Here the Italian classic is redone, grill style! This grilled Eggplant Parmesan features smoky breaded and grilled eggplant, doused in warm marinara sauce.
What is it about moving that is so uprooting? Even though we moved just two blocks away from our current home, our lives have been chaotic. This could be due in part to attempting a fairly major set of renovation projects on the new place before we arrived, along with our professional lives conveniently leaving us swamped and hectic at the same time – a kind of perfect storm. Whatever the case, this extremely delicious grilled eggplant Parmesan was a bright spot in our week. Keep reading for how to make this delicious vegetarian grill recipe.
How to make grilled eggplant Parmesan
Moving is a pretty unsettling life event: one foot in the door at one place with your eyes on the next, surrounded by boxes and living outside any sort of routine. On our last weekend in our old kitchen, we decided to cling to some sense of normalcy by cooking one last meal in our kitchen, this grilled Eggplant Parmesan. It’s a meal first made for us by Alex’s aunt and uncle for a grilled meal on their patio. We loved it so much we knew we had to make our own version.
This grilled eggplant Parmesan is a fairly easy way to prepare eggplant! Here the sliced eggplant dipped in egg whites, then dredged in breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese. Then spray the slices with olive oil so that they stay together on the grill. Then, grill the eggplant for about 5 minutes per side, melting some mozzarella cheese onto the top after flipping. That’s it! Then top with warm marinara and eat. It’s so, so savory and so good. It’s a deconstructed version of eggplant Parmesan that infuses a smoky flavor into the eggplant.
It takes a little time to put together, but the end result is well worth it. It’s elegant enough to serve for a lovely dinner, but a crowd pleaser that would work well for any family meal. Serve it with a glass of frose and a salad.
Looking for more grilling ideas?
Outside of this grilled Eggplant Parmesan, here are a few more recipes for your summer grilling game:
- Best Grilled Veggie Burger
- Grilled Vegetable Pasta
- BBQ Grilled Cauliflower (or Grilled Cauliflower)
- Grilled Eggplant with Herbed Quinoa
- Greek Grilled Portobello Burger
- Grilled Buffalo Cauliflower Sandwich
- Grilled Veggie Fajitas
- Grilled Vegetarian Stuffed Zucchini
- Grilled Cauliflower Steak with Corn Salsa
- Pesto Portobello Mushroom Burger
- Tomato & Grilled Eggplant Stacked Sandwich
- Grilled Teriyaki Mango Skewers
- Loaded Grilled Nachos
- Grilled Eggplant Salad with Yogurt
- Greek Grilled Veggie Skewers
- Grilled Carrots with Lime and Cilantro
- Grilled Romaine Lettuce
- Simple Grilled Paella
- 100 Grilling Recipes
- Mint Pesto Grilled Cheese on the Grill
This grilled eggplant Parmesan recipe is…
Vegetarian.
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Grilled Eggplant Parmesan
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 to 6 1x
Description
Here the Italian classic is redone, grill style! This grilled Eggplant Parmesan features smoky breaded and grilled eggplant, doused in warm marinara sauce.
Ingredients
- 3 medium eggplants (2 to 3 pounds total)
- 24-ounce jar marinara sauce, or Easy Marinara Sauce
- 3 eggs
- ¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ¾ cup bread crumbs
- Kosher salt
- Fresh ground pepper
- Olive oil or cooking spray
- 2 cups grated mozzarella, fontina, or Italian blend cheese
- Fresh basil leaves
Instructions
- Heat a grill to medium-high heat.
- Slice the eggplant into 1/4-inch thick rounds.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the egg whites.
- In a shallow pan, mix together the grated Parmesan cheese and bread crumbs.
- Dip each eggplant slice in egg whites, and then dredge each side in bread crumb mixture. Place on a large baking sheet. Repeat for all slices. When finished, spray each side with olive oil or cooking spray and season liberally with kosher salt and pepper.
- On a grill, cook over direct medium high heat until the bottom is golden, about 4 to 5 minutes. Flip the eggplant rounds and top each piece with shredded cheese. Continue cooking with the top on until golden and the cheese is melted, about 4 to 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, warm the marinara sauce. When the eggplant is grilled, place several slices on a plate, top with marinara sauce, if desired a bit of olive oil and kosher salt, and basil leaves.
Notes
Adapted from Weber’s Time to Grill
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Grilled
- Cuisine: Italian
Keywords: Grilled Eggplant Parmesan, Grilled Eggplant, Eggplant Parmesan, Grilling Ideas, Vegetarian Grill Recipe
Wow! Never thought of grilling breaded eggplant, but can’t wait to try it. My son and I will have this for dinner very soon! Bet it would be great with any kind of summer squash (zucchini, etc). Only mention that because I way overbought squash at my farmer’s market Saturday!
Eggplant Parmesan is one of my favorite dishes. Unfortunately, my eggplant plants never produced any this year so I haven’t had the opportunity to make it as often as I would like. Thanks for sharing!
I find moving chaotic too…and I’m doing it again in two weeks! Hope everything settles down soon!
Ugh, I feel for you! Best of luck with the moving chaos!
Ugh. I hate moving. It is so tiring and time consuming, but I do like getting organized and feeling put back together at the end! Good luck and hang in there!
Oh yeah, and this eggplant parmesan looks amazing! I would like it more the chicken version for sure!
Thanks, Tieghan! I must say I’ve never tried the chicken version, but the eggplant version is delish!
Moving is really terrible! I think it’s intrinsic in all of us to want a home, to know there is a roof over our heads, and maybe we just all hate change! Who know?
You have totally inspired me to cook eggplant tonight.
Haha, yes! This whole process makes us realize how grounding our home really is. Let us know what you decide to make!
I totally understand what you mean – we moved pretty much the same distance but it feels like a completely different world. I hope you’re settling in now and will get some quiet time to enjoy your new surroundings.
I love the idea of breading the eggplant in this so you get that nice crisp coating. Just too delicious!
Thank you, Kathryn! I hope you are settling in now too with your move? How is the new space?
What a tasty looking recipe. I love those recipes that just exude the feeling of comfort especially when something stressful like moving is going on. This is one of those recipes. Thanks for sharing.
Yummo! These look delicious (great pics btw) I have always wanted to try making these, might have to try your recipe and see how we go! I often make chicken Parmesan which is delish
Out of all these comments, Sonja is the only one who actually made the dish? Haha!
(I’m not being a jerk, really)
I was looking for some input on this, since the usual sprinkling of salt and draining the eggplant was skipped on this dish. The reason for my concern is that I’ll be springing this dish on my in-laws this weekend…. probably. Mother in law is turning 75 and I dont want to spring any surprises on her. lol!
Thank you for sharing Sonja!
Hi there! Good question — the nice thing about this recipe is that there is no need to salt and drain the eggplant. We’ve had it a few times and it’s delicious — no need to salt!
I’m moving less than a mile away from my current apartment to another one and I’m not looking forward to it at all. I also need something to do with a couple eggplants I got. Perfect!