Garlic Parmesan Baked Eggplant is a 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.
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Why This Recipe Works
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!
Ingredients:
- eggplant: I used one large eggplant;
- butter: helps the bread crumbs stick to eggplant but also makes the outside crunchy and delicious;
- salt: needed to prepare the eggplant for cooking; helps draw the moisture out so the final dish is not soggy;
- Parmesan cheese: adds delicious toasted cheese flavor to the breading;
- bread crumbs: use plain, Italian style or panko OR a mix of two;
- seasoning: garlic powder, paprika, Italian seasoning.
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How to prepare eggplant for cooking?
I started by washing the eggplant and trimming off the green end. You can peel the skin if you like. Next, I sliced eggplant into ½" disks.
I arranged all disks in a colander or cooling rack set over a baking sheet, sprinkled 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 the 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.
How to serve this dish?
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)!
Recipe FAQs:
Eggplant skin is completely edible. It's a personal preference, just like zucchini. You can peel the skin off or leave it.
You can substitute the beaten egg for the melted butter in this dish. It will help the breading stick to the eggplant. However, the butter will make the breading bake to golden crispy.
Absolutely! Many of our readers made this dish with GF bread crumbs and had amazing results. Check out the comments below!
To freeze this dish, place the baked and cooled eggplant disks on a baking sheet and freeze. Then place all in a freezer container or bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw out in the fridge and bake until heated through.
Absolutely! You can follow our recipe for Eggplant Parmesan or simply top each serving with marinara sauce and shredded mozzarella. Bake until the cheese is melted.
More side dish recipes:
If you like this recipe and make it, let me know in the comments below! Don't forget to rate it if you enjoyed it!
Garlic Parmesan Baked Eggplant Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 large eggplant
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
Instructions
- 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 ½" disks. Place all disks in colander or cooling rack set over baking sheet, sprinkle with salt and let sit for at least 30 minutes1 large eggplant
- Next, melt butter in a bowl. Mix breadcrumbs, spices and Parmesan cheese in another bowl.1 cup breadcrumbs, ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning, ¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- Dip each eggplant disk into butter first, then breading mixture. Place on aluminum foil or parchment paper lined baking sheet.6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Bake in 400℉ oven for 15 minutes, then flip each disk and baked for 7 more minutes. The eggplant should be golden brown and the breading crispy.
- Serve as side dish, appetizer or use in eggplant Parmesan.
Notes
- Eggplant skin is completely edible. It's a personal preference, just like zucchini. You can peel the skin off or leave it.
Add panko to the bread crumbs mixture to add more crunch. - Use this dish to make eggplant parmesan.
- Please note, that the nutrition value can vary depending on what product you use. The information below is an estimate. Always use calorie counter you are familiar with.
Ayla says
Baked eggplant turned out amazing. Tender inside with a crispy coating. A healthy and tasty vegetarian option I’ll make again.
Rowan Price says
Baked eggplant has such a tender texture and rich flavor. Definitely a versatile addition to any meal. I like to come back for this recipe
Thomas S. says
Great vegetarian option! Crispy on the outside and tender inside.
Robin says
I have never tasted such good eggplant in my life. It was absolutely delicious. I’ve never enjoyed eggplant this much before. Thank you for the amazing recipe.
Brittany Sturm says
I loved this recipe. The eggplant turned out perfectly crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, with such a rich garlic and Parmesan flavor. I really appreciated that it’s baked, not fried so much lighter but still incredibly satisfying. The instructions were clear and easy to follow, and the result was a delicious side dish that even my picky eaters enjoyed. This will definitely be a regular on my fall menu. Thank you, Anna.
Jason says
My kids love this recipe.
Problem is, 9/10 I make this, it ends up too salty.
I know I need to sweat it, because even with the sweating, some pieces still comes out soggy. If I ddin't sweat it, I know all of them will become a soggy mess.
Any tips how to it less salty?
I do pat down the eggplants after sweating, to remove the excess water, and hopefully some salt, but obviously it's not enough.
Anna says
Hi Jason! I suggest using less salt and letting the eggplant sweat a bit longer. I hope this helps! Thank you for making my recipe! I'm so glad you and your kids enjoy it!