Crispy Eggplant Sliders

Simple and easy, these crispy eggplant sliders are perfect for summer! Featuring lightly breaded eggplant rounds topped with juicy tomato, mozzarella and spicy fresh basil. Vegetarian.

Three Crispy Eggplant Sliders on a wood cutting board.

Note: This recipe is NOT dairy free. It was published before Cook Nourish Bliss transitioned to dairy free recipes and remains popular with long time readers. You can try using substitutions to make it dairy free, however I have not tested this myself and can’t say how it will turn out.

True story. The week after I tell you about how awesome my tomato plant is doing is the week that a hoard of bugs decide to come eat the majority of my tomatoes.

I should have known I would jinx myself by being so confident.

There are a few tomatoes that I managed to save (and a few that are still growing okay), so I’ll take what I can get for now. But I do still plan to pout every time I go outside and look at my poor planter.

It’s only fair. I also usually mutter a few choice words at the bugs. Because they completely understand what I’m saying right?

And looking at these photos is not making it any easier because I used one of my delicious pre-bug eaten tomatoes for these crispy eggplant sliders. And gosh was it good.

An Eggplant Slider on a white plate with more in the background.

About These Eggplant Sliders

So I thought these fun sliders would be a great vegetarian option for any summer gatherings you have coming up.

Or a weeknight meal.

They are fairly simple and come together pretty quickly, plus they are full of fresh summer flavors.

Crispy, lightly breaded eggplant rounds? Summer tomatoes? Fresh basil leaves? Check, check and check! And of course some cheese for good measure. Obviously.

They are plenty filling but also still feel light – which is exactly the balance I love this time of the year.

An Eggplant Slider on a white plate with a glass of water to the side.

Additional Eggplant Recipes You Might Enjoy:

Did you make this recipe? Rate and review it down below! I’d love to hear from you.

Crispy Eggplant Sliders | cookiemonstercooking.com

Crispy Eggplant Sliders

Yield: about 8 sliders
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes

Simple and easy, these crispy eggplant sliders are perfect for summer! Featuring lightly breaded eggplant rounds topped with juicy tomato, mozzarella and spicy fresh basil. Vegetarian.

Ingredients

For the eggplant:

  • 1 medium eggplant
  • 1 large egg
  • ¼ cup milk
  • ½ cup flour (I use whole wheat)
  • 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
  • ½ teaspoon dried basil
  • ½ teaspoon dried parsley

For assembling:

  • 8 slider rolls
  • 8 slices mozzarella
  • 8 slices tomato
  • 8 fresh basil leaves

Instructions

To make the eggplant:

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and then set an oven-safe cooling rack inside the baking sheet. Spray with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
  3. Cut off the top of the eggplant and then cut lengthwise into ½ inch thick slices. Using a round, about 2 ½ inch biscuit cutter, cut out about 16 rounds from the eggplant slices (depending on the size of your eggplant this may vary slightly). Set aside.
  4. In a small bowl, beat together the egg and milk. In a shallow bowl, mix together the flour, panko, salt, pepper, basil and parsley.
  5. Dip each eggplant round into the milk mixture then into the panko mixture, using your fingers to press the breadcrumbs onto both sides. Place on the prepared baking sheet. Once all the rounds are on the baking sheet, mist lightly with nonstick cooking spray.
  6. Bake for about 15 minutes, until the coating is nice and crispy and the eggplant is tender. Maintain the oven temperature.

To assemble:

  1. Stack two of the eggplant rounds on the bottom of each bun. Top with a slice of mozzarella and a slice of tomato. Cover with the top of the bun and then place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
  2. Bake for about 5 to 7 minutes, until nice and warm, the cheese has melted and the buns are slightly toasted. Remove from the oven.
  3. Remove the top of the bun, place a basil leaf on top, re-cover and serve immediately.

Notes

If you don’t care about the eggplant being round, you can just cut out squares with a knife instead of using the biscuit cutter.

I cut thicker-sized slices of both the tomato and the mozzarella, but use whatever you like.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 120Total Fat: 2gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 24mgSodium: 245mgCarbohydrates: 22gFiber: 3gSugar: 3gProtein: 4g

Nutrition data shown is an estimate provided by an online calculator and is for informational purposes only. It should not be considered a substitute for a medical professional’s advice. Nutrition info is ONLY for the eggplant as the rest will vary widely depending on your rolls / sliced mozzarella.