Sliced eggplant topped with a rich freshly made marinara sauce (or your favorite store-bought brand) then topped with Parmesan cheese and done in around 2 minutes on the grill there is nothing easier than this recipe.
These eggplant slices can be cooked longer for crispiness, made in an air fryer for a rained-out picnic, or even oven-baked in a cast iron skillet, simple, easy, and delicious.
I love a crispier cheese so I do like to broil mine a few minutes to get it all toasty so after I add the sauce and add a slice of provolone I like to broil it a minute.
Even the pickiest vegetable members in your home will love these eggplant slices, they're so flavorful with sauce and cheese it's almost like eating a slice of pizza and using the eggplant as a crust.
This also would be great as an appetizer if you want to add some pepperoni on top, tomato sauce then melt a slice of cheese on top.
Baked, grilled, or air fried, these eggplant slices are delicious and super fast to make.
We have some shortcut step-by-step instructions for you, tips, and suggestions below in our recipe card to change up your eggplant every time you make it.
Just scroll to the bottom of the page to print off the directions.
Easy to Make Step by Step
- heat a gas grill or cast iron skillet for the stovetop or heat the air fryer to 400 degrees and grease your basket
- slice the eggplant, place on paper towels and salt for 30 minutes then rinse the salt off
- place eggplant in an oil-sprayed skillet, sprayed air fryer basket or directly on the heated grill grates
- grill them until the grill marks are prominent on both sides using a medium-high heat for about 2 minutes on each side(for air frying you won't have the grill marks and it will take around 4 minutes at 400 degrees just until it softens and starts to crisp on the sides)
- top with your favorite tomato sauce and long strands of Parmesan cheese or add shredded mozzarella, and a slice of provolone cheese, and melt it under the broiler in the oven
Other Topping Suggestions and Tips:
- use zucchini rounds in place of eggplant
- for topping substitutions you can mix and match:
- asparagus diced,
- any kind of peppers
- chopped celery
- chopped green beans
- sliced mushrooms
- fresh spinach or arugula
- julienned carrots
- use any kind of cheese you prefer
- deli sliced pepperoni or cooked sliced meats of your choice can be added for meat lovers
- think about your favorite pizza toppings and add them on top
- add the marinara sauce first then cheese
- add taco sauce with chilies and cheddar for a Mexican Blend
Ingredients You Will Need Refer to the recipe card below for exact measurements
- fresh eggplant slices
- marinara sauce homemade or store-bought
- grated Parmesan cheese, Pecorino Romano, provolone slices or shredded mozzarella
- Garnish: fresh basil
Try My Other Favorite Recipes
Eggplant Parmesan
Zucchini Rollatini
Eggplant Boats
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Easy Grilled Eggplant
This eggplant grilled is so versatile when it comes to toppings so you can make a whole meal out of it or a side dish.
The eggplant looks elegant served when hosting a dinner party on the plate, the grill marks give it a rustic feeling and is perfect with any meal.
The eggplant cooks quickly and is so flavorful and a great addition to that cookout when you need an easy side dish in a hurry.
If you're an eggplant lover, you will love the simplicity of the recipe and the variations can be endless with different toppings you may prefer.
Yield: 6
Grilled Eggplant Parmesan Slices
Grilled eggplant with marinara and Parmesan cheese is perfect for a side dish at your next cookout or side dish indoors.
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 4 MinTotal time: 14 Min
Ingredients
- 2 or 3 small Eggplant sliced thick (or use Zucchini slices if you're not a fan of eggplant)
- sea salt
- paper towels
- Marinara Sauce Homemade or use your favorite jarred store-bought
- Parmesano Reggiano cheese grated fresh or use Pecorino Romano cheese
- salt, pepper, red pepper flakes to taste if needed
- Optional Garnish: granulate garlic powder, fresh basil leaves, more grated cheese, sliced provolone melted or mozzarella melted on top
Instructions
- Slice the eggplant into thick slices, place them on paper towels with a light coating of sea salt for 30 minutes or up to an hour to remove bitterness, then rinse the salt off.
- Grilling: heat the grill to medium heat adding a little oil to the grates before adding the eggplant.
- Grill on one side for 2 minutes, flip and grill the other side (or until a nice charred grilled mark remains).
- Place on a plate, add warmed marinara sauce and grated cheese or add a slice of provolone(or mozzarella) and broil until the top is crispy and brown before serving.
- Garnish with more cheese, red pepper flakes if desired, and fresh basil and granulated garlic powder.
- Stovetop: For using a gridded cast iron skillet on the stovetop, oil spray the skillet to medium-high heat. Sear the eggplant slices on both sides until a nice char remains on each side with grill marks. Proceed with the highlighted above instructions.
- Air Fryer: coat the air fryer basket with cooking oil and heat it for 5 minutes on 400 degrees. Place the slices on the basket carefully using tongs.
- Air fry until softens and starts to crisp up around 3 to 4 minutes on 400 degrees.
- Proceed with the serving instructions above with tomato sauce, cheese, and garnishes
Notes
Other Topping Suggestions and Tips:
- use zucchini rounds in place of eggplant
- for topping substitutions you can mix and match:
- asparagus diced,
- any kind of peppers
- chopped celery
- chopped green beans
- sliced mushrooms
- fresh spinach or arugula
- julienned carrots
- use any kind of cheese you prefer
- deli sliced pepperoni or cooked sliced meats of your choice can be added for meat lovers
- think about your favorite pizza toppings and add them on top
- add the marinara sauce first then cheese
- add taco sauce with chilies and cheddar for a Mexican Blend
Pin for later
Eggplant Favorite Recipes
Eggplant Ricotta Casserole
Eggplant aka Zucchini Roll-Ups
Eggplant Parmesan
Eggplant Boats
Disclosure: This recipe was originally shared in 2010. It was edited and re-published in 2022.