Air Fryer Eggplant Parmesan

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian Inspired

Keyword: air fryer eggplant parmesan

Prep Time: 35

Cook Time: 12

Total Time: 46

Servings: people

Calories: 295kcal

Quick and easy Air Fryer Eggplant Parmesan - the crust is made from seasoned Panko breadcrumbs which are then smothered in a delicious marinara sauce and melted mozzarella and parmesan cheese!

Print Recipe

Equipment

Air Fryer

Ingredients

1 pound eggplant (1 large, 2 medium, or 3 small)
salt
⅔ cup all-purpose flour
2 large eggs
1 ½ cup panko bread crumbs
⅔ cup grated parmesan cheese, divided
½ tablespoon Italian seasoning
⅓ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
24 oz good quality marinara sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
fresh cropped basil, for garnishing

Instructions

Slice the eggplant ⅓ inch thick. Sprinkle salt on both sides of the eggplant slices and lay them on a baking sheet. Let it sweat all the bitter liquid for 30 minutes. Then, pat with a paper towel to dry.
Preheat the air fryer to 375°F
Set up a dredging station with 3 shallow dishes: In the first one, all-purpose flour. In the second dish, whisk the eggs. In the third dish, mix together panko breadcrumbs, ⅓ cup grated parmesan (save the rest for later), Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Dip the eggplant slices into the flour, then eggs, then panko mixture.
Place the breaded eggplant onto the air fryer tray and spray lightly with cooking spray. Air fry at 375°F for 8-10 minutes, flipping halfway through.

Notes

This recipe was tested with the Instant Omni Plus toaster oven and Cosori Pro XL. Temperature and time may vary depending upon the air fryer model you have; this is why there is a range in the cooking time in the recipe. Adjust to your specific air fryer.

Helpful Tips:

Don't skip the initial salting. It's important to the taste and texture of this recipe that you get rid of as much of the bitter excess water as you can.
Be sure to coat each slice well while dredging! You'll want to get an even layer of crust on the outside.
Do not overlap them in the air fryer basket. To get that delicious crunch they need to cook evenly on all sides. For this reason, you may need to work in batches.

Nutrition