Almost No-Oil Pan-Fried Eggplant

Name: Almost No-Oil Pan-Fried Eggplant
Prep time: 3 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 13 min
Yield: 2
Cuisine: Western
Ingredients: 1 large eggplant, around 20 cm/8 inches (about 400 g/14 oz); olive oil spray, or other oil spray; ½ tsp cooking salt, or kosher salt; ¼ tsp black pepper; ¼ cup water; See in post for ideas and links to recipes for sauces etc!

Browned eggplant rounds garnished with parsley in a pan — Pan-fried eggplant rounds with parsley.

Sear eggplant slices in a dry pan, then steam them under a lid until tender. Serve simply or add your favorite toppings.

By Cookin' KitchenOctober 13, 2026

Be the first to rate it Leave a comment

Total: 13 minutes
Servings: 2 servings

Prep: 3 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Total: 13 minutes
Servings: 2

Jump to recipe

Recipe

Almost No-Oil Pan-Fried Eggplant

Sear eggplant slices in a dry pan, then steam them under a lid until tender. Serve simply or add your favorite toppings.

Cookin' · https://cookin.club/recipes/almost-no-oil-pan-fried-eggplant

Prep: 3 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Total: 13 minutes
Servings: 2

Cook modeKeeps your screen awake while you cook.

Ingredients

2 servings

For 2 servings

1 large eggplant, around 20 cm/8 inches (about 400 g/14 oz)
olive oil spray, or other oil spray
½ tsp cooking salt, or kosher salt
¼ tsp black pepper
¼ cup water
See in post for ideas and links to recipes for sauces etc!

Instructions

Step 1: Cut the eggplant into rounds about 2 cm/0.8 inches thick.
Step 2: Spray both sides generously with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Step 3: Heat a large non-stick pan with a lid over medium-high heat, without oil. Add the eggplant slices and pan-fry for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes on each side, or until browned to your liking.
Tip: Adjust the heat as needed for even browning.
Step 4: Carefully add the water around the eggplant; it will bubble and steam. Immediately cover the pan to trap the steam. Steam for 2 minutes, or until the water has evaporated.
Step 5: Check that the eggplant is cooked through with a butter knife. If it is not tender, add a little more water and steam again.
Step 6: Transfer the eggplant to a serving plate. Serve as is, or add a little olive oil, a squeeze of lemon juice and parsley leaves, or a smear of chilli crisp. See the notes for more serving ideas.

Notes

Helpful notes

For Asian eggplant, split it lengthwise and sear both the cut side and the skin side.
For thin slices about 5 mm/0.2 inches thick, skip the steaming step and pan-fry for about 2 minutes on each side.
If you prefer not to use oil spray, brush the eggplant with about 2 to 2 1/2 tablespoons of oil for 6 large rounds.
Leftovers keep for 3 to 4 days, but may become watery and mushy. This is best served freshly cooked.
A pot lid or baking tray can cover the pan to trap the steam.

About this recipe

Sear eggplant slices in a dry pan, then add water and cover to steam them until tender. A light coating of oil helps them brown, and they’re delicious on their own or with a simple topping.

Eggplant, water, salt and oil spray arranged on a counter — Ingredients for pan-fried eggplant.

Almost No-Oil Pan-Fried Eggplant