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With layers of cheese and crispy eggplant, this eggplant parmesan recipe is a classic vegetarian dinner that will soon be a favorite in your house! This Italian staple requires 8 simple ingredients and is straightforward to make (we’ve included step-by-step photos and video to make it foolproof)!
save this recipe!While it may seem intimidating, eggplant parmesan is surprisingly easy to make! This classic vegetarian dish requires just a handful of ingredients and tastes like it came from a restaurant.
Reader rating
“I made this for my son’s birthday dinner and everyone loved it. It turned out exactly as the recipe photo. I will definitely put this into our regular rotation.” —Jenn
You’ll have this one on repeat
- 8 simple ingredients that are mostly pantry staple ingredients make this a great weeknight meal.
- Cheaper than chicken. Eggplant will run you about $1 per pound while chicken is $2+ per pound.
- Freezer-friendly because you can make 2 or 3 trays of this eggplant parmesan and freeze them until ready to bake. Then on busy nights, just pull it out of the freezer and bake!
- Feeds a crowd! Especially if you have different types of eaters, like vegetarians or meat-eaters. Everyone always loves it!
Ingredients for Eggplant Parmesan
This classic Italian dish is turned into a delicious vegetarian dish thanks to some very strategic ingredients. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Eggplant: You’ll need 3 medium eggplants, or aubergine as the Brits say! But if you’re using a smaller type of eggplant, grab 5-6.
- Italian Breadcrumbs: Flavored bread crumbs are a great way to pack in flavor without additional ingredients. If you just use plain bread crumbs, you can add 1 tablespoon of Italian seasoning.
- Flour: I use all-purpose flour but a 1:1 gluten-free replacement flour should work just fine since this is a coating and not being used for the structure.
- Eggs: Eggs help to bind the breadcrumb coating to ensure an even crisp all the way around.
- Cheese: You’ll need shredded mozzarella cheese for creaminess and grated parmesan cheese for the coating. I prefer to grate my own but you can use pre-grated parmesan.
- Marinara Sauce: 1 jar of store-bought marinara is all you need for this recipe to add natural sweetness. You can also make homemade marinara sauce to use.
Which breadcrumb is best?
While I prefer Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs for this recipe, you could also use panko breadcrumbs for a lighter crunch!
Baked, not fried
With a few simple tricks, this will be the best baked eggplant parmesan recipe you’ve ever had! While eggplant parm is typically made by frying the eggplant pieces, we’ll coat it in breadcrumbs and bake it for a healthier, crispy result. Let me show you!
- Sweat the eggplants by sprinkling on salt and letting them rest.
- Bread the slices by dredging them in flour, eggs, and breadcrumbs with parmesan.
- Bake the breaded eggplant slices, flipping halfway through.
- Assemble the layers of eggplant slices, tomato sauce, and cheese into a baking dish.
- Bake and serve!
Why salt the eggplant?
Eggplant has a lot of moisture, so salting the eggplant slices draws out excess moisture. This helps to make sure they are extra crispy when baked!
Dredging Tip
Dredging is the most labor-intensive part of making this eggplant parm, but it’s better when you have a good podcast on! Use a wide, shallow bowl and use forks to move eggplant pieces through each “station” to keep your fingers from getting gunky.
Yes, you can Air Fry it!
While I prefer to bake this recipe, you can also make it in an air fryer. To do so:
- Sweat the eggplant slices
- Bread the slices and spray them with cooking spray
- Place into the air fryer in a single layer
- Cook for 5 minutes and then flip over
- Dollup on marinara sauce, top with mozzarella, and continue cooking for 2-3 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly
Reader rating
“Before I tried this recipe, I didn’t like eggplant… I was told a few times that it’s because I didn’t know how to prepare it, and indeed, I was surprised to notice that I did like eggplant in this recipe!” —Evelyn
pairing ideas
Eggplant parmesan makes a great dinner when paired with some other staples, like a leafy green salad or pasta. Here are some pairing ideas to make this a complete meal:
- Panzanella Toscana is an Italian salad that’s easy to make and a refreshing bite alongside eggplant parmesan.
- Basil Oil can be used to dip bread into or to drizzle on top of this eggplant dish.
How To Make Eggplant Parmesan (Step-By-Step)
Ingredients
- 3 medium eggplants
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup flour, 120 g
- 4 eggs, whisked
- 2 cups Italian seasoned breadcrumbs, 250 g
- 1 cup grated parmesan, 85 g
- 1 23-oz jar marinara sauce, or 3 cups, 650 g
- 1 8-oz package shredded whole milk mozzarella, or 2 cups, 226 g
Instructions
- Sweat Eggplant: Slice your 3 medium eggplants into ½-inch thick rounds. Spread out a few paper towels and arrange eggplant on top. Sprinkle them all with the 1 tsp salt and let sit for 10 minutes. Pat dry with more paper towles.
- Bread Eggplant: Arrange three bowls – one with the 1 cup flour, one with the 4 eggs (whisked), and one with the 2 cups Italian seasoned breadcrumbs and 1 cup grated parmesan (stirred together). Preheat oven to 425°F (218°C).Working one at a time, dip each eggplant into the flour, then the egg, then the breadcrumbs. Place finished eggplant on a greased baking sheet.
- Cook Eggplant: Bake the eggplant for 10 minutes. Remove from oven, flip each piece over, then continue cooking for 10 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy. Leave oven on.
- Assemble: Into a large casserole dish, layer:1. one third of the marinara2. half of the eggplant 3. one third of the marinara4. half of the mozzarella5. remaining eggplant 6. remaining marinara7. remaining mozzarella
- Bake: Transfer to the oven and bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until cheese is golden brown and melty. Serve warm with fresh basil.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information calculated by Sarah Bond, degreed nutritionist.
did you make this?Leave a comment below and tag @liveeatlearn on social media! I love seeing what you’ve made!
Exceptional recipe, thanks so much! My husband loved it and so did I! Also made the garlic bread,it was fantastic💝
I’m so happy to hear you liked it, Sharon! Enjoy!! 😀
Coming from an eggplant hater, I loooved this eggplant parm. It’s hard to get eggplant to become anything but a mushy vegetable when cooked but this recipe nailed it. You can also airfry the leftovers and eat it like a little sammy 🙂
Such a good idea! So happy you loved it! 😀
I have to take off skin and cook a little longer as my wife has no teeth at the moment.
Plus I add garlic.
Delicious.
That’s a great idea! Enjoy! 😀
I made this for my son’s birthday dinner and everyone loved it. It turned out exactly as the recipe photo. I will definitely put this into our regular rotation.
So happy to hear it, Jenn! And happy birthday to your son! 🙂
Hi Sarah, I actually made that recipe in January (as long as many other recipes from the Challenge), but due to hectic life, I hadn’t had time to write reviews…
Before I tried this recipe, I didn’t like eggplant… I was told a few times that it’s because I didn’t know how to prepare it, and indeed, I was surprised to notice that I did like eggplant in this recipe! My mom, who is an eggplant lover, also enjoyed it greatly!
I’m so happy to hear this made you an eggplant lover!! Enjoy! 😀
Very tasty. I added Italian herbs and nutritional yeast to the breadcrumbs.
Layered eggplant rounds, sauce and cheese in neat stacks in my slow cooker.
Cooked on high for approximately 3 hours…until
eggplant was tender. Freezes well.
This really i one of the best lasagna recipes we have tried
I’m so happy to hear it! Enjoy!!
This certainly lives up to its name as a crowd pleaser! Great flavor and simple to make.
We peeled the eggplant and preferred like that!! It was easy to prepare and you give really good directions! Great supper recipe!
Big smiles over here, thanks for trying it Charlene!