Air Fryer Recipe
Baked Aubergine Parmesan
Baked Aubergine Parmesan is a classic Italian dish made a little lighter and quicker in the air fryer, with crisp aubergine, rich tomato sauce and bubbling melted cheese.
Ingredients
- 2 large aubergines, sliced into 1/4 inch rounds
- Salt, for sweating the aubergines
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 large eggs, beaten
- 2 cups breadcrumbs
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 cups tomato sauce
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
- Fresh basil leaves, for garnish
- Olive oil spray
Method
- Sprinkle the sliced aubergines with salt and leave for 30 minutes to draw out the moisture, then rinse and pat them dry.
- Set up a breading station with the flour, beaten eggs, and a mixture of breadcrumbs and half of the Parmesan cheese.
- Dip each aubergine slice into the flour, then the egg, and finally the breadcrumb mixture.
- Preheat the air fryer to 180°C (356°F), spray the basket with olive oil, and lay the aubergine slices in a single layer. Spray the tops with olive oil and cook for 8-10 minutes, until crisp.
- In an ovenproof dish, layer the tomato sauce, crispy aubergine slices, Parmesan and mozzarella. Repeat the layers, ending with mozzarella on top.
- Preheat the oven to 190°C (374°F) and bake for 20-25 minutes, until the cheese is bubbling and golden brown.
- Scatter over fresh basil leaves before serving.
Why this works in an air fryer
Salting pulls surface water from the aubergine so the flour-egg-crumb coating adheres and browns instead of steaming. The air fryer’s fast convection dehydrates the crumb before baking, giving structure that survives the tomato sauce, while the final oven bake melts the cheeses evenly through the layered dish.
Equipment notes
Assumes a 5–6 litre basket holding about one third of the slices in a single layer; cook in batches with space between rounds. In a single-drawer air fryer, keep finished slices on a rack so they do not steam; in dual-zone models, split batches evenly and swap drawers/positions if one side browns faster.
Common pitfalls
- Crumb coating sliding off after cooking? The aubergine was still wet after rinsing; pat until the paper towel comes away almost dry, and press the flour on before dipping in egg.
- Slices browned outside but woolly or spongy inside? They are too thick or under-salted; keep rounds close to 6 mm and give the full 30 minutes sweating time before breading.
- Pale, dry crumbs at minute 10? There is too little oil contact; spray until the crumb looks lightly speckled and extend by 2–3 minutes rather than raising the temperature.
- Layered bake turning watery around the edges? The sauce or aubergine is releasing excess liquid; use a thick tomato sauce and let the air-fried slices stand 3–5 minutes before layering.
Variations & substitutions
- Use panko instead of standard breadcrumbs for a rougher, lighter crust; it browns faster, so check from minute 7 in the air fryer.
- Swap mozzarella for provolone or scamorza for a stronger melt; these cheeses brown well but can oil out if baked much beyond the stated time.
- Use gluten-free flour and breadcrumbs as a direct substitute; the coating is more fragile, so turn the slices gently and avoid stacking before baking.
- Add a thin layer of wilted spinach between the aubergine and sauce; squeeze it very dry first or the finished bake will loosen.
Storage & reheating
Keep leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 3 days, then reheat portions in the air fryer at 170°C for 6–8 minutes until hot through and the top has re-crisped.
Nutrition
Calories: 250
