Eggplant Parmesan Recipe
Imagine crisp eggplant layered with marinara and plenty of melted cheese. Eggplant Parmesan is a real treat and is fairly simple to make. You’ll love this vegetarian alternative to our Classic Chicken Parmesan.
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My sister-in-law gave me gorgeous eggplants from her garden and the first thing that came into my head was Baked Eggplant Parmesan. The end result provided a mouth-watering spin on a classic Italian dish that even my children love!
What is Eggplant Parmesan?
Eggplant Parmesan is a traditional Italian dish. Its Italian name is melanzane alla parmigiana. The dish is made in a shallow pan layering baked eggplant with marinara sauce and cheese.
Baked Eggplant Parmesan:
Traditionally, this tasty dish involves fried slices of eggplant to create the crisp layers like chicken parm. In our version, the eggplant is sliced and baked with a panko and parmesan coating. The tasty coating crisps the eggplant slices as they bake giving you a similar result to frying the slices – all with fewer calories, less mess, and still with plenty of delicious flavor.
Ingredients for Eggplant Parmesan:
- Eggplant: use fresh, ripe eggplant (see tips below on how to avoid bitter eggplant)
- Flour & Eggs: Dredge in flour and dip sliced eggplant in the eggs to help hold on the crisp topping
- Panko Breadcrumbs: makes a nice crunchy texture
- Parmesan Cheese: Adds a wonderful flavor to the eggplant
- Garlic: Italian food without garlic isn’t really Italian food!
- Marinara Sauce: we prefer Homemade Marinara, but store-bought works
- Fresh Basil: Optional, but a nice touch and adds freshness and color
- Mozzarella Cheese: melts and forms a beautiful crust
How to Avoid Bitter Eggplant:
Ripe eggplant has a slight give when you squeeze, but the skin pops back when you release the sides.
Eggplants have a short shelf life, so it is very important to use eggplant that is ripe and cooked soon after being picked or purchased. The older the eggplant, the more likely it is to become bitter. If you have more tips on avoiding bitter eggplant, please share them in a comment below!
How to Make Eggplant Parmesan:
1. Breading Eggplant: Line of 3 rimmed dishes in order – flour, salt, and pepper; then beaten eggs; and finally panko crumbs and parmesan cheese. Bread eggplant slices by dipping them in each bowl in order.
2. Baking the Eggplant: Place breaded eggplant onto greased baking sheets and drizzle the tops with olive oil or spray lightly with cooking spray. Bake them until tender, be sure to flip them over halfway through cooking.
3. Prepare the Sauce: We like making our Homemade Marinara Sauce adding some fresh garlic and basil.
4. Assemble the Eggplant Parmesan for Baking: Spread marinara sauce over the bottom of a pan. Then spread half of the eggplant slices, cover with mozzarella cheese and repeat the process. Bake on 375 until the cheese is melted and slightly golden.
What to Serve with Eggplant Parmesan:
This main course can be a heavy dish with lots of cheese and sauce, so I highly recommend choosing lighter side dishes to balance the entire meal. Here are some of my favorite side dishes to serve with Eggplant Parm.
- Caesar Salad: classic light dressing
- Garlic Bread: quick, easy and excellent with saucy eggplant parm
- Caprese Salad: fresh and colorful
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts: caramelized and flavorful
How to Store Eggplant Parm:
Eggplant Parmesan is a versatile dish that can be made ahead and frozen before baking or stores easily as leftovers.
- To Refrigerate: let leftovers cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate for 3-4 days.
- To Freeze: wrap the assembled, but unbaked, Eggplant Parmesan in several layers of plastic wrap and freeze up to 3 months then thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bake as directed. The baking process is similar to reheating our Lasagna Roll-Ups.
More Eggplant Recipes:
If you love eggplant recipes, you are sure to find some new favorites in this list. We everything from eggplant casseroles to eggplant appetizers. P.S. That first spicy eggplant recipe is wildly delicious.
- Spicy Eggplant Recipe: Natasha’s Personal Favorite
- Eggplant Spread: A warm and creamy spread
- Eggplant Caviar: Excellent on rye toasts
- Eggplant with Red Pepper Sauce: a unique and delicious side
- Baked Eggplant Sandwiches: You’ll love the spread!
- Smadar’s Shakshuka: the authentic version with eggplant
Eggplant Parmesan Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 lbs eggplant, 2 large/3 medium/4 small, cut into 1/3" thick rounds
- 3 large eggs
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 1/2 cups panko breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- Olive oil, to drizzle over eggplant and 1 Tbsp for the sauce
- 1 large or 2 small garlic cloves, pressed or minced
- 24 oz good quality marinara sauce
- 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, coarsely chopped, (optional, but nice)
- 1 lb shredded mozzarella, grated on the large holes
Instructions
How to Bake Eggplant for Eggplant Parm:
- Preheat Oven to 375˚F. Grease 2 baking sheets. Set up 3 rimmed dishes in this order: In the first one, stir together 3/4 cup flour, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper. In the second, beat 3 large eggs. In the third combine 1 1/2 cups panko crumbs and 1/2 cup grated parmesan. Dip eggplant slices in flour, then beaten eggs, then in the panko/parm mixture.
- Place breaded eggplant onto greased baking sheets and drizzle tops with olive oil or spray lightly with cooking spray. Bake at 375˚F for 32 min, flipping the eggplant rounds and rotating the pans halfway through (my baking sheets didn't fit on one rack so I put them on separate racks in the top third and bottom third of the oven). Once done baking, remove from oven and reposition rack to the center of the oven.
How to Make the Sauce:
- Place a medium saucepan over medium heat and add 1 Tbsp olive oil. Once oil is hot, add garlic and stir 1 min until fragrant. Add marinara sauce and coarsely chopped basil. Bring to a simmer and remove from heat.
To Assemble Eggplant Parmesan:
- Spread 1/4 cup marinara sauce over the bottom of a 9x13 or 9x12 casserole dish. Add 1/2 eggplant slices, overlapping if needed to fit, then top with 1/2 marinara sauce and 1/2 mozzarella, Repeat with remaining eggplant slices, marinara and mozzarella. Bake uncovered at 375 for 20-25 minutes or until cheese is melted and slightly golden.
Notes
Nutrition Per Serving
If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen
Natasha Kravchuk
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
Hello. Love all your recipes. I wonder if i could make this ahead of time? Say the day before? Bake the eggplant and assemble, then put it in the fridge till I finish baking in the oven the next day? Thanks.
This is a versatile dish that can be made ahead and frozen before baking or stores easily as leftovers.
I am wondering if I can fry up the breaded eggplant first, add sauce to the baking dish, layer eggplant, top w sauce and cheese and bake later ? I know you can do this with your chicken parmesan recipe!
I haven’t tested that, but I think it could work. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe, Jan!
To remove bitterness from eggplant. I salt it and let it sweat for about 30 mins.
Thank you for sharing. 🙂
eggplant should always be peeled skin is tough even when cooked much better
I was raised in an Italian family. We had eggplant quite often. My mother always “sweat” the eggplant and ALWAYS peeled it. I never do either and everyone raves about my Eggplant Parmigiana.
NEVER slice your eggplant in circles, lengthwise people!!! You can thank me later
So glad I found you! This is delicious and I know I can always find fantastic recipes from you. You make me look like my recipes come from a long line of family recipes. Yet they come out perfect the first time!
That’s wonderful, Patricia! Thank you for the great feedback. I’m so glad you love my recipes.
We had an Italian Christmas this year and the Highlight was the eggplant parmesan. I made the mushroom fresh tomato marinara sauce and we got all our vegetables in one fell swoop! Very happy with the recipe. I just printed it so that I will have it for next year or whenever we run out of leftovers!
That’s wonderful! I’m so glad you loved it. Thanks for sharing.
Best eggplant parmigiana ever….my husband loves this recipe. Has commented better than some restaurant’s. Especially since you do not fry the EP a much richer flavor. Natasha you are a go to girl for some wonderful recipes. Thank you!
Aaaw, thank you, Mary ann. I hope you will love all the recipes that you will try!
Love the recipe. The only change I make is that I always peel the eggplant. I always get the best result when the eggplant is peeled, never bitter and easier the cut and eat! Love your recipes Natasha
Thanks for the feedback, Kristen. 🙂 So glad you love my recipes.
I made this tonight, except by layering the slices (lightly salted) between paper towels and microwaving them for 8 minutes. I’ve read elsewhere that this removes bitter juice, and I had a large, somewhat woody eggplant, so was concerned about bitterness. I then shortened the single-layer bake to about 24 minutes and followed the rest of your recipe.
The result was fantastic – maybe the best eggplant parmesan my wife or I had ever had, and we’ve had a lot. Thanks!
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Tim!
Natasha, as always your recipes are easy and delicious! Made this today for our afternoon dinner….you are a rockstar!
Thank you. Sandee! That is very kind. Glad you enjoyed this recipe.
Just enjoyed a great Eggplant Parmesan, very nice light flavor.
Nice job. I’m not an eggplant lover, you changed my mind with this recipe. The only difference I made was the last 20 minutes bake under the broil setting. Nice Golden Brown. Had to watch so wouldn’t burn. Awesome job thanks
Thanks for sharing that with us, Charles. That’s really great to hear that you loved this recipe!
My Italian Aunt Fanny made the absolute best eggplant parmigiana. I found out her secret. Many cooks salt the eggplant to remove the bitterness, but the salt will also dehydrate it. My Aunt used sugar, a light sprinkle between each layer of eggplant. What I do is add a scant teaspoon/egg in the egg bath. I also like oven frying the eggplant as you do. Not only does the prep time go faster, the eggplant is less oily.
PS, I’m trying your Onion Soup recipe tomorrow and making your Green Bean Casserole for the first time on Thanksgiving.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Debbie! I’m glad you enjoyed that!
I made this for my wife and myself.
I always thought eggplant parm was not a favorite item. This recipe changed that for me. It was easy to make, and had a wonderful flavor. I am now a fan and I will include this in my must remake recipes!
I’m so happy you gave that a try, Joe! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
I’m usually not a fan of eggplant but my husband is, so I decided to make this recipe for him.
Yeah, so I kinda ate most of it! It is absolutely delicious, and definitely converted me to an eggplant lover! Thank you!
I’m so glad you gave it a try!! It truly is so delicous! Thank you for your lovely comment, Penn!
I made your eggplant parmesan recipe tonight. It was absolutely delicious!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you so much for sharing this outstanding dish. It was the best.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Joan! Thank you for the wonderful review!
To make sure your eggplant isn’t bitter, slice and put on paper towel and salt we’ll all the slices, turn over and repeat. Let sit for 20-30 min., then rinse each slice and pat dry. Then proceed to make your recipe.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
I’m going to make this, cause not having to salt them first to release the water just made life easier, and I like the reviews
Hope it becomes your new favorite, Mary
Hi Natasha
I really enjoy cooking and I absolutely love your recipes. Your awesome! To avoid bitter eggplant, I rub a little salt on each side of the sliced eggplant and I let it sit for 30 minutes at room temperature in a strainer to remove some water, then I pat dry and rub off salt with a paper towel before breading. Thank you so much for your love of cooking and sharing with us some pretty incredible recipes.
Hi Jenny! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
Natasha would you not salt the eggplant first to drain some water out?
Hi James, they haven’t turned watery on us, but if you happen to try it by letting them sit and release water first, I would love to know how you like this recipe.
I cook for my husbands boss and the office 12 people , I decided to make this recipe . I’m so amazed how it cut my time so much . Thank you, this is my forever recipe!
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite, Bonnie!
if you want non-bitter eggplant, get ichiban eggplant. recognized by long length (6″ – 10″) and small in diameter (2″ – 3″). not bitter naturally and there’s no need to peel. not found in stores very much, but does well in a home garden. many eggplants from a couple bushes. enjoy many of your recipes and like to watch your blogs.
Thank you so much for sharing!
Dear Natasha, I am new to your page. I have enjoyed all your recipes. Your personality is wonderful. You make cooking fun. I am of Spanish decent, I put Goya Adobo on all food that requires salt, pepper. Do you ever make Spanish dishes like Paella? Thank you…..
I’m so happy you discovered our blog. Welcome! 🙂 We like to make and post various recipes, and we especially love suggestions from our readers! Adding paella to our list! Thank you!
Nice recipe! I do not flour or dredge my eggplant and it comes out just as tasty!
Good to know that Teresa, thanks for sharing!
I believe you are supposed to salt the eggplant and let it ‘sweat.’ At least that’s what my Italian fam does- always the best!
Hi Mel, they haven’t turned watery on us, but if you happen to try it by letting them sit and release water first, I would love to know how you like this recipe.
Made last night and actually made a few hours in advance. Put it in fridge until I was ready to bake and it turned out great! Didn’t change a thing on this recipe and it was fabulous!
Love it! Great to know that you enjoyed this recipe, thank you for your good review, Tina!
Made this for dinner tonight, it was a hit! Everyone really liked it. Thank you Natasha! Your recipe was easy and delicious! The only thing I would change next time is I would use the full 32oz bottle of marinara. I only had a 32oz bottle but only used 24oz; I think this would have been better with just that extra titch of marina, but your recipie is fantastic! I will make this again!
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you all enjoyed it!
Loved this. My kids wanted to eat the baked eggplant slices before I even assembled it! What is the best way to reheat it next day?
This reheats well, you can reheat portions in the microwave or oven until they are heated through and cheese is melted.
Sooooo delicious! I’ve been making Eggplant Parmesan for years- I’ve finally found THE recipe that will be the only one I use in the future!
Awesome! I’m glad this is going to be your go-to-recipe.
Does it turn out watery? Usually I salt them and let them sweat on paper towels when I make eggplant lasagna.. just wondering if it turns out watery..
Hi Wendy, it was not watery for us. I recommend taking all the steps in the recipe.
Hey Natasha.I have read before that you should use course salt and put some weight on the eggplant slices to help remove some of the bitter juice.This seems like a lot of extra work.Is it necessary?Thanks.John Jarret.
Hi John, we don’t think it is necessary for this recipe but a couple of readers did write saying that is how their family made this. If you do try it with the salt I would love to know how you like this recipe!
This was perfect!
Thank you!
I’ve made many of Natasha’s recipes since I discovered her a few years ago but I have to say, this eggplant parm might be my favorite to date. The oven baked eggplant slices came out nice and crispy (not soggy and grease laden like when frying) and the finished dish was deliciously firm and structured, not mushy. I used my homemade marinara (very similar to Natasha’s recipe), fresh buffalo mozzarella and a shredded Romano/mozzarella blend and it’s truly delish. Can’t wait to make eggplant subs for lunch tomorrow! PS I’m a vegetarian – thanks for the delish veg recipe!
You are most welcome, Sue. That is such awesome feedback, thank you for sharing that with us!
Hi First if all, thank you for sharing your delicious recipes.
Eggplant. My Italian nana taught me to look for male eggplants because the female eggplants have more seeds and therefore more bitter. She also sliced them and layered the slices in a colander salted lightly for about 45 minutes or so which also gets that brown juice out yielding less bitter tase.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me Judi! I’m happy you enjoyed this recipe!
I’ve tried eggplant Parmesan several times before but it never turned out right. This recipe is perfect! I used gluten free flour and gluten free Panko style bread crumbs, and they were fine substitutes. I’ll be making this again. Thanks, Natasha!
Fantastic! So great to hear that your substitutes worked great too. Thank you so much for sharing that with us, Karen!
This was the BEST eggplant parm I’ve made/tasted. My fiancé loved it so much, and it was very filling.
Natasha, am I able to make it in advance and freeze for later? If so, what are your suggestions on how to prepare it?
Hi Charmaine, I haven’t tested freezing this. I worry it will become soggy upon the defrost stage. If you experiment please let me know how you like that.
Thank you Natasha for your awesome Eggplant Parmesan Recipe! Being an “old school” Italian cook, I use to make mine the old fashioned way, which was frying it! Even though I salted and removed the liquid, it still soaked up a lot of oil. This version is so much healthier… and just as tasty.
Thank you for sharing that awesome review with me, Carol! I’m so glad you enjoyed that!
My family hates everything new. I have never cooked with eggplant before, always wanted to try it. All 3 boys and even my picky eater husband all LOVED it. No leftovers is a good night!
I know exactly what you mean! I’m so glad your family enjoyed this recipe!
I have made this and it was wonderful!!!
I do have one question – I’m trying to make this ahead and wonder if it will work to bake the eggplants but not assemble it all together until hours/ next day and finish cooking then? Or will the eggplants be too soggy?
Hi Mags, that should work fine.
hi,what can i substitute for eggs. i like your baversion of eggplant perm,
Hi, I haven’t tried an egg free substitute in the dredging but I found another recipe for a vegan eggplant that is eggless with 1/2 cup almond milk mixed together with 1 tsp corn starch which sounded like a great idea.
Love your videos 🥰 — makes cooking with you fun! One of your respondents was searching for a new eggplant parmesan. I make mine with the basic recipe (frying too) but I only use Velveeta cheese. It may be one to try and put your spin on it. This was Mom’s recipe. 🌴🌺 👩🍳
P.S. Thank you to respondents for the info on using Asian eggplants – never heard about the bitterness….
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it Alyce!
I will be making this recipe later this week, though will adapt it to be gluten free/dairy free. I love to cook, so thank you for sharing this! Eggplant Parmesan is one of a few recipes my mother was unable to share with me before she passed (too loopy from pain meds the last few months).
Thank you again 💕
I’m so happy to hear that! I hope you love it!
I had all the ingredients except for parmesan cheese so I left it out. When I tried one of the eggplant slices after coming out of the oven I was very worried- it tasted like cardboard! But I finished off the recipe and it was a hit! My husband had three servings and my two year old loved it.
I read that when an eggplant’s seeds have a different colour (such as brown) to the rest of the flesh it is likely to be bitter. My eggplants had the same coloured flesh and seeds so I didn’t do anything and they weren’t bitter at all.
Awesome, I’m glad to hear your entire family enjoys this recipe. Thanks for sharing your wonderful review with other readers!
I’ve never eaten Eggplant. Since everything i’ve tried from Natasha’s Kitchen has been wonderful, I gave it a try. It was awesome! I did leave it sit salted for an hour to wick the moisture out.
I’m happy to hear that you tried the recipe and love it! Thanks for sharing your excellent review Jerry!
Hi Natasha! I am your new fan) I already made several recipes from your blog and everything was delicious! Today I tried eggplant Parmesan, I’ve never made it with breadcrumbs before. Usually just an eggplant on a grill, some sauce and mozzarella on top. It came out beautiful. Thank you for your work and delicious food- so good and inspiring.
You’re welcome Natalia! Thanks for the amazing compliment. I’m so glad to hear how much you love the recipes!
Wow! By far the best eggplant parmesan I have tried, and I’ve tried a few! It was so easy to make and I like that it’s baked, so not greasy at all. Thank you Natasha!
I’m so happy you enjoyed it! Thanks for the awesome review 🙂
Wow. they look absolutely delicious. Am surely gonna try for friends at home this weekend and will tag you. Thanks for sharing the recipe
Thank you so much! I hope you all love the recipe 🙂
Natasha, to avoid bitter eggplant sprinkle them with salt and let them sit for 20 min to release some liquid, then wipe them dry with paper towel. It will give eggplant a great super soft taste you will love.
Maryana, thank you so much for the tip. I appreciate that you shared that with me 😁.
Natasha thank you for taking your time to put together this FREE and wonderful website. I found you through a Ukranian friend who made your cheese toasts for her daughter’s birthday. I am Italian American and am very hard to please, but your recipes are full of color and explanation and most of all molto bene (very good)!! Thankyou for taking your time to make this site. I hope to see you on Foodnetwork someday!!
God bless,
Christina, NY
Thank you so much for your wonderful review and inspirational comment. You’re so nice 🙂
Natasha–I made this eggplant parm tonight, and oh boy, it was absolutely delicious!!!! I basically followed your recipe to the “t” and loved the baked eggplant concept. It was truly one of the better meals I’ve made in a long time. My family loved it. Thanks for sharing. 😊
That’s so great. Thank you so much for sharing your review 🙂
Hi Natasha,
Do you think if I assemble the baked cooled eggplant with the sauce and everything but bake it a off tomorrow that it will work? Like cover it with foil but bake it off the next day?
That should work fine 🙂
Yum!!! Made these today and it turned out delicious! Thank you for this recipe 😄
I’m so glad you liked it! 🙂
This looks great. So far I have made your Napoleon cake, carrot apple salad, and cod in tomato sauce. My Ukrainian hubby loved them all, soi definitely have lot of faith in your recipes! Thank you 🙂
Angela, thank you for your sweet comment and you are very welcome :). Give this recipe a try, you won’t be disappointed :D.
I made this last night and it came out great! I LOVE the fact that it is not fried. I was concerned it wouldn’t taste the same as the classic fried eggplant parm but it was amazing! This is a keeper for sure! Thanks for such a simple and tasty recipe!
Eleonora, thank you for such a great review, I’m so happy that you love the recipe :).
Baked, not fried.
That means I can eat the whole lot, doesn’t it?!
Yes Ma’am. 😉 Great minds think alike! 🙂
I love that these eggplants are baked instead of fried. Such a light take on a normally very “heavy” meal. Thank you for sharing this with us! Can’t wait to try it out!
It really is pretty guilt free and you feel very good after eating it 🙂
Oh yum! I have a few eggplant growing in my garden, I will definitely need to try this skinny version! I love my veggies 🙂 This looks perfect Natasha!
Thank you Katy! What else do you grow besides eggplant? I’m aways looking for new ideas!
My garden is probably no match for your moms garden! I had a lot of veggies and herbs this year. Some new things I tried were okra and tomatillos, they are really interesting to try 🙂
Oh those are interesting! Have you tried making anything with them? Honestly, I don’t think I’ve ever even tried okra! :-O
Hi Natasha,
Another way of getting rid of the bitterness is sprinkling the eggplant slices with salt. Let it sit for at least 30 minutes (I’ve even let it sit overnight and it came out delicious), then blot the salt and the moisture out with a dry paper towel. The salt soaks the bitter moisture out and leaves the eggplant soft and tender and ready to cook. Hope this helps!
Enjoy 🙂
Hi Dana! Thank you so much for sharing that. I’ve never let it sit overnight – do you refrigerate if leaving it overnight, or is it just at room temp?
I did refrigerate the overnight ones, but I typically let them sit on the kitchen counter at room temp for 1-2 hours before I use them. It just depends on how big they are. I noticed that the bigger they are, the more bitter they taste. That’s why I prefer Japanese eggplant. But my husband likes the Chinese ones better, the same kind you used in this recipe.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me Dana!
Did you know that if you use the asian eggplants (skinny long ones) they do not have the bitterness?
By the way, this eggplant parmesan looks incredible!
That’s great to know!! I wish they always had them in stores for when they aren’t growing 🙂
Oh yum, yum. Are eggplant the only thing you can use with this? Or will squash or zucchini work ok too? (We grow those, but not the eggplant). This looks totally like something that will be on my menu soon. Also, do you use panko breadcrumbs because they are more crunchier, or can regular breadcrumbs be used instead?
Hi Oksana! I haven’t tried with anything but chicken and eggplant but I have seen recipes online that use zucchini so I assume you can use zucchini.