Imagine crisp eggplant layered with marinara and plenty of melted cheese. Baked Eggplant Parmesan is a real treat and is fairly simple to make. You’ll love this vegetarian alternative to our Classic Chicken Parmesan.

Baked Eggplant Parmesan slice with melted cheese

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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 Baked 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. This dish is baked and not fried, so it’s less calorie-rich than classic fried Eggplant Parm, but it’s just as tasty.

Mouthwatering slice of Baked Eggplant Parmesan

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 breadcrumb 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 Baked 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
  • Breadcrumbs: Using panko bread crumbs adds a nice crunchy texture, but you can also use Italian bread crumbs
  • 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
Ingredients for eggplant parmesan with eggplant, panko crumbs, parmesan, eggs, marinara, flour, and mozzarella

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!

Do I have to Salt the Eggplant?

Salting is optional here, but it can help sweat out any bitter flavor in the eggplant. Sprinkle the eggplant with 1 teaspoon of salt and let it rest on a baking sheet for 30-60 minutes. Then, pat the eggplant dry with paper towels.

Garden fresh eggplant ready for slicing to make baked Eggplant Parmesan

How to Make Baked Eggplant Parmesan

1. Breading Eggplant: Line of 3 rimmed dishes in order – flour, salt, and pepper; then beaten eggs; and finally bread crumbs and parmesan cheese. Bread eggplant slices by dipping them in each bowl in order.

Flour, egg, and panko/parmesan filled bowls lined up to coat eggplant slices

2. Baking the Eggplant: Place breaded eggplant onto greased baking sheets and sprinkle the tops lightly with salt. 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.

Eggplant slices after being coated and baked

3. Prepare the Sauce: We like making our Homemade Marinara Sauce adding some fresh garlic and basil.

Delicious homemade marinara sauce garnished with fresh 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.

Layering crisp eggplant, marinara sauce, and mozzarella cheese to make eggplant parmesan

What to Serve with Baked 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.

Eggplant Parmesan with delicious melted mozzarella cheese - ready to serve

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.
Mouthwatering Eggplant Parmesan

More Eggplant Recipes:

If you love eggplant recipes, you are sure to find some new favorites in this list. We have everything from eggplant casseroles to eggplant appetizers. P.S. That first spicy eggplant recipe is wildly delicious.

Baked Eggplant Parmesan Recipe

4.99 from 61 votes
Baked Eggplant Parmesan: crisp eggplant layered with marinara and plenty of melted cheese
This Baked Eggplant Parmesan recipe fills your mouth with crisp eggplant, flavorful marinara, and plenty of melted cheese to replicate a classic Italian dish.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 55 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients 

Servings: 6 servings as a side dish
  • 2 lbs eggplant, 2 large/3 medium/4 small, cut into 1/3″ thick rounds
  • 3 large eggs
  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp fine sea salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1 cup panko breadcrumbs, or Italian breadcrumbs
  • 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil, plus more to grease the pan and drizzle over eggplant*
  • 2 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
  • 32 oz good quality marinara sauce, homemade or storebought
  • 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. Generously grease 2 baking sheets with olive oil. Set up 3 rimmed dishes in this order: In the first one, stir together 3/4 cup flour, 2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper. In the second, beat 3 large eggs. In the third combine 1 cup bread crumbs and 1 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 sprinkle the tops lightly with salt. Drizzle tops with olive oil or spray lightly with cooking spray. Bake at 375˚F for 30-35 min, flipping the eggplant halfway and rotating the pans if using 2 baking sheets. Once done baking, remove from the oven.

How to Elevate Storebought Marinara:

  • If using homemade Marinara, you can skip this step, but here's how to make a storebought marinara even better: 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 bring to a simmer. Add coarsely chopped basil, stir for 30 seconds and remove from heat.

To Assemble Eggplant Parmesan:

  • Spread 1/4 cup marinara sauce over the bottom of a 9×13 casserole dish. Add 1/2 eggplant slices, overlapping if needed to fit, then top with half of your marinara sauce and half of the mozzarella. Repeat with the remaining eggplant slices, marinara and mozzarella. Bake uncovered at 375 for 20-25 minutes or until cheese is melted and slightly golden.

Notes

*To avoid bitter eggplant, it’s very important to use eggplant that is ripe and cook it soon after it’s picked or purchased.
*You can grease the pan and the tops of the eggplant with cooking spray instead of olive oil if you prefer. It’s quicker and you’ll get a more even coating on the bread crumbs. 

Nutrition Per Serving

477kcal Calories40g Carbs29g Protein23g Fat12g Saturated Fat149mg Cholesterol1728mg Sodium866mg Potassium7g Fiber12g Sugar1280IU Vitamin A12mg Vitamin C546mg Calcium4mg Iron
Nutrition Facts
Baked Eggplant Parmesan Recipe
Amount per Serving
Calories
477
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
23
g
35
%
Saturated Fat
 
12
g
75
%
Cholesterol
 
149
mg
50
%
Sodium
 
1728
mg
75
%
Potassium
 
866
mg
25
%
Carbohydrates
 
40
g
13
%
Fiber
 
7
g
29
%
Sugar
 
12
g
13
%
Protein
 
29
g
58
%
Vitamin A
 
1280
IU
26
%
Vitamin C
 
12
mg
15
%
Calcium
 
546
mg
55
%
Iron
 
4
mg
22
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: Baked Eggplant Parmesan
Skill Level: Easy/Medium
Cost to Make: $$
Calories: 477
Natasha's Kitchen Cookbook
4.99 from 61 votes (29 ratings without comment)

Leave a Comment

Recipe Rating




Comments

  • Rich Ermolovich
    December 9, 2023

    Made it last night. Very good! Did not sweat first. Left skin on. Was perfectly cooked using the times in the recipe as a guide. Flavorful!

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      December 9, 2023

      Thank you for sharing, Rich!

      Reply

  • Matthew
    December 5, 2023

    This sounds great! I will have to try this. I may substitute the panko breadcrumbs with ground pork rinds and the regular flour with almond flour for a lower carb alternative.

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      December 5, 2023

      We’d love to know how it goes!

      Reply

      • Matthew
        December 19, 2023

        Oh man, absolute bliss, it was so good! I was skeptical of using the pork panko and almond flour, but it was still delicious!! Thank you for this recipe!

        Reply

        • Natasha's Kitchen
          December 19, 2023

          Aaaw thanks for the wonderful feedback!

          Reply

  • Jordan Wipf
    August 15, 2023

    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.

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      August 16, 2023

      This is a versatile dish that can be made ahead and frozen before baking or stores easily as leftovers.

      Reply

  • Jan
    April 17, 2023

    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!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      April 18, 2023

      I haven’t tested that, but I think it could work. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe, Jan!

      Reply

  • P contini
    March 7, 2023

    To remove bitterness from eggplant. I salt it and let it sweat for about 30 mins.

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      March 7, 2023

      Thank you for sharing. 🙂

      Reply

    • diane healy
      April 16, 2023

      eggplant should always be peeled skin is tough even when cooked much better

      Reply

      • Janet
        June 2, 2023

        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.

        Reply

  • Paison
    February 21, 2023

    NEVER slice your eggplant in circles, lengthwise people!!! You can thank me later

    Reply

  • Patricia
    January 9, 2023

    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!

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      January 9, 2023

      That’s wonderful, Patricia! Thank you for the great feedback. I’m so glad you love my recipes.

      Reply

  • Brigid
    December 25, 2022

    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!

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      December 26, 2022

      That’s wonderful! I’m so glad you loved it. Thanks for sharing.

      Reply

  • Mary Ann
    November 1, 2022

    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!

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      November 1, 2022

      Aaaw, thank you, Mary ann. I hope you will love all the recipes that you will try!

      Reply

  • Kristen
    August 16, 2022

    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

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      August 16, 2022

      Thanks for the feedback, Kristen. 🙂 So glad you love my recipes.

      Reply

  • Tim Meneely
    April 12, 2022

    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!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      April 12, 2022

      Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Tim!

      Reply

  • Sandee
    March 30, 2022

    Natasha, as always your recipes are easy and delicious! Made this today for our afternoon dinner….you are a rockstar!

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      March 30, 2022

      Thank you. Sandee! That is very kind. Glad you enjoyed this recipe.

      Reply

  • Charles Franks
    March 23, 2022

    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

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      March 23, 2022

      Thanks for sharing that with us, Charles. That’s really great to hear that you loved this recipe!

      Reply

  • Debbie
    November 13, 2021

    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.

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      November 15, 2021

      Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Debbie! I’m glad you enjoyed that!

      Reply

    • JRS
      January 2, 2024

      I do the same with the salt but you need to wash it off before you go ahead with breading and of course, you have to towel dry again. Also, using a low carb frying oil will remove the bitterness always. Still utilize the recipe with those simple changes.

      Reply

  • JOE HOULE
    September 11, 2021

    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!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      September 11, 2021

      I’m so happy you gave that a try, Joe! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.

      Reply

  • Penn
    August 27, 2021

    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!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      August 27, 2021

      I’m so glad you gave it a try!! It truly is so delicous! Thank you for your lovely comment, Penn!

      Reply

  • Joan Kirshenbaum
    August 10, 2021

    I made your eggplant parmesan recipe tonight. It was absolutely delicious!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you so much for sharing this outstanding dish. It was the best.

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      August 10, 2021

      I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Joan! Thank you for the wonderful review!

      Reply

  • Lynne Browne
    August 9, 2021

    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.

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      August 9, 2021

      Thank you so much for sharing that with me.

      Reply

  • Mary Mosca
    July 26, 2021

    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

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      July 26, 2021

      Hope it becomes your new favorite, Mary

      Reply

  • Jenny V
    July 17, 2021

    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.

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      July 17, 2021

      Hi Jenny! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.

      Reply

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