Looking for a vegetarian keto dinner that won't break the carb budget? This 5 ingredient keto eggplant parmesan is packed with my favorite low carb marinara sauce and ooey gooey cheese!
This low carb eggplant parmesan is seriously my favorite recipe I have made in a long time. It is so simple, too, with only 5 ingredients! My favorite part is that this is made with no breading which makes it even easier and even lower in carbs. Eggplant has about 5 carbs per cup, plus the marinara adds carbs, so the addition of an almond flour breading would just add even more carbs. Plus, the breading just gets mushy anyway, I would rather skip it.
Is eggplant okay on keto?
Like I mentioned above, eggplant has about 5 total carbs per cup so it is very keto friendly. I don't know about you, but I have never met anyone who gained weight because they eat too many vegetables. I am pretty sure the opposite is true!
I love this vegetarian friendly keto recipe but don't get me wrong, I love meat and I think it is important to get enough protein. That's why I would pair this with some steak or chicken for a complete keto meal.
Should eggplant be mushy?
In short, yes, eggplant will be mushy as that is the nature of the vegetable. Even if you battered it a fried it, the inside would be mushy and the breading would be crispy. I say embrace the mushiness and enjoy it! Paired with the cheese and marinara it is so amazing!
Removing moisture and bitterness from eggplant
This is an imperative step when cooking eggplant as eggplant is inherently bitter. So here is a step by step of this process:
- Slice the eggplant as you wish or for this recipe, in half in slices.
- Lay the slices of eggplant in a single layer on a paper towel lined baking sheet.
- Season each side of the eggplant generously with salt and let sit for 30 minutes.
- You will see the moisture bead up on top of the eggplant slices.
- Pat them dry with a paper towel
Keto eggplant parmesan - no breading
The first time I made this recipe I skipped the searing of the eggplant and went straight from raw eggplant to oven. This was such a mistake! The eggplant took forever to cook in the oven and then it was still tough and the skin was tough.
We wised up and decided that a quick sear in the skillet after we draw out the moisture would be worth a shot and holy moly. This keto eggplant parmesan is amazing! My mom is a huge fan of Olive Garden eggplant parmesan and she said this was just as good, if not better!
For reference, Olive Garden eggplant parmesan is over 660 calories and 74 grams of carbs! This keto version is 196 calories and 7 net carbs.
Tips and notes:
- Do not skip the step of salting the eggplant slices to remove moisture and bitterness
- Also, do not skip the step of searing the eggplant slices! This made all the difference!
- Serve alongside a nice piece of chicken or steak. I recommend my Air Fryer Chicken thighs or Steak in the air fryer
- If you have leftover eggplant, dice it up and roast it in the oven!
Checkout these other amazing keto recipes
- Hearts of Palm Pasta
- Instant Pot Country Style Ribs
- How to Cook Acorn Squash
- Chicken Fries in the Air Fryer
- Keto Peanut Butter Fudge
- Unstuffed Pepper Casserole
- Italian Stuffed Sausage Bake
Keto Eggplant Parmesan - 5 Ingredients!
Ingredients
- 2 Eggplant - cut into ½ inch slices
- 2 Cups Marinara (click here to see my favorite brand)
- 1 Cup Shredded Parmesan Cheese
- 1 Cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
- italian seasoning
Instructions
- Lay slices of eggplant on a sheet tray lined with paper towels. Season both sides generously with salt. Let sit for about 30 minutes to pull out moisture and bitterness. Pat dry with paper towel.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat and spray with cooking spray. Sear the eggplant slices in the hot skillet for a few minutes on each side. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 400F. Spray the inside of a deep casserole dish with cooking spray.
- Add ½ cup marinara to the bottom of your dish, spreading evenly around the bottom. Add your eggplant to the bottom in a single layer, then add ½ cup marinara sauce, ½ cup parmesan, and a sprinkle of Italian Seasoning over the top. Repeat this process 1 more time. For the final layer: eggplant, ½ cup marinara, all of the mozzarella, and a sprinkle of Italian seasoning.
- Place into preheated oven and cook for 30 minutes. Serve.
Jennifer's tips
- Do not skip the step of salting the eggplant slices to remove moisture and bitterness
- Also, do not skip the step of searing the eggplant slices! This made all the difference!
- Serve alongside a nice piece of chicken or steak. I recommend my Air Fryer Chicken thighs or Steak in the air fryer
- If you have leftover eggplant, dice it up and roast it in the oven!
Nutrition per serving
Nutrition is provided as a courtesy only. Please re-calculate on your own with the ingredients and amounts you used for the most accurate data.
Cas says
Made this tonight. It was delicious! Thank you for posting it. It's a keeper. : )
Elaine says
I dont like parmesan is there a substitute
jenniferbanz says
You could leave it out or use more mozzarella