Perfectly crispy oven baked Eggplant Parmesan!

Eggplant parmesan is one of my favorites to order when eating out. Did you know you can bake up 12 perfectly crispy eggplant parms on a sheet pan and feed the whole family? Making eggplant parmesan at home is a must if it’s one of your restaurant favorites, and it’s a lot easier than you might think!

Ingredients:

eggplant, cut into 1/4-inch slices
fine sea salt
eggs
water
Panko breadcrumbs
grated parmesan cheese
dried oregano
dried basil
garlic powder
olive oil
marinara sauce or homemade
mozzarella cheese, shredded
fresh basil, *optional

How to make Oven Baked Eggplant Parmesan

Line a sheet pan with paper towels. Place all the cut rounds of eggplant onto the paper towel lined sheet pan in a single layer.
Sprinkle the sea salt onto each eggplant slice, and let it sit for 15 minutes.
Flip each eggplant slice over and sprinkle with more sea salt on the other side. Let them sit for another 15 minutes.
Rinse all the eggplant rounds in water. Pat them dry with clean paper towels. (This salting process draws out excess moisture and bitterness from the eggplant.)
Preheat your oven to 375.
In a pie plate combine the Panko breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese and spices. In another pie plate add the eggs and the water and whisk to combine.
Dip each slice of eggplant into the egg wash mixture and coat on both sides, then directly to the panko breadcrumb and cheese mixture. Press each slice into the breadcrumbs to completely coat both sides.
Place each slice onto a parchment (or foil) lined sheet pan that has been greased in a single layer.
Bake for 15 minutes, then carefully flip each one and place the sheet pan back into the oven for another 15 minutes.
Out of the oven flip each one over one more time, now spoon marinara sauce onto each one and top with mozzarella cheese.
Return the pan back to the oven and bake another 10 minutes until the cheese is melted.
Out of the oven garnish with fresh basil and serve warm with spaghetti and more marinara sauce.

What kind of cheese for eggplant parmesan?

We love eggplant parmesan with both parmesan cheese in the crunchy Panko breadcrumbs and we also love each one topped with mozzarella cheese. If you choose to do big slabs of sliced mozzarella or shredded mozzarella, it’s a personal choice. If you choose shredded, it’s best to grate it yourself so that it melts well. The pre-grated cheese from the store just doesn’t melt the same.

Cooking Variations:

There’s a few different ways to make eggplant parmesan. Typically it is fried in a skillet on your cooktop, but we are baking it in the oven…”oven fried” is the term we like for this. You can also make eggplant parmigiana in the air fryer. The only advice is to not over crowd the basket of your air fryer.

How to make Eggplant Parmesan in the air fryer:

In the air fryer cook the eggplant at 375 F. Cook for 8-10 minutes and then flip each eggplant slice over and cook for another 5-7 minutes. Top each one with the sauce and a slice of mozzarella cheese and cook for 1-2 more minutes.

Sheet Pan Eggplant Parmesan

Eggplant Parmesan baked on a sheet pan is a delicious way to feed the family.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Keyword Eggplant Parmesan

Author Kami | NoBiggie.net

Ingredients

1 medium eggplant cut into 1/4-inch slices
2 tablespoons sea salt crushed fine
2 eggs
1 tablespoon water
1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
1/4 cup parmesan cheese grated
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 25oz. jar marinara sauce or homemade
8 ounces mozzarella cheese shredded
fresh basil cut julienne *optional

Instructions

Line a sheet pan with paper towels. Place all the cut rounds of eggplant onto the paper towel lined sheet pan in a single layer.
Sprinkle the sea salt onto each eggplant slice, and let it sit for 15 minutes.
Flip each eggplant slice over and sprinkle with more sea salt on the other side. Let them sit for another 15 minutes.
Rinse all the eggplant rounds in water. Pat them dry with clean paper towels. (This salting process draws out excess moisture and bitterness from the eggplant.)
Preheat your oven to 375.
In a pie plate combine the Panko breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese and spices.
In another pie plate add the eggs and the water and whisk to combine.
Dip each slice of eggplant into the egg wash mixture and coat on both sides, then directly to the panko breadcrumb and cheese mixture. Press each slice into the breadcrumbs to completely coat both sides.
Place each slice onto a parchment (or foil) lined and lightly greased sheet pan in a single layer.
Bake for 15 minutes, then carefully flip each one and place the sheet pan back into the oven for another 15 minutes.
Out of the oven flip each one over one more time, now spoon marinara sauce onto each one and top with mozzarella cheese.
Return the pan back to the oven and bake another 10 minutes until the cheese is melted.
Out of the oven garnish with fresh basil and serve warm with spaghetti topped with marinara sauce.

Making This Recipe? Tag us on Instagram: @NoBiggie using the hashtag #NoBiggieRecipes, so we can see what you are making in the kitchen!

FAQ:

Why do people call it eggplant parmesan and eggplant parmigiana?

It’s basically the exact same thing. Same recipe…it’s just the difference in the Italian name of it and the American name of it.

Why do you salt sliced egg plant before cooking?

The salt works to draw excess moisture out of the eggplant and the bitterness of the eggplant. It really is crazy to see how much moisture comes out after salting each side and letting it sit for 15 minutes each side. The paper towel is soaking when you are done.

Should you rinse the salt off the egg plant before cooking?

yes, it’s a good idea to rinse the salt off the eggplant before starting to cook it. You will also want to pat it dry with paper towels after you rinse it.

What sides go with eggplant parmesan?

Can you freeze eggplant parmesan?

Yes! To freeze this eggplant parm, you will freeze right before the step of baking. It can be kept in the freezer for up to 3 months. When ready to bake, let it thaw overnight in the fridge. Bake as directed.

Do you peel the skin off the eggplant before slicing?

We do not peel the skin off first, we find the skin tends to soften with this salting and cooking method. That said…it is a personal choice. You can leave it on or peel it off…it’s up to you. The skin of the eggplant is a good source of antioxidants, which are so good for you…a good reason to keep the skins on.

Olive Garden CopyCat Eggplant Parmesan Recipe:

We love Olive Garden, and this is always one of my favorite items to order off their menu. Here are some of our other Olive Garden copycat recipes we have shared here:

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