We’ve outlined all the ingredients and directions for you to make the perfect Air Fryer Eggplant Parm. This dish qualifies as a Easy level recipe. It should take you about 40 min to make this recipe. The Air Fryer Eggplant Parm recipe should make enough food for 4 servings.
You can add your own personal twist to this Air Fryer Eggplant Parm recipe, depending on your culture or family tradition. Don’t be scared to add other ingredients once you’ve gotten comfortable with the recipe! Please see below for a list of potential cookware items that might be necessary for this Air Fryer Eggplant Parm recipe.
Ingredients for Air Fryer Eggplant Parm
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 large eggs
- 1 1/4 cups panko or plain dried breadcrumbs
- 3/4 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
- 2 tablespoons dried Italian herb seasoning
- 3 teaspoons garlic powder
- One 1-pound eggplant, peeled and very thinly sliced crosswise
- 2 cups jarred tomato sauce
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves, plus more leaves for serving if desired
- 16 ounces fresh pre-sliced mozzarella
- Extra-virgin olive oil, for serving, optional
Directions for Air Fryer Eggplant Parm
- Preheat a 6-quart air fryer to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Whisk together the flour, 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt and a couple grinds of pepper in a shallow bowl. Whisk together the eggs and a splash of water in a second shallow bowl. Whisk together the panko, Parmesan, dried Italian herb seasoning, 2 teaspoons garlic powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt and a couple grinds of pepper in a third shallow bowl.
- Dip the eggplant slices into the flour mixture and shake off any excess. Place into the egg wash and flip to evenly coat. Allow any excess egg to drip off, then press in the panko mixture, making sure both sides are evenly coated. Place on the prepared baking sheet.
- Gently place half of the breaded eggplant into the air fryer basket, shingling to create a single layer. Cook, shaking the tray halfway through to separate any rounds that may have stuck together, until golden brown and crispy, 13 to 15 minutes. Place the cooked eggplant on the prepared baking sheet, then repeat with the remaining uncooked breaded eggplant.
- Meanwhile, stir together the tomato sauce, the remaining 1 teaspoon of garlic powder and the chopped basil in a small saucepan and cook over medium-low heat until simmering and warmed through, about 5 minutes.
- Line the air fryer basket with parchment, then add half of the cooked eggplant in a single layer. Cover the eggplant to the edges with 1 cup of the seasoned tomato sauce. Top with 8 ounces of the mozzarella. Repeat with the remaining cooked eggplant, 1 cup seasoned tomato sauce and 8 ounces mozzarella to create a second layer. Cook until the edges are deeply golden brown and the cheese melts, 5 to 7 minutes.
- Remove to a serving platter. Drizzle with olive oil and garnish with fresh basil leaves if desired. Serve immediately, although it will be even better the next day!
Cookware for your recipe
You will find below are cookware items that could be needed for this Air Fryer Eggplant Parm recipe or similar recipes. Feel free to skip to the next item if it doesn’t apply.
- Cooking pots
- Frying pan
- Steamers
- Colander
- Skillet
- Knives
- Cutting board
- Grater
- Saucepan
- Stockpot
- Spatula
- Tongs
- Measuring cups
- Wooden Spoon
Categories in this Recipe
- Mozzarella Recipes
- Eggplant Recipes
- Parmesan Cheese Recipes
- Main Dish
- Vegetarian – Vegetarianism is the practice of abstaining from the consumption of meat (red meat, poultry, seafood, and the flesh of any other animal), and it may also include abstention from by-products of animal slaughter.Vegetarianism may be adopted for various reasons. Many people object to eating meat out of respect for sentient life. Such ethical motivations have been codified under various religious beliefs, as well as animal rights advocacy. Other motivations for vegetarianism are health-related, political, environmental, cultural, aesthetic, economic, or personal preference. There are variations of the diet as well: an ovo-lacto vegetarian diet includes both eggs and dairy products, an ovo-vegetarian diet includes eggs but not dairy products, and a lacto-vegetarian diet includes dairy products but not eggs. A vegan diet excludes all animal products, including eggs and dairy. Avoidance of animal products may require dietary supplements to prevent deficiencies such as vitamin B12 deficiency, which leads to pernicious anemia. Psychologically, preference for vegetarian foods can be affected by one’s own socio-economic status and evolutionary factors.Packaged and processed foods, such as cakes, cookies, candies, chocolate, yogurt, and marshmallows, often contain unfamiliar animal ingredients, and so may be a special concern for vegetarians due to the likelihood of such additives. Feelings among vegetarians vary concerning these ingredients. Some vegetarians scrutinize product labels for animal-derived ingredients, such as cheese made with rennet, while other vegetarians do not object to consuming them or are unaware of their presence.Semi-vegetarian diets consist largely of vegetarian foods but may include fish or poultry, or sometimes other meats, on an infrequent basis. Those with diets containing fish or poultry may define meat only as mammalian flesh and may identify with vegetarianism. A pescetarian diet has been described as “fish but no other meat”.
