Air Fryer Eggplant Parmesan is one of our favorite recipes for an easy meatless dinner that is still flavorful and filling. In just 30 minutes, this easy air fryer recipe creates crispy “fried” eggplant topped with rich marinara, gooey mozzarella, and fresh basil!
Table of Contents
- Crispy Air Fryer Eggplant Parmesan
- Why This Air Fryer Eggplant Parm Recipe Works
- What Is the Best Air Fryer to Use?
- Recipe Ingredients
- How To Make Air Fryer Eggplant Parmesan
- Tips for Success
- What Goes With Eggplant Parmesan?
- How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
- Can I Freeze Extras?
- More Air Fryer Dinner Recipes
- Get the Recipe
Crispy Air Fryer Eggplant Parmesan
Air Fryer Eggplant Parmesan is unbelievably quick and easy. There isn’t a big skillet with hot oil for frying, nor is there any grease, but you will still get all of that delicious fried eggplant taste! Meatless Monday has never looked so good or tasted so fantastic.
Golden and crispy breaded eggplant is covered in marinara sauce, with melted mozzarella cheese and fresh basil all right on top. We honestly find that the eggplant parmesan comes out more crispy in the air fryer than if we had cooked it the traditional way using a frying pan and oil!
Finally, we usually serve our eggplant parmesan stacked on top of a plate of traditional spaghetti, and we never have leftovers. The ingredients are simple, most of them are staples in your pantry already, but the flavor is spectacular! Let’s get cooking!
Why This Air Fryer Eggplant Parm Recipe Works
This air fryer eggplant parmesan is so worthy of a spot on your meal plan! Here’s why:
- Comfort food. Crispy eggplant smothered in marinara sauce and gooey mozzarella cheese is the best way to end your day.
- Great texture. The breadcrumbs give the exterior of this eggplant a nice crunch, but the inside is still nice and tender.
- Kid-friendly. This easy family dinner is kid-approved – it’s actually one of the few vegetable dinner recipes that the kiddos request!
What Is the Best Air Fryer to Use?
Air fryers come in a couple of different styles. The first style is a drawer/basket style that slides in the front. The second type looks like a toaster oven and opens with a door, like a mini version of a regular oven.
We have personally tried a few different styles of air fryers and these are our 3 favorites. Depending on your budget and air fryer style preference, you should find one that will work for you below:
- Large Budget Friendly Basket Style: 8 Qt Gourmia Air Fryer
- Best Large Basket Air Fryer: Power XL 10 Qt Air Fryer
- Toaster Oven Style Air Fryer: Cuisinart Air Fryer Toaster Oven
Recipe Ingredients
What makes this air fryer eggplant taste so good? Let’s find out by going over the main ingredients! You can find the full list and precise amounts in the recipe card below.
- Eggplant: We prefer to use small to medium-sized eggplants over large eggplants, as they tend to be sweeter, less bitter, and have fewer seeds. Also, the eggplant skin should be smooth, shiny, and slightly firm.
- Eggs: To bind the flour, seasonings, and breadcrumbs to the eggplant rounds while they cook.
- All Purpose Flour: Gluten-free flour can also be used here.
- Breadcrumbs: We like to mix Italian seasoned breadcrumbs with panko breadcrumbs.
- Seasonings: Use a combination of Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
- Marinara Sauce: Feel free to use your favorite kind of sauce. We love Raos!
- Mozzarella Cheese: We like to buy the pre-sliced fresh mozzarella, but any fresh mozzarella will do!
- Basil: While optional, some fresh basil on top takes this recipe to the next level and makes all the flavors shine.
Should I Sweat My Eggplant?
Some people like to “sweat” the eggplant to draw out any bitterness or extra water in the vegetable. To sweat your eggplant, you will need to slice it and lightly coat each slice in salt. Water will rise to the top of the eggplant which you will discard.
While testing this recipe, we tried the eggplant prepared both ways and do not taste a difference. Pre-slicing the eggplant and covering it with salt is not necessary! At least, we do not think it is!
How To Make Air Fryer Eggplant Parmesan
The easiest and fastest way to prepare eggplant parmesan is to make an assembly line. Start with dredging the cut eggplant through the seasoned flour, and then move it into the egg bath, and finally coat it in the seasoned breadcrumbs. It sounds like a lot, but it goes quickly! (Check out the recipe card below for the full set of directions.)
- Prepare the eggplant slices. Rinse and pat dry the eggplant and place it on a cutting board. Slice the eggplant into quarter-inch-thick slices. Try to keep the slices consistent in size so they cook evenly.
- Assemble the breading stations. Create your assembly line by gathering 3 medium-sized shallow bowls. Start by placing the whisked eggs in the first bowl. Next, place flour, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, black pepper, and salt in the second bowl and whisk to combine. Then, in the last bowl, whisk together the 2 types of breadcrumbs (both seasoned panko style breadcrumbs and seasoned regular breadcrumbs).
- Start with coating the eggplant in the flour on both sides. Transfer the eggplant to the eggs and coat both sides in egg as well.
- Immediately coat the eggplant with the breadcrumb mixture and then set it aside. Repeat until all of the eggplant slices are fully coated.
- Place the eggplant in the air fryer. Place 4-6 coated eggplant slices in the air fryer, depending on how many you can fit while making sure they are not touching.
- Lightly spray both sides of the eggplant with a 100% olive oil spray. This olive oil step is optional, but will help your eggplant get extra crispy!
- Air fry the eggplant. Cook it on the air fryer setting at 375°F for 8 minutes. Flip the eggplant slices and add some marinara to the top of each eggplant slice.
- Add mozzarella. Top the marinara with a slice of fresh mozzarella and cook it for 2 more minutes.
- Serve and enjoy. Remove the eggplant from the air fryer and add fresh basil, if desired. Repeat as necessary until all of the eggplant slices are cooked! Serve immediately.
Tips for Success
That’s all there is to it! Well, almost. We still have a couple more tips to share with you on how to make the best air fryer eggplant parm!
- Do not crowd the air fryer. When you are frying the eggplant in your air fryer, make sure that you do not overlap the eggplant and that it does not touch. This will ensure that your eggplant cooks evenly and gets crispy.
- For extra crispy eggplant slices. If you want your eggplant to be extra crispy, don’t skip the light mist of olive oil onto your coated eggplant before frying.
- How to make this recipe gluten-free. You can make this recipe gluten-free by using gluten-free breadcrumbs and finely ground almond flour.
- Use good quality marinara and mozzarella. Besides the eggplant, the fresh mozzarella and marinara sauce are the stars of the show. A good quality fresh melty mozzarella and a rich marinara (not too sweet – watch for the added sugar!) will make this dish irresistible!
What Goes With Eggplant Parmesan?
As you will see in the photos, we like to stack our eggplant parmesan slices on top of each other. Then, we usually serve them on top of, or on the side of, some spaghetti sauce.
However, there are a tons of ways to serve eggplant parmesan! Here are a few other options for side dishes or other ways to serve air fried eggplant:
- As an appetizer. Skip adding the marinara and cheese and instead serve the crispy breaded eggplant as an appetizer with some marinara sauce on the side to dip it into.
- With an Italian salad. A crisp and light salad with an Italian vinaigrette pairs perfectly with eggplant.
- As a sandwich. Add extra cheese and marinara, and serve your eggplant sandwiched between fresh toasted Italian bread.
- With some roasted vegetables. Try something like zucchini, broccoli, etc.
- With garlic bread. Don’t forget the warm, toasted garlic bread on the side!
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
Air fryer eggplant parmesan makes for pretty good leftovers because there was no oil used to fry the eggplant! Thus, it doesn’t get as soggy as traditional fried eggplant parmesan. Here’s how to store and reheat everything properly:
- To store. Keep any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
- To reheat. To reheat the leftover eggplant parmesan, we simply place it in the air fryer on 375°F for about 3-4 minutes with the marinara and mozzarella still on it.
Can I Freeze Extras?
Yes! You can freeze your air fried eggplant slices for up to 1 month in an airtight container. To avoid sogginess, though, fry them without adding the marinara and mozzarella, and then add those later when you go to reheat everything.
More Air Fryer Dinner Recipes
Air fryer dinners are so quick and easy! Here are a few more of our favorite recipes.
Air Fryer Eggplant Parmesan
Ingredients
- 2 medium sized eggplants, or 1 large eggplant
- 2 large eggs, whisked
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup seasoned panko bread crumbs
- ½ cup seasoned breadcrumbs
- 100 % olive oil spray, optional
- 1 cup marinara
- 6 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced into pieces
- fresh basil, for garnish
Instructions
- Slice the eggplant into about 1/4” inch round pieces. Try and keep the slices even in width so they cook evenly.
- Gather 3 medium sized shallow bowls. Place whisked eggs in one bowl. Place flour, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, black pepper and salt in the second bowl and whisk to combine. In the last bowl, whisk together the two types of breadcrumbs.
- Start with coating the eggplant in the flour on both sides. Transfer the eggplant to the eggs and coat both sides in egg. Immediately coat the eggplant with the breadcrumb mixture and set aside. Repeat until all of the eggplant slices are fully coated.
- Place 4-6 coated eggplant slices in the air fryer, depending on how many you can fit while making sure they are not touching. Lightly spray both sides of the eggplant with olive oil spray. This olive oil step is optional, but will help your eggplant get extra crispy!
- Cook on the air fryer setting at 375°F for 8 minutes. Flip eggplant slices and add 1 tablespoon of marinara to the top of each eggplant slice. Top marinara with a slice of fresh mozzarella and cook for 2 more minutes.
- Remove from air fryer and add fresh basil, if desired. Repeat as necessary until all eggplant slices are cooked! Serve immediately.
Notes
- Eggplant size. We prefer to use small to medium-sized eggplants over large eggplants, as they tend to be sweeter, less bitter, and have less seeds. Eggplant skin should be smooth, shiny, and slightly firm.
- To store. Keep any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
- To reheat. To reheat the leftover eggplant parmesan, we simply place it in the air fryer on 375°F for about 3-4 minutes with the marinara and mozzarella still on it.
- To freeze. You can freeze your air fried eggplant slices for up to 1 month in an airtight container. To avoid sogginess, though, fry them without adding the marinara and mozzarella, and then add those later when you go to reheat everything.
Excellent recipe! I would use a very light coating of seasoned Panko. I used a bolognese sauce— homemade.