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This easy Air Fryer eggplant Parmesan recipe is a great way to to enjoy an Italian classic as your weeknight dinner. It comes together in under 30 minutes, and you don’t even need to turn on the oven.
If you’ve tried and liked my Air Fryer chicken Parmesan or are just a vegetarian looking for a veggie version of the Italian classic, you’re going to fall in love with this recipe. It has a ton of texture and flavor, and is so, so easy to replicate in your kitchen.
It’s such a bright, flavorful and light summery dish that I just can’t get over. If you’re not a fan of eggplant, THIS is going to be the dish that’s going to convert you- I promise!
Every time I make my Air Fryer chicken Parmesan meatballs and have some marinara sauce leftover, I almost always end up using it to make this eggplant dish the next day. This, or my Air Fryer mini pizzas.
Quick Look At This Recipe
✨ Flavor: Cheesy, savory and slightly crispy- every bite is hearty and wholesome.
⏱️ Prep time: 10 minutes.
🔥 Cook time: 16 minutes.
⏲️ Total time: 26 minutes.
👥 Servings: 4 servings.
🥄 Tools: Air Fryer and shallow bowls for dredging.
❄️ Freezer friendly: Yes! Dredge and freeze eggplant slices for later. Store for up to 2 days.
👩🏻🍳 Tip: Preheat your Air Fryer before you add the coated eggplant slices. This gives you a head start!
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Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s a great way to begin your meatless Monday! Serve it as a light lunch or pair it with a simple side to make it more filling.
- My Air fried eggplant is delicious, but this one is a more flavorful, elevated version.
- You’ll be using minimal oil, which makes this dish super light. Plus, no need to turn on the oven too!
Recipe Ingredients
- Eggplant: Globe eggplant is best to use here, and also the easiest to find- if I’m being honest. If you can find Italian eggplant, feel free to use it!
- Eggs: To help the coating stick to the eggplant.
- Breadcrumbs: For that crispy coating. I used Italian seasoned breadcrumbs. If you don’t have seasoned breadcrumbs, you can regular regular breadcrumbs with some salt and a bit of my homemade poultry seasoning too.
- Flour: Just some all purpose flour, for that crispy texture.
- Cheese: I used a mix of shredded Parmesan and Mozzarella here to get that nice balance of flavor and melty deliciousness.
- Marinara sauce: Like Prego’s marinara sauce, makes the full recipe and great for dipping sauce.
- Seasonings: Just some garlic powder, Kosher salt and ground black pepper.
See recipe card for quantities.
Variations
- For extra texture, combine Panko breadcrumbs with your regular breadcrumbs.
- To make the dish low carb and gluten free, use almond flour instead of breadcrumbs for the coating. I did this when I made my Air Fryer gluten free pork chops.
- To make a vegan version of the dish, swap the egg for aquafaba and use vegan cheese instead of regular cheese.
- For some extra yumminess, drizzle some balsamic glaze over the finished dish and top with fresh basil- like I did when I made my Air Fryer Caprese grilled cheese.
How to Make Air Fryer Eggplant Parmesan
- Whisk the eggs in a medium bowl. Set aside. In another shallow bowl, combine breadcrumbs, flour, Parmesan cheese and seasonings.
- Rinse and pat dry the eggplant, then cut into slices, about ¼ inch in thickness.
- Dredge each slice of eggplant into the whisked eggs, then into the flour and breadcrumb mixture.
- Place each piece in the prepared Air Fryer basket, without stacking or overlapping pieces.
- Air fry at 370 F for 16-18 minutes. Flip slices halfway through the cooking time- the slices should be crisp and golden brown. Leave eggplant in the Air Fryer basket, and evenly sprinkle mozzarella cheese over each piece of eggplant.
- Return basket to Air Fryer and continue cooking at 370 F for an additional 1-2 minutes until cheese topping is melted.
Serving Ideas & Suggestions
Enjoy this easy Air Fryer eggplant Parmesan as a side with your favorite pasta or protein. I personally love serving it with a simple veggie side like my Air Fryer green bean fries or some classic Air Fryer garlic knots whenever I want to make a vegetarian meal.
You can also pair them with some Air Fryer turkey meatballs or Air Fryer chicken cutlets and Air Fryer mozzarella sticks if you’re in the mood to go all out and make an Italian feast.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Prep your dredging station- coating the eggplant slices is the most time-consuming part of the recipe, and having everything ready just makes it easier.
- Press down the eggplant slices into the breadcrumb mixture to coat them well. You can also do a double coating if you want- for that extra thick and crispy outside- like I do when I make my air fried Babybel cheese.
- For that addictive, crispy texture, arrange the eggplant slices in a single layer in your Air Fryer basket and do not overcrowd the basket.
- Make sure you slice the eggplant into slices of even thickness, so that they’re all cooked perfectly at the same time. I always do this when I’m making my Air Fryer zucchini chips or sliced potatoes in the Air Fryer.
- To help the eggplant slices get extra crunchy, you can draw some of the moisture out before you begin breading them. A good way to do this is to sprinkle some salt over them and let them sit for 30 minutes. Then, rinse, pat dry and use them for the recipe.
Recipe FAQs
If you have leftovers, consider yourself lucky! Let the slices of eggplant cool down, then store them in an airtight container. Refrigerate for 2-3 days.
To reheat the leftovers, simply microwave them or pop them back in the Air Fryer again for a few minutes.
Yes, you can. Cooking it in the Air Fryer means that you need to be careful you don’t burn the eggplant. Just pay attention to the cooking time, and you should be just fine.
I do! The skin of eggplant cooks to be really soft and tender, so leaving the skin on isn’t a problem at all. Just make sure that you clean the outside of the eggplant really well.
More Air Fryer Vegetarian Recipes
Side Dishes
Air Fryer Vegetable Kabobs
Side Dishes
Air Fryer Mac and Cheese
Side Dishes
Air Fryer Cauliflower Steaks
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Air Fryer Eggplant Parmesan
Equipment
- 1 Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 1 eggplant, medium
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
- ⅓ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- ½ cup marinara sauce
- ½ cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
Instructions
- Prepare the Air Fryer basket with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
- Whisk the eggs in a medium shallow bowl. Set aside.
- In another medium shallow bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, flour, parmesan cheese and seasonings.
- Rinse and pat dry the eggplant, then cut into slices, about ¼ inch in thickness.
- Dredge each slice of eggplant into the whisked eggs, then into the flour and breadcrumb mixture.
- Place each piece in the prepared air fryer basket, without stacking or overlapping pieces.
- Air fry at 370 degrees F for 16-18 minutes. Flip slices halfway through air frying. Slices should be crisp and golden brown.
- When eggplant slices are golden and crispy, leave them in the air fryer basket. Spread a small spoonful of marinara sauce on top of each piece. Then evenly sprinkle mozzarella cheese, (about 1-2 teaspoons) on top of the sauce.
- Return basket to air fryer and air fry at 370 degrees F for an additional 1-2 minutes, until cheese topping is melted.
Notes
- Layer the eggplant slices in a single layer in the Air Fryer basket, leaving room between them.
- Store any remaining eggplant slices that you may have in an airtight container and refrigerate.
- Set up a dredging station with the flour, egg and seasoned breadcrumbs in separate bowls.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
