⏱️ Prep: 45 mins | 🔥 Cook: 40 mins | 🥞 Servings: 8 | ⚡ Total: 1 hr 25 mins | 🔥 420 kcal | ✅ Difficulty: Medium
We are making Eggplant Parmesan! Seriously, it’s a classic Italian dish, and we’re talking sliced, breaded eggplant, layered with tomato sauce, mozzarella, and Parmesan cheese, all baked to perfection. It’s gonna be so good!
Baking the eggplant in the oven is much healthier than frying it, and you still get that lovely crispy outer coating. Now, let’s get started!
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This
You are going to fall in love with this recipe! First of all, you are completely skipping the messy, heavy frying process. By baking the breaded eggplant slices at a high temperature, you get that incredible, satisfying crunch without all the excess oil. Plus, it’s loaded up with so much cheese—three whole balls of mozzarella!—which guarantees the most amazing, drool-worthy cheese pull when you cut into it. The fresh basil gives it a lovely herby freshness, and the savory flavors are just out of this world. It turns out right every time!
If you love crispy, cheesy veggie bakes like this, also try my Treating Cabbage Like a Steak: Brown Butter & Miso Sabayon! for veggie elegance!
What You’ll Need
Special Equipment
- 9×13 inch baking dish
- 2 large baking sheets
- Parchment paper
- Kitchen paper towels
- Colander
- 3 shallow bowls
- Whisk
For the Eggplant & Breading
- 2 to 3 large (~1000g) Eggplants, firm to the touch
- Kosher salt (generous amount for drawing out moisture)
- 3 large Eggs
- 2 cups (240g) Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
- 1 cup (60g) Panko breadcrumbs
- 1 cup (120g) All-purpose flour
- Pinch of salt
- Freshly cracked black pepper
- 4 tablespoons Olive oil (divided, or substitute grated butter for topping)
For the Layers
- 3 balls (approx. 650g / 23 oz) Fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced (reserve a small amount to cube for the top)
- 3 to 4 cups (700-900g) Marinara sauce or tomato sauce (homemade or store-bought)
- 1 cup (100g) Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
- 1 bunch Fresh basil leaves
Let’s Get Cooking!
1. Picking & Slicing Your Perfect Eggplant
For this recipe, you are going to need two to three eggplants. The exact number depends on the size of your baking dish and how many layers you want! When you’re shopping, a good tip is to pick eggplants that are large and firm to the touch. You want nice, even slices about a quarter of an inch thick.
2. The Salting Process – A Little Magic!
Eggplant tends to hold water, and that water has a bitter flavor. So, use a little magic trick to help it release that moisture.
Line two baking sheets with kitchen paper towels and place your eggplant slices down. Sprinkle on some salt—you can be as generous as you want with the salt because you’re going to be washing it off later! Flip the slices over and salt the other side as well. Leave it to rest for about 30 minutes.
3. Rinse & Dry
You’ll notice the eggplant slices start sweating. Toss them into a colander and rinse them under running cold water to wash off the salt and any bitter liquid. To dry them, sandwich the slices between fresh paper towels and press down firmly to extract all that excessive water.
If you love smart veggie prep tricks like this, also try my The One-Pan Meal That Saves My Healthy Eating During the Week for weeknight ease!
4. Setting Up Our Breading Workstation
Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). To make coating the slices much easier, you’re going to set up a quick workstation with three shallow bowls:
- Bowl One: Three large eggs, whisked until the yolk and whites blend.
- Bowl Two: Two cups of Italian seasoned breadcrumbs and one cup of Panko breadcrumbs, whisked together.
- Bowl Three: One cup of all-purpose flour, seasoned with a pinch of salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
5. Bread the Eggplant
First, dip your dried eggplant slices in the seasoned flour and dust off the excess. This dries up the slice so the egg catches onto it! Next, dip it into the egg, shake off the excess, and press it firmly into your breadcrumb mixture so both sides are well coated. Repeat with all slices.
6. Baking for Crispiness! (The First Bake)
Place your breaded slices onto a parchment-lined baking sheet drizzled with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil, spreading it around evenly. Before you pop them into your preheated 400°F (200°C) oven, dab a little bit more olive oil on top of each slice. (If you want it a little more decadent, you could put some grated butter on top instead!).
Bake for about 20 minutes, flipping once halfway through. Look how crispy they are! Remove from the oven but leave the oven on.
7. Time to Layer It Up!
Grab a 9×13 inch baking dish and start layering! Use about 650 grams of freshly sliced mozzarella cheese, plenty of Parmesan, and fresh basil leaves.
- The Base: Spread a spoonful of marinara or tomato sauce on the bottom to prevent sticking.
- Layer 1: Arrange a single layer of crispy baked eggplant. Top with a little more sauce, one and a half slices of mozzarella per eggplant, a grating of Parmesan, and torn fresh basil leaves.
- Layer 2: Repeat! Eggplant, sauce, mozzarella, Parmesan, and fresh basil.
- The Top: Finish with a final layer of eggplant and sauce. If you have leftover mozzarella, just cube it up and distribute all that goodness across the top. Finish it off with a final generous dusting of grated Parmesan for a nice crispy texture.
8. The Final Bake & Serve
Pop it back into the 400°F (200°C) oven for another 20 minutes until the cheese is completely melted, golden brown, and it’s all bubbly around the edges.
Let cool for just a few minutes before slicing to get that perfect cheesy pull. I hope you give this recipe a try. Enjoy!
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FAQs
How do you keep eggplant from getting soggy?
The secret to avoiding soggy eggplant is all in the prep! First, salt your eggplant slices and let them sit for 30 minutes to draw out excess moisture. Rinse and press them completely dry with paper towels. Second, pre-baking your breaded eggplant slices on a high heat (400°F) until they are perfectly crispy before layering them with sauce ensures they hold their texture in the final dish!
Why is my eggplant Parmesan bitter?
Eggplants naturally hold water that can contain bitter compounds, especially if the eggplant is slightly overripe. Salting the slices before cooking is a traditional magic trick! The salt draws out those bitter liquids so you can rinse them away, leaving you with perfectly sweet, tender eggplant.
What is healthier, eggplant Parmesan or chicken Parmesan?
Both can be made healthy, but eggplant Parmesan is generally a lighter choice! Eggplant naturally has fewer calories and less fat than chicken, and it brings a great boost of dietary fiber to your meal. Plus, by baking our breaded slices instead of frying them in heavy oil, we’re cutting down on unnecessary fats while keeping all that amazing crunch.
What do you eat eggplant Parmesan with?
This dish is incredibly hearty on its own, but it pairs beautifully with a side of your favorite pasta tossed in garlic and olive oil, a fresh light garden salad with a vinaigrette dressing, or some warm, crusty garlic bread to mop up that delicious marinara and melted cheese!
Crispy Baked Eggplant Parmesan
Course: Main CourseCuisine: Italian-AmericanDifficulty: Medium8
servings45
minutes40
minutes420
kcal1
hour25
minutesA classic Italian dish made with sliced and breaded eggplant, layered with tomato sauce, mozzarella, and Parmesan cheese, baked to crispy, bubbly perfection—no frying required!
Ingredients
- Equipment Needed:
9×13 inch baking dish
2 baking sheets
parchment paper
colander
3 shallow bowls.
- Ingredients:
2-3 large firm eggplants (~1000g)
Kosher salt (for sweating the eggplant)
3 large eggs
2 cups (240g) Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
1 cup (60g) Panko breadcrumbs
1 cup (120g) all-purpose flour
1 pinch salt
1 pinch freshly cracked black pepper
4 tbsp olive oil (divided) OR grated butter
3 balls (650g) fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced
3-4 cups (700-900g) marinara or tomato sauce
1 cup (100g) Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
1 small bunch fresh basil leaves
Directions
- Slice the eggplants to ¼-inch thickness. Line baking sheets with paper towels, arrange slices, and sprinkle both sides generously with salt. Let rest for 30 minutes.
- Transfer slices to a colander and rinse thoroughly under running water to remove the salt. Pat completely dry by pressing between fresh paper towels.
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and brush with 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
- Set up a breading station: Bowl 1 (whisked eggs), Bowl 2 (Italian and Panko breadcrumbs mixed), Bowl 3 (flour mixed with a pinch of salt and pepper).
- Dip each dried eggplant slice into the flour (shake off excess), then the egg, and finally press firmly into the breadcrumbs.
- Place coated slices on the oiled baking sheet. Dab the tops with a little more olive oil (or grated butter). Bake for 20 minutes, flipping once halfway.
- In a 9×13 inch baking dish, spread a thin layer of marinara sauce.
- Layer in this order: Baked eggplant, marinara sauce, mozzarella slices (about 1.5 slices per eggplant), freshly grated Parmesan, and torn basil. Repeat for a second layer.
- For the top layer, add the remaining eggplant, top with sauce, distribute remaining cubed mozzarella, and finish with a heavy grating of Parmesan.
- Bake at 400°F (200°C) for 20 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
Notes
- The Salting Magic: Don’t skip the salting process! Eggplant holds a lot of water and bitter juices. Sweating them out and pressing them dry ensures your breading stays nice and crispy instead of soggy.
- Decadent Swap: I love using olive oil for baking the eggplant, but if you want something a little more decadent, you can put some grated butter on top of the breaded slices before they go into the oven!
- Make-Ahead & Storage: You can bake the eggplant slices a day ahead and store them in an airtight container. Leftover baked eggplant parmesan freezes beautifully—just let it cool completely, wrap it tightly, and freeze for up to 3 months.
