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This Baked Eggplant Parmesan is one of my favorite comfort foods. The marinara and cheese layers are sandwiched between tender, oven-roasted slices of eggplant. While classic eggplant parmesan recipes fry the eggplant, I bake it for something lighter! My family is happy eating big slices of this eggplant parmesan recipe on its own, but you can also serve it with a side salad and breaded air-fried chicken!
Table of Contents
As I mentioned, the great thing about this baked eggplant parmesan is that there’s no deep frying involved. (I can’t be the only one who doesn’t like dealing with a lot of oil, right?) Coating the eggplant slices with cheesy, seasoned panko breadcrumbs and then baking them at a high temperature makes the eggplant crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.
The rest of the recipe is all about the layers! Shredded mozzarella and marinara sauce are all you need for this. Once the baked breaded eggplant parmesan is done, it’ll be bubbling and browned and your kitchen will smell incredible.
Recipe At a Glance
Cuisine Inspiration: Italian
Primary Cooking Method: Oven
Key Flavor: Tender, crispy, saucy, cheesy
Skill Level: Easy
Why This Is So Good
- Makes great leftovers: Slices of this baked eggplant parmesan reheat really well in the microwave! I always look forward to having it for lunch the next day.
- Freezes well: If your casserole dish is freezer-safe, the whole thing can be frozen for a few months.
- Makes a lot: This recipe easily serves 8 people. It’s one of my go-to’s for big family dinners!
Ingredients to Make Baked Eggplant Parmesan
- Eggplants: Choose ones that are similarly sized so the pieces cook at the same speed!
- Panko breadcrumbs: These are coarser and crispier than regular breadcrumbs.
- Parmesan cheese: A lot of parmesan isn’t actually vegetarian! If you’re vegetarian, look for one that doesn’t use animal rennet.
- Olive oil: Adding this to the breadcrumb mixture helps the eggplant brown and adds flavor!
- Italian seasoning: This is a mixture of herbs! If I have 5 minutes, I’ll often make my own.
- Flour and eggs: These help the breadcrumb mixture stick to the eggplant slices.
- Marinara sauce: You can use your favorite store-bought sauce or make your own!
- Low-moisture mozzarella: It’s important to use low-moisture mozzarella, not fresh, which is easier to shred.
- Basil: Topping the baked eggplant parmesan with fresh basil adds a pop of flavor!
Popular Additions
- Add more veggies. You could add a layer of cooked spinach or kale.
- Use a different vegetable. Try zucchini or yellow squash!
- Amp up the protein. Add a layer or two of crumbled, cooked ground turkey or chicken!
How to Make Baked Eggplant Parmesan
While this recipe has a number of steps, it’s really simple to make! Just don’t skip salting the eggplant (more on this below!).
Prepare the eggplant
Dredge and Bake Breadcrumb Coated Eggplant
Assemble the Eggplant Parmesan
Tips for Making Baked Eggplant Parm
- Don’t peel the eggplant. This helps keep the eggplant slices intact!
- Make sure to salt the eggplant to remove the bitter liquid. If you’ve had bitter eggplant, it likely wasn’t salted properly.
- Don’t skip drying the eggplant. This will ensure it has the best flavor and texture and also removes excess salt!
- Make your own marinara sauce. I love making my simple 3-ingredient homemade marinara sauce! It’s delicious and only takes 30 minutes.
- For convenience, prepare a day in advance. You can assemble the eggplant parmesan, cover it, and keep it in the fridge for up to 24 hours until you are ready to bake it.
What to Serve With Eggplant Parmesan Recipe
- Blue Cheese Wedge Salad
- Soft Garlic Knots
- Pickle Brined Chicken
- Grilled Lemon Chicken
- Quinoa Avocado Salad
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I store and reheat baked eggplant parmesan?
Store any leftovers in an airtight container. They will last about 3 to 4 days in the fridge! To reheat it, you could do so in the microwave or place the whole dish in a 350°F oven until warmed through.
I highly recommend using panko breadcrumbs for this recipe. They’re far crispier and retain their crunch better when baked and layered with marinara sauce and cheese!
This eggplant parm freezes really well. If your casserole dish is freezer-proof, you just need to wrap it with a few layers of foil. It’ll last for up to 3 months!
More Eggplant Recipes:
- Eggplant Moussaka
- Baba Ganoush
- Eggplant Tomato Stew
- Grilled Eggplant
- Eggplant Pasta Casserole
- Grilled Eggplant Parmesan
- Stuffed Eggplant
- Cheesy Eggplant Lasagna
If you try this feel good Baked Eggplant Parmesan recipe or any other recipe on Feel Good Foodie, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment below! It helps others who are thinking of making the recipe. We would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots, share it on Instagram so we can repost on Stories!
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.
Baked Eggplant Parmesan
Video
Ingredients
- 2 large eggplants sliced into ½-inch circles
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 2 cups panko breadcrumbs
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon italian seasoning
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon water
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 (24-ounce) jar marinara sauce
- 2 ¼ cups low moisture mozzarella
- ¼ cup fresh basil chopped, for serving
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
- Instead of all-purpose flour, you can bread the eggplant with almond flour or any other flour of choice.
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Amazing eggplant parmesean and very easy!!! My husband and I loved it. Thank you!!
Yay, so happy you and your husband loved it! Thanks, Melinda!!
You left out baking the eggplant in the oven.
Hi there! The full instructions (including baking the eggplant) are in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. You can scroll down or click ‘jump to recipe’ to see it. Hope that helps!
Just made this for the first time and it turned out delicious! I used primal kitchen marinara but next time I will do your marinara recipe but otherwise I followed directions to a tee and we loved it! Thank you
Yay, I’m so happy to hear this!
Hi Yumma–I have one question regarding the prep of the eggplant. in the step where you salt the eggplant slices to extract the bitter liquid from it–do you salt both sides of the eggplant slices before placing them on paper towel lined baking sheet and topping them with another paper towel? Also can you stack a second layer of the salted eggplant slices & paper toweling over the first layer on the same baking sheet?
Hi Rhonda, great question! Yes, salt both sides. You can stack the second layer on it. I would just make sure to have some extra paper towels in-between to really absorb the liquid.
I’ve made this recipe for eggplant parm several times now. Clear and easy to follow instructions and the end result has been great ! 5 Stars ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank you so much!
Five star rating for this recipe
Family enjoyed it immensely
I made this last night and was literally SHOCKED at how delicious it was. I cheated and used jarred marinara though 😂
So glad you liked it! Jarred marinara is a great option!