Crispy Eggplant Parmesan {No-Fry, Baked, Easy Recipe}
This Crispy Eggplant Parmesan is baked without the addition of extra oil, making it healthier than the traditional fried version! Each eggplant round is topped with our Homemade Marinara Sauce , and a blend of mozzarella and parmesan cheeses. Using the "secret" ingredient of crispy fried onions gives these and added crunch!
Servings: 4 (3 eggplant rounds per serving)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 eggplant (about 1 pound) sliced into ¼" rounds
- 1 Tablespoon salt (for sweating the eggplant)
- ½ cup italian breadcrumbs
- 1 cup crispy fried onions, crushed *(see note) I used French's
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 2-3 eggs (start with 2 and use 1 more if you run out)
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese divided in half
- 3 ½ cups homemade Marinara Sauce (or use a 32oz. store bought jar)
Garnish:
- basil leaves, chopped
Instructions
- Place the eggplant rounds in a colander and sprinkle them with the salt, making sure to coat both sides.
- Allow the eggplant to rest and “sweat” for about 30-60 minutes (mine took about 45 minutes).
- Meanwhile, prepare your two bowls for the batter. In one bowl, whisk together the eggs. In the other bowl, combine the crushed crispy fried onions, italian breadcrumbs, and ½ cup of the grated parmesan cheese. Set aside.
- Once eggplant rounds are done "sweating," rinse them to remove the salt.
- Place them on one layer on paper towels, and pat the tops with more paper towels to thoroughly dry.
- Coat each round with flour. (I use a ziplock bag and just shake the flour and eggplant rounds to evenly coat.)
- Dip the eggplant rounds into the egg, dripping off any excess. Then place them into the breading mixture. Pat down the breading onto both sides, tapping off any excess. (I place small handfuls of the breading on top, and then pat it down to make sure it sticks and is evenly coated.)
- Cover an extra large baking sheet with foil, and coat with non-stick cooking spray. Arrange the rounds in a single layer on the baking sheet, leaving a little space between each one.
- Bake at 425ºF for 20 minutes, flipping half way.
- Top each eggplant round with about ¼ cup of some homemade Marinara Sauce, or a store-bought marinara.
- In a small bowl, mix together the mozarella cheese and the other ½ cup of the parmesan cheese. Top each eggplant round with a handful of the cheese blend.
- Reduce the heat to 375ºF, and bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Top with fresh basil, and serve alone or on top of pasta with more marinara sauce poured over top!
Video
Notes
- You can crush the crispy fried onion in a ziplock bag, and a rolling pin like I did in the video. Or just place it into a food processor and pulse a few times to crush.
- For the photos & video, I baked the eggplants on parchment paper. However, I prefer using foil sprayed with non-stick cooking spray for a crispier crust.
- I also used an Extra Large Baking Sheet , which was able to fit all of the eggplant rounds with space in between. But, you can also use 2 regular sized sheet pans.