Published: · Modified: by Maria Doss · This post may contain affiliate links · 4 Comments
This Air Fryer Eggplant Parmesan has a superior crunch exterior, with a soft and tender interior - all without frying. It is exceptionally flavorful, super fast, healthy, and comes together in 30 minutes, from start to finish - Absolutely delicious!
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I wanted an air fryer eggplant parmesan, where the crispy crunchy breading soaks up the sweet tomato sauce and then is draped under gooey cheese. It's like extra-crispy bite sized meatless pizza!
I tried replacing the chicken in my chicken parmesan recipe with eggplant slices and it was life changing! The texture and taste was unbelievably good without the hassle of deep frying.
When done right, eggplant can be meaty and substantial, has an amazing ability to compliment and absorb other flavors like in eggplant stir fry.
What's Eggplant Parmesan? Traditional Sicilian style involves unbreaded slices deep fried in olive oil, and then layered with tomatoes and mozzarella. Unlike this parmigiana di Melanzane, American versions include meaty slabs of thick cut slices, breaded, fried and then layered with mozzarella and parmesan cheeses.
The air fryer is perfect for cooking breaded eggplant slices, because cooking eggplant can be tricky as it absorbs oil quickly or turns mushy if overcooked. Eggplant's spongy texture traps air, but a coating of panko and parmesan acts as an insulator. This prevents overcooking, seals in moisture, and enhances crunch by increasing the surface area.
It is one of those amazing vegetarian dinner recipes that’s so good and comforting for everyone. It oozes with melted mozzarella on top with bright tomato sauce with layers of soft cooked vegetable.
When choosing an eggplant, look for a firm, unblemished, smooth skinned, and with a hefty weight. It should be shiny, not soft, and have a uniform dark purple. I like to stay away from excessively large ones, because they become less flavorful and less dense.
Salt the eggplant? Many eggplant parm recipes suggest sprinkling salt on raw slices to draw out moisture, which tenderizes the flesh and removes bitterness.
However, today’s eggplants are typically bred to have minimal bitterness. Additionally, this method can sometimes result in an overly salty dish. So, I choose skip the salting process in this air fryer eggplant parmesan recipe.
Jump to:
- Why you'll love it?
- Ingredients
- How to make?
- How to serve?
- How to store leftovers?
- Freezing instructions
- Helpful tips
- Recipe FAQs
- More air fryer vegetables
- Air Fryer Eggplant Parmesan
Why you'll love it?
- Ready in 30 minutes
- No frying
- Crispy exterior with a soft, creamy interior
- Healthy eggplant parm
- Easy vegetarian dinner idea
Ingredients
Scroll down to the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and amounts.
- Eggplant -Use a globe eggplant which has a mild flavor, tender texture and contains very few seeds. It's excellent for dishes like this air fryer eggplant parmesan, where substantial wide slices are desired.
- Eggs - They are necessary to make the crumbs stay put.
- Flour - It helps to form a thin layer of sticky coating, which lets the panko latch on to.
- Seasoning - Italian seasoning, black pepper, red pepper flakes and salt.
- Panko breadcrumbs - Japanese style panko breadcrumbs are wide craggy flakes, provides more surface area than regular breadcrumbs, adding major crunch, like in air fryer breaded shrimp.
- Cheese - Shredded mozzarella and finely grated parmesan cheese for the classic flavors.
- Sauce - I opted to use my favorite Prego, tomato, basil and garlic for this dish. It's rich , thick and deep flavor works nicely on the crunchy slices.
How to make?
You can find full printable recipe below, but here is a quick overview of the procedure along with step-by-step photos.
Tip: Make sure that the slices are of even thickness, so they all can cook evenly.
Tip: I mix in a good quality parmesan cheese into the breading. It takes on a sweet nutty flavor as it cooks, much better than panko alone.
How to serve?
This healthy air fryer eggplant parmesan is great as a meal all on it’s own as a vegetarian main course with a crusty bread and side salad. It is also delicious with any plain pasta dishes or made into a sandwich.
How to store leftovers?
- In Refrigerator - Keep them in a covered container for up to 3 days.
- To Reheat - Reheat at 380 degrees for 2 to 3 minutes or until warmed through.
Freezing instructions
Air fryer eggplant parmesan is a great make ahead dish that can prepped and ready to go in your freezer. The air fryer is amazing in crisping up all things breaded without making them soggy like a microwave.
Freeze without sauce/cheese - Freeze cooked panko breaded eggplant slices without sauce or cheese in a ziplock bag for up to a month. To reheat, air fry from frozen at 360°F until hot and crispy. Then, top with sauce and cheese and bake until the cheese is melted.
Freeze with sauce/cheese - Freeze slices between pieces of parchment paper in a covered container for up to 1 month. Cook frozen slices in a pre heated 350 degree fryer for 3 to 5 minutes or until hot.
Helpful tips
- Cheese - Use shredded or sliced fresh mozzarella.
- Parmesan - Use finely shredded cheese. If using pre shredded parmesan, then grind ⅓ cup in a mini food processor until finely ground.
- Make ½-inch thick slices - Make sure that the slices are of even thickness and not any thicker, which might not cook tender.
- Make it gluten free - Use gluten free panko and gluten free flour.
Recipe FAQs
Do you peel the eggplant before cooking?
Not necessary! The skin cooks tender, enhances the flavor, is totally edible, and high in antioxidants. Most importantly, it saves you an additional step.
Do you need to salt the eggplant before cooking?
Not necessary! I find the additional step of salting is unnecessary for the air fryer eggplant parmesan, because the crisp breaded coating seals in the excess air and moisture, and also there's no layering here, thus resulting in a supremely tender and succulent meaty texture.
Do you need to soak the slices in water before cooking?
Soaking eggplant slices in water is typically done to prevent them from absorbing too much oil when pan-frying. However, for this breaded air fryer eggplant Parmesan recipe, soaking is unnecessary.
More air fryer vegetables
- Air Fryer Carrots
- Air Fryer Butternut Squash
- Air Fryer Baked Sweet Potato
- Air Fryer Asparagus Fries
Air Fryer Eggplant Parmesan
This Air Fryer Eggplant Parmesan has a superior crunch exterior, with a soft and tender interior - all without frying. It is exceptionally flavorful, super fast, healthy, and comes together in 30 minutes, from start to finish - Absolutely delicious!
5 from 8 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes minutes
Servings: 4 Servings
Calories: 305kcal
Author: Maria Doss
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 large Eggplant
Batter
- 2 large eggs
- 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Breadcrumb
- 1 ½ cups panko breadcrumbs
- ⅓ cup finely grated parmesan cheese refer notes
Additional Ingredients
- 1 cup marinara sauce plus more for serving
- 1 to 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- Fresh basil leaves for garnish
Instructions
Wash eggplant and dry thoroughly. Slice into ½-inch rounds.
Tip: Make sure that the slices are of even thickness, so they all can cook evenly.
Add all batter ingredients into a shallow bowl, whisk until smooth and well combined.
Mix panko breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese in another bowl.
Tip: I mix in a good quality parmesan cheese into the breading. It takes on a sweet nutty flavor as it cooks, so much better than panko alone.
Working with one slice at a time, place each slice in the wet batter, turning over couple of times to make sure that it is coated thoroughly. Lift, allowing excess batter to drip off and then place over the bread crumbs.
Pack bread crumbs on both sides of the slice, pressing with fingers to adhere.
Place on a plate and repeat process with remaining eggplant slices.
Pre heat air fryer to 380°F. When ready, place prepared slices in a single layer (cook in batches), spray the top with non stick cooking spray.
Cook for 5 minutes, open air fryer basket, flip the slices over, spray the tops again with non stick cooking spray and cook for remaining 7 minutes.
Open basket, spread marinara sauce on top followed by shredded mozzarella, Cook for additional 2 to 3 minutes, until cheese melts.
Garnish with fresh basil more marinara sauce if desired.
Notes
Cheese - Use shredded or sliced fresh mozzarella.
Parmesan - If using pre shredded parm, grind ⅓ cup in a mini food processor until finely ground.
Make ½-inch thick slices - Make sure that the slices are of even thickness and not any thicker, which might not cook tender.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 Serving | Calories: 305kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 115mg | Sodium: 985mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 10g
Nutritional information, based on third-party calculations, should be seen as estimates, not guarantees, as various factors like product types, brands, processing methods, and more can alter the nutritional content in recipes.
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