Eggplant Milanese (Keto and Gluten Free)

eggplant milanese on a white plate with arugula salad

5 from 4 votes

Eggplant Milanese (Keto and Gluten Free)

Love fried eggplants? You have to try this Keto Eggplant Milanese! It’s so easy to make with just a few simple ingredients. This fried dish is delightful and completely gluten free. You just need a few simple ingredients for a delicious and crispy side!

Prep Time5

Cook Time40

Total Time45

Course: Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine: Italian, Italian-American

Servings: people

Calories: 298kcal

Author: Briana

Ingredients

1 large eggplant cut into rounds
1.5 tablespoons olive oil
1.5 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
½ teaspoon black pepper, divided
60 grams unflavored whey protein isolate (about half a cup or 2 scoops)
80 grams pork rind panko (roughly 1.5 cups)
½ cup shredded parmesan cheese (about 40 grams)
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, divided
1 teaspoon garlic powder, divided
2 whole eggs
1 tablespoon water
Avocado oil for frying
Serve with ricotta cheese, lemon juice, and a fresh arugula side salad if desired!

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the eggplant rounds on the baking sheet in a single layer. Drizzle eggplant with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper on both sides. Bake for 15 minutes to soften. Set aside.
In a shallow bowl or plate, add whey protein isolate, some of the salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder and mix. In a separate bowl, combine pork rind crumbs, parmesan cheese shreds, some of the garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. In a third bowl whisk two eggs with water, and remaining salt and pepper.
Heat a cast iron skillet (10” or larger) with oil about 2 inches deep to 375°F.
Dredge the eggplant slices in the whey protein mixture, followed by the egg wash, and then finally the pork rind and parmesan cheese combo. Add directly to the hot oil. Fry until golden brown on both sides, about 2-3 minutes per side, then set on a paper towel lined baking sheet to soak up excess grease. Sprinkle with more salt if desired. Fry the eggplant in batches as to not overcrowd the pan, and allow the oil to come back to full temperature between batches.
Serve with a fresh arugula side salad, ricotta cheese, lemon wedges, parmesan, and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. Enjoy!

Notes

All garnishes pictured are not included in the macros. They are simply suggestions. We love to serve it with a fresh arugula side salad, fresh herbs and ricotta cheese.
We didn't include the oil for frying in the nutrition facts, which is honestly quite a lot of added calories. It will depend largely on the size of your skillet and how much oil you need to add to it to have 2 inches of oil in the skillet, how much the eggplant absorbs, etc.
To make a quick arugula side salad, mix together arugula, lemon juice and zest, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper, olive oil, cherry tomatoes and parmesan cheese. Toss to combine. We didn't measure anything this time, but it's essentially the same base as this burrata prosciutto arugula salad. That salad would be great to serve with this as well.
We do recommend roasting the eggplant before frying for best results. It's also the quickest solution! If you want, you could also salt the eggplant a couple of hours before you begin, let it sit out in a colander, and rinse and dry the wedges to get rid of excess water.
We don't personally own one ourselves, we imagine these would come together nicely in an air fryer as well if you don't feel like frying.
If you need a bit of time between dredging the eggplant slices and frying them, freeze them on a parchment lined baking sheet for about 30 minutes.
If you don't eat pork, feel free to substitute pork rind crumbs for almond meal or flour. We haven't tried it personally but we imagine that it works quite well. Be warned that almond flour will burn a little quicker, so keep a close on them.

You can also double dredge the eggplant rounds into the whey protein mixture instead of pork rind crumbs. We have tried this method and it does work, but the slices weren't quite as crispy.
We unfortunately do not have a good substitute for the whey protein isolate at this time. Our best guess would probably be coconut flour, but again, we aren't sure. If you want to do some experimenting, feel free to let us know in the comments so we can update the instructions!

Nutrition