Valerie's Kitchen

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Baked Eggplant Parmesan

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An oven-fry method creates this crispy Baked Eggplant Parmesan that rivals any fried version. An easy, updated take on the classic Italian dish.

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An oven-fry method creates this crispy Baked Eggplant Parmesan that rivals any fried version. An easy, updated take on the classic Italian dish.

This post was originally published on September 11, 2011. It has been updated with new photos and an instructional video.

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Aaahhh, cheesy Baked Eggplant Parmesan. One of my husband’s favorites. I remember making it for the first time ages ago and wondering how my kids would perceive it. I mean, there’s no meat in it! Not necessarily an easy selling point to four teenage boys.

Because it resembles lasagna they dove right in without even asking what it was… and it was love at first bite. So, there you go!

An oven-fry method creates this crispy Baked Eggplant Parmesan that rivals any fried version. An easy, updated take on the classic Italian dish.

I find this method is easier to prepare than the traditional fried version and it’s definitely a little easier on the waistline without forfeiting any of the delicious flavor or texture. Try it and you’ll see.

BAKED EGGPLANT PARMESAN

An oven-fry method creates this crispy Baked Eggplant Parmesan that rivals any fried version. An easy, updated take on the classic Italian dish.

A FEW NOTES ABOUT EGGPLANT:

Don’t sweat the small stuff…. but definitely sweat your eggplant!  Eggplant can have bitterness to it and this process of “sweating” helps eliminate that. Not all of them will have that bitter element, but to me it’s not worth the risk so I always take this extra step.

Sweating is the process of salting your eggplant slices and allowing them to rest for about an hour or more. The salt will pull some of the potentially bitter liquid from the eggplant. Less moisture in the eggplant slices also helps them to crisp up nicely in the “oven-fry” method in this recipe. Once they’ve sweat, just be sure to rinse them well with cool water to remove the excess salt and blot them dry before breading them.

An oven-fry method creates this crispy Baked Eggplant Parmesan that rivals any fried version. An easy, updated take on the classic Italian dish.

Whether you peel them is personal preference. It isn’t necessary and I love the deep purple color not to mention that there are vitamins and additional flavor in the skin. I’ve done it both ways but took the easy way out here and left the skin on.

An oven-fry method creates this crispy Baked Eggplant Parmesan that rivals any fried version. An easy, updated take on the classic Italian dish.

You could mix things up by using different varieties of Italian cheese but for this recipe I always go with sliced fresh mozzarella and a little Parmesan. The fresh mozz has such a luscious, creamy quality and layers nicely on the eggplant stacks.

An oven-fry method creates this crispy Baked Eggplant Parmesan that rivals any fried version. An easy, updated take on the classic Italian dish.

This is one of our favorite Italian-inspired meals in this house. I’ve made it countless times and it remains at the top of the list!


More fabulous ways to use eggplant:
Julia Child’s Eggplant Pizzas | Kayln’s Kitchen
Eggplant Fries with Marinara Sauce | A Family Feast
Garlic and Roasted Eggplant Hummus | Melanie Makes
Stuffed Eggplant | The Little Kitchen

Baked Eggplant Parmesan

An oven-fry method creates this crispy Baked Eggplant Parmesan that rivals any fried version. An easy, updated take on the classic Italian dish.
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 50 minutes
Servings 6 servings
Change the number in the box above to adjust serving size. Please note that size of cookware and cook time may vary.
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4.95 from 17 votes

Ingredients

  • 3 eggplant sliced 1/4" thick (you'll need 12 slices)
  • salt
  • 3 eggs beaten
  • 1 (8 ounce) box Italian seasoned panko bread crumbs
  • 1 (26 ounce) jar marinara sauce
  • 1 (16 ounce) package fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced thinly
  • 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil or 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • cooking spray

Instructions

  1. Sprinkle some salt on both sides of each slice of eggplant. Layer the slices in a colander and place the colander in your sink. Place a heavy dish or pan over the top to press them down. Allow to sweat for 30 to 45 minutes. Rinse well with cold water to remove salt and blot dry with paper towels.
  2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a rimmed baking sheet generously with cooking spray. Dip eggplant slices in egg, then in bread crumbs, pressing crumbs down with fingers if needed to cover evenly. Place in a single layer on oiled baking sheet and lightly spray tops of breaded eggplant with cooking spray. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes then carefully flip each slice and cook an additional 5 to 10 minutes, until nicely browned. Remove from oven and reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.
  3. In a 9x13 inch baking dish spread just enough marinara to cover bottom of dish. Place a layer of eggplant slices in the sauce. Cover each slice with a spoon full of marinara, a slice or two of mozzarella, and then sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Repeat with one more layer. Pour any leftover marinara and around edges of eggplant slices and top with any cheese that is left. Sprinkle basil on top.
  4. Bake, uncovered, in preheated oven for 30 minutes.
  5. Slightly adapted from Allrecipes.com

Nutrition

Calories: 491kcal
Fat: 19g
Saturated fat: 10g
Cholesterol: 137mg
Sodium: 1779mg
Potassium: 1122mg
Carbohydrates: 48g
Fiber: 10g
Sugar: 16g
Protein: 33g
Vitamin A: 25.3%
Vitamin C: 18%
Calcium: 80.3%
Iron: 23.9%
Course Main Course
Cuisine American, Italian

 

An oven-fry method creates this crispy Baked Eggplant Parmesan that rivals any fried version. An easy, updated take on the classic Italian dish.

An image from the original post dated September 11, 2011

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  1. What a great idea for eggplant. Will use this tip for other dishes as well. We lived at Morgan Hill for for 16 months back in 2001-2002. We miss the great freinds we met there. God bless you and thanks for your blog. David

    Reply

      • I can understand your frustration, Ann, but without the ads there would be no web site at all. Running a site like this takes a huge amount of time and effort and there are costs involved with recipe development, testing, photography equipment and editing tools, web hosting, and a long list of other items. Ad revenue is the main income stream for most food bloggers and it is how we cover these costs. This is also how we earn our living so of course we have to run ads to make it possible to provide our recipes to our readers at no cost.

        Reply

        • It’s no big deal to scroll by the ads, and sometimes I actually see one I’m interested in – thanks for a great recipe!

          Reply

  4. Valerie … just discovered your wonderful blog through a friend, and can’t tell you how much I enjoyed the eggplant recipe and cannot wait to try it. However, if at all possible, could you PLEASE include nutirtional values for those of us who are diabetic??? Thank you so very much and God Bless !!!

    Reply

    • Thank you so much Mildred. I hope that you enjoy the Eggplant Parm. I have not looked into what is involved in providing nutritional break downs of my recipes and it is definitely something worth looking into. Thank you for the suggestion 🙂

      Reply

  5. Hi Valerie! What a simple and delicious recipe for one of my favorites! I also like that they retain a better individual serving portion that most “layered” methods. Thanks for a pretty and yummy new non meat entree! =)

    Reply

  8. It looks super yummy! I am a huge eggplant fan but hearing that your kids liked it entices me even more to make it. I have a very, very picky ten year old daughter who is not fond of many vegetables. Luckily, she loves just about anything that has a tomato sauce so I will definitely try this. I’m always on the lookout to boost her vegetable consumption! Did your children realize that it was a vegetable they were eating? Thanks again for the recipe!

    Reply

  10. How come in my oven the eggplant takes forever to turn brown , i had in in there longer than 25 min and it did not turn brown almost at all. Finally i took it out because it took too long. I did everything like in the recepie.

    Reply

    • Hello Jowita. In my oven, 20 minutes at 425 degrees is plenty to brown the breaded eggplant slices. Your oven may be different. You can try increasing the oven temp a little or leaving it in longer.

      Reply

  11. Thank you for this great recipe! I love eggplant but hate all the frying (it’s messy and takes forever). Why did I never think of baking them with the breadcrumbs? I will definitely try this recipe. You just made my day!

    Reply

  12. Thank you for the recipe! I have been experimenting with baked eggplant and so far I have not nailed it. This version is inspiring. Let’s see how I do! 🙂

    Reply

  13. Valerie,
    Looking for a good baked eggplant recipe, this one looks great! Am trying this tonight, will get back to you after, but it sounds really delicious. Will probably use homemade breadcrumbs, I have fresh tomatoes from the neighbor and an eggplant from her garden, I will probably use a little fresh oregano from my garden.
    RWH

    Reply

  16. Nice recipe. I’ve never heard of sweating eggplant before breading it, I’m interested to try this out to see how it affects the final product. My only word of advice would be to throw on the fresh basil after it’s come out the oven. I can’t imagine those bits of burnt leaf would taste very good! Also, if you stack four or five basil leaves, roll them up and slice them thinly, you get nice little basil ribbons that are good for garnish and easier to eat 🙂 It’s a technique with a fancy french name that’s fun to say; chiffonade!

    Reply

    • Hello Jack. Thanks for the helpful comments. I’ve not had a problem with the basil burning but you can absolutely add it after it bakes if you prefer. And, yes, chiffonade is absolutely the most effective and efficient method of slicing basil. Enjoy!

      Reply

  17. WHOA this looks SOOOO good… definitely pinned this recipe, wow. I can’t even look at it anymore, it’s making me too hungry! Your site is great and your pictures are amazing! Very impressive, I’m glad I found you, I’ll be coming back!

    Reply

  18. Great recipe can you please post the stats for the calories , carbs, proteins etc for an average serving size.

    Reply

    • Hi Melody. I don’t provide nutritional breakdowns but I know there are many tools available online that will do that for you. If you do a search for “recipe nutrition calculator” or something similar, you will find several choices.

      Reply

      • Hi Valerie,
        Can you make this ahead? I have a big dinner party planned and a tiny kitchen, so I would like to prepare in advance if possible. How would you do this?
        Thanks J

        Reply

        • Hi Jade. This recipe is not the best choice for a make-ahead dish. Because the eggplant is breaded, the result is best if it is cooked and served right away. A pasta dish would be a far better choice.

          Reply

          • I have always served this for large gatherings. I learned your method of oven “frying” from a friend and I love it. I have frozen the fried eggplant between sheets of waxed paper and put them in a ziploc bag, then it is always ready to assemble whenever I want. I’m sure you lose some crispness, but just baking it in the gravy you lose it also. I started this when I grew my own and naturally you have more than you can eat all at once. This gave me my eggplant parmesan hopefully for the rest of the year and the hard part was already done.

  19. Hi v..from EVE in ISRAEL… this is eggplant country …. called”HATZILEEM” in HEBREW + so popular her in any + every form . Love it but hates the way it soaks up oil like a sponge…My less oily way tp prepare it is to spareingly BRUSH the thin even slices w oil ( with out the pre salting ) +add seasonings and lay them closely in one layer on the toasting screen of my OLD toaster oven ( yes it makes a mess) I put on the highest heat + they get broiled from both sides takes 20 min. they loose moisture and shrink so u end up with much less than u started with.. +then u do the next batch + the next This does take longer than frying but I hate all that oil, the smell+ cleanup so it’s o k . I NEVER peel . The peel adds great taste Instead i pull a sharp fork lengthwise through the peel which looks llike stripes over the entire egplant. after that I slice.
    Once u have “toasted” them like this u ca n do what ever u want but HIDE THEM so
    the family wont “steal “+ eat before u get to the next step because the HATZEEL is very tasty just lIke this SHALOM from the HOLYLAND ISRAEL, EVIE

    Reply

  22. Bravo to you for coming up with an easier way to prepare this delicious dish! To those people who do not like this vegetable, the salting process takes out a lot of the bitterness. Also if you choose younger eggplants they will not have a lot of the seeds in them. i have added many of your recipes to my rotation. Keep on cookin girl cause your good at it.

    Reply

    • Hi Sally. You make a good point. I’ve heard smaller eggplant have less seeds and tend to have less bitterness. The salting really does do the trick though so I throw caution to the wind and just look for the size I want.I actually seek out decent sized eggplants for this recipe so that I can get good sized discs for layering. I’m so glad you are enjoying the recipes! Thanks so much for your comment 🙂

      Reply

  23. I hardly saw anyone that had made this dish, so there really weren’t any reviews, and any time I have done anything with egg plant, it was so much work, that I quit, but I love egg plant, why not have reviews of people that have made this recipe??

    Reply

    • Hi Doris. I’m always thrilled when people come back to leave a review after they’ve made one of my recipes but obviously, I have no control over that.

      Reply

    • Still looking for a review of dish actually cooked myself. assembled and ready to bake..seems like I might have wanted some olive oil on pan instead of spray.. dry.. will see what it comes out like.

      Reply

  24. We did a girls night last night at my galpal Lindsey’s house. We get older, life gets crazier, and before you know it you haven’t seen some of your friends in months. Lindsey made this recipe, modified with gluten free bread crumbs (for me😊). This was phenomenal🙌🏼. She passed the recipe on so I could recreate it at home and I am so glad you went into such detail about salting the eggplant to remove the bitterness. Many moons ago, my first time cooking eggplant at my own place… Was a disaster. I didn’t know I had to ‘cure’ it in a sense, and was left so disappointed.

    I can not WAIT to make this, and get my very picky eater husband to try!

    So delicious, thank you!!

    Reply

  25. I made this recipe tonight and it turned out beautifully – My family thanks you !! ( and I’m so proud of myself because I have several really good cooks in the family and this dish made them so happy! ) Thank you Valerie!! My 20 year old daughter ( & husband) both love to cook and grocery shop ( which I don’t necessarily understand that passion, maybe you do) and my daughter even has a food blog so that fact that I was able to make a dinner that they liked and enjoyed … I’m so thankful to you! I signed up for more of your recipes. I’m loving the change of seasons and why it brings us to comfort foods for the family. Happy fall! – warm regards, Jeannie

    Reply

  27. This looks delicious!!

    Does adding the sauce at the bottom of the pan make the breaded eggplant soggy?

    I’ve breaded and fried eggplant before baking with sauce and it gets soggy. Just wondering if the oven-fried version stays crispy.

    Reply

    • I had to drive 22 hours and back to get the eggplant? Ha! Thanks for pointing this out. I recently updated to a new recipe card and I’m still coming across these little glitches here and there. It has been fixed!

      Reply

  29. Thank you for sharing this great eggplant parmesan recipe, Valerie! I made it and it turned out SOOO delicious and made plenty so my small family had lots of leftovers, which still tasted great throughout the week 🙂 I made a few very slight modifications, one of which was that I didn’t use any cooking spray. Just put the egg/crumb-covered eggplant slices on a parchment paper lined baking sheet, and they still got nice and crispy. I blogged about the recipe, if you’d like to see the other small modifications I made: http://busymomrecipes.com/dinner/baked-eggplant-parmesan/ We served this over angel hair pasta and totally loved it. Thanks again for the great recipe!

    Reply

  31. I do not cover the eggplant slices with breadcrumbs (I just fry them lightly after dipping them in beaten egg) and use rikotta instead of mozzarella. We call this recipe Moussaka.
    I will definitely try your method for it looks yummy. Love your recipes.

    Reply

  33. Can I use Ragu pasta sauce instead of Marinara, I don’t want to go to the store tonight.
    Or should I wait for the right sauce? Tks

    Reply

  34. We are not huge eggplant fans, but I bought a beautiful, just picked one from the local farm. Made this recipe and added prosciutto as a layer – easy and delish! Thanks for creating/sharing!

    Reply

  35. I have to say I was skeptical that the eggplant would be crispy & hold up to the sauce once baked but this recipe has proven me wrong. In fact after 3 days in the fridge, they were still somewhat crispy. I will use this recipe over & over, again. Thanks for posting.
    Sincerely,
    Lise

    Reply

    • Fantastic, Lise! I actually think the eggplant stays more crisp with this method on the reheat than it does with the traditional oil in the pan method. I’m so happy to hear you loved it 🙂

      Reply

  36. hi valerie..i just came across your recipe through a picture of it linked from kevin’s closet cooking. my mouth has not stopped watering. from the moment i saw the picture, all the way through your description and instructions. this will be dinner very soon..and i can’t wait 🙂

    Reply

  37. This looks very similar to the way my mother used to make her egg plant Parm. Unfortunately my mother recently died and she took her recipe with her. I remember she used to fry her egg plants that were already breaded and mixed with egg batter prior to baking. Is this something I should try prior to taking step one of your recipe?

    Reply

  38. This recipe sounds amazing and I’d like to try it, however, I find it hard to believe it is only 126 calories per serving. The calorie count for the fresh mozzarella is 226. Can you let me know how you calculated the calories per serving? Thanks

    Reply

    • The nutrition value is calculated automatically through the plugin that is used to create my recipe cards. I always recommend checking nutrition values for any recipe through your own trusted online nutritional calculator or other methods. See my full nutrition disclosure HERE.

      Reply

  39. I often search for recipes but rarely comment unless I’m incredibly impressed. Guess what….this recipe knocked my socks off! I arrived home from work at 5, picked 2 eggplants off of my home garden plants and started the process….amazing results! Thank you…..keep up the great work!

    Reply

  41. My husband generally turns up his nose whenever I serve eggplant. This year I grew it in the garden. It’s remarably easy to grow. With a bumper crop, and my picky husband in mind, I went in search of new recipies. This was the first one I’ve tried and it was AMAZING! He actually went in for seconds! I can’t thank you enough.

    Reply

    • Hrew eggplant for the first time this year, it is so amazingly easy -if anything could be easier than tomatoes, this is it! After I picked my three beautiful eggplants I began to realize – I have no real recipes for them! So glad I found this one. Trying it tonight!

      Reply

  42. This dish was amazing! The only thing I’d mention is that the nutrition is way off. I put each ingredient into a food tracker program to track for my day and it add some up to 482 calories for 1 serving. No where even close to the 126 as posted. So even though it was totally delish and I’ll make again, it was not a low calorie dish as expected. Bummer!

    Reply

  44. What a phenominal dish! I made it last night for my vegetable-phobic parnter. It was complete silence while we devoured the first servicing. I loved it even more the next day for lunch. Salting and sweating the eggplant meant zero bitter taste. Pre-baked the slices@ 450 degrees for 12 mins on each side. They didn’t really brown, but it didn’t matter. Everything came out perfectly. Used Trader Joes marinara. Super good and reasonably priced. My veggie critic just texted to ask when I was making it again. Thanks, Valerie!

    Reply

    • Yay, Scott! They really should brown at 450 degress so hmm…. wondering if they just needed to go a bit longer? But anyway, SO glad you both loved it and thanks so much for your comment. 🙂

      Reply

  45. Hello Valerie – thank you for sharing this recipe and the info about sweating the eggplant. I made the dish this evening and am very happy with the outcome. I am indulging in some eggplant while I can. The six-week challenge I begin Monday excludes eggplant from the meal plan. Agin, thanks for sharing!!

    Reply

  46. I purchased some smaller white eggplant from a local farmer the other day. He mentioned they don’t grow large and the flavor is better than the purple. Should I sweat the white eggplant as well? Also, bought a few of the purple. Excited to try them both! Thanks for your detailed recipe and amazing pics!

    Reply

    • Hi BJ. I’ve never worked with white eggplant but from what I understand they are milder and less bitter than the purple variety. I can’t say for sure whether they would benefit from the sweating process but I did read that they should be peeled for the best result. Also, for anyone else who may come across this comment, there are two varieties of white eggplant, an edible variety and an ornamental variety meant to be used solely for decorating purposes so be sure you’ve got the correct one if you plan to use it in a recipe. I’d love to hear how this works out for you if you end up using the white eggplant. Thanks so much!

      Reply

    • Hi Janice. I’ve never tried it so can’t say for sure if it would be a good idea or not. My concern would be that the texture of the eggplant could change once it is sliced and open to the air if left for too long.

      Reply

  48. 3 eggplant sliced into 1/4″ slices? And I’ll need 12 slices? That’s 3 inches total–less than one medium eggplant. What do I do with all the rest?

    Reply

    • One medium eggplant will not yield 12 slices. You might be able to get what you need from two eggplant but I recommend picking up three so you don’t come up short. The video in this post might be helpful to illustrate this.

      Reply

    • Same thought here. I am in the middle of this recipe and realized three eggplants (all medium-sized regular eggplant, not Japanese) is WAY too much for two layers in a 9″ x 13″ baking pan. I just finished making Thai Eggplant Salad to use up the rest of the “leftover” eggplant. Three is TOO MANY. (Not to mention $$$ when you buy organic.)

      Reply

  49. Just wanted to let you know I have made your recipe 3 times and I love it! It saves so much time not having to fry the eggplant and tastes so much lighter and crispier. This is my go-to now. Thanks!!!!!

    Reply

  50. Made this tonight and it was a huge hit! It’s definitely going to be something I cook regularly. I didn’t have breadcrumbs so I didn’t coat the eggplant with anything and it was still incredible. Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply

  51. Absolutely delicious. I made it when my mother-in-law came to visit. Eggplant parm is her fave. This was light an yummy–I did add ricotta cheese to the filling, which made it even yummier. I’ll definitely make it again. Very easy too.

    Reply

  52. Thank you Valerie for the yummy, delicious recipe. You made it easy for me with detailed description.I made this for today’s dinner . It came out pretty well . I also cooked a small amount of angel hair pasta with pepper jack cheese and ground black pepper on the side I had this with wine. Glad I found your page. I bookmarked it already and shared with my friends as well . Thank you 🙂 Happy New Year and Have a great year ahead ! 🙂

    Reply

  53. Neither myself or my wife have ever had eggplant before, I’m using your recipe now, and am anxious to see how it turns out. Thanks for the post!

    Reply

  56. I’m making this eggplant recipe tonight. I couldn’t find fresh basil. I bought pesto. I will layer it in. I can tell it will be delicious.

    Reply

  57. My husband and I are generally not eggplant fans. I did a Moroccan dish not too long ago that I liked and he said was OK. Tonight, he legitimately liked it. He did not tolerate it or think it was just fine to have as a healthy alternative. He actually liked it. Thanks for the recipe. Super yum and my 5 yr old gives her approval too.

    Reply

  58. People who claimed to hate eggplant, LOVE THIS DISH! It’s a fantastic recipe. Even my father, raised by Italians from the old country, thinks it’s better than his!

    Reply

  60. I followed the instructions on sweating with salt. I rinsed it thoroughly but it was so salty we couldn’t eat it. All my money and time was wasted!!!!!

    Reply

    • I’ve never heard of anyone having an issue with the eggplant being salty after sweating it so I can’t be sure what happened there but I’m sorry it didn’t work out for you, Susie.

      Reply

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