You don't want to miss this Slow Cooker Eggplant Parmesan. It will have everyone thinking you spent all day in the kitchen. Cheesy and delicious with a fraction of the effort of traditional Eggplant Parm. Perfect for easy entertaining. I've used gluten free breadcrumbs, but if your family isn't gluten free any breadcrumbs will work. Or skip the breadcrumbs altogether for a low carb alternative.
One of my husband's favorite dishes is Eggplant Parmesan.
Typically, I make it only four or five times a year, because...it's a process. One that I don't particularly enjoy.
I adore my slow cooker, so a few weeks ago when he asked for it, I started thinking - would it be possible to make Eggplant Parm that resembled my traditional dish in my slow cooker?
Was it even possible that Crockpot Eggplant Parmesan could taste anything like the original?
I wasn't entirely convinced it would work, but when organic eggplant went on sale, I decided to give it a try.
I am thrilled to report that it was a smashing success.
This is perfect for the occasions when you are called to entertain and need a dish that just looks and tastes like you spent all day in the kitchen.
Ingredients for Making Slow Cooker Eggplant Parmesan
- Eggplant: Choose eggplants that are firm without any blemishes. Cut off the stem and slice the eggplant into rounds that are about ⅓-inch thick.
- Salt: This will help to draw out the moisture from the eggplant so that it doesn't end up watery in your dish.
- Eggs: whisk together the eggs and milk in a bowl.
- Breadcrumbs: You can use regular or panko breadcrumbs. Both gluten-free and regular will work.
- Parmesan: If you are vegetarian, make sure you use a rennent-free parmesan.
- Italian Seasoning: It is super-easy to make your own if you don't have it. Just mix together 1 teaspoon each of dried basil, rosemary, thyme, oregano, and parsley.
- Marinara Sauce: Choose a good quality sauce with no added sugar. I like to use my Crockpot Marinara.
- Mozzarella Cheese: Shredded or sliced, your choice. I like to use Daiya because it melts well.
- Basil: This is for topping the finished dish. Choose fresh basil if you can find it.
Advice
Do Not Skip Salting the Eggplant!
Tips and Tricks
- Make sure your eggplant slices are cut to a fairly even thickness so that they will cook evenly.
- One thing you want to keep in mind when making this is that the time it takes to cook will depend largely on how thick you cut the Eggplant. Taste it at about 6 hours and if you have cut too thick turn it up to high until it is cooked through. (Every slow cooker is slightly different, so make sure you keep an eye on it toward the end.)
- Don't skip patting the eggplants dry after you sweat them. Use paper towels or a clean dish cloth.
- Want a touch of heat? Add black pepper and red pepper flakes when you add the Italian seasoning.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does eggplant Parmesan taste like?
Eggplants are a bit of a chameleon, taking on the flavors of whatever ingredients are around them. They readily absorb spices.
Because of this, and eggplant parmesan recipe will taste like the other ingredients in it - cheese, marinara, Italian seasoning, and breadcrumbs. The flavor profile is similar to Chicken Parmesan, though the texture is softer.
Should you peel eggplant for eggplant Parmesan?
This is a matter of personal preference, but I do peel mine. The taste of the peel of young eggplants is relatively mild, but as they get a bit more mature, the skins can have a bitter flavor and may also be tough.
Why is it necessary to salt the eggplant?
Salting eggplant pulls the moisture out of it and prevents the dish from being runny. Even if you don't like salt, don't skip this step! If you do, or if you don't salt well, the resulting dish will be soggy.
Can I fry the eggplant and finish in the slow cooker?
Yes, by all means! If you have the time you can cook the eggplant by frying or in your Air Fryer. Reduce the cooking time to 2-4 hours.
How do I make keto slow cooker eggplant Parmesan?
The most important thing is to make sure you choose a keto marinara sauce. Many brands have added sugars. You can skip breading the eggplant all together if you like! Many traditional eggplant Parmesan recipes don't have breading and the resulting dish will still be delicious. If you like, you can roast the eggplants in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes before adding them to the slow cooker. This step is completely optional!
Serving Suggestions
I generally thing of Eggplant Parmesan as a complete meal by itself. If you want a side dish, some things that work well are:
- Gluten Free Focaccia
- Green Beans
- Caramelized Brussels Sprouts
- Garlic butter pasta is a nice side. Just mix garlic, butter, and cooked spaghetti noodles and serve with the eggplant on top of it.
Picking Eggplant
The eggplants most commonly used for Crockpot Eggplant Parmesan are the large deep purple globe eggplants. Those are the ones I recommend using. You want to look for firm eggplants that are glossy and free from any bruises. The larger the eggplant, the more bitter it will be. So, it is a good idea to pick smaller ones.
Storing Eggplant
Eggplants are not friends with the refrigerator. Buy them no more than a few days before you plan on using them, and store them away from direct sunlight on the counter or in the pantry.
Recommended Tools to Make This Recipe:
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More Crockpot Recipes to Try
- Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos with Mango Salsa is the perfect way to mix up Taco Tuesday. I recommend doubling the salsa so that you can re-purpose it the next day.
- These Chipotle Meatballs are super-easy to make and work equally well as an appetizer as they do for the main course.
- Slow Cooker Beef Fajitas are so simple and delicious - they deserve to become a habit.
- Spicy Crockpot Almonds are a delicious nibble you will turn to again and again. So ridiculously good!
Slow Cooker Eggplant Parmesan
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 pounds eggplant
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 3 large eggs
- ¼ cup milk of choice
- 1 ½ cup gluten free breadcrumbs
- 3 ounces vegetarian Parmesan cheese or vegan Parmesan
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning make sure it is gluten free
- 4 cups marinara sauce use a low-sugar brand like Rao's
- 16 ounces mozzarella cheese sliced or shredded Daiya
- fresh basil for topping
Instructions
- Peel eggplant and cut into ⅓ inch rounds. Layer in a colander, sprinkling each layer with salt. Allow to sit for 30 minutes and then pat dry. (If you aren’t a fan of salt you can rinse and pat.)
- Spread ½ cup of sauce in the bottom of the slow cooker.
- Whisk together the eggs and milk in a shallow bowl. Stir together breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese and Italian seasoning in a separate bowl. Dip eggplant in egg mixture and then in the breadcrumbs.
- Layer ⅓ of the slices in the slow cooker. Top with 1 cup sauce and mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers two more times. Cook on low for eight hours.
- If desired, top with fresh basil leaves.
Nutrition
Other Fabulous Crock Pot Recipes to Try:
- Slow Cooker Mediterranean Eggplant from Everyday Eileen
- Crockpot Ground Beef Eggplant Casserole from Low Carb Yum
Becky Smith
The wedges cut is confusing me. Not rounds, like normal. Please put details on how you cut them
Wendy Polisi
Becky, it is normal rounds!
Tigger
This is one of my husband's favs as well - can't wait to try it! Just a side note - it's a good idea NEVER to fry eggplant - it's super absorbent & soaks up tons of oil which is why traditional eggplant parmesan is SO high in calories!
Maureen Demar Hall
This sounds great! I love eggplant Rollatini, thinking of adding a dollop of ricotta (mixed with an egg, chopped spinach and dash nutmeg) on top of each layer of eggplant before the sauce and mozzarella.......do you think this would work?
Sarah
Does the eggplant get soggy in the crockpot?
mhf7
How many servings does this make? 4 pounds of eggplant seems like a lot.
Wendy Polisi
I don't know that I calculated nutritional information on this. I would say it is somewhere between 8-12 servings. It is definitely a crockpot full!
Amanda
Do you think this would work if cooked on high for 3-4 hours? Great recipe idea, btw!
Hannah Freiberg
what size crock pot do u use?
Wendy Polisi
I have a 7 quart crockpot.
*Wendy Polisi*
*https://wendypolisi.com *
Hannah Freiberg
From recipe
Wendy Polisi
Yes, it isn't as crispy as some but I totally loved it! So glad that you enjoyed it. Moussaka is such a great idea - let me know how it goes.
Janet
I made this last night and was short on time, so I did High for 4 hours - it was good, but some of the cheese got tough - I think I could've gotten better results with High for 3 hours, or low for 5 (my slow cooker runs a bit hot). Also I skipped the breadcrumbs altogether and it was still delish! But my favorite Eggplant Parm is always un-breaded, so it might not be for everyone!
Alana
Have you ever prepared the Eggplant the night before? Do you think/know if it would keep?
Thanks
Sharon
I salted the eggplant the night before and then rinsed them and stored in ziplock bag to assemble the next day. I ended up cooking it on high for 4 hours, turned out great.
Ashley
Hi Wendy! I was wondering if leftovers would keep well?
Wendy Polisi
Hi Ashley,
Yes they do! My husband loves leftover Eggplant Parmesan.
Ashley
Great! I will be trying this soon. 🙂
davey
Just curious -- what is the point of breading the eggplant if you're not going to fry (or bake) to develop a crust on the outside? Doesn't the breading just turn to mush in the crockpot? Why not just put the eggplant in the slow cooker without breading it?
Jaz Sood
Can you substitute anything for the eggs or leave them out entirely?
Lauren
Mine turned to mush ☹️. I totally forgot step one, does itbreally make that big of difference? Just curious. Still tasted good, but it was soggy.
Wendy Polisi
Yes - step #1 is crucial because it pulls the liquid out of the eggplant and helps to keep it from getting mushy. Also, your slow cooker could be hotter than mine so you may need to adjust the cooking time.
Danny117
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Sarah
Hi! Trying to halve the recipe since the serving size is too much for my 2-person household, lol! Would it work if I just cut everything in half or are there certain things that need more/less? Also we are vegan so will be trying with egg replacer with hopes it’ll turn out good.
Thanks!!
Wendy Polisi
I haven't tried it, but it should be fine to cut in half. I would just pay close attention to the cooking time. Let me know how it goes with the egg replacer. I think a flax egg would work fine since the purpose is just to hold the coating on. (I used to be vegan too.)
Danielle
How many eggplants did you use? Or, how many eggplants is 4 pounds?
Wendy Polisi
It obviously depends on the size but I used three medium.
Alina
This sounds delicious & I'm going to make the eggplant this week! Do you think leaving the skin on the eggplant would change the recipe in any way?
Alina
This looks delicious & I'm going to make it this week! Would leaving the skin on change the recipe at all?
Wendy Polisi
I have never tried it that way! But if you have made Eggplant Parm before and liked it with the skin on, I don't think it would make a big difference.
Susan
When you say, "milk of your choice," does this mean I could use almond milk? Or does it need to be cow's milk?
Wendy Polisi
Yes, you could use almond milk.
Frankie
This recipe looks so good! I can't wait to try this someday. Thanks a lot for sharing this!
Brittany
I am not a fan of tomato sauce. Typically when I order eggplant parmigiana at a restaurant, I asked them to replace the tomato sauce with alfredo sauce. Do you think I can make this recipe in the slow cooker using alfredo sauce as opposed to a marinara you use?
Wendy Polisi
I haven't tried it, but it sounds amazing to me!
Denise Keller
In the midst of a kitchen remodel I was relegated to a toaster oven and a crockpot. Let’s face it, most crockpot dishes are either bad or just average. After trying many different recipes I was about to give up when I stumbled onto this one. I make a mean eggplant Parmesan and didn’t think this could possibly work. Was I completely and pleasantly surprised when it did. This is by far the best crockpot recipe I’ve ever tried. It not only worked, but tasted good, had the right textures and as an added plus, is a more figure friendly version. Thank you for posting.
Melanie
Made this for dinner tonight ant it turned out great!
Thank you for a great recipe idea . I’m in a low carb lifestyle so replaced the bread crumbs with half the quantity of ground almonds . Worked a treat for me ! Yummy!
Callie
I made this today and it was amazing. So simple and one of the best eggplant parmesan dishes I have ever had.
Amy
Delicious! I will make this again. I thought I should put it on high for first 1/2 hour and then low for 4-6 hours. Think I should have just used 4-5 hours on low as it was a bit overdone. Flavor still excellent though.
Wendy Polisi
So glad you enjoyed it!
Betsy
Is there a way to make this without the egg portion? I am gluten and egg sensitive but would love to try this recipe. Thank you!
Wendy Polisi
You could leave off the breading if you wanted.
Susan Dubose
I made this today and it was amazing. So simple and one of the best eggplant parmesan dishes I have ever had.
Wendy Polisi
I am so glad that you enjoyed it!
Natalie
Husband planted a garden and this was a great way to use up our eggplants. Slow cooker was a great choice since it is 101 degrees in NC and I refuse to use the oven. So easy my daughter finished the assembly after I did the 1st layer. Makes a lot and tasted fabulous. Will make again.
Barbara Miller
Made this today, 1/2 recipe I am only one who eats it! Used my 1 1/2 quart crockpot, cooked on high for 3 hours, was perfect not mushy at all. Also I did use the long Japanese eggplant from our garden cut in rounds, did egg and bread but did not fry. Also stewed our fresh garden tomatoes for the sauce. This is a great easy recipe. I had my doubts, but will be only way I make eggplant parmesan from now on. Had with mozzarella stuffed ground turkey meatballs. Thanks so much for sharing this excellent recipe!
Wendy Polisi
So glad that you enjoyed it! Thanks for taking the time to let me know.
Lisa
I made this yesterday and it was delicious! I cooked mine on low for six and a half hours, and it was fully cooked. I, too, am not a fan of the long process of the traditional way of making eggplant parmesan. In fact, the last two times I did it, my back was sore from standing so long to fry the pieces. I was dubious about trying it in the slow cooker, but it was so much easier and tasted great. The other advantage is I can make it when eggplant is at its peak (summer) without having to use the oven; a real advantage when you live in a hot climate. This one is a keeper!
Wendy Polisi
I am so glad you enjoyed it!
Mindy-Michelle
Love this!!!
Natalie
Husband planted a garden and this was a great way to use up our eggplants. Slow cooker was a great choice since it is 101 degrees in NC and I refuse to use the oven. So easy my daughter finished the assembly after I did the 1st layer. Makes a lot and tasted fabulous. Will make again.
Wendy Polisi
So glad you enjoyed it!
Justin
Hi,
Can I make it without egg, and if so, how would I do that?
Wendy Polisi
I haven't tried breading it without egg, but you could skip the egg if you weren't breading it. My guess is that a flax or chia egg would work to bind the breading, but I haven't tested this.