Baked Eggplant Parmesan

Yumna Jawad

Updated Jul 27, 2025

5 from 178 reviews

Baked Eggplant Parmesan made with large eggplants, coated with panko breadcrumbs, Parmesan, and seasoning, layered with marinara and mozzarella cheese.

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Prep Time 15 minutes
Servings 8 servings
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Baked Eggplant Parmesan.
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BAked Eggplant Parmesan is so good!

This baked eggplant parmesan is the version I make when I want all the flavor without dealing with hot oil. I bake the eggplant instead of frying it, and it still turns out crispy on the outside and soft in the middle.

I coat the eggplant in seasoned panko and parmesan, bake it until golden, then layer it up with marinara and mozzarella. We eat this baked eggplant parm on its own most nights, but it’s easy to add a salad or something else on the side if needed.

Happy Cooking!
– Yumna

Baked Eggplant Parmesan Ingredients

Ingredients for recipe: flour, shredded cheese, marinara sauce, eggs, fresh basil, grated parmesan, salt italian seasonings, breadcrumbs, oil, and eggplants.
  • Eggplant: Use two large eggplants, sliced into rounds. Make sure to salt them and let them sit. This helps pull out excess moisture and keeps the final dish from getting watery.
  • Coating ingredients: A mix of panko breadcrumbs, grated Parmesan, olive oil, Italian seasoning, flour, and an egg wash (eggs + water). I like pressing the breadcrumbs well so they stick during baking and get crispy in the oven.
  • Sauce and cheese: A jar of marinara and shredded low-moisture mozzarella. You can use homemade marinara sauce if you have it, but store-bought works just fine. Fresh basil is optional but nice for serving.

How to Make Baked Eggplant Parmesan

Prepare the Eggplant

Sliced eggplant on a baking sheet with salt.
Step 1: Prepare the eggplant by slicing it, placing it on a baking sheet on top of paper towels, and salting it generously.
Patting dry with a paper towel.
Step 2: Pat the eggplant dry to remove excess liquid and salt.

Dredge and Bake Breadcrumb Coated Eggplant

After dredging a sliced eggplant in flour.
Step 1: Toss the eggplant with the flour.

Flour coated sliced veggie in an eggwash.
Step 2: Dip into the egg wash.
Egg coated eggplant slice on top of breadcrumbs.
Step 3: Dip the eggplant slice into the breadcrumb mixture.
Pressing eggplant firmly into breadcrumbs.
Step 4: Turn to coat the eggplant in the breadcrumbs.
Breadcrumb coated eggplant slices on a baking sheet before baking.
Step 5: Place the eggplant slices on a baking sheet.
After baking and crispy.
Step 6: Bake until browned and crispy.

Assemble the Eggplant Parmesan

Marinara sauce spread evenly in the bottom of a baking dish.
Step 1: Add the marinara to the bottom of a baking dish.
Breadcrumb coated eggplant slices on top of marinara sauce in a baking dish.
Step 2: Add half of the baked eggplant on top in an even layer.
After adding more sauce.
Step 3: Add half of the remaining marinara on top of the eggplant.
Shredded cheese added on top of sauce.
Step 4: Sprinkle with half of the shredded cheese.
Final dish before baking.
Step 5: Add the remaining eggplant on top of the cheese, followed by the remaining marinara sauce and shredded cheese.
Recipe after baking with golden, melty cheese.
Step 6: Cover with foil and bake. Then uncover and bake to allow the cheese to get lightly golden.
Baked eggplant parmesan recipe.

Baked Eggplant Parmesan Recipe

Author: Yumna Jawad
5 from 178 reviews
Baked Eggplant Parmesan made with large eggplants, coated with panko breadcrumbs, Parmesan, and seasoning, layered with marinara and mozzarella cheese.
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Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 10 minutes
Resting time45 minutes
Total Time2 hours 10 minutes
Servings8 servings

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Ingredients
  

Instructions

  • Place the eggplant slices on a baking sheet lined with a paper towel, salt the eggplant generously then apply another paper towel on top of the eggplant; let it rest for 45 minutes. Then use the paper towels to pat dry and remove the excess salt and moisture.
  • Preheat the oven to 400°F and lightly grease a large sheet pan.
  • Combine bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, olive oil, and italian seasoning in one bowl. Beat eggs and water in a separate bowl. Place flour in a third bowl.
  • Toss the eggplant with the flour, then dip into the egg wash, and then into the breadcrumbs mixture, making sure to press the breadcrumbs onto the eggplant firmly. Place onto the prepared baking sheet, and repeat with the remaining slices. Bake until the eggplant coating is browned, about 30-35 minutes.
  • Add about 1 cup of marinara sauce into the bottom of a 9 by 13-inch baking dish. Place half of the eggplant on top of the marinara. Spoon another 1 cup of marinara over the top, followed by ¾ cup mozzarella. Apply the remaining eggplant on top of the cheese followed by the remaining marinara and remaining cheese.
  • Lower the oven temperature to 375°F. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes. Uncover and continue baking until the cheese has lightly browned, about 20 more minutes.
  • Remove from heat and allow to rest for 5 minutes before cutting and serving. Serve with fresh basil.

Equipment

Notes

Storage: Store any leftovers in an airtight container. They will last about 3-4 days in the fridge.
Freezing Instructions: You can also freeze the baked eggplant parmesan for up to 3 months. To re-heat, thaw in the fridge overnight and bake in a 350°F oven until heated through. You can also freeze the uncooked eggplant parmesan as I often do. Follow the baking instructions but leave it in the oven for an extra 10 minutes.
Substitutes: For best results, follow the recipe as is. However here are some common substitutes that would work well in this recipe.
  • Instead of all-purpose flour, you can bread the eggplant with almond flour or any other flour of choice.

Nutrition

Serving: 3slices eggplant, Calories: 356kcal, Carbohydrates: 32g, Protein: 18g, Fat: 18g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 7g, Trans Fat: 0.01g, Cholesterol: 93mg, Sodium: 1416mg, Potassium: 645mg, Fiber: 6g, Sugar: 9g, Vitamin A: 834IU, Vitamin C: 9mg, Calcium: 403mg, Iron: 3mg

Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.

Did You Make This Recipe?
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Recipe Tips

  1. Don’t peel your eggplant. The skin helps keep the eggplant slices intact!
  2. Make sure to salt your eggplant. Salting removes the excess bitter liquid in eggplant!
Serving of eggplant parmesan on a small plate showing layers of recipe with baking dish nearby.

More Eggplant Recipes

This Baked Eggplant Parmesan recipe was originally published on March 5, 2018. It has now been updated with new photography, tips, and step-by-step images to help you make the recipe.

5 from 178 votes (147 ratings without comment)

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Comments

  1. Hazel says:

    Truly one of my all time favourite recipes, with bonus leftovers which keep flavouring.

    Reply
    1. Yumna J. says:

      Aww, so happy you love it!! Thank you so much, Hazel!

      Reply
  2. Claire says:

    Easy-to-follow recipe with good flavor. My disappointment is in the sogginess of the eggplant. They were so nice and crisp after breading them and baking them the first time. Then after adding the sauce and cheese and putting them back in the oven they ended up not nice and crisp. I would have liked to have that texture under the sauce. If there’s something I should have done and didn’t please let me know.

    Reply
    1. Yumna J. says:

      Hi! There are a few things that may have happened. Did you make sure to salt the eggplant and let it sit? Removing the excess moisture before you bread the eggplant is an important step to maintain the proper texture. And did you use panko breadcrumbs? They’re crispier than regular breadcrumbs.

      Reply

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