Eggplant Parmesan

My Eggplant Parmesan recipe starts with fresh eggplant that is sliced, dipped in egg wash, coated with a breadcrumb parmesan mixture, fried to golden brown, layered with cheese and marinara, and then baked to perfection in the oven. This is the absolute best recipe and it's just like mom used to make it!

Why this recipe is so great:

• Vegetarian: If you are looking for a satisfying, hearty, vegetarian dinner recipe, this one is a great choice. Homemade Eggplant Parmesan is one of my favorite Italian vegetarian comfort food dinners.
• Great texture: The eggplant slices are coated in egg, panko bread crumbs, and parmesan cheese prior to cooking in olive oil. This creates a crisp, golden brown crust that's full of flavor. Once smothered in marinara sauce and melted cheese, you have a complete meal.
• Incredible flavor: I don't know what it is about this recipe, but I crave it often and grow eggplant in my garden specifically so I can make eggplant parmesan! Every bite is so delicious.
• Not greasy: There are a few tips and tricks in the recipe that show you how to get crispy golden brown eggplant slices that aren't greasy at all.

Ingredients needed:

Exact quantities are listed in the recipe card below.

• Eggplant - one large Black Beauty variety that is commonly found in most grocery stores
• Eggs - to coat the eggplant and make the bread crumbs stick
• Panko bread crumbs - or you can substitute with regular or Italian flavored bread crumbs
• Parmesan cheese - can buy pre-grated but my preference is to grate it from a block with a microplane grater.
• Basil and garlic powder - this is all the flavor you need
• Olive oil - for frying
• Marinara sauce
• Italian cheese - you can use just mozzarella or add a combination of cheese like provolone, parmesan, asiago, etc.

How to make eggplant parmesan:

Full ingredient list and detailed step by step instructions are listed in the recipe card below, but here is a summary.

1. Prepare eggplant: Dip peeled and sliced eggplant rounds in a beaten egg. Then dredge the coated slices in a mixture of panko bread crumbs, parmesan, basil, and garlic powder.
2. Fry: Make sure the oil in your large fry pan is very hot and place slices in a single layer. Cook until golden brown and flip once.
3. Arrange: Place fried eggplant in casserole dish. Cover with marinara sauce and Italian cheeses.
4. Bake in oven: Place eggplant casserole into preheated oven and bake until heated through and cheese has melted.

Recipe tips for best results:

• Eggplant preparation:
  • Peeling: Do you have to peel eggplant before you cook it? This is personal preference. You can leave the entire peel on, remove all of it, or remove some of the peel. I used to remove the entire peel and now I will leave long strips so that each round has a small amount of peel which is enough to add a bit of chewy texture but not so much that it makes each bite tough.
  • Slicing: I personally like to cut my eggplant slices about a half inch thick. Anything thinner falls apart and anything thicker does not cook through the center enough for my tastes. Just be sure to slice them uniform thickness so that they all cook at the same rate.
• Frying tips: Be sure the oil is very hot before frying the eggplant, otherwise the eggplant will absorb the oil like a sponge. Add additional oil to the pan, as needed, but ensure it gets hot before you adding more slices to the pan.
• Healthy eggplant parmesan: You can make a healthier version of this recipe by making it in the air fryer. To do this, lightly coat the prepared slices with olive oil spray and cook in the air fryer until golden brown. You can even skip the step where you coat in egg and bread crumbs and just air fry the eggplant with a light coat of olive oil. You can also reduce the amount of cheese when baking the eggplant casserole for a healthier version as well.
• Serving suggestions: You can serve eggplant parmesan on it's own, but it tastes amazing with homemade pasta, a crusty loaf of bread with a roasted garlic butter spread, and a kale Caesar salad on the side.

Other recommended eggplant recipes:

Love eggplant? Me too! Here are some other great eggplant recipes you can make.

• Roasted Vegetable Lasagna
• Moussaka
• Ratatouille
• Simple Roasted Eggplant from my friend Jessica over at The Forked Spoon
• Roasted Eggplant and Pepper Dip from my friend Sandi over at Fearless Dining

If you’ve made this or any other recipe on my site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out. I love hearing from my readers!

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Eggplant Parmesan

Homemade Eggplant Parmesan is one of my favorite vegetarian comfort food dinners. Just slice, coat, fry, and bake to perfection!

4.78 from 18 votes

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CLICK TO PLAY RECIPE VIDEO

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Hover to scale: 4 servings

Chef: Krissy Allori

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 large eggplant (Black Beauty variety, peeled - optional and sliced into ½" thick rounds)
• ▢ 2 eggs
• ▢ 1 cup panko bread crumbs (can substitute with regular or Italian flavored bread crumbs)
• ▢ 1 cup parmesan (grated)
• ▢ 1 tablespoon basil (dried)
• ▢ 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• ▢ 1 cup olive oil (more if needed - I use equal parts olive and avocado oil)
• ▢ 24 ounces marinara sauce
• ▢ 2 cups Italian cheese (grated mozzarella, provolone, parmesan, asiago)

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• In a shallow dish, beat eggs.
• In another shallow dish, combine panko bread crumbs, parmesan, basil, and garlic powder.
• In a large skillet with enough oil to cover entire base of pan, heat over high heat.
• Dip each slice of eggplant in the egg, then coat both sides in the bread crumb mixture.
  
• Add prepared slices the hot oil in the pan. Add eggplant to pan until you have a single layer. Once the bottom browns, flip slices and cook the other side until they get a nice golden brown color (3-4 minutes per side). Remove from pan and allow to drain on paper towel lined plate.
  
• Add additional oil to pan before cooking next batch, but be sure to allow oil to get screaming hot before adding the eggplant. Continue cooking until all of the eggplant has been breaded and cooked.
• Layer eggplant in casserole dish.
  
• Cover with marinara sauce and shredded cheese. Cook, uncovered, in preheated oven until heated through and cheese has fully melted, about 15 minutes.
  
• Serve hot on it's own or with pasta.

Notes

• Eggplant preparation:
  • Peeling: Do you have to peel eggplant before you cook it? This is personal preference. You can leave the entire peel on, remove all of it, or remove some of the peel. I used to remove the entire peel and now I will leave long strips so that each round has a small amount of peel which is enough to add a bit of chewy texture but not so much that it makes each bite tough.
  • Slicing: I personally like to cut my eggplant slices about a half inch thick. Anything thinner falls apart and anything thicker does not cook through the center enough for my tastes. Just be sure to slice them uniform thickness so that they all cook at the same rate.
• Frying tips: Be sure the oil is very hot before frying the eggplant, otherwise the eggplant will absorb the oil like a sponge. Add additional oil to the pan, as needed, but ensure it gets hot before you adding more slices to the pan.
• Healthy eggplant parmesan: You can make a healthier version of this recipe by making it in the air fryer. To do this, lightly coat the prepared slices with olive oil spray and cook in the air fryer until golden brown. You can even skip the step where you coat in egg and bread crumbs and just air fry the eggplant with a light coat of olive oil. You can also reduce the amount of cheese when baking the eggplant casserole for a healthier version as well.
• Serving suggestions: You can serve eggplant parmesan on it's own, but it tastes amazing with homemade pasta, a crusty loaf of bread with a roasted garlic butter spread, and a kale Caesar salad on the side.

NUTRITION INFORMATION

Calories: 480kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 143mg | Sodium: 1787mg | Potassium: 974mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 1480IU | Vitamin C: 14.4mg | Calcium: 651mg | Iron: 3.7mg

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This recipe was originally published in April 2017 and has been updated with helpful information and recipe tips. Don't worry - the recipe hasn't changed!