Sliced eggplant brushed with a savory herb oil, layered with mozzarella cheese and tangy marinara sauce. This super cheesy air fried eggplant parmesan dish makes for a quick and easy dinner with an under 25-minute prep and cook time.
Eggplant parmesan features ingredients already in your fridge or pantry. This family-friendly dish makes for a quick comfort for any day of the week. Pair it with your favorite noodle dish and veggies for a complete weeknight feast.
Cooked start to finish in the air fryer this no-fuss dish will be a weekly dinner staple that the entire family will enjoy.
What Ingredients Would Need
Eggplant: Eggplant is a spongey absorbent fruit, it is the key ingredient to eggplant parmesan. The spongeness of the fruit makes it the perfect vessel to absorb any flavor added to it.
Marinara Sauce: A great tomato sauce is the perfect addition to the eggplant and cheese. Use whatever you have on hand whether it’s your favorite store bought brand or your freshly homemade sauce.
Mozzarella Cheese: Mozzarella is a white cheese, it has a mild taste and it pairs great with the eggplant and sauce. It also gives the eggplant the gooey cheese effect.
Olive Oil: Olive oil is a finishing oil with some sweetness. It is great to brush on as a glaze since it’s not heavy like cooking oil. Alternative oil include avocado, sunflower or grapeseed.
Red Wine Vinegar: Red wine vinegar is that splash of acid that keeps the eggplant from turning brown. The tangy oil also adds some sweetness to the dish.
Seasoning: Italian seasoning, and garlic powder make up the majority of the herb oil. Italian seasoning is generally made up of basil, marjoram, rosemary, sage and thyme.
How To Make It? (Step-by-Step)
Step 1: Make The Herb Oil & Brush The Eggplant
Combine the olive oil along with the red wine vinegar and season it with italian seasoning, garlic powder, black pepper and salt. Lay the eggplant in a single layer. Brush both sides with the herb oil.
Step 2: Layer The Eggplant
Place a single layer of sliced eggplant in the air fryer. Layer with another layer of eggplant. Continue the pattern in single layers.
Step 3: Cook The Eggplant
Cook the eggplant on air fry at 375F for 8 minutes till the eggplant is tender. Remove the eggplant from the air fryer and start building.
Step 4: Build The Eggplant Parmesan & Bake
Place a single layer at the bottom of the air fryer.
Add 1-2 tablespoons of marinara followed by 1-2 tablespoons of shredded cheese. Top with another slice of cooked eggplant and repeat the process.
Cook under air fry at 375F for 5 minutes till the cheese is melted and bubbly.
Optional Modification/ Toppings / Substitutes
Make it crispy: If crunch is more your thing, making a crispy version of this recipe is super easy. In addition to the ingredients add in 2 eggs that have been lightly beaten and 1 cup of Italian seasoned bread crumbs. Once you coat the eggplant in the herb oil, toss the eggplant in the beaten eggs followed by a quick back and forth in the seasoned breadcrumbs. Proceed with the cooking and layering instructions as followed.
Make it Keto: Standard jarred tomato sauce can contain a lot of sugar. To keep this recipe keto you’ll want to make sure your jarred sauce is labeled low carb and low sugar. Some keto-friendly brands are Rao’s Homemade tomato sauce, Prego no sugar added and most barilla brand marinara products just to name a few.
Fresh Herbs:Fresh herbs like basil, parsley or oregano are always a great addition to any Italian feast. Do not cook your herbs in the air fryer since they tend to blacken and bitter. Instead, allow the residual heat to heat up the herbs so that the oil in them permeates the dish.
Peeling the Eggplant: Peeling the eggplant is all about preference. If you prefer your eggplant parmesan without the skin simply peel it with potato peeler or sharp paring knife. Once the skin is removed remember to finish slicing and brush the outside with oil too.
Extra Herb Oil: Not a problem. Since the herb oil is made with a finishing oil like olive oil and not a cooking oil it results in a lightly fruity oil that’s great for dipping bread or tossing over fresh greens to make a salad. Extra oil can also be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a month and used in place of plain olive oil.
Other Options/ Versions of This Recipe?
For the more meat and potato type a classic chicken parmesan is always a great alternative.
Serving Suggestions:
Serve this recipe with a classic spaghetti noodle just toss it in leftover sauce or add a serving of fresh roasted broccoli, cauliflower or green beans. Alternatively, you can put together a quick side salad and toss it together with leftover herb oil made from the dish!
Cooking Times By Air Fryer Model
| Model | Cooking time | Temperature |
| Ninja Foodi | 15 minutes | 375F |
| Philips Airfryer XXL (HD9630) | 17 minutes | 350F |
| Nuwave Bravo XL Grill | 13minutes | 375F |
| Power XL 2&3 Qt Vortex | 15minutes | 325F |
| Cuisinart | 12minutes | 425F |
| Cosori | 12minutes | 400F |
| Breville Smart Oven | 15minutes | 400F |
Can You Make/Prepare This Recipe Ahead of Time?
Eggplant parmesan can be made ahead of time. Once the recipe is completed the eggplant can be held refrigerated a day in advance.
Can You Freeze Eggplant Parmesan
Freezing the eggplant can throw off the texture so its not preferred but there are steps you can take if you make a batch too big and freezing is the only option.
Most importantly alllowing the eggplant to cool down to room temperature can reduce the overall moisture in the eggplant, less moisture will reduce the risk of your eggplant breaking down when its defrosted.
Reheating is an option for leftover eggplant parmesan stacks just set the airfryer to 350F and warm it up for 4-5 minutes.
Other Tips & Tricks
Keeping the eggplant bright: Once the eggplant is exposed to air it starts to oxidize. Similar to apples, once it is exposed to air it starts to turn brown. A brushing of acid keeps the dish bright and vibrant. The simple addition of the herb oil brushed onto the flesh of the eggplant helps keep the eggplant white.
Layering in circular air fryers: Maximize the space in your circular airfryer by stacking a single layer of eggplant in the bottom, then place a second single layer between the gaps. Continue that layering process till all the eggplant is cooked.
Melting the cheese: When it comes to getting gooey cheese in the air fryer the key is a little extra time. Setting the temperature in the air fryer too high can result in the cheese not melting as quickly as the outside. That generally results in semi melted hard cheese. Lower the temperature and add an extra minute or two to get that super cheesy effect.
Getting Flavor into the eggplant: Eggplant is pretty bland. But it gives it a lot of opportunity to take on the flavor presented. To maximize the flavor, brush the eggplant over twice on each side. Starting at the top brush a generous amount of the oil onto the eggplant working your way down to the bottom. Once the last piece is brushed you’ll see the first one has absorbed all the oil, give it another brush over before flipping to the other side.
Eggplant Parmesan in Air Fryer
Tender sliced air fried eggplant brushed with a simple and flavorful italian herb oil layered with marinara and gooey mozzarella cheese.
Ingredients
- 1 Eggplant, sliced into 8 slices
- 1/2c Marinara Sauce
- 1c Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
- 1/4c Parmesan Cheese
- Herb Oil
- ¾ c Olive Oil
- 2 Tb Red Wine Vinegar
- 2 tsp Italian Seasoning
- 2 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1 tsp Black Pepper
- 1 tsp Salt
Instructions
- Start off by making the herb oil.
- Combine the olive oil along with the red wine and season it with italian seasoning, garlic powder, black pepper and salt.
- Lay the eggplant in a single layer. Brush both sides with the herb oil.
- Place a single layer of sliced eggplant in the air fryer.
- Layer with another layer of eggplant. Continue the pattern in single layers.
- Cook the eggplant on air fry at 375F for 8 minutes till the eggplant is tender.
- Remove the eggplant from the air fryer and start building.
- The easiest way to make an eggplant stack is by placing a single layer at the bottom of the air fryer.
- Place 1-2Tb of marinara followed by 1-2 tablespoons of shredded cheese. Top with another slice of cooked eggplant and repeat the process. FInish the top layer with parmesan cheese.
- Cook under air fry at 375F for 5 minutes till the cheese is melted and bubbly.
Notes
Make the herb oil prior to cutting the eggplant. Having the herb oil ready to immediately use will keep the eggplant white and vibrant. As the eggplant sits the browner it will become. Brush the eggplant with the oil immediately after cutting.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving:Calories: 573Total Fat: 53gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 40gCholesterol: 28mgSodium: 1008mgCarbohydrates: 18gFiber: 5gSugar: 7gProtein: 10g
My name is Keren Tayler. I am a stay-at-home mama to three lovely girls, Sarah + Rachel + Hannah. Prior to becoming a mom, I had a successful career in the accounting field, steps away from becoming a CPA. I decided to give up on my career in order to raise my own kids (as opposed to letting a nanny do it, no judgment here :)) I learned a lot and I love sharing it with other moms. Along the way, I also became a Certified Food Handler.