Eggplant lovers rejoice! Non-eggplant fans, listen up. This air fried miso eggplant recipe will convert you. With Japanese-inspired flavors of miso, ginger sesame oil, plus my own personal spin, you’ll understand why. And oh yeah, it’s totally vegan and you can easily make it in under 30 minutes.

Did I mention how easy it to make? Eggplant cooks perfectly in the air fryer without the need to heat up your whole house. This is a perfect side dish to beef, chicken, noodles, and burgers or make a meal out of it by serving it over white rice. My personal favorite thing to serve miso eggplant with is sesame noodles or lo mein (recipe linked here).

One last thing: If you have been salting your eggplant before you cook them to get a better flavor or a firmer texture – in this dish you don’t need to! (Actually please don’t or it will be way too salty.) The miso paste is salty enough and the air fryer will firm the top right up for you. When it’s all done you’ll have a tasty eggplant that’s soft in the middle, crunchy on top and perfectly full of flavor.

Ingredients & Flavor Profiles
Miso: Adds the saltiness eggplant needs, and a touch of umami savoriness from the fermented soybeans. You can use any miso you have for this recipe but I stumbled upon MiSOgood sweet & savory white miso in my local Farmer’s market and its my new staple condiment and soup base. MISOgood includes miso, sea salt and shiitake mushroom extract and it is soooo good, like the name suggests!
Toasted sesame oil: Adds nuttiness, soaks into the eggplant to enhance the texture and adds a glossy mouthfeel.
Rice vinegar: Adds brightness to the dish and cuts through the richness.
Ginger: Hot, zesty, fresh, sweet and warm.
Garlic: I could argue any dish would be better with garlic. It adds flavor! The flavor can be a pungent, mustard flavor when eaten raw, but in this dish it is grated and cooked which makes it soft, sweet, buttery, savory and irresistible.

How to perfectly cut the eggplant (with pictures)
Cutting the eggplant into a diamond or crosshatch pattern not only looks great but also allows the marinade to soak deeper into the eggplant. This cutting technique also allows a place for the juices to get trapped and ensures an even cook on each piece. Finally, it makes it way easier to eat later – ok that’s the real reason! To cut your eggplant, simply use the tip of a small knife to make diagonal cuts though the fleshy parts. Cut though the flesh (approximately 1 inch deep in the center) and follow the shape of the eggplant to ensure you don’t cut though to the skin.

Air Fryer Miso Eggplant Recipe:
2 medium eggplants, halved and scored
2 tablespoons MiSOgood sweet & savory white miso
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
3 teaspoons water
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
1/2 teaspoon ginger, grated
1 garlic clove, grated
1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
Olive oil

Step 1:
Preheat air fryer to 400 degrees for 5 minutes.

Step 2:
Cut eggplants in half lengthwise. Then using the tip of a small knife make diagonal cuts though the fleshy parts of the eggplant in a diamond or crosshatch pattern, making sure not to cut all the way though to the skin.

Step 3:
I’m a small bowl mix together MiSOgood white miso, sesame oil, water, vinegar, garlic, ginger and sesame seeds. Brush the eggplants with the miso mixture. Reserve a little of the sauce for basting the eggplants during cook time.

Step 4:
Place eggplant in the air fryer upside down, drizzle with olive oil and cook for 10 minutes. Flip the eggplant over, baste with the remaining miso sauce, drizzle with olive oil. Then put it back in your air fryer and cook until soft and browned on top. This will take an additional 10-20 minutes, depending on the size of your eggplant and the air fryer you are using. Remove from air fryer basket and garnish with sesame seeds. Enjoy!