The whole family will love this classic eggplant parmesan! Slices of tender eggplant coated in homemade breadcrumbs, and then layered with melted cheeses & rich marinara! Whether you’d like to bake or fry the eggplant, this recipe has a method for both.
Growing up, I adored eggplant parm! No matter how laborious the cooking process was, it was always worth it in the end.
If you’ve never had it, eggplant parmesan is an Italian dish made up of slices of eggplant coated in flour and breadcrumbs, then baked in layers of rich marinara and melted cheese! It’s a must-try for any Italian food lovers.
It’s just like chicken parmigiana – but made vegetarian with eggplant instead of chicken!
I used a simple homemade breadcrumb recipe versus store-bought breadcrumbs for this recipe. This is a small change that really elevated the flavor and texture of the whole dish!
There are also two methods to make this dish – fried or baked. Frying the eggplant will mean using quite a bit of oil to brown the breaded eggplant. Baking the breaded eggplant on a tray in the oven requires a lot less oil, and is a little bit lighter and healthier! Either way you go, the dish will be exceptionally delicious.
My Most Popular Italian Recipes
Get my top tried and true Italian recipes right to your inbox!
Ingredients You Need
Below you’ll find a photo of the ingredients and the information for each ingredient listed to help assist you in your cooking.
Use the recipe card below for the complete list of ingredients and measurements.
Eggplant – also known in some countries as aubergine, is a purple fruit that is slightly firm on the outside but spongey on the inside. When baked, it becomes soft with a rich and meaty flavor. You’ll need two large eggplants – the bigger the eggplant, the bigger your serving of eggplant parmesan will be.
Breadcrumbs – are used to bread the eggplant and give it a nice crust. We like to use homemade breadcrumbs to give the best texture and taste, this also allows you to use any bread you like. Learn how to make breadcrumbs with our recipe!
Parmigianno Reggiano – is used to flavor the breadcrumb mixture and sprinkle throughout the dish. Since this dish has parmesan in the title, it’s the key ingredient for flavor! Use authentic, freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano for best results.
Marinara – for spreading on the bottom of the dish, as well as layering throughout to bring moisture and beautiful tomato flavor to the recipe! We like to use our San Marzano tomato sauce, fresh tomato sauce, or our favorite store-bought sauce.
Mozzarella – fresh slices of mozzarella are layered in the eggplant parmesan, as well as on top. Fresh cheese will melt beautifully versus pre-shredded cheese.
Eggs – to help the breading mixture stick to the eggplant. For a vegan option, some readers have used almond milk with success.
Flour – to coat the eggplant before adding the breading. This helps the breadcrumbs stick to the eggplant better! Use all-purpose, white whole wheat, or your favorite gluten-free flour blend.
Garlic powder – for seasoning the breadcrumb mixture.
Italian herbs – this dry blend of herbs brings herbaceous flavor to the breadcrumb mixture.
Fresh basil & oregano – to sprinkle on the finished dish once it’s ready! This will add a bright, herby flavor.
How to Make Eggplant Parmesan – Step by Step
Salt + “sweat” excess moisture from the eggplant.
-
1
Salt the eggplant. After slicing the eggplant into 1/4 to 1/2-inch thick cuts, sprinkle with coarse salt and let the salt sit for 10 minutes. This helps release excess moisture from the eggplant.
-
2
Pat the eggplant dry. Then use paper towels to pat the eggplant dry, wiping off the additional salt as well.
Bread the eggplant. Assemble three bowls with flour, whisked eggs, and breadcrumb mixture.
-
3
Dip in flour. First, coat the eggplant with flour on both sides and along the skin-side.
-
4
Dip in egg-mixture. Then transfer to the whisked eggs, and coat on both sides.
-
5
Coat in breadcrumbs. Transfer to the breadcrumb bowl and lightly pack the breadcrumbs using your hands. Shake off excess crumbs and arrange on a sheet pan. (if you are baking the eggplant and not frying it, make sure the sheet pan is brushed with oil ahead of time).
Two ways to brown the eggplant
-
6
Baking method: Preheat the oven to 350F, and arrange the breaded eggplant slices on a sheet pan brushed with olive oil. Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown.
-
7
Pan fry method: in a skillet with 1-2 Tablespoons of oil at a time, brown breaded eggplant for 2-3 minutes on each side. Repeat until all of the eggplant is finished. Place on paper towels after browning to absorb the extra oils.
Assemble in a baking dish
-
8
Layer a baking dish with sauce. In a large baking dish, spread a layer of marinara on the bottom.
-
9
Add browned eggplant slices. Then on top of the sauce, add a layer of breaded and browned eggplant slices that were either baked or fried.
Layer with cheese and sauce. Then bake!
-
10
Layer with mozzarella. Top each of the browned eggplant slices with mozzarella cheese.
-
11
Layer with sauce. Top with a spoonful of marinara sauce.
-
12
Top with parmesan, then bake. Then sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Repeat the layers: eggplant, mozzarella, sauce, then parmesan. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes at 400F. Top with fresh basil and oregano before serving.
Types of sauce to use – I recommend serving this dish with quality marinara sauce! I love using our San Marzano tomato sauce for a homemade sauce or using our favorite store-bought marinara. You can also spice up the dish and use our homemade arrabbiata sauce.
How to avoid soggy eggplant parmesan – one of the biggest reasons eggplant parm comes out “soggy” is because it’s covered in sauce. You can always serve this dish with extra sauce on the side! But I recommend only spooning enough to cover the top of the eggplant so that the crispiness from the breading can be preserved while it bakes.
Types of flours for dredging – I recommend I finely ground flour for dredging the eggplant such as all-purpose, white whole wheat, gluten-free flour blend, or oat flour.
Make it gluten-free – use a gluten-free flour blend for dredging eggplant and either store-bought gluten-free breadcrumbs or make homemade breadcrumbs with your favorite gluten-free bread.
How to avoid “tough” eggplant – in some cases, the eggplant parm can come out tough in texture, meaning it’s underdone/undercooked. To avoid this, make sure eggplant cuts are no thicker than 1/2 inch. Shoot between 1/4 to 1/2 inch in thickness to ensure they’re fully cooked!
Types of bread to use for homemade breadcrumbs – this recipe includes a homemade breadcrumb recipe that is super easy to make! The types of bread you can use are endless. You can make it with healthier grain bread, white bread, your favorite gluten-free brand, or Ezekiel bread. For this recipe, I used this specific grain bread.
Do I have to peel the eggplant before cooking? Eggplant skin is completely edible and gives the vegetables a “meatier” texture when cooked. But this comes down to preference, if you prefer no skin you can peel it.
How to Freeze & Store Leftovers
Keep leftovers fresh: refrigerate them in an airtight container for 3-5 days if you’re not freezing leftovers. Reheat in the oven at 350F until warm or microwave.
How to Freeze (three ways)
Freeze fried/baked eggplant: if you have extra breaded & cooked eggplant leftover, you can store it flat in freezer-friendly bags (layered with parchment paper) and freeze for up to 1-2 months to make at another time.
Freeze before baking: Assemble eggplant parmesan as the recipe instructs, but don’t bake it. Cover with plastic wrap, then cover with foil and freeze for up to 1 month. Then thaw at room temperature and bake when ready to eat!
Freeze leftovers: Assemble eggplant parmesan as the recipe instructs and bake it. Store leftovers in airtight containers and freeze for up to 1 month – thaw at room temperature and reheat in the oven at 400F until warm.
What to Serve it With
There are many things to serve eggplant parmesan alongside, but here are some of our favorite pairings.
Pasta. Noodles of any shape are a classic pairing with eggplant parmesan! We love serving this with whole wheat or regular pasta such as rigatoni, radiatori, fusilli, rotini, penne, or spaghetti. You can also use gluten-free noodles too!
Salad. We always love pairing eggplant parmesan with a Mediterranean or Italian-style salad, such as our Tuscan artichoke salad, chickpea Greek salad, or our Tuscan Panzanella salad. For a pasta & salad combo, you can pair it with our Italian pasta salad!
Bread. A crusty Italian bread, french banquette, or homemade sourdough loaf makes for the perfect vessel for scooping up any tomato sauce that gets left behind!
Vegetables. To add some color, we love to serve this with roasted, sauteed, or grilled vegetables! Whether sauteed Brussels sprouts, zucchini, roasted asparagus, or a medley of your favorite seasonal vegetables.
More Italian Eggplant Recipes
- Baked Eggplant Rollatini
- Eggplant Lasagna
- 6 Ingredient Roasted Eggplant Pasta
- Roasted Eggplant Meatballs
Classic Eggplant Parmesan
Ingredients
Eggplant
- 2 medium to large eggplants
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour (see notes)
- 3 large eggs, or 4 smaller eggs
- 1/4 cup olive oil (for fried eggplant method)
Homemade Breadcrumbs
- 6 bread slices (about 1 1/2 cups – see notes) for more info use our homemade breadcrumb recipe.
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese shredded
- 2 teaspoons Italian herb blend
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon (each) salt & black pepper
Toppings
- 1 1/2 cups marinara if you like a lot of sauce you can aim for 2 to 2 1/2 cups of sauce
- 1 lb mozzarella cheese
- 1/3 cup parmesan cheese shredded
- 1-2 Tablespoons fresh basil chopped
- 1 teaspoon fresh oregano chopped
Instructions
- Slice eggplant: remove stem from eggplant then slice into 1/4-1/2 inch thick slices.
- Sweat eggplant: arrange slices on a pan and sprinkle with a pinch of coarse salt on both sides. Let sit and "sweat" excess moisture for 10 minutes. Pat firmly with paper towels to dry eggplant thoroughly (wipe off salt as well).
- Breadcrumbs: toast slices of bread. Then chop in food processor until consistency is crumbs. Mix breadcrumbs in a bowl with garlic powder, salt & pepper, Italian herbs, and shredded parmesan cheese. Tip: If you are not making your own breadcrumbs, use 1 1/2 cups of store-bought breadcrumbs instead.
- Bread eggplant: arrange three bowls containing whisked eggs, flour, and breadcrumb mixture. First, coat eggplant in flour on both sides, then dip into eggs, and then dip into breadcrumbs – pack onto eggplant and then gently shake off excess crumbs. Wipe hands with paper towel then repeat. Tip: if baking eggplant instead of frying, brush a sheet pan with 1-2 Tablespoons of oil and arrange breaded eggplant onto pan as you coat them.
- Pan frying method: in a skillet pan, add 1-2 Tablespoons of oil at a time, and cook breaded eggplant for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden brown. Lay on paper towels to soak up excess oil. Repeat until all eggplant has been fried.Baking method: instead of pan frying you can also bake the eggplant to use less oil. Preheat oven to 350F and arrange breaded slices onto sheet pan that is brushed with 1-2 Tablespoons of olive oil. Bake for 25 minutes until golden.
- Assemble: in a large casserole dish, spread a generous layer of marinara on the bottom. Then layer: eggplant slices, mozzarella, a spoonful of marinara, and shredded parmesan. Repeat an additional layer (breaded eggplant, mozzarella, marinara, and shredded parmesan).
- Bake: Then bake at 400F uncovered for 30 minutes until cheese is browned and melted. Top with chopped fresh basil & oregano, and serve!
Video
I used to have eggplant parm at Roncone’s in Rochester, NY. I was told by the 90 y/o cook she would soak the thin sliced eggplant in salt overnight. It was served with a medium thin orange sauce that was amazing! I wish I could duplicate the taste. Does soaking the eggplant in salt overnight seem reasonable? Thanks for sharing your recipes with us.
Hi Jim! I think the soaking in salt overnight would only draw out the moisture I don’t know if it would really make it dramatically better. However, the orange sauce you mentioned sounds like potentially a vodka sauce? That to me sounds like a reasonable suggestion for making this dish even better:)
Absolutely delicious! Plus the eggplant had a nice texture – firm and tender and not dry at all. Would make again!!
So glad to hear it, Paul! Thank you so much!
Dry dry dry! So disappointed.
Hi Connie, I’m sorry to hear this turned out dry. I’ve not received any feedback like this, but I’m sorry to hear it! This recipe should not be dry in any way. And if it is dry, it only requires more sauce. Apologies!
This was so good. I have never made this before but this was easy and delicious. Even good left over.
I’m so glad to hear that, Grace! Eggplant parm is a must if you’ve never made it. And yes, the leftovers are just as good:)
I haven’t had egg plant Parmesan since I was a child and it was recommended to me for dinner. This recipe took me right back to my childhood.
that is so wonderful to hear!! I truly appreciate you sharing, Gina! It really is a nostalgic recipe if you’ve grown up having it. So glad this recipe worked for you in that way!
This looks amazing! Headed to grocery now. Question: how many layers of eggplant are best when assembling? Looks like you have 3 – couldn’t tally tell. Thanks.
I typically layer it 2-3 layers, but you could squeeze in a fourth if needed 🙂 Hope you enjoy it!
My neighbor gave us 2 eggplants that he picked fresh from his garden. The first thing my husband said is that he didn’t like eggplant. I’ve never made eggplant parmesan, but after stumbling across your recipe and watching the video I decided I would give it a try. I used your baking method on the eggplant which made the task easier than frying each round. The entire process was easier than I thought it was going to be and the outcome was delicious. My husband raved about the recipe and next year he wants to grow eggplants. Ha! Thank you for taking the time to make a video. I will make this recipe again. This recipe deserves more than 5 stars.
Glenda, that is so wonderful to hear! Even better that your husband now loves eggplant 🙂 eggplant parm has a way of converting non-eggplant lovers. So glad to hear it all was helpful – thank you for the kinds words and for sharing!
I couldn’t find the recipe that I normally use for eggplant parmesan so went on a hunt to find another. This recipe did not disappoint. I followed the recipe exactly, omitting and adding nothing. I sweated and fried the eggplant. This was absolutely delicious! Made more than we could eat so I ended up freezing a dish for another dinner. This recipe is a keeper….thank you!
Isabel, I’m so happy to hear that! And glad you had leftovers, there always my favorite in this dish. Thank you for sharing 🙂
I have made this dish several times and it always is perfect. There is a restaurant that I love that makes amazing eggplant parmesan but this recipe is even better. Thank you for sharing this amazing recipe!
How wonderful to hear that, Linda! Hey, when you can make a dish thats’ better than the restaurant version, there’s nothing quite like that feeling 🙂 Thank you for sharing!
I have made this recipe a few times and it is always a hit. I bake the eggplant longer than the recipe calls for… for an almost crispy eggplant b4 assembling. Delicious 😋
Love to hear it, Monica! That’s wonderful. I’m all for a crispy eggplant:) Thank you for sharing!
I’m on a diet. I’ve followed a low fat/no oil diet. And I have a garden with eggplants that I was not sure how to cook them. I found your recipe. Tried it with a few leftover bits of cheeses and made my marinera. It turned out great! I can see why it was number one on Google. I’ll make this again!
Thank you so much, Roberta! I really am glad you it could work for the no oil diet. 🙂 Appreciate it so much!
The perfect recipe! I used quality jarred sauce, baked my sweated, unpeeled eggplant in Italian breadcrumbs and used a blend of mozzarella/provolone cheese with shredded parmesan to top it off. I grow my own eggplants so I made six of these in 8×8 disposable aluminum pans to freeze for the year. When I reheat them, I pop them out of the pan while frozen, place it in glass pan and bake. Perfect with a salad and breadstick! This recipe is my go to.
Love that you use your own eggplant, Cathy! And yes, this is a wonderful recipe to freeze and use whenever. So glad to hear this is your go-to! It means a lot. 🙂