Baked Eggplant Parmesan
Updated Sep 04, 2026
Baked Eggplant Parmesan made with eggplants coated with panko breadcrumbs, Parmesan, and seasoning, layered with marinara and mozzarella.
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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. You can eat this baked eggplant parm on its own, but because we’re all trying to prioritize protein, I like pairing it with Oven Baked Chicken Breast or Balsamic Chicken that can bake in the oven at the same time.
Recipe Testing Notes
For the past 10 years, I’ve tested every recipe before sharing it with you! These notes give you a peek into the process of developing this Baked Eggplant Parmesan recipe.
More Italian seasoning gave the breading better flavor. I retested this recipe after a reader suggested increasing the Italian seasoning from 1 tablespoon to 2 tablespoons. I agreed that the extra seasoning made a big difference. The 1 tablespoon is still find, but increasing the seasoning gave the breading a more well-rounded, savory flavor.
Everything else held up well in the retest. Aside from that small seasoning adjustment, I didn’t find anything else I wanted to change. The eggplant baked up well, the breading worked as written, and the overall balance of sauce, cheese, and eggplant was right where I wanted it.
Happy Cooking!
– Yumna
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Baked Eggplant Parmesan Ingredients
- Eggplant: Use two large eggplants, sliced into rounds. Make sure to salt them and let them sit. This helps pull out extra 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
These step-by-step photos walk you through how to make Baked Eggplant Parmesan. For the full ingredient list and detailed instructions, head to the recipe card below, or skip straight to the → Baked Eggplant Parmesan recipe below
1. SALT THE EGGPLANT
Prepare the eggplant by slicing it, placing it on a baking sheet on top of paper towels, and salting it generously.
2. DRY THE EGGPLANT
Pat the eggplant dry to remove excess liquid and salt.
3. TOSS IN FLOUR
Toss the eggplant with the flour.
4. ADD TO EGG WASH
Dip into the egg wash.
5. ADD TO BREADCRUMBS
Dip the eggplant slice into the breadcrumb mixture.
6. PRESS THE BREADCRUMBS
Turn to coat the eggplant in the breadcrumbs.
7. ADD TO BAKING SHEET
Place the eggplant slices on a baking sheet.
8. BAKE UNTIL CRISPY
Bake until browned and crispy.
9. LAYER MARINARA
Add the marinara to the bottom of a baking dish.
10. ADD EGGPLANT
Add half of the baked eggplant on top in an even layer.
11. ADD MARINARA
Add half of the remaining marinara on top of the eggplant.
12. ADD CHEESE
Sprinkle with half of the shredded cheese.
13. CONTINUE LAYERS
Add the remaining eggplant on top of the cheese, followed by the remaining marinara sauce and shredded cheese.
14. BAKE UNTIL GOLDEN
Cover with foil and bake. Then uncover and bake to allow the cheese to get lightly golden.
Full Baked Eggplant Parmesan Recipe
Baked Eggplant Parmesan Recipe
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.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Recipe Tips
- Don’t peel the eggplant. The skin helps keep the eggplant slices intact!
- Make sure to salt the eggplant. Salting removes the excess bitter liquid in eggplant!
- Press the breadcrumbs firmly onto the eggplant. Don’t just lightly dip the slices into the breadcrumb mixture. Press both sides into the coating so you get an even layer that stays on the eggplant and gets crispy when you bake it in the oven.
- Don’t add too much marinara between the layers. Too much sauce might soften the crispy breading quickly. Use enough to cover the eggplant without completely soaking each slice, then serve extra marinara on the side if you want it saucier.
Comments
Great recipe. The only change I would recommend would be to increase the Italian seasoning from 1 to 1 1/2 or 2 tablespoons.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for the feedback about the Italian seasoning. If you like a little more herby flavor, increasing it to 1½ or 2 tablespoons is a great adjustment! I will retest this soon and check on the seasoning amount.
Wow, followed recipe with no changes. Best I’ve ever had!
it shows garlic and onions in the video, but not in the recipe
Hi! I recently updated the recipe to use a jar of marinara, because it’s quicker and easier. If you want to make your own sauce with garlic and onions like in the video, try my homemade marinara sauce recipe!
Great recipe! We really enjoyed it
I’m so glad to hear that! Thank you!
Can I prepare the whole dish, put it in the refrigerator, and then bake it later in the day?
I am having company and I don’t have a lot of time.
Thank you.
Hi Carol, yes, you can! It will be a little less crisp this way, but it’ll still taste great. I recommend a few things to help make it a success: Let the breaded eggplant cool completely before layering the casserole so it doesn’t steam and get soggy. Take the assembled dish out of the fridge about 20–30 minutes before baking so it can lose some of its chill. I really recommend that step, because putting a cold ceramic directly in the oven could cause the dish to crack. And note that you may need to add 5–10 extra minutes to the covered baking time since it will be starting cold. Hope that helps!
What can we replace the eggs with to keep it vegetarian?
You can use a flax egg instead: How to Make a Flax Egg
Truly one of my all time favourite recipes, with bonus leftovers which keep flavouring.
Aww, so happy you love it!! Thank you so much, Hazel!
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.
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.
Yumna…Can you please share the brand of Panko you like/use for this recipe please? Do you use an italian seasoned Panko? Thanks for your help.
Yes, of course! I like to use Jeff Nathan Creations gluten-free panko breadcrumbs: https://amzlink.to/az0R0odAh08QC
Excellent as is. Thank you.
Thank you, Leila!! So happy you enjoyed it!
Really good recipe. I did the eggplant the night before and put it together today. I did add 15oz ricotta to it and it was excellent.
( I put the ricotta in the Vitamix with 1 egg, Parmesan cheese and Italian seasoning. Gave it a few good pluses.) Definitely slice the eggplant in 1/2”. I will make this again.
**I love cooking with less oil
Thanks so much, Carole! Love the tweaks you made. So glad you loved it!!
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 tap ‘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 took a shortcut and used jarred marinara though 😂
So glad you liked it! Jarred marinara is a great option!
Excellent! My family loved it and said, “this is really special”.
Thank you for such a great recipe.
Highly recommend!
Thank you so much! I love that!!
Absolutely delicious! My husband loved it and we both went for seconds. I added Italian seasoning to the breadcrumbs and I used fresh mozzarella slices on the top layer instead of shredded. Will definitely make again! Thank you!
Thank you! That sounds delicious. I’m so glad to hear it. You’re welcome!!
Do you use a 9×13 dish?
Yes!
Very easy recipe and tasty dish. Thanks.
Thank you so much!
I made this last night and it was delicious. Even though there was multiple steps, I did not feel that the steps were lengthy or difficult by ANY means. In fact they were key to the overall dish coming out as great as it did. I plan to make this again! My 10 year old even loved it and requested the leftovers for lunch today. Thank you!
That’s perfect to hear! Glad you both enjoyed it!! You’re so welcome!
Took a while to make, but 100% worth it. Definitely a new favorite!
I love that it was worth it! Yay!
Eggplant Parmesan is my absolute favorite Italian dish. Thank you ever so much for a recipe that bakes it 1st for that nicely browned flavor. I’m disabled and can no longer stand at the stove to brown each and every piece of eggplant. I can sit and do all the prep-work, then pop it in the oven, then sit again to put it together and pop it back in the oven. Now I don’t have to buy it ready-made frozen, which is expensive and has too much sodium. Thank you🙏
I’m so glad that you came across this recipe and that it worked for you! You’re so welcome!!
Thank you so much!
So glad I went with this recipe when looking around to make eggplant parmesan. The step-by-step instructions and pictures were so helpful! I prepared the dish exactly as instructed and baked it the following day and it came out soooo yummy 😋. Only suggestion I’d make would be to spray the casserole dish before filling.
I’m so glad to hear that, Judi! Thank you so much!
It’s in the oven now!!!!!! Can’t wait to try it!!!!
Oh yum!! Please let me know if it turned out well!
Just tried this recipe last night! This was my first time making eggplant parmesan! Definitely takes time but is very easy!!! Also, I like that this recipe is healthier (without the frying).
Thank you for sharing!!!!
(Oh, I used fresh mozzarella slices between my eggplant and shredded mozzarella on top and it turned out fine).
So glad you tried it and enjoyed it! I agree it takes time but it’s so worth it!!
Delicious! I prepared this dish at night and cooked it the next morning. The recipe prep of the eggplant was right on. No salty issue here.
I tweaked it a bit by adding dried oregano, garlic and Italian seasoning to the bread crumb mixture. I also used store bought Marinara. Give it a try you won’t regret it. Again delicious!
I’m so happy you enjoyed! Thanks so much for sharing your experience making it! 🙂
It’s in the oven and can’t wait to try it! Thanks for the great recipe
I hope you enjoy it!
First time making eggplant anything and it was delicious. Not for the inexperienced cook though due to all of the steps involve. My family loved it. I made my own marinara and it deepened the flavors.
I’m so glad to her you enjoyed it! There are quite a few steps I agree, but it’s so worth it in the end!
I’ve made this recipe before and it turned out great! Even my picky 7 year old loved it. I currently have an abundance of eggplant that I need to use quickly so I’d like to follow your directions for freezing. If I bake the eggplant, assemble, bake again and then freeze, how long does it need to bake after being thawed? Should it be covered or uncovered? Thank you for sharing this great recipe!
Sorry for my late response! After freezing and thawing it, you can bake it at 350F uncovered for 15-20 minutes
If substituting pre made marinara, how much marinara does this recipe need?
One jar 25 ounces is perfect.
I just threw out an entire pan because the recipe didn’t say to rinse the salted eggplant before dredging it. So please rinse before you dredge!
Oh no, I’m so sorry to hear that! Actually you just need to wipe off the excess moisture that comes out and the salt comes out with it. I would not recommend rinsing the eggplant. Just dab it dry with a paper towel after sweating it.
Looks good but this is NOT a 50 minute recipe:
-45 minutes to get the bitterness out with salt
-5 minutes minimum to assemble the dredged and breaded eggplants
-30-35 minutes to bake them
-5 more minutes to assemble layered in pan
-25 minutes baking plus
-20 minutes more uncovered plus
-2-3 minutes under broiler =
135 minutes!!!!
Sorry there was a typo in the recipe summary. I just fixed it now. Thank you.
Very tasty recipe, but the times still don’t quite add up. 135min is 2hrs15min, not 1hr35min. Great if you meal prep on the weekends, but definitely not a weeknight meal.
Thank you! The cook time is 70 minutes, but the whole recipe from start to finish takes 95 minutes.
Are the times off somewhere? Above it says prep time is 20 minutes and cook time is 30 minutes. However as you read the recipe you have leaving the eggplant out for 45 minutes, cooking the sauce is 15 minutes, cooking the eggplant is 30 minutes and then two other cooking times of 25 minutes and 20 minutes once assembled. I was excited to try this when I say it was under an hour of cooking time, but now that I read it it is actually going to take me at least an hour of prep and 2 hours of cooking time. Is there something I’m missing?
Hi there, you’re right the summary shows incorrect calculations. So there’s actually about 1 hour and 10 minutes total of cooking time because you can cook the sauce while baking the eggplant alone first. And you can also use marinara from a jar to make it easier. There are a few steps required though so it’s definitely not a quick recipe. I hope you do have the chance to try it sometime though. Let me know if you have any other questions. Thank you for asking for clarification though.
This was so easy and so good! I have an abundance of eggplant so I am using this recipe to prepare eggplant to freeze. Crossing my fingers that this will be good this winter 🙂 yum!
Yay, so glad you liked it! And I think they will turn out great frozen!
What did I do wrong? It was so salty I had to dump it. Outside of that I could see it would be good. It’s a ton of work and time though.
Oh noooo!! I’m so sorry to hear that. Did you make sure to pat the eggplant dry after salting it. After patting it, most of the salt goes away and it shouldn’t be salty at all. Sorry you had to throw it aout…that’s the worst feeling!
Such a nice recipe. This is the second time I have made it. Using my fresh herbs so the aroma is nice. Thanks for posting.
So glad you made it twice already!! That’s awesome!
I wish I could post my picture! The recipe is AMAZING to say the least! I
So glad to hear it. Thank you!!
We tried this recipe out last night and it was surprisingly easy to make and so satisfying for a vegetarian meal. The ingredient list was accurate too (no one used the salt shaker). Everyone had seconds! I found the tip of cutting/salting/and paper towel layering to remove the bitterness really helpful too and we also chose to add shreds of basil once we took it out of the oven. Definitely going to be a recipe we’ll use again and again in this house!
Thank you so much Samia, I really appreciate you amazing feedback on the recipe!!
Hi, is there a substitute for the breadcrumbs?
Try almond flour!
It was amazing, perfectly crisped and easy to make! My dad, who doesn’t love eggplant, loved this recipe!!
Yay! So glad to hear it!! Thank you for sharing 🙂
Seriously, the BEST! It was a lot of work to make it in one day, but I had an eggplant I really needed to use. While making it, I thought, this is way too much work, but then when I tasted it, it all made sense! I used one eggplant, and got six very generous portions from it. The layers were not “overlapping” as it would be, had I used two eggplants, but I stacked two slices thick (so it looked like little layer cakes in my pan), and it worked great. I had to stretch my panko crumbs with regular breadcrumbs (the bread heel, put into my coffee grinder) and it worked well. It’s the kind of recipe you can really make your own, and can’t get wrong! Just give it some time to prepare. I will definitely put this in my monthly rotation!!!!!!!!
Yay! I’m so glad to hear that! I was worried about all the steps as well given that I usually share easy simple recipes, but when I tasted the final product, I seriously believe it’s restaurant quality and so worth all the steps. I’m so glad you enjoyed it too! THANK YOU!!
This looks amazing, yum!!
Thanks so much! 🙂
Just wondering how much oil do u use in the breadcrumbs
3 tablespoons olive oil
Great recipe.Very tasty. Made these tonight. They were a hit with the family.
I’m so glad to hear that!! Thanks for providing your feedback 🙂
I tried this recipe and added lots of fresh basil on top. Such a great recipe. Love it!