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Made with just a handful of ingredients, these eggplant tacos are quick to make in the air fryer and packed with flavor. This will be your new go-to dinner when you need dinner fast.
save this recipe!Eggplant gets a bad rap. People find it unappealing, and well, the emoji is what it is. But the reality is that it’s high in fiber and mild in flavor, making it perfect as a taco-friendly roasted veggie. You just have to know how to cook it.
Can’t have just one!
- Customizable: The classic seasoning of the eggplant means these tacos are great with everything. I love mine with pickled red onion, jalapeños, and cilantro sauce.
- Minimal Work: Simply chop, toss, and air fry the eggplant. You do need to let the eggplant dry out but you can just let it hang out on the counter and do it’s thing while prep the rest of dinner.
- Fun Textures: I leave the skins on the eggplant for the best textural contrast. The sensory scientist in me loves to have soft, crunchy, and chewy all in one bite and eggplant is ideal for that.
Reader rating
“This was a big hit with the family. It is SO easy to make and satisfied my craving for savory BBQ tacos with a nice spicy finish from the salsa!” —Dennis
What you’ll need
Besides the eggplant, I bet you already have everything on hand for air fryer eggplant tacos! Jump down to the recipe card for exact measurements.
- Eggplant: Grab a medium-sized eggplant (about the size of 2-3 baseballs) and slice it. But leave the skin on.
- Spices: Raid your pantry for cumin, chili powder, and smoked paprika. Sweet paprika will work, but as the name indicates, it will make the tacos a smidge sweeter. Feel free to add a pinch of cayenne for a spicy vegetarian taco filling.
- Tortillas: In testing this recipe, I preferred to use small, 6″ flour tortillas. They are mild and very pliable. Use gluten-free or low-carb as needed.
Don’t like The skins?
I left the skin on because it helps the eggplant to keep its structure while providing fiber. The skin softens a little when cooked. But if you struggle with textures, you can peel the eggplant first. Unpeeled, they become soft and a bit chewy with crispy edges.
How to make eggplant tacos
You don’t need much to make this recipe. Just your favorite toppings and your air fryer. This is an overview of the recipe. Jump to the recipe card for the full printable recipe.
- Prep the eggplant: Slice it and sprinkle with salt. Let this sit for 30 minutes to draw out excess moisture.
- Season: Toss the eggplant in the spices and oil.
- Air fry: Place in an even layer in the air fryer basket and cook for 15 minutes. Take the basket out to shake it a few times.
- Serve: Pop the crispy bits into tortillas and serve with a spicy sauce, some veggies, and cheese.
Space it out
When air frying, be sure to spread out the eggplant slices and work in batches as needed. This ensures there is space around the eggplant for the hot air to go and thus get all the edges and sides nice and crispy!
my favorite toppings
Of course, you can enjoy these tacos with anything you like–even in bowl form with rice. But here are some ideas to hit the ground running:
- Quick pickled onions
- Pickled jalapenos
- Resturaunt-style pico de gallo
- Cotija cheese (skip this for vegan eggplant tacos)
Smoky Eggplant Tacos (Air Fryer Recipe)
Ingredients
- 1 medium eggplant, cut into half moons
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 Tbsp olive oil, 30 mL
- 1 tsp each garlic powder, cumin, chili powder, and smoked paprika
- 6 small flour tortillas
- To serve: pickled red onions, sliced jalapenos, salsa, guacamole, crumbled cotija or feta
Instructions
- Prep Eggplant: Cut 1 medium eggplant into half-moons (I prefer to leave the skin on, but you can peel it off if you're sensitive to textures). Lay eggplant slices onto a few layers of paper towels and sprinkle evenly with 1 tsp salt. Let sit for about 30 minutes, then pat them dry, roughly brushing off excess salt.
- Stir: Add eggplant to a large bowl and toss together with 2 Tbsp olive oil, and 1 tsp each garlic powder, cumin, chili powder, and smoked paprika.
- Cook: Transfer to your air fryer in as single a layer as possible. Cook at 400°F (204°C) for about 15 minutes, jostling the pan a few times during cooking to help them cook evenly. They will be browned and tender with crispy edges when finished.
- Serve: Evenly divide eggplant onto 6 small flour tortillas, finishing with your favorite taco toppings!
Notes
did you make this?Leave a comment below and tag @liveeatlearn on social media! I love seeing what you’ve made!
What timing. We had extra eggplant after making your eggplant parmesan, so we tried this recipe. It is fantastic
Thanks for the sweet review, happy cooking!
This was a big hit with the family. It is SO easy to make and satisfied my craving for savory BBQ tacos with a nice spicy finish from the salsa!
Big smiles over here, thanks for trying it!