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If you love eggplant, you’ll love this air fryer eggplant Parmesan! Each slice of breaded eggplant is golden brown and crispy, with a tender middle and a layer of marinara sauce and melty mozzarella cheese on top!
It requires minimal oil and it's so good, it seriously just melts in your mouth! Plus it's so easy to make this recipe.
Eggplant is one of those ingredients that is so delicious and versatile, but yet so underrated (in my opinion)! It has a hearty and meaty texture, which makes it the perfect centerpiece for vegetarian meals.
We normally enjoy eggplant in this Jamaican jerk grilled eggplant recipe or in this Indian eggplant curry. And now we’re enjoying it as a vegetarian alternative to chicken parmesan!
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Why this air fryer eggplant parmesan recipe works
- The texture of the air fried eggplant is the perfect contrast. It’s soft and tender in the middle and golden brown and crispy on the outside, like this air fryer ravioli or air fryer mozzarella sticks we love too.
- Using the air fryer to make this air fryer eggplant parmesan means you can get crispy eggplant with minimal oil. There’s no deep frying or oven frying involved, just a little oil sprayed on the eggplant slices before air frying.
- There are so many delicious ways to enjoy this recipe. You can eat the eggplant parmesan on its own as a main dish, over pasta or on a sandwich, or even as a side dish.
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Ingredients
The full list of ingredients and amounts to make eggplant parm in the air fryer can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
You’ll need one eggplant, cut into ½ inch slices. (This should give you about 10-12 slices). Look for an eggplant that's smooth and shiny and isn’t too large. Small or medium-sized eggplants tend to be sweeter and are easier to cut into slices for this recipe.
The marinara sauce is an essential ingredient for this recipe, so I prefer to go with crock pot marinara sauce. To save time, you can also use store-bought tomato sauce.
We use regular Italian seasoned bread crumbs, but you can substitute panko breadcrumbs as well. Add a touch of garlic powder for extra garlic flavor.
Mozzarella cheese and a touch of grated Parmesan cheese is the finishing touch, and we’re not skimping on it! Go with full fat for all the melty goodness (light cheese just doesn’t have the same melt).
Step by step instructions to make eggplant parm
- Cut the eggplant into ½ inch slices. Arrange the eggplant slices in a single layer on your work surface. Sprinkle 1 ½ teaspoons of salt on the eggplant slices. Use your fingers to rub it into each slice. Let the eggplant sit for 10-15 minutes. Use a paper towel to blot off the excess water that has come to the surface.
- Mix together the egg, milk, and water in a bowl.
- Combine the breadcrumbs, flour, shredded parmesan cheese, salt and Italian seasoning in another bowl.
- Lightly spray the inside of the air fryer basket with oil or cooking spray. Dip each eggplant slice in the egg mixture to coat both sides.
- Then, dip the eggplant slices in the breadcrumb mixture to fully coat eggplant.
- Place the eggplant rounds in a single layer in the air fryer. You should be able to fit 3-4 slices in the basket of your air fryer depending on its size. Spray the tops of the eggplant slices with oil.
- Air fry at 360°F for 8-10 minutes, until the outsides are crisp and golden brown. Shake halfway through and flip if they’re not browning evenly.
- Carefully remove the breaded eggplant slices from the air fryer and place 1-2 tablespoons of marinara on each slice and top with the shredded mozzarella.
- Place back in the air fryer at 360°F for another 2 minutes until cheese is melted. Serve on top of extra marinara sauce (if desired) and top with fresh basil.
- Repeat with remaining slices until all of the eggplant is air fried. Serve topped with fresh basil leaves (optional).
Expert tips
- Use a good quality spray oil (not PAM or equivalent) to avoid damaging the air fryer. I like to use this oil sprayer and fill with my favorite oil.
- If your air fryer model requires preheating, please preheat your air fryer before adding your eggplant slices.
- Make sure your eggplant is cut into even slices. I cut them ½ inch thick for this recipe. If you go with thinner or thicker slices, you will need to adjust the air frying time.
- Try not to slice the eggplant too thin as it may not hold up to the marinara sauce and cheese topping.
- It adds some time, but please don’t skip the step of salting the eggplant slices. This draws out the moisture and helps to prevent your breaded eggplant from turning out soggy.
- Be sure not to overcrowd the air fryer. For even cooking, air fry the eggplant in a single layer.
- Flip the eggplant slices halfway through if they don’t seem to be browning evenly.
- Each air fryer cooks a little differently, so you may need to adjust the temperature and air frying time slightly. Keep an eye on the eggplant to ensure it doesn’t burn.
- Depending on the size of your air fryer, you will need to air fry the eggplant in 3-4 batches.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, salting the eggplant slices is essential to getting the crispy and golden brown coating in this air fryer eggplant recipe. The salt draws out the moisture in the eggplant. If you skip this step, you could end up with soggy eggplant parmesan.
It is likely because you haven’t air fried the eggplant long enough. Eggplant is cooked when it’s soft and tender in the middle. If it’s tough, just pop it back in the air fryer for a few minutes.
The skin of an eggplant is edible, so there’s no need to peel it for this recipe. If your eggplant is large, the skin might be a bit tough, so you can peel it, if you prefer.
This recipe uses minimal oil, so it's not as greasy as other fried versions of eggplant parmesan. So, in my opinion, it's a little healthier. But it's still a filling meal with lots of cheese, so best to enjoy it in moderation.
While you can freeze breaded eggplant for up to 3 months, it does affect the quality of the eggplant and the breading. (Both could end up a little mushy). For the best tasting eggplant parmesan, I suggest enjoying it straight out of the air fryer.
Store any leftover eggplant parmesan covered in the fridge for 3-4 days.
The breading will get soft in the fridge, so use the oven or the air fryer to reheat the eggplant. Reheating in the microwave will result in a soggy breaded coating.
To reheat leftover slices (with the marinara and cheese on top), just reheat in the air fryer on 350°F for 3-4 minutes, or until heating through. (Keep an eye on it so it doesn’t burn).
You can also reheat it in the oven, it’ll just take a little longer to heat through and get crispy again.
Serving options
There are so many delicious ways to enjoy this eggplant parmesan:
- Enjoy it on its own with extra crock pot marinara sauce. You can also make it with this Instant pot Bolognese if you want to add some meat to the mix.
- Serve it with crusty bread or toasted garlic bread.
- Pair it with a green salad, raw zucchini salad or a side of roasted veggies.
- Serve it over pasta, coconut jasmine rice, spaghetti squash or zucchini noodles.
- Use it as a meaty sandwich filling.
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Recipe
Air Fryer Eggplant Parmesan
Ingredients
- 1 eggplant sliced in ½ inch slices (about 10-12 pieces total)
- 1 egg beaten
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 tablespoon water
- 2 tablespoons flour
- ½ cup breadcrumbs
- ⅛ cup grated parmesan cheese
- ½ teaspoon salt plus salt for rubbing the eggplant
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 2 cups marinara sauce
- 1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese can use fresh sliced as well
- chopped fresh basil for serving
- spray oil
Instructions
- Arrange the eggplant slices in a single layer on your work surface.
- Take 1 ½ teaspoons of salt and sprinkle it on the eggplant slices. Use your fingers to rub it into each slice.
- Let the eggplant sit for 10-15 minutes. This allows the water in the eggplant to be released.
- Use a paper towel to blot off any excess water that has come to the surface.
- Mix together the egg, milk, and water in a bowl.
- Combine the breadcrumbs, flour, parmesan cheese, salt and Italian seasoning in another bowl.
- Lightly spray the inside of the air fryer basket with oil.
- Dip the eggplant slices in the egg mixture to coat both sides.
- Dip each slice in the breadcrumb mixture to coat both sides.
- Place in a single layer in the air fryer. You should be able to fit 3-4 slices in the basket depending on the size of your air fryer.
- Spray the eggplant slices with oil.
- Cook at 360F degrees for 8-10 minutes, until the outsides are crisp and golden brown. Shake halfway through and flip if they're not browning evenly.
- Carefully remove the slices from the air fryer and place 1-2 tablespoons of marinara on each slice and top with the shredded mozzarella.
- Place back in the air fryer at 360F degrees for 2 minutes. Serve on top of extra marinara sauce (if desired) and top with fresh basil.
- Repeat with remaining slices until all of the eggplant is air fried
Expert Tips:
- Use a good quality spray oil (not PAM or equivalent) to avoid damaging the air fryer. I like to use this oil sprayer and fill with my favorite oil.
- If your air fryer model requires preheating, please preheat your air fryer before adding your eggplant slices.
- Make sure your eggplant is cut into even slices. I cut them ½ inch thick for this recipe. If you go with thinner or thicker slices, you will need to adjust the air frying time.
- Try not to slice the eggplant too thin as it may not hold up to the marinara sauce and cheese topping.
- It adds some time, but please don’t skip the step of salting the eggplant slices. This draws out the moisture and helps to prevent your breaded eggplant from turning out soggy.
- Be sure not to overcrowd the air fryer. For even cooking, air fry the eggplant in a single layer.
- Flip the eggplant slices halfway through if they don’t seem to be browning evenly.
- Each air fryer cooks a little differently, so you may need to adjust the temperature and air frying time slightly. Keep an eye on the eggplant to ensure it doesn’t burn.
- Depending on the size of your air fryer, you will need to air fry the eggplant in 3-4 batches.
Nutrition
Rosemary says
Love this recipe as we eat a lot of eggplants as a family.
I don't have an air fryer (yet), but I do make something similar in the oven. I'll be getting an air fryer soon and I can't wait to try this recipe. Yum!
Danielle says
The air fryer makes it so convenient!
Joe Taylor says
I gave this recipe a try today and loved it. For the breadcrumbs , I used Italian seasoned panko, but that was the only difference. I'll use less salt in the dry ingredient mix next time, but this will definitely be a go to recipe.
Danielle says
I'm so glad you liked it! I like the idea of Italian seasoned panko.
Sharmila Kingsly says
Im drooling over them .. Cant wait to make some for me !! Its guiltfree with airfryer!!
Danielle says
Totally!
Toni says
My family loved this! Such a great idea! Thanks sharing the recipe!
Danielle says
You're welcome!
Lily says
I'm always looking for air fryer recipes, and this one looks amazing! I can't wait to try this eggplant parmesan this week.
Danielle says
Hope you love it!
Katie Youngs says
Eggplant parm is one of my all-time favorite recipes. Making it in the air fryer kept the breaded eggplant slices soooo crispy! Such a great recipe!
Danielle says
Thanks!