This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
This is my favorite way to make eggplant parmesan. The extra prep step may not seem worth it to you, but trust me – it absolutely is and makes a huge difference. You can read the comments below and see that those who took the extra step did not regret it!
Eggplant parmesan will always be one of my top favorite comfort foods. There is something about the dish that feels like it’s giving you a giant hug.
Growing up, I was not a huge fan of eggplant. I didn’t like the texture. It was soggy and kind of slimey. The only time I would ever eat it would be when my mom deep-fried it or she made this one classic Taiwanese eggplant dish with this amazing garlic sauce.
Any other dish that had eggplant in it, I’d refuse to eat.
That is until I was introduced to the cheesy gloriousness of something called eggplant parmesan!
What a great way to have a hearty meal without meat. It’d be a great meatless Monday meal. Eggplant is hearty and meaty enough to take place as real protein so I can see why this dish is also a favorite amongst vegetarians and why someone came up with it. Basically the vegetarian version of chicken parmesan.
The method for the best eggplant parmesan recipe!
Heads up: once you make it this way, this is the ONLY way you’ll want to make your eggplant parmesan in the future.
The technique I talk about is 100% worth it. So many readers have made it before and have told me that they won’t ever skip the prep step again!
Okay, so the best method to make eggplant parmesan is to pull the moisture out of the eggplant prior to frying it.
How do we pull moisture out of the eggplant? We sprinkle salt on the eggplant slices!
The salt pulls out the moisture from the eggplant and therefore, when you cover it with breadcrumbs and fry it, you will have a much crispier and less soggy eggplant parmesan dish.
Exhibit A:
All that moisture beading up on top of the eggplant? That’s the salt doing its job! It’s pulling out most of the moisture
All you have to do is just pat it dry and dust off the excess salt and then you’ll be ready to start making your eggplant parmesan!
Can you make eggplant parmesan ahead of time?
Yes! However, the breading might end up a little soggy.
I definitely encourage you to pull the moisture out of the eggplant as a prep step and if you are going to bread the eggplant, you definitely should fry it up immediately after otherwise the breadcrumbs start to get soggy.
Even though we’ve pulled out the moisture, there is still going to be some moisture so it’s best you fry up the coated eggplant ASAP.
After you fry up the eggplant, I would lay it on wire cooling rack so air can get through on both sides.
Otherwise, you’d be suffocating the breading with the heat and condensation so then it’d turn the breading soggy.
After it cools, you can place it in a plastic bag and put it in the fridge until you’re ready to use.
I wouldn’t assemble the casserole dish ahead of time because the marinara sauce will turn the breading soggy and mealy — BUT if you truly do want to prep the eggplant parmesan ahead of time and don’t mind that it’s a little soggy, you can assemble the entire casserole dish at this point then cover it and place it in the fridge.
Once you’re ready to bake it, I would let the casserole dish sit at room temperature while the oven is pre-heating.
Sometimes if you stick a ceramic dish or glass dish from fridge to oven, it could crack.
What to serve with eggplant parmesan?
If you can’t decide what to serve with eggplant parmesan besides pasta, here are some great side dish ideas that would compliment this dish exceptionally well:
Roasted garlic brussels sprouts
Can I freeze eggplant parmesan?
Yes, but if that is what you are doing, I would suggest prepping it all in a disposable aluminum tray so you can pop it in straight into the oven without worries of your casserole dish cracking/breaking.
If you freeze the eggplant parmesan in a glass or ceramic casserole dish, then you’d have to let it sit out on at room temperature before putting it in the oven and by then, your ingredients will all be melting and soggy.
If you love this eggplant parmesan recipe, then you’ll love these:
- Pumpkin Eggplant Parmesan Casserole with Burrata
- Eggplant Parmesan sandwich
- Great Grandma’s Pasta Sauce
- Roasted Eggplant Fennel Pizza
Watch me make this eggplant parmesan recipe:
Eggplant Parmesan
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 large eggplant, sliced into 1/2" thick slices
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt, (DO NOT USE TABLE SALT)
- 1 ½ cup (180 g) Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup (118 ml) milk
- 4 tablespoons vegetable oil, for lightly pan-frying
- 3 cups (735 g) marinara sauce, homemade or store-bought
- 2 cups (224 g) whole milk mozzarella, shredded
- 1 cup (100 g) parmesan cheese, shredded
- Handful of fresh basil leaves, chopped, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Salt the top side of your eggplant slices and place them on a wire rack on a baking sheet. Let the liquid pull out for 45 minutes to 1 hour.1 large eggplant, 2 tablespoons kosher salt
- When your eggplant slices have finished draining liquid, brush off the excess salt with a damp paper towel, as you don't want it to be too salty!
- In 2 shallow plates, add breadcrumbs to one and whisk eggs and milk in the other. Dip both sides of eggplant slice into milk/egg mixture then cover with breadcrumbs, shaking off the excess. Place on plate or large baking sheet and repeat until all eggplant slices have been coated.1 1/2 cup (180 g) Italian seasoned breadcrumbs, 2 eggs, 1/2 cup (118 ml) milk
- Preheat oven to 375 °F (191 °C)
- Heat a skillet over medium high heat and add 1 tbsp. of vegetable oil into the skillet. Once the skillet is hot, add two eggplant slices at a time to the skillet and cook on both sides until golden brown, remove and set on a large plate lined with paper towels. Repeat until you've pan-fried them all.4 tablespoons vegetable oil
- In a large casserole dish, add 1 cup of marinara sauce to the bottom of the casserole dish. Add a layer of eggplant slices (I was only able to fit about 3 a layer) then using a 1/4 cup, dollop marinara sauce on top of the eggplant slices. The idea isn’t to smother the layers with sauce. On top of the eggplant slices, sprinkle a generous amount of mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese. Repeat the layers until you run out of eggplants slices. Top the casserole with more cheese before you place in the oven :)3 cups (735 g) marinara sauce, 2 cups (224 g) whole milk mozzarella, 1 cup (100 g) parmesan cheese
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and brown on top. I used the broiler for 5 minutes to get the cheese nice and brown – you don’t have to, but if you do, watch it carefully!
- Serve hot and top with chopped basil, if using.Handful of fresh basil leaves
Video
Nutrition
Photography by Eat Love Eats
Yes perfection. Just added a little Parmesan Romano in between layers. Thank you
Great recipe! I made a spicy meat sauce to put in between the eggplant . My husband loved it!
I have never tried eggplant but received some from a coworker today and immediately searched Pinterest for a recipe like this one!!! It sounds amazing, especially after reading the comments and seeing the yummy pictures :) I plan to make it in the next couple days. I eat low carb, so I plan to replace the bread crumbs with deli department or freshly grated Parmesan cheese (the type that looks like “shreds” instead of powder) and this has always worked out well for me when used in numerous recipes. The Parmesan cheese does not soak up as much moisture as bread crumbs and who doesn’t mind a little extra cheese on a low-carb diet ;D Thank you for posting!!!
Do the breadcrumbs add very many carbs? I’m really trying to “detoxify” my carb laden body. Thank you
I don’t think they add that many carbs, honestly.
If you’re worried about carbs, you can always replace bread crumbs with ground almond. More fat, less carbs. I tend to like the taste better. You just grind them on a course setting on your coffee grinder. You can add parmessan, parsley or whatever you like to make it mimic the Italian bread crumb flavor. Just make sure to do it little by little or you can overheat your grinder which is a costly bummer.
Can I also use provolone? I have some and was wondering if I can also add it. I have it in slices.
Sure!
Wanted to tell you that I have made your Eggplant Parmesan twice and it is absolutely delicious! I highly recommended it to my friends. Thank you for sharing it on your blog!
Thank you so much!
Baking now… cant wait!!
Is it necessary to let the eggplant drain for 45 minutes? I am a bit short on time after work and was wondering if I could use a salad spinner to get rid of the excess water quickly?
Or can I avoid this step completely?
Thanks!
Hi, definitely don’t use a salad spinner, you can just omit the step. Just know that your dish may be a little more runny.
For those who want to rush the salting process, I recommend a Japanese pickle press.
Just salt both sides of the slices and screw down the press on several slices at once. About 20 minutes to 30 minutes you will see a lot of liquid that has accumulated in the container. Just pour off the water and rinse the slices in fresh water.
You can also salt the slices and put them on a dinner plate. Add weight on top to press the eggplant this will hurry the process too. Just pour off the water as it starts to accumulate.
You can use weights like gym weights, rocks cast iron pans, etc.
Should I serve this over pasta?
You could if you want!
Looks fantastic, tastes SO savory and YUMMLY…however, be sure you have the time to prep it. It takes every minute they suggest. I don’t think it would be as good made ahead, but I am definitely looking forward to leftovers reheated!!