Delicious Baked Eggplant Parmesan with crispy coated eggplant slices smothered in cheese and marinara.
What does eggplant parmesan taste like?
Eggplant parmesan tastes very similar to regular chicken parmesan. People often wonder what flavor the eggplant itself lends the dish.Eggplant has a very mild flavor, like spaghetti squash. Because it has such a mild flavor, it’s easily used in recipes that have bold flavors. In something like eggplant parmesan, the eggplant flavor itself isn’t even really tasted.
How thick do you cut eggplant for eggplant parmesan?
Eggplant should be sliced about 1/4 inch thick when making eggplant parmesan. Simply cut off the end and slice into large, 1/4-inch thick circles.
Do you have to peel eggplant before you cook it?
The peel of an eggplant is completely edible. However, as the eggplant grows bigger and matures, the peel may become tough and bitter. People often prefer to peel larger eggplants because of this, but smaller eggplants do just fine unpeeled. It ends up being a matter of personal preference.
If you like this recipe you may also be interested in these other eggplant recipes:
Watch the video below where Rachel will walk you through every step of this recipe. Sometimes it helps to have a visual, and we’ve always got you covered with our cooking show. You can find the complete collection of recipes on YouTube, Facebook Watch, or our Facebook Page, or right here on our website with their corresponding recipes.
Best Baked Eggplant Parmesan
Ingredients
- 3 medium eggplants
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1 cup Italian style bread crumbs
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 cups marinara sauce
- 8 ounces fresh mozzarella sliced
- ¼ cup chopped fresh basil
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese divided
Instructions
- Slice eggplant into 1/4 inch rounds. Lay out in a single layer on a paper towel lined baking sheet and sprinkle with salt. Let sit 1 hour to release moisture.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease 1-2 large baking sheets.
- Set up 3 shallow dishes for dredging. In the first dish, stir together flour, salt and pepper. In the second dish, whisk eggs. In the third dish, stir together panko bread crumbs, Italian bread crumbs, and garlic powder.
- Working one at a time, dredge eggplant slices in flour mixture, dip in egg mixture, and then coat in bread crumb mixture. Place onto the prepared baking sheet in an even layer. Sprinkle on a light coating of parmesan cheese.
- Roast in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, flipping eggplant slices halfway through.
- Spread 2 tablespoons of marinara into the bottom of a lightly greased 9x13 dish. Layer half of the eggplant slices onto the bottom. Top with half of the remaining marinara, and then layer on all of the mozzarella slices. Sprinkle on half of the basil and half of the parmesan cheese.
- Place remaining eggplant slices on top and cover with remaining marinara, basil, and parmesan cheese.
- Bake, uncovered, in the 400 degree oven for 20-25 minutes until cheese is melted and the top is bubbling and lightly browned.
Nutrition
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Bev says
I’ve made this three times in three weeks! Best recipe ever – I am a terrible cook and its fool proof!
Renee says
Does this dish freeze well?
Rachel (The Stay At Home Chef) says
Yes, like most casseroles, you can either prep ahead of time and freeze before baking, or you can freeze leftovers. Make sure you let it thaw completely before baking/reheating. The easiest way to do this is to let it thaw in the fridge for about 24 hours.
Mary Rieger says
Awesome, awesome, awesome!
Lisa Morgan says
This is my absolute favorite eggplant parm recipe!! We grow our own eggplant so it is especially delicious!!
Dani says
Made this for my family after my daughter requested it. We loved it! It was so simple and easy to make. We will definitely be making it again and again!
D George says
Love it ! I ended adding ground beef between the
Eggplants ! It was wonderful
Teena says
Made this tonight with a small modification adding some sautéed spinach between the layers and on top of some Alfredo fettuccine. This was my fiancées first time trying eggplant and we both enjoyed this immensely! Thanks for this recipe. Super easy and super delish!
Jimbeaux says
Best Eggplant Parmesan ever!
Kristin S says
I really loved this recipe. I’ve never made eggplant parm before, and wasn’t sure how it would turn out. We loved it, I basically followed it as written, except I used a slightly smaller cooking dish. Really great!
Neff says
I love this recipe y simple to make and delicious.
Sheila Rogers says
Never thought anything could be SO easy and SO delicious! I”ve been making eggplant parmesan from “scratch” for years. It always tasted good but was a huge production. Finding this recipe was wonderful. I made it exactly as written ingredient wise. I shortened the sweating process by about fifteen minutes and baked at 425 degrees from start to finish. Had plenty of fresh basil in the garden. Cheated on the marinara sauce using a 24 ounce jar of Classico sauce with plum tomatoes.
Probably not going to make my former L O N G recipe ever again! Thank You.
Lori says
IF EGGPLANT ISN’T AVAILABLE, CAN YOU SUBSTITUTE WITH ZUCCHINI?
Rachel Farnsworth says
Could be worth a try!
Karen L says
Very nice easy recipe to follow.
How do you prepare the baking sheet for browning the eggplant slices. Tried different ways they stick on me. What is your secret of preparing the baling sheet?
Thank u
Rachel Farnsworth says
You could try lining the pan with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
LJ says
I used foil and lightly greased the foil with butter.
Tammy says
Easy and delicious. I didn’t think I would be crazy about this dish but I will certainly make this a regular dish for my family.