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Chicken Eggplant Parmesan is made with breaded, air-fried (or baked) chicken breast and topped with a simple eggplant marinara sauce and fresh mozzarella. It’s high in protein and delicious!
Chicken Eggplant Parmesan
This easy Chicken Eggplant Parmesan is a fun spin on my Chicken Parmesan recipe. I wanted to incorporate eggplant since it’s in season and decided to add it to my sauce, which worked out better than I expected! I made this in the air fryer, but you can also bake it in the oven. It’s so filling and a great way to eat more veggies. I also have a more classic Air Fryer Chicken Parmesan recipe if you don’t like eggplant, and this low-carb Instant Pot Chicken Parmesan recipes if you want to try cooking it a different way and this Lighter Eggplant Parmesan for a vegetarian option.
Why This Recipe Works
- Summer Produce: I love to cook with produce that’s in season because it always tastes the best. With eggplant at its peak right now, adding it to the chicken parmesan sauce is a no brainer.
- Healthy Chicken Parmesan: This meal is lighter than classic chicken parmesan as I use minimal oil and less cheese than most recipes. Plus, using eggplant in the sauce adds extra veggies to every serving.
- Juicy Chicken: The air fryer is my favorite way to cook breaded chicken. It’s always crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside.
- Filling: It’s high in protein which leaves you satisfied.
Chicken Eggplant Parmesan Ingredients
- Eggplant: Peel and dice one small eggplant into quarter-inch pieces.
- Marinara: Use good-quality or homemade marinara sauce. My favorite brand is DeLallo.
- Salt to season the chicken
- Chicken: You’ll need four small boneless, skinless chicken breasts weighing about six ounces each.
- Egg: Beat one large egg.
- Panko: I prefer seasoned panko to save time and use fewer ingredients. If you only have regular panko, add Italian herbs, onion powder, and garlic powder.
- Cheese: Thinly slice six ounces of fresh mozzarella.
- Basil: Chop fresh basil.
How do you get breading to stick to chicken parmesan?
To get breading to stick to chicken, you must coat the chicken in egg, oil, or butter. These wet ingredients act like glue to ensure the breadcrumbs don’t fall off the chicken.
How to Make Chicken Eggplant Parmesan
- Prep the Chicken: Pound the thicker end of the chicken so they are even thickness. Then pound the entire breast to half-inch thickness and season with salt.
- Dredge the Chicken: Put the panko and egg in large shallow bowls. Dip the chicken in the egg, letting the excess drip off. Next, dip it into the breadcrumbs.
- Eggplant Marinara: Meanwhile, heat the tomato sauce over medium-low heat in a large deep skillet. Once it simmers, add the eggplant, and cook for 5 to 6 minutes until it’s soft.
- Air Fry Chicken: While the sauce simmers, spray the chicken with olive oil and place it in the air fryer basket. Air fry at 370°F for 5 minutes on each side until golden. Repeat the process with the remaining breasts. Once done, put foil in the basket and transfer the cooked chicken, in batches as needed back to the AF basket. Top each with sauce and cheese and air fry about 3 minutes until the cheese is melted. Repeat with the remaining chicken and garnish with fresh basil.
No air fryer? No problem!
- Preheat the oven to 450°F, and spray a large baking sheet with oil.
- Place the breaded chicken on the pan and lightly spray it with oil.
- Bake for 25 minutes and remove it from the oven.
- Spoon some sauce and cheese over each piece, and bake for 5 more minutes to melt the mozzarella.
What to Serve with Chicken Eggplant Parmesan
- Pasta: Serve this chicken parmesan over pasta or zoodles with extra sauce.
- Sandwich: Make a chicken parmesan sandwich with a hoagie roll or baguette.
- Vegetable Sides: Pair this dish with sauteed zucchini, roasted asparagus, or wilted spinach. This easy side salad or lemony hearts of palm salad would also be good.
How to Store Chicken Parmesan
Leftover chicken parmesan will last up to four days in the refrigerator or three months in the freezer. To reheat, air fry the chicken for three to five minutes until warm.
More Chicken Breast Recipes You’ll Love
- Spicy Vodka Chicken Parmesan
- Parmesan-Crusted Chicken with Broccoli
- Chicken Breast with Hot Cherry Peppers
- Chicken Parmesan Lasagna
- Baked Pesto Chicken Breast
Chicken Eggplant Parmesan
Chicken Eggplant Parmesan is made with breaded, air-fried (or baked) chicken breast and topped with a simple eggplant marinara sauce and fresh mozzarella. It’s high in protein and delicious!
Yield: 4 servings
Serving Size: 1 piece
Ingredients
- 3 cups diced eggplant, from 1 small, peeled and diced 1/4-inch
- 2 cups marinara sauce, homemade or good quality, such as Delallo
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 small organic boneless skinless chicken breasts, 6 oz each
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 1 cup seasoned panko
- 6 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced very thin
- 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
Instructions
- Heat marinara sauce over medium-low heat in a large deep skillet and bring to a simmer. Add the eggplant, cover and cook about 5 to 6 minutes, until the eggplant is soft.
- Pound thicker end of chicken to even thickness then pound out the whole breast to 1/2 inch thickness, season with 1/2 teaspoon salt.
- Place panko in a large shallow bowl and the egg in another. Dip the chicken in egg, letting the excess drip off then into the breadcrumbs.
- Spray the chicken with olive oil and transfer to the air fryer basket.
- Air fry chicken in a single layer 370F about 5 minutes on each side, until golden, in batches as needed. When done set aside.
- Place foil in the basket and transfer the chicken back into the basket, in batches as needed.
- Top each with about 3/4 cup sauce, divide the cheese and air fry until the cheese is melted, about 3 minutes. Repeat with the remaining chicken and garnish with fresh basil. Serve hot.
Oven Method
- Preheat the oven to 450°F, and spray a large baking sheet with oil. Place the breaded chicken on the pan and lightly spray it with oil. Bake for 25 minutes and remove it from the oven. Spoon some sauce and cheese over each piece, and bake for 5 more minutes to melt the mozzarella.
Last Step:
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Oven Method:
Preheat the oven to 450°F, and spray a large baking sheet with oil. Place the breaded chicken on the pan and lightly spray it with oil. Bake for 25 minutes and remove it from the oven. Spoon some sauce and cheese over each piece, and bake for 5 more minutes to melt the mozzarella.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 piece, Calories: 473 kcal, Carbohydrates: 26.5 g, Protein: 52 g, Fat: 16 g, Saturated Fat: 7.5 g, Cholesterol: 204.5 mg, Sodium: 742 mg, Fiber: 2.5 g, Sugar: 7.5 g
Hi Mike Barcelona. Your grandmother in law sounds amazing. I’m 79, overweight, and how, aches and pains in back, legs and shoulder which I broke 1st January 2022 and still suffering. I used to be a good cook but because of these aches and pains I stopped cooking. I’ve now lost confidence and understanding hence the not knowing what to do with the eggplant. I’ve now worked it out. Any case the lady sounds marvelous. 👍
I do not have an air fryer therefore I’d use the oven. What do I do with the eggplant 🍆? 🫠
Loved this recipe. Very pretty and filling! I made it in the oven v air fryer and it came out crunchy and tender. I spiced it up a little with red pepper flakes.
What did you do with the eggplant?
Stir into sauce. It states in the recipe instrucitons.
Made this for company. Very easy and delicious! It will be on rotation whenever there are eggplant in my CSA.
Very good. Made it in the oven because I had too much chicken to worry about doing it in batches in the air fryer. Delicious.
This looks great. Am I correct to assume if I want to make the IP non-breaded version, I can just substitute this eggplant marinara sauce? Or should I not soften the eggplant prior to putting it in the IP because it will get too mushy? Love your recipes. Thanks!
This looks great Gina!
Many thanks. I will try it for the boss (better half) this weekend.
One little thing, if I be so bold.
Your IT team is great and the print options are excellent, but could they please add a metric option for those of us not in the USA.
I am a terrible cook but between your books and your emails, I am getting, semi okish!!
Cooking life would a lot easier if I could not have to use google each time i make one of your amazing recipes!!
Thanks again for sharing and apologies if i have overstepped.
I made the oven version and it was delicious and super easy!
This looks absolutely delicious and I plan on trying it soon. I do have a serious question. I’ve been on a Keto diet for 7 months with great results up until the past month. I plan to move to WW again with a focus on Mediterranean eating. HOW do I transition? I’m so stressed over this.
Over the last three years I’ve been on doctor-directed food plans for health reasons. I’ve gone from vegan to AIP to paleo to now Mediterranean. You’re right – it’s so stressful! Collecting completely different recipes, shopping and stocking completely different ingredients. It has always taken me a couple of weeks to get comfortable with the transition. I wish you luck with the Mediterranean diet. I have found it to be the most versatile and indulgent of the diets I’ve experienced. Look up yummy recipes for the week (I love searching online and have my favorite sites, including Skinny Taste), make a shopping list and stock up, especially on lots of fruit and veggies. Before you know it, you’ll feel comfortable with the diet and happy with the variety. In my case, my husband enjoys the food too, so we both eat the same meals. Good luck and have fun!
Lily, as someone who lives in Barcelona, I can confirm that the med’ diet is great!
Not as common and frequent as you would think though here. Tourism etc has changed that. No complaints, it is life. But it is still possible.
I love seeing the local people in their 80’s and 90’s, walking everywhere and up and down stairs. Not over weight, and no knee or hip replacements.
My better half’s grandmother is a perfect example, 88 years of age, leaves me in her shadow!
Full of life, walking around with the dogs. Up and down 3 flights of stairs, 3 times a day.
Not even a smidgeon of being close to overweight!!
She does eat a med diet and she is the most wonderful cook, whose paella marisco (seafood) is a true delicacy!!
As many times as I try to make it, I fail miserably!!
Apologies for the long reply, moral of the story, med’ diet is great, walking and stairs as well!!