These low carb eggplant sticks are soft on the inside and crunchy on the outside! A gluten free and keto recipe that can be served as an appetizer or side dish.
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This recipe was inspired by an online grocery order! I was ordering eggs and it accidentally defaulted to eggplant – where I saw eggplant sticks! Of course the breading was high carb – a combination of wheat flour and corn flour – and 16g net carbs for a 3-ounce serving! I knew I could improve on that!
The breading I used is based on my low carb mozzarella sticks, but the eggplant doesn't need to be frozen before roasting like the mozzarella does!
How to Make Low Carb Eggplant Sticks
Cut an eggplant into sticks. Keep the skin on but there's no need to discard any pieces that *don't* have any skin – they will just be a little softer than those that do.
In a bowl, mix together pork rind crumbs, grated Parmesan, and Italian seasoning. I like the Pork King Seasoned Crumbs and Pork Panko – but you could always make your own by crushing plain pork rinds as finely as possible or whizzing them briefly in a food processor. You'll need about 1 oz of pork rinds.
In a separate bowl, beat an egg with a little water.
Dip each eggplant stick into the egg and roll loosely in the “breading”. It doesn't have to cover the entire stick. Place on a baking sheet lined with a silicone mat, kitchen foil, or baking parchment.
Repeat with the rest of the eggplant – this recipe makes about 30 sticks.
Roast in a preheated oven for 10 minutes. Turn them over and roast for another 5 minutes or until golden brown all over.
You could serve these as a side dish alongside pretty much any meat or fish!
Alternatively, serve it as a tasty appetizer with some marinara or low carb salsa as shown – I like the Rao's brand for Marinara and the Green Mountain Gringo brand for salsa.
Low Carb Eggplant Sticks
These low carb eggplant sticks are soft on the inside and crunchy on the outside! A gluten free and keto recipe that can be served as an appetizer or side dish.
Ingredients
- 1 medium-large eggplant (approx 12 oz), stem removed
- ½ cup pork rind crumbs
- ½ cup finely grated Parmesan
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp cold water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F.
- Cut the eggplant into sticks. Keep the skin on but there's no need to discard any pieces that *don't* have any skin - they will just be a little softer than those that do.
- In a bowl, mix together the pork rind crumbs, grated Parmesan, and Italian seasoning. In a separate bowl, beat the egg with the water.
- Dip each eggplant stick into the egg and roll loosely in the "breading". It doesn't have to cover the entire stick. Place on a baking sheet lined with a silicone mat, kitchen foil, or baking parchment.
- Repeat with the rest of the eggplant - this recipe makes about 30 sticks.
- Roast for 10 minutes. Turn them over and roast for another 5 minutes or until golden brown all over.
Notes
This dish can be served as a side dish or appetizer. If serving as an appetizer, low carb salsa or marinara is a nice addition.
4.8g net carbs per serving (approx 5 sticks) if serving 6 as an appetizer.
7.2g net carbs per serving (approx 7-8 sticks) if serving 4 as a side dish.
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Nutrition Information
Yield 6 Serving Size About 5 sticksAmount Per Serving Calories 93Total Fat 4.7gSaturated Fat 2gCholesterol 43mgSodium 249mgCarbohydrates 6.3gNet Carbohydrates 4.8gFiber 1.5gSugar 2gProtein 6.8g