This baked eggplant parmesan recipe is coated in a flavorful crispy and salty layer of parmesan breadcrumbs, seasonings, and rich tomato sauce.
It is a vegetarian version of my own recipe for Chicken Parmesan. Use my quick marinara sauce for the sauce!
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Eggplant Parmesan
Over time I've shared delicious one-pot meals such as Ham And Potato Casserole, classic old fashioned Hamburger Casserole, and kid-friendly Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole.
Ingredients
- Eggplant – Before you start, make sure your slices actually fit in your baking dish—nothing’s worse than realizing they’re too big mid-recipe! I usually go for medium to large eggplants, which give me about six slices in an 8x11 casserole dish. A large Dutch oven skillet also works great. When shopping, pick fresh, firm eggplants with shiny, unblemished skin—if it looks wrinkly or has soft spots, skip it!
- Flour – Use regular or gluten-free flour, whichever suits you. If gluten isn't an issue, all-purpose flour works just fine—no need to overthink it!
- Sauce - Any Italian tomato sauce from the store will do, but I always go for a high-quality one with built-in seasonings, veggies, and herbs—less work, more flavor! Marinara or pizza sauce both get the job done beautifully.
- Bread crumbs – Seasoned is the way to go! They add extra flavor without any extra effort. If you only have plain, just mix in some Italian seasoning or garlic powder to jazz them up.
📋 You can find the full ingredient list in the Recipe Card below the article.
How To Make Eggplant Parmesan
- Prep. Remove stems from the eggplants and cut it into about ¼ -½ inches thick slices.
- ''Sweat'' the eggplant. Spread out slices of eggplant in a single layer onto a wire rack lined with a large baking sheet underneath. Sprinkle each slice lightly with salt and let them sit for 1 hour. Then, pat dry the eggplant with kitchen paper.
- Prepare three bowls with beaten eggs, flour, and breadcrumbs + seasonings (parmesan, dried herbs, garlic powder, salt and pepper). Dip each eggplant slice on both sides first into flour, then eggs and lastly breadcrumbs mixture. Place the coated eggplant slices back onto a wire rack or a side plate for a minute.
- Roast the eggplant. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare a large baking sheet lined with lightly greased/sprayed with oil parchment paper. Transfer all the slices there. Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown, flipping the slices once during baking. Around the 10-12 minute mark. Set the slices aside while you prepare for the next step.
- Assemble and bake the casserole. Lightly grease a 8 or 9-inch baking dish (I used an 8x11 casserole). Add one layer of tomato sauce, then eggplant slices on top, mozzarella cheese, again the sauce, and parmesan. Repeat all the layers 1 more time finishing with parmesan cheese.
- Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes or until the top layer becomes crispy and golden brown. Do not cover the dish. Garnish with fresh basil leaves.
How To Cut An Eggplant For Eggplant Parmesan?
It's very simple! Cut off the ends of the eggplant (stem) and slice it into ¼-inch thick wheels for eggplant parmesan.
Why Do You Sweat Eggplant Before Cooking?
This dish is simple but requires a few steps to prep, including ''sweating'' the eggplant. Just like with zucchini, we need to salt the eggplant first and let it sit for 30 minutes to an hour.
Salt helps to draw out the excess moisture so that the eggplant retains its delicious flavor and remains juicy and tender after baking.
Tips
- Don't skip the salting, this will make your eggplant nice and crisp. Sprinkle slices with salt and let sit for 1 hour. Pat dry with paper towel to remove excess salt and moisture.
- The best flavor and crispy texture comes from breadcrumbs. So don't be shy and generously coat the eggplant slices in the breadcrumbs mixture. Clean your hands with a wet towel during the coating.
- Try to pick eggplants of similar size and slice them evenly. This helps them cook evenly without some pieces getting soggy or drying out.
Julia's Tip
I recommend baking eggplant slices over frying - because eggplant tends to keep all the moisture you add to them, including oil! Salting will help to draw out excess water, and make the eggplant nice and crispy after baking.
Side Dishes For Eggplant Parmesan
We love:
Freezing And Storing Instructions
Store any leftover bake in the same casserole dish covered with a lid or plastic wrap. Let the casserole cool first before refrigerating for up to 3 days.
Easy Eggplant Recipes
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Recipe Card
How To Make Eggplant Parmesan
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INGREDIENTS
Eggplant Parmesan
- 2 medium eggplants
- ½ cup all purpose flour, or GF or Oat flour
- 3 eggs, lightly beaten
- vegetable oil spray
- 1 ½ cup breadcrumbs, or panko
- ½ cup parmesan cheese, grated
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
For The Sauce
- 1 ½ cups tomato sauce with herbs or pizza sauce
- 1 pound block of mozzarella cheese, sliced
- ⅓ cup parmesan cheese, grated
- fresh herbs for garnish
INSTRUCTIONS
- Remove the stems from the eggplants and cut it into about ¼ -½ inches thick slices.
- ''Sweating'' the eggplant. Spread out slices of eggplant in single layer onto a wire rack lined with large baking sheet underneath. Lightly season each slice of eggplant with salt and let sit like this for 1 hour. After that, dry the eggplant with kitchen paper.
- Mix the breadcrumbs with parmesan, italian herbs, garlic powder, salt, black pepper.
- Pre-cook the slices. Prepare three bowls with beaten eggs, flour, and breadcrumbs mixture. Dip each eggplant slice on both sides first into flour, then eggs and lastly breadcrumbs mixture.
- Place the coated eggplant slices back onto a wire rack or a side plate for a minute. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare large baking sheet lined with lightly greased/sprayed with oil parchment paper. Transfer all the slices there.
- Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown, flipping the slices once during baking. Around 10-12 minute mark. Set the slices aside while you prep the next step.
- Prepare a 8 or 9 inch baking dish (I used 8x11 casserole) and lightly grease with cooking spray. Add one layer of tomato sauce, then eggplant slices on top, mozzarella cheese, again the sauce, and parmesan. Repeat all the layers 1 more time finishing with parmesan cheese.
- Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes or until the top layer becomes crispy and golden brown. Do not cover the dish. Garnish with fresh basil leaves and serve!
VIDEO
NOTES
- Eggplant - depending on your baking dish, make sure the slices will fit there first. I like to use the medium to large eggplants and it fits a layer of 6 slices. I used an 8x11 casserole dish. You can also use a large dutch oven skillet for this. Look for fresh ripe eggplants that have unblemished, tight, and shiny skin. The eggplant should be free of spots.
- JULIA'S TIP Eggplants tend to retain a lot of moisture in them and also any oil that you are adding to them. For this reason, I prefer to bake eggplant slices in the oven rather than frying. Salt helps to draw the moisture out of the eggplant and make them crispy after baking.
- I recommend sprinkling the slices with salt and let sit this way for 1 hour. Make sure to pat dry them well with a paper towel to remove the excess salt and moisture
ADD YOUR OWN PRIVATE NOTES
NUTRITION
Note: Nutrition information is estimated and varies based on the products used.
Full Nutrition Disclaimer can be found here.
FAQs
I don't recommend refrigerating unbaked casserole as the breadcrumb will become soggy and not crispy after baking. But instead, you can follow the steps in this recipe and bake the eggplant parmesan 1-2 days in advance.
Let it cool completely, cover it tightly with a lid, and store it in the fridge. When ready to reheat, let come to room temperature and reheat in the oven for 12 minutes covered with foil. Remove the foil, add more cheese, and bake for 10 minutes more or until it's piping hot and sauce bubbly.
Sprinkling the eggplant slices in the first step is essential. Salt draws out the moisture from the eggplant making it crispy after baking.
In general, we don't peel it. However, some eggplants (older ones) have tougher skin and can taste a little bitter. If these are the only ones you have, then yes, I recommend removing the skins first.
Melissa
almost 900 calories per serving, without frying... are you sure?
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
The serving was approximately for 3 people so yes it is about right.
Kaity
I am a little confused. The cook time says 30 minutes. But step 7 says to cook for 20 minutes and step 9 says to cook for 30 minutes. Shouldn't the cook time be a total of 50 minutes.
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
Kaity, good eye! The recipe instructions are correct but the total timing above the recipe card is incorrect - it should be indeed 50 minutes cooking time, not 30.
Julia
A classic foolproof recipe for vegetarian Eggplant Parmesan. Make now or save for later!
Yulinda
What can Use instead of salt?
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
I am not sure Yulinda, perhaps other seasonings?