Air-Fryer Eggplant Parmesan
All of my life I have had a deep love for Eggplant Parmesan. If it appears on a menu, I have a hard time not ordering it. Growing up, my mom made a delicious version, probably the one that I’ve held as the standard, if for no other reason, it was what I was used to. But over time, she stopped making it due to the laborious nature of breading and frying so many eggplant slices and the fattening resulting product.
I made this version of Air-Fryer Eggplant Parmesan for the second time last night and I am obsessed. While this recipe does not eliminate to repetitive nature of breading–you use the typical three bowl process of flour, egg, seasoned breadcrumbs–it does offer a healthier alternative by employing the air fryer to cook the slices as opposed to a bubbling pan of oil. I recommend putting on some music, settling in and enjoying the process!
As far as the tomato sauce goes, you will need more than you think. For this recipe, served in a 9″ x 13″ casserole dish, I used two cans of San Marzano crushed tomatoes that were simmered with crushed garlic cloves, a pinch of sugar, a pinch of salt and a pinch of oregano. But since you will spend a good amount of time on the eggplant, feel free to use your favorite store-bought sauce (two jars, please). My preference would be Rao’s.
And cheese…don’t skimp there either. Think of all the calories you save by air frying and dedicate them to cheese! Again for a 9″ x 13″ dish, I use about 1.5 pounds of mozzarella cheese and, of course, a generous handful of Parmesan. I also will throw in a couple of slices of provolone if I have it in the fridge. Feel free to do the same.
And there you have it. Think of this Eggplant Parmesan as a bit of an indulgence but nothing over the top. It’s a crowd pleaser and complete meal if served with a simple green salad. Enjoy!
Air-Fryer Eggplant Parmesan
Ingredients
- 2 medium globe eggplants sliced into 1/4" rounds and dried on paper towels
- 1 c flour seasoned with a pinch of salt and pepper
- 4 eggs beaten
- 2 c seasoned bread crumbs
- 56 oz tomato sauce see introduction
- 1.5 lbs sliced (not shredded) fresh mozzarella
- 1.5 c grated Parmesan cheese
- 6 slices Provolone cheese optional
Instructions
- Place the flour, eggs and seasoned bread crumbs in three separate shallow bowls.
- One by one, dip each eggplant slice into the flour (shake off excess), then egg and finally the bread crumbs, being sure to coat each side. Set aside as you go through the process.
- Meanwhile, preheat air fryer to 380F.
- Once all of the slices are breaded, spray each side with cooking spray and lay in air fryer being sure not to overlap slices. You will need to air fry in batches. Cook for 7 minutes, then flip the slices and fry for 7 minutes more. Once done, set the cooked slices aside and preheat the process with the remaining slices.
- Meanwhile, heat your tomato sauce to warm. Coat the bottom of a 9" x 13" casserole dish with a layer of sauce.
- Once the eggplant slices are cooked, place the first layer or rounds over the sauce on the bottom of the casserole dish. Layer with more sauce, 1/2 of the mozzarella cheese, 1/2 c Parmesan and 2 torn slices of Provolone, if using. Repeat two more times with eggplant, sauce and cheese, ending with the final layer of cheese.
- At this point, the eggplant parmesan can be covered and set aside or refrigerated until ready to cook and serve.
- When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 350F. Place uncovered casserole dish in the oven and bake until heated through and cheese is nicely melted, approximately 20 minutes. If the casserole has been refrigerated and not brought to room temperature before cooking it may take a bit longer.