a freezer-safe bag or container. It can store for up to a year in the freezer. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Reheating instructions:
Heat eggplant in a 350 degree F oven until warmed through. Sauteed eggplant is also delicious cold!
What To Serve With Sauteed Eggplant
Sauteed eggplant recipes pair well with Italian, Greek, and Middle Eastern flavors. It tastes delicious with a variety of meats and hearty pasta dishes, too:
- Chicken – Chicken recipes such as caprese chicken, chicken cacciatore, or bruschetta chicken make a delicious pairing with eggplant.
- Lamb – Serve this eggplant with lamb kofta kebabs or oven roasted lamb chops.
- Sausage – Eggplant would taste delicious alongside sausage stuffed mushrooms, sausage kale soup, or sausage stuffed zucchini boats.
- Veggie pastas – Try eggplant with zucchini roll ups, healthy chicken alfredo, or zucchini spaghetti with meatballs.
More Healthy Eggplant Recipes
- Eggplant Lasagna
- Mini Eggplant Pizzas
- Easy Ratatouille
- Healthy Eggplant Parmesan
- Cold Roast Vegetable Salad
Tools To Make Sauteed Eggplant
- Hard Anodized Skillet – The surface on this one is nonstick, but it’s also on the heavier side for even heating and excellent browning. Plus, the bottom has a large surface area to fit a lot of eggplant slices.
Easy Sauteed Eggplant Recipe
Sauteed Eggplant Recipe
Once you learn to cook eggplant, you'll pair it with everything! This sauteed eggplant recipe is pan fried and caramelized in 20 minutes.
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Ingredients
Tap underlined ingredients to see where to get them. Please turn Safari reader mode OFF to view ingredients.
Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.
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Slice the eggplant crosswise to make circles, about 1/4 inch (6 mm) thick. Cut off the leafy end only after you are done slicing, so that you'll have more to grab onto as you slice. If the slices are damp, pat them dry.
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Sprinkle the eggplant slices on both sides with garlic powder, sea salt, and black pepper.
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Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-low to medium heat. Working in batches, add the eggplant slices in a single layer. Saute eggplant for 3-6 minutes per side, until soft, browned, and caramelized on both sides. Repeat with the remaining eggplant slices, adding about 1-2 tablespoons of oil per batch.
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Readers Who Liked This Easy Recipe Also Made:
Recipe Notes
Serving size: 4-5 slices, or 1/4 entire recipe
Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see our nutrition policy.
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37 Comments
Terri
0Wondering if you could cut it in pieces after it’s cooked and cooled, and add it to a salad.
Thoughts?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Terri, Yes, you can definitely do that.
Sherwin Inigo
0Is there any substitute for butter to make your sauteed eggplant tasty?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Sherwin, This recipe calls for olive oil.
Chicago Knitter
0The eggplant was delicious and very easy to make. Will definitely make it again.
Andy
0For those who don’t want these to taste too oily, microwave the slices for 1-2 minutes (with no added water) which breaks down the internal cell walls and reduces the amount of oil/liquid that they absorb later when being sautéed (see Howard McGee on Food and Cooking). Pat dry the already softened but still firm slices and then sauté as per the recipe but with just the amount of oil you wish to taste in the finished dish. You can use a third of the oil it would otherwise use and still get good caramelisation. As this way uses much less oil, you can then add parmesan or other cheese on top if you want and finish the pan under the grill whilst keeping it rich and still light. So if you microwave briefly first, you can control the amount of oil in the finished dish ….
Milton Jarrels
0I agree, thinly sliced eggplant, sauteed in olive oil is fantastic
John
0Who would’ve thought you could leave the skin on the eggplant slices for making sandwiches, they were fantastic. I’ve always peeled the skin off first and salted them. This is the way I’ll be making one of my all time favorite sandwiches from now on. Thank You So Much for posting this recipe.
Lynn Walker
0Delicious! I tweaked the recipe a bit, slicing the eggplants lengthwise and then peeling the skin from the side slices so the flesh cooked properly. We’re still picking eggplants from this summer’s crop and when you have 60 eggplants for two people, new recipes are a must! These seem to freeze beautifully and I can’t wait to try the feta version. Also, a soy sauce reduction with garlic and ginger may be in the future. Thanks so much for a real keeper!
Gina
0Loved this simple way to prepare eggplant. I grew small Listada de Gandia eggplants for the first time this year and I preferred this quick and simple recipe to some of the more ornate recipes I’ve tested. I’m still getting fresh eggplants from my garden but had a few haunting me from the fridge and sideboard so they got peeled and sautéed for lunch today. I agree with some others that they really do absorb the oil so I’d be more careful about how much I added next time. I also transferred to a paper towel lined plate for a minute before eating. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Jake
0Did not turn out the way I wanted.
The eggplants soaked up the oil, becoming a gross mess. The author should either suggest a higher temperature for the oil or pre-cooking the eggplant to break down its absorbent structure.
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Jake, If you prefer baking the eggplant, try my roasted eggplant recipe instead.
Margaret Schindel
0Made this recipe tonight and both my husband and I loved it! So easy and flavorful! Like you, I prefer a lot of caramelization, and I found that pressing the slices down with a spatula/turner whose underside was lightly oiled helped with more even browning. It (like everything else) took a lot longer to brown on my glass stovetop than on a gas burner, but it was well worth the extra time!
Rita Ramirez
0Very delicious! Definitely a keeper. Thanks much for sharing
Luci Minutillo
0My husband hates eggplant. While I was sautéing, he couldn’t stay away. He also ate it during dinner. THANK YOU!
Kim
0Tasty. My kids started an eggplant at school before summer break, we transplanted to the garden and were wondering how we were going to eat it (I’m not typically a fan of eggplant). This was great!
Sonja
0After cooking, if the eggplant tastes a little bitter is there any way to fix that.
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Sonja, Eggplant that is bitter is usually over ripe or you could try to salt it before cooking.
Kimberly
0In regards to the bitterness question, Sicilians have been making eggplant this way for centuries, but the difference is they would slice it lengthwise add the salt and then put a board with some heavy objects on top and squeeze what my Nana would call “the poison out” for the morning. Then dry with paper towels it does work and removes bitterness.
Janet Carlton
0It was good, but the skin was bitter. I would remove the skin when I make it again. Thanks for the easy tasty recipe. I did brush on the oil to use less.
Alvin
0Eggplant is like a sponge it soaked up all the oil in the pan. When 3-4 tablespoons of oil are used for cooking that means you will be eating 3-4 tablespoons of oil – which is not so healthy. This recipe would probably be healthier if the oil was brushed on the eggplant and baked in the oven.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Alvin, It’s true that eggplant soaks up the oil, but olive oil is a very healthy oil. If you prefer baking the eggplant, try my roasted eggplant recipe instead.
Betty Pennington
0did not find a place to troubleshoot. HELP.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Betty, This one is a pretty straightforward recipe — what issues did you have? Happy to help if you can provide more detail.
Ta
0Just made this for lunch. Melted some feta on top as suggested in the recipe and served with a simple side salad (lettuce tomatoes carrot olives dressing). It was very tasty. Lovely light lunch.
Jilly Swan
0Soooo delicious …and incredibly simple!
Jade
0Delicious.
Lathiya
0That looks super yum. I love such super simple recipes with minimal ingredients. That eggplant looks delicious.
Amy L Huntley
0This is one of my favorite ways to use eggplant! So salty and crispy! Perfection.
Eden
0Such a great side dish! Easy to make and so good!
Beth
0Yummy! This recipe looks amazing and so tasty! My family and I are going to love this recipe! We love eggplant and I can’t wait to share this recipe with my family! Excited to give this a try!
Cindy
0I have never sautéed eggplant before and this was actually pretty perfect. The carmallzed edges were the best part!
Scarlet
0This sauteed eggplant came out so good. I love how it browns up in the pan with the single layer method. Delish!
JENNIFER STEWART
0I love eggplant! I think it is highly underused! My parents used to make eggplant roll ups growing up and I would inhale it. I love this recipe as it’s quick and easy and I hope to get my kids to love eggplant with it!
Terri Steffes
0Thanks for the tip about not salting. It made a big difference!
Kristyn
0Sautéing sure gives the eggplant a nice, golden crust & the flavor is amazing!! We use eggplant for many recipes & this is one high on my list!!
Natalie
0Eggplant has become one of my favorites!! Love all the variations you shared! Sautéing makes it so yummy!