My husband is a big fan of dining out, and one of his go-to dishes is eggplant parmesan. However, I’ve never been a fan of ordering it at restaurants because, in my experience, the eggplant tends to be soggy, greasy, and overcooked. That’s why I prefer making it at home, where I have control over the crispiness, grease level, and sauce lightness.
My recipe may take longer than you’re used to, but the extra effort is worth it. I start by releasing the moisture in the eggplant slices before coating them. This step ensures a firmer texture. Plus, it’s easy to customize the thickness of the slices and make as much as you want. I also utilize my air fryer to cook the eggplant, avoiding the use of fry oil that can make the dish overly greasy.
For a fun twist, my kids love it when I cut the eggplant into skinny slices, resembling chips, which they dip into the sauce. If you have kids who aren’t fans of eggplant, slicing it thin might win them over, as it did with my children.
Now, let’s get to the cooking process:
- Start by slicing your eggplant to your desired size and lightly dusting it with salt. Place the slices on a paper towel to absorb excess water. Let them sit for 15 to 20 minutes, depending on the slice size.
- Remove the salt from the eggplant slices using a paper towel to wipe it off. Ensure you remove all the salt to avoid an overly salty dish.
- Set up three shallow bowls with flour, whisked eggs, and breadcrumbs. Take each slice, dip it in flour, then eggs, and finally breadcrumbs.
- After breading each slice, place them in the air fryer. Fry at 350 degrees for about 5 minutes, flip, and continue cooking until golden brown.
- Once all slices are cooked, coat the bottom of a cake pan with tomato sauce. Layer sliced eggplant on top, adding more sauce and cheese. Repeat for 2 to 3 layers until the eggplant reaches the top of the pan. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees until the cheese is golden brown.
- If you have leftover slices, this is an excellent time to cool and freeze them for another occasion.
- Once the cheese is golden brown, pull the dish out of the oven (I used my Cuisinart air fryer/oven for this recipe). Let it cool for a few minutes before serving. Enjoy your homemade, crispy, and non-greasy eggplant parmesan!
I used my Cuisinart to air fry the eggplant it is a better option then frying in grease. Enjoy your homemade, crispy, and non-greasy eggplant parmesan!
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