Easy Air Fryer Eggplant Parmesan
Air Fryer Eggplant Parmesan is a quick and easy meatless meal the whole family will enjoy. Delicious crispy eggplant parmesan topped with marinara and mozzarella made in just minutes.
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-PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW-
Please read entire post for all the tips and tricks.
Air Fryer Eggplant Parmesan
Making eggplant parmesan in the air fryer (I have a different air fryer now than when I made this recipe) is quick and super yummy. The eggplant gets coated in flavorful breading, then air fried nice and crispy and topped with your favorite sauce and some cheese!
This healthier eggplant parmesan recipe is perfect for a quick lunch, easy dinner or even an appetizer for a party!
I honestly didn’t like eggplant before making this recipe and now I can’t get enough of it, my air fryer eggplant parmesan reminds me of a mozzarella stick but it has veggies in it!
Ingredients For Easy Eggplant Parmesan
- 1 large eggplant
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1.5 c panko breadcrumbs
- 1/4 c grated parmesan cheese
- 1/2 T dried basil
- 1/2 T dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 T dried rosemary
- 1/4 T red pepper flake
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1/2 c flour
Topping for Air Fryer Eggplant Parmesan
- 1 c of your favorite marinara sauce
- 1 c shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 c shredded parmesan
- fresh basil
What if I don’t have all the seasonings or don’t want to buy them all?
You can use 2 T of an Italian seasoning mix if you have that on hand or prefer to just buy one.
I already have all these seasonings and spices in my well-stocked pantry, if you plan on doing a lot of home cooking, getting spices and dried herbs helps add great flavor!
Can’t I just use Italian seasoned breadcrumbs?
Yes! You can use any breadcrumb you like, I love the light crispy flavor of panko breadcrumbs so that’s what I use.
How To Make Healthier Eggplant Parmesan in the Air Fryer
- Cut eggplant into slices, 1/4-1/2 inch wide. I prefer mine thinner and crispier, you can do them however you prefer.
- Lay eggplant slices onto paper towels, salt them and top with another paper towel. Then place your cutting board on top to kinda smash them and get the excess water out. Let them sit 10 minutes while you get the other things ready.
- In a blender or food processor, blend up the panko breadcrumbs, grated parmesan cheese and seasonings. Blending them up helps them stick to the eggplant better.
- You will set up your breading stations now, get 3 bowls. One will have the flour, that’s step one in breading. The next will have beaten eggs, that’s step two. The last bowl will have the breadcrumb mixture, that’s step three.
- Now bread your eggplant
1. Coat slice of eggplant in flour
2. Dip into eggs
3. Coat in breadcrumb mixture - Place the breaded eggplant into the air fryer and spray with some cooking spray to make extra crispy.
- Air fry at 380o for 8 minutes
- Top each slice with sauce and cheese, about 1 T of sauce and mozzarella cheese and 1/2 T of shredded parmesan cheese.
- Place back into the air fryer for 2 more minutes, you will probably have to make this in batches. My air fryer fits 4 pieces at a time, so how many batches you need will depend on the size of your air fryer.
- Top with fresh basil and more sauce if you like and ENJOY!
Watch How To Make Air Fryer Eggplant Parmesan
Air Fryer Eggplant Parmesan Storage
If you are going to have some leftover eggplant, just cook it in the air fryer for 8 minutes and don’t top with the sauce or cheese.
You can store the easy eggplant parmesan in an air tight container for up to 3 days.
How To Reheat Air Fryer Eggplant Parmesan
To reheat the eggplant parmesan in the air fryer is easy. Just place the eggplant parmesan in the air fryer for 5 minutes at 380o. Then top with sauce and cheese for 2 more minutes!
Air Fryer Eggplant Parmesan
Air Fryer Eggplant Parmesan is a quick and easy meatless meal the whole family will enjoy. Delicious, crispy eggplant parmesan topped with marinara and mozzarella made in just minutes.
Ingredients
- 1 large eggplant
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1.5 c panko breadcrumbs
- 1/4 c grated parmesan cheese
- 1/2 T dried basil
- 1/2 T dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 T dried rosemary
- 1/4 T red pepper flake
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1/2 c flour
- 1 c of your favorite marinara sauce
- 1 c shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 c shredded parmesan
- fresh basil (optional)
Instructions
- Cut eggplant into slices, 1/4-1/2 inch wide. I prefer mine thinner and crispier, you can do them however you prefer.
- Lay eggplant slices onto paper towels, salt them and top with another paper towel. Then place your cutting board on top to kinda smash them and get the excess water out. Let them sit 10 minutes while you get the other things ready.
- In a blender or food processor, blend up the panko breadcrumbs, grated parmesan cheese and seasonings. Blending them up helps them stick to the eggplant better.
- You will set up your breading stations now, get 3 bowls. One will have the flour, that's step one in breading. The next will have beaten eggs, that's step two. The last bowl will have the breadcrumb mixture, that's step three.
- Now bread your eggplant
1. Coat slice of eggplant in flour
2. Dip into eggs
3. Coat in breadcrumb mixture - Place the breaded eggplant into the air fryer.
- Air fry at 380° for 8 minutes
- Top each slice with sauce and cheese, about 1 T of sauce and mozzarella cheese and 1/2 T of shredded parmesan cheese.
- Place back into the air fryer for 2 more minutes, you will probably have to make this in batches. My air fryer fits 4 pieces at a time, so how many batches you need will depend on the size of your air fryer.
- Top with fresh basil if you like and ENJOY!
Notes
See post for pictures of the breading set up.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 285Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 103mgSodium: 709mgCarbohydrates: 30gNet Carbohydrates: 24gFiber: 6gSugar: 5gProtein: 22g
Nutrition is calculated with products I use, therefore it is not always accurate. The recipe and directions posted here are property of Cakes to Kale and subject to copyright. You may not screenshot this recipe for sharing on social media.
Other Air Fryer Recipes You Might Enjoy
Easy Air Fryer Eggplant Parmesan
This has become one of our favorites to make and a great way to get in some extra delicious vegetables.
Let me know in the comments below and give it a rating if you love this Air Fryer Eggplant Parmesan Recipe.