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Garlic Parmesan Baked Eggplant Recipe

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Garlic Parmesan Baked Eggplant – crispy baked, not fried, eggplant with garlic Parmesan breading. A delicious way to enjoy this fall vegetable!

If you enjoy eggplant, you may want to try my One Pot Chicken Ratatouille recipe of the easy, vegetarian Eggplant Lasagna.

garlic parmesan eggplant recipe 4 Garlic Parmesan Baked Eggplant Recipe

Eggplant is in season and I am going to show you one of my favorite dishes with this vegetable. It’s easy and can be served as an appetizer, side dish or used in main dishes, like Eggplant Parmesan. The garlicky Parmesan breading makes for a perfectly crispy coating even though the eggplant is baked and not fried.

If I am not roasting vegetables, I make my simple two-ingredient breading and bake them in the oven till crispy. No frying required! I used this method in my Baked Artichoke Hearts recipe and my Best Roasted Garlic Parmesan Cauliflower recipe. It’s amazing!

HOW TO PREPARE EGGPLANT FOR COOKING?

Start by washing the eggplant and trimming off the green end. You can peel the skin if you like. Next, slice eggplant into 1/2″ disks. Place all disks in colander or cooling rack set over baking sheet, sprinkle with salt and let sit for at least 30 minutes. It helps to cut the bitterness of the vegetable and makes it “sweat”. You will notice little drops of moisture on the surface of the disks. Removing the moisture from the eggplant will prevent it from releasing it during cooking. You can use prepared like this eggplant in a variety of dishes.

HOW TO MAKE GARLIC PARMESAN BAKED EGGPLANT?

Prepare eggplant disks according to instructions above. Melt butter in a bowl. Mix breadcrumbs, spices and Parmesan cheese in another bowl. Dip each eggplant disk into butter first, then breading mixture. Place on aluminum foil or parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake in 400 degrees F oven for 15 minutes, then flip each disk and baked for 7 more minutes. The eggplant should be golden brown and the breading crispy.

garlic parmesan eggplant recipe 5 Garlic Parmesan Baked Eggplant Recipe

DO YOU NEED TO PEEL EGGPLANT BEFORE BAKING?

Eggplant skin is completely edible. It’s a personal preference, just like zucchini. You can peel the skin off or leave it.

garlic parmesan eggplant recipe 3 Garlic Parmesan Baked Eggplant Recipe

HOW TO SERVE CRISPY BAKED EGGPLANT?

You can serve it as a side dish, next to mashed potatoes and roasted chicken or pork loin. It also makes for a great appetizer, served with dips. You can also use this baked eggplant in place of fried one when making Eggplant Parmesan. It’s easier since there is no frying required and healthier. You can also use it as a burger topping (think black bean burgers or healthy turkey burgers)!

garlic parmesan eggplant recipe 2 Garlic Parmesan Baked Eggplant Recipe

pin it button Garlic Parmesan Baked Eggplant Recipe

If you like this recipe and make it, snap a photo and share it on INSTAGRAM! Tag me @crunchycreamysweet so I can check it out and leave a comment! 😀

4.94 from 47 votes
baked eggplant A 150x150 Garlic Parmesan Baked Eggplant Recipe
Print
Garlic Parmesan Baked Eggplant Recipe
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
23 mins
resting time
30 mins
Total Time
38 mins
 
Crispy baked, not fried, eggplant with garlic Parmesan breading. A delicious way to enjoy this fall vegetable! 

More delicious vegetable recipes: www.crunchycreamysweet.com

Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: eggplant Parmesan, vegetables
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 312 kcal
Author: Anna
Ingredients
  • 1 large eggplant
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
  • 1 cup breadcrumbs
  • 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
  • 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
US Customary - Metric
Instructions

  1. Start by preparing the eggplant: wash the eggplant and trim off the green end. You can peel the skin if you like. Next, slice eggplant into 1/2" disks. Place all disks in colander or cooling rack set over baking sheet, sprinkle with salt and let sit for at least 30 minutes

  2. Next, melt butter in a bowl. Mix breadcrumbs, spices and Parmesan cheese in another bowl. 

  3. Dip each eggplant disk into butter first, then breading mixture. Place on aluminum foil or parchment paper lined baking sheet. 
  4. Bake in 400 degrees F oven for 15 minutes, then flip each disk and baked for 7 more minutes. The eggplant should be golden brown and the breading crispy.

  5. Serve as side dish, appetizer or use in eggplant Parmesan. 

Recipe Notes

Eggplant skin is completely edible. It's a personal preference, just like zucchini. You can peel the skin off or leave it. 

Nutrition Facts
Garlic Parmesan Baked Eggplant Recipe
Amount Per Serving
Calories 312 Calories from Fat 180
% Daily Value*
Fat 20g31%
Saturated Fat 12g75%
Cholesterol 49mg16%
Sodium 302mg13%
Potassium 315mg9%
Carbohydrates 26g9%
Fiber 4g17%
Sugar 5g6%
Protein 7g14%
Vitamin A 660IU13%
Vitamin C 2.6mg3%
Calcium 143mg14%
Iron 1.7mg9%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  2. Stacee says

    Mine didn’t come out as crispy as I had hoped. I cooked them 10min instead of 7 after flipping. The bread crumbs are golden but they have almost a soggy texture. I sliced, salted, and blotted excess water from them for 30 min prior to cooking. Any suggestions?

    Reply

    • Marion says

      I used panko bread crumbs and it was AWESOME! I put extra crumbs on top because the panko crumbs didn’t stick much. It was great! Very crunchy. I also cooked 15 minutes after I flipped them and left them in the oven (turned off) until the rest of dinner was ready. PERFECT!!

      Reply

  3. Kathie Briggs says

    We loved this recipe. The eggplant was sweet and the coating crunchy, what more can you ask? In response to the people who found it too salty, I used just a light sprinkling of kosher salt to sweat the eggplant. The crystals are nice and large so easy to wipe off along with the liquid with a paper towel. Thanks for posting this.

    Reply

  4. Diana says

    Didn’t have breadcrumbs so used sesame seeds – absolutely delicious. Thanks you for such a wonderful recipe

    Reply

  5. SusaninPeckham says

    Delicious- I omitted seasoning in the breading and served with katsu curry sauce.
    Thank you so much!

    Reply

  6. Stephanie says

    I’ve never left a comment on a recipe site before, but this eggplant recipe is the best I’ve EVER tasted! Crispy and light, no bitterness and not chewy ~ absolutely perfect! We served it over Zoodles with homemade marinara and it was incredible! Thank you for this recipe!

    Reply

  7. Marina says

    I made these tonight, Delicious! I was looking for a healthier option so I used Almond Milk as a substitute for the butter. It worked great and gave a nice nutty flavor. I’m sure they are even better with butter but this was a nice healthy option.

    Reply

  9. Crystal Carter says

    I made this with Italian breadcrumbs and it was delicious. I let it in and extra 3 minutes on the flip side – 15 onside and 10 on the other it was very yummy and very easy to make.

    Reply

  10. george says

    I am 70 and about to give my first try at eggplant. I am a disabled Vietnam Vet with a host of health issues so I am trying to change dietary habits. I plan on baking it and leaving the skin on.
    Question is can these be stored in the freezer?
    Thanks
    George

    Reply

    • Cheryl says

      I’ll take a crack at answering this. I haven’t frozen anything breaded, but would think that they will lose their crunchiness. I wonder if you may be doing better freezing the prepped slices with some parchment paper inbetween before baking them and then just bake the amount you need straight from the freezer, before they get soggy defrosting.

      Reply

      • Lori says

        My husbands grandmother was a great Italian women and great cook. She used to make a big batch of breaded parmigiana slices for future recipes. We loved eating them heated after being thawed just as they were. She use to take cleaned out paper milk cartons and stack the slices in them and freeze them. Use small cartons for single portions or larger ones for bigger portions. We all called her Great One!

        Reply

    • Anna says

      Hi George! If you freeze already breaded eggplant slices and then thaw them before baking, they won’t be as crispy because the breadcrumbs will absorb liquid. They will be so much better made fresh. I hope you will give this recipe a try and love it! Let me know how it goes.

      Reply

    • Monica says

      Hi George,
      Disclaimer, I’m not an expert but I was successful with freezing vegetable tempura so I think this could work for you as well. I fried the tempura, let it drain and cool, put it in a single layer on a baking sheet in the freezer and once frozen seal it in a bag or container. To reheat just transfer directly from the freezer to a preheated oven without thawing. It turned out very crispy as if made the same day. Hope this helps. Good luck!

      Reply

    • Richard Lorenzen says

      Yes you can freeze the Baked eggplant.. I’ve done it before! I used the Glad Ziplock Freezer bags . Thank you for your service! I am also a Gulf War Veteran ( Navy ) .. I was a Chef on a Destroyer MS3

      Reply

    • Kathy Burdick says

      OMG this is definitely the best Eggplant Parmesan I’ve had 😋 I used 1/2 almond flour and 1/2 homemade breadcrumbs (I used a pita bread my husband eats on Keto) IT WAS AWESOME

      Reply

  12. Jody says

    I got a beautiful eggplant in my weekly produce box today and could not wait to try this recipe. I didn’t have breadcrumbs or even bread. I racked my brain and came up with cornbread stuffing mix. This was the best eggplant I’ve ever cooked. Thank you for this recipe.

    Reply

  13. Althea says

    Great recipe. I made the Eggplant and your recipe for Cauliflower (almost same recipe).
    Making both of these tonight was a stroke of luck as I needed to use eggplant and cauliflower. I doubled recipe and used for Eggplant and Califlower…heating the oven only once. I’ll serve these with Ranch Dressing which is always a hit. I only had 3 bowls to wash! Dang that was easy. Hubbie better get downstairs soon or there won’t be much left.
    Thank You!!!

    Reply

    • Tara says

      Has anybody tried olive oil in place of butter? I know, I know butter is better, but trying to be healthier.

      Reply

  15. Lacey says

    Hi, Im thinking about trying this recipe – do you think I could substitute the breadcrumbs for cornmeal?

    Thanks!

    Reply

  16. Susan says

    I made this last night. We both loved it! We had it as a main meal. And tonight, I reheated the leftovers in the oven (on parchment, again). Cooked up some tomato sauce and added that to the tops of the slices along with shredded mozarella cheese and broiled for a few minutes. The skin turned out crunchy, but it was very easy to take off.
    I would definitely make this again. Thanks!

    Reply

  18. Marina says

    Made this tonight as a side with Schnitzle and boiled potatoes. I think I over-salted at the beginning because even after blotting and following the rest of the recipie I found them quite salty. Next time I’ll just use less salt and blot more! Otherwise, these were very yummy and even got the “they’re good” review from the picky French husband who doesn’t like eggplant! Will make again.

    Reply

  19. Donna Webb says

    OMG! The first time I made this as a side dish for my husband and I, I only made it with one eggplant. It was so good, I now have to double the recipe for just the two of us! This is perhaps our favorite thing to eat now!

    Reply

  20. Alexandra says

    This was delicious!!!!! I was worried because I didn’t have unsalted butter but I did the following and it was perfect:
    Salt both sides of eggplant before resting for 30 minutes
    Blot eggplant “sweat” before coated
    I coated with 1/2 the butter and added two eggs and a tablespoon of minced garlic
    I also added some shredded Parmesan to the tops after I flipped
    Love love love

    Reply

  21. Barb says

    If the sweating allows the bitterness to leave the egg plant, are we supposed to rinse it after it sweats before breading it?

    Reply

    • Alexandra says

      No! Rinsing would defeat the purpose of resting and drying out. Just blot the sweat off and you will be good!

      Reply

  23. Leigh says

    This was really good! The only thing I am disappointed about is that I only bought one eggplant at the market; I would have liked more of this! I think it would make a great entree for someone trying to cut down on meat.

    Reply

    • Anna says

      Hi Leigh! I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe! A lot of our readers say the same: they wish they made more! Thank you so much for trying my recipe!

      Reply

    • Rachael Litts says

      I’m doing a low carb diet , so I cut out some of the breadcrumbs and added a little prego spag sauce and extra cheese . My family ABSOLUTELY LOVED it !! We have company here and they do not eat any meats …This was a huge hit and it was our main coarse . Add a little Salad with it and it really makes a good meal .

      Reply

    • Jim says

      I mistakenly cut up both my eggplants before reading the recipe. Easy, I just doubled for double the taste!

      Reply

  27. Sandra Jones says

    I made fresh bread crumbs from a loaf of Sara Lee wheat bread. When I dipped the eggplant into the crumb mixture after the butter, the crumbs did not want to stick to the eggplant slices. Then, when it was time to turn them, the coating stuck to the foil! Should I have greased the foil first? Or was it because I used fresh bread crumbs? They taste alright though, even though the breading didn’t stick properly, and what was stuck on foil was very browned.

    Reply

    • Anna says

      Hi Sandra! By fresh bread crumbs, do you mean you processed the fresh loaf of bread in a food processor and use breadcrumbs like that? If so, they would be too soft and too “moist” and therefore stick to the foil. I hope this helps!

      Reply

    • kathy says

      When I make fresh breadcrumbs I toast the bread first, break the toast into quarters, then whirl them in the food processor for about 20 seconds. They may not stick if you use parchment paper instead of foil.

      Reply

  28. Diane says

    Mine came out too salty too, but otherwise super delicious. I like to use Tumeric so I added some to the Seasoning and instead of butter, I used Olive Oil spread, and I added a few saltines and rolled them out fine in a plastic bag, put eggplant slices in my olive oil butter-like, shook in bag and baked as instructed.

    Reply

  29. Ilene says

    Made the recipe tonight with left over eggplant. Crispy and yummy but a little salty even after I rubbed off the salt after letting it sweat for over 30 minutes… I used kosher salt, would it have been less salty with regular table salt? Something different, for sure! Thanks

    Reply

  31. Elizabeth says

    We are trying to limit saturated fat, so is there an alternative to the butter? Thinking an egg or two maybe with some evoo? Thanks, looking forward to making this in a few days.

    Reply

    • Anna says

      Hi Elizabeth! The mixture of butter and breadcrumbs make the eggplant crispy. If you want to skip the butter and use egg, you will need to spray each eggplant slice with olive oil cooking spray. I hope this helps!

      Reply

      • Elizabeth says

        Thanks! Made them – pretty good with the egg/olive oil though the butter definitely would have made it crispier. We ate it as a main and I think next time I make it I’ll use it to make eggplant parm. Thanks!

        Reply

  32. Kimberly Wyatt says

    Wow! These were amazing! We had a stuffed tomatoe, an ear of corn on the cob and these gems! Will make again and again also next time i make egg plant parm. So much better than fried. The coating was awesome.

    Reply

    • Anna says

      Hi Kimberly! That’s fantastic! I am so glad you like the eggplant. I use it to make Eggplant Parmesan too. It’s wonderful! Thank you for making my recipe and for the comment!

      Reply

  33. Pollie says

    I made the recipe exactly as written and it really was both crunchy and creamy. Perfection!! Thank you for sharing it!

    Reply

  34. Shelia Smith says

    Each time I have attempted to make eggplant anything the flavor was just not there BUT this recipe simple and delicious with just a few ingredients. Will definitely make again. My sister and I compete with finding new recipes I’ll have to let her know I’ve found one she must try!

    Reply

      • Pollie says

        I would give this recipe 10 stars if I could! I made it exactly as written. It really was crunchy and creamy. Thank you so much for the recipe!

        Reply

  36. Laura says

    I made this recipe last night and it was a huge hit in my house. The only adjustments I made was I didn’t have smoked paprika so I used regular paprika and I used 1/2 the melted butter recommended and then added two eggs. I dredged the eggplant through the butter & egg mixture and then the bread crumbs. It was crunchy and very tasty. This will become a staple in our house as a side dish. Thank you!

    Reply

  39. Mihra says

    Just made this for dinner and it was really good! I did not use any butter. Dipped it in egg and then the bread crumb dry mixture, to make it healthier and less calories. 🙂

    Reply

  40. Tanya says

    My first recipe using eggplant, so a very new dish for me. I cook mine in air fryer 400 degrees 15 min first side and 7 min second side. I didn’t peel, and will be peeling for the next time (and there definitely will be a next time. Really enjoyed them. I just may have another vegetable I can add to my list of likes.

    Reply

  41. Juliet King says

    I made this yesterday and everyone LOVED it. The only thing I did differently was use olive oil instead of butter. I let my eggplant sweat for 4 hours and they were perfect (I’m sure you don’t have to do them this long but I had the time so I just let them sit). SO good! I will definitely make again.

    Reply

  42. Jan says

    Yum!! Had so much eggplant from our garden this year. This was our favorite recipe for the summer! Thank you so much for sharing! Will make it again and again!

    Reply

  43. Dani says

    Absolutely Love this! My 1st time cooking eggplant. It came out awesome so, I had to make it again. Second time I mixed the butter with an egg (low on butter) and that seemed to allow the breading to stick better to the eggplant. I played it on top of couscous and a drizzle of white wine sauce. Can’t wait to impress with this dish!!

    Reply

    • Anna says

      Hi Dani! Thank you so much for trying my recipe. I am so glad it was a hit! I love that you served it with couscous and white wine sauce. Sounds delicious!

      Reply

  44. LunchBox says

    I made this with a slight Lebanese twist…and added grilled garlic habanero chicken and a tomato sauce with chickpeas. My partner, and my 2 youngest offspring had never had eggplant, and they couldn’t get enough. 12/10 excellent.

    Reply

    • Barb says

      It was delicious and definitely easy to make! Had some leftover spaghetti meat sauce and added on top of one slice and it was great also! Thanks for a wonderful and easy recipe!

      Reply

  45. Laurel Guy says

    This was great!
    It became my entire dinner, two baby eggplants. I used the olive oil formula from one of the comments and it was almost perfect. I needed to let it sweat in a colander, and then really dry it with a paper towel, other wise the oil will not adhere, thus neither will the breadcrumb mixture.
    Thank you so much, really enjoyed this and will be serving it soon at our supper club.

    Reply

      • Nina says

        Question re nutrition info: are the numbers for one serving? This would be a 1/4 of the total number of eggplant disks. Thanks for clarifying.

        Reply

        • Anna says

          Hi Nina! All recipes have nutrition value per serving. Also, they are an estimate. I recommend running the recipe through an app or a calorie counter you are familiar with.

          Reply

  46. BZNANA says

    Actually mine are in the oven I had no seasonings used everything bagel seasoning I’ll let you know how they come out mixed panko with reg breadcrumbs since I was low.

    Reply

  50. Angela says

    I made this recipe last night with 2 small eggplants (doubling the recipe). I patted dry the eggplants after their 30 minute sweat and baked them 10 minutes after turning them instead of the 7 minutes. They tasted scrumptious! Crispy on the outside and moist on the inside. We even had them for lunch leftovers today. The small toaster oven heated them up and helped to keep them crunchy on the outside. My husband said this recipe is a keeper! Thank you!!

    Reply

    • Diane says

      Let it dry on the rack for 30-40 minutes. Sit in the egg for a minute then dredge through together Parmesan and Panko mixture. Turn over and dredge again.

      Reply

  51. Lena says

    So I randomly bought an eggplant at Sprouts ( had no idea how to prepare). Thankfully, I found Anna’s recipe and everyone had already asked all of my questions so I was ready to cook. I heavily salted the eggplants so when the 30 minutes was up I padded off all of the moisture. I did cook them on the rack to avoid them turning out soggy. I didn’t have Italian seasoning so I used the noted substitutes. After I flipped the eggplants over I sprinkled the rest of the seasoning over the eggplant. My eggplants were soggy in the middle and crisp and crunchy around the edges. So it makes me wonder, if I cooked it longer would they have come out in the same consistency? Would slicing them thinner be the key? I don’t know just me pondering or loud. I pinned this and will make again.

    Reply

  55. Jenna says

    This has become one of my favorite recipes to make! It’s a great way to easily add to the look of your meal as well.

    Reply

  56. Beth Lachin says

    I am an experienced cook, and followed the recipe exactly, but the eggplant never got crisp. Tasty, but totally limp 🙁

    Reply

    • Sarah says

      I guess I made it sweat with too much salt. I wish I had wiped most of it off. It’s a bit too salty. No blame thrown on the recipe, I do this every single time I make eggplant, which is about once a year. I have to remember to not use a lot of salt.

      Reply

  59. Rick says

    This is a delicious, simple, and quick recipe! I’m a newbie, so never knew about “sweating” eggplant to remove the bitterness. I misted the eggplant lightly with olive oil instead of using butter, comes out looking the same, crispy, sweet and great with marinara sauce on the side.

    Reply

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