A quick 20 minute dinner, this Healthy Instant Pot Eggplant Parmesan isn’t breaded or fried, only calls for 4 ingredients, and makes a delicious, comforting, and low carb meal!
Last updated on January 12, 2020.
HEALTHY INSTANT POT EGGPLANT PARMESAN!! I am like so, so excited for this recipe!
What is one meal that reminds you of your mom? While I could probably name a few, one thing that sticks out in my head is eggplant parmesan. My mom would make it pretty often in our house. She never went off a recipe and changed it up each time, and never actually “fried” the eggplant.
She would either sauté the eggplant up on the stove and cover with sauce and cheese or lightly coat it with breadcrumbs and bake it. I think even a few times she made it into a casserole type dish with long slices of eggplant.
Whatever way she made it, it was one of my favorites. It was always comforting and hearty, while still light. So today I am making my spin it on and making a quick and healthy instant pot eggplant parmesan!
You guys have been asking for more Instant Pot recipes so what better way than having one in 30 Minute Meal Solutions. If you missed it, this month is dedicated to quick and easy, one pan, 30 minute meals! This Instant Pot eggplant parmesan fits into description perfectly. We’ve made this a few time and each time I love it even more.
It’s cheesy, hearty, and comforting, while still being on the lighter side. It’s packed with veggies, is low carb, and just makes a delicious easy meal.
How to make Healthy Instant Pot Eggplant Parmesan
The reason I love this recipe so freakin’ much is because it’s so so easy. All you need is 4 ingredients, 5 minutes of prep time, and then 20 minutes of cook time. Half of that time is the Instant Pot heating up. I’m sure you can guess the ingredients, but this is what you need:
- eggplant
- pasta/marinara sauce
- mozzarella cheese
- water – if needed
- salt
To start, you want to cut your eggplant into long 1/4 inch thick strips. I like to cut both the top and bottom off so I can stand it up straight. Then will run my knife down lengthwise making long pieces. Try to get evenly cut pieces as this will ensure even cooking.
Next salt your eggplant and pat dry to remove liquid and salt. Then you begin the layering process. Place 1/2-1 cup sauce to cover the bottom of the pot.
If needed, mix the first layer of sauce with 1 cup water. You want a runny sauce and adding the water will help ensure it cooks and you don’t get the burn notice on your Instant Pot.
Layer with a few slices of eggplant, covering the bottom, another 1/2 cup of sauce, and cheese. Continue until you no longer have anymore eggplant. I had 3 layers of eggplant, but have also used smaller eggplants getting 5 layers.
The amount of layers don’t matter, you just want to make sure you have enough cheese and sauce.
Set your Instant Pot to manual mode on high pressure for 10 minutes. You can either release pressure manually or let it naturally release, I found that the pressure naturally releases in about 5 minutes anyways.
Troubleshooting Instant Pot Eggplant Parmesan
I have made this recipe countless times and have never had an issue with it not cooking or getting the burn notice on my Instant Pot. Unfortunately that is not the case for a lot of you. Here are some time to help:
Make sure you are using enough sauce
You need to make sure you fully cover the bottom of the pan with sauce. If you don’t you run the risk of burning your Instant Pot and the eggplant. You want a more watery based sauce as well.
I found that a heaping 1/2 cup worked perfectly for my 8QT Instant Pot each time I tested and made this recipe. But if you feel like you need more, add more! Or mix your sauce with water as stated below.
Make sure your sauce is watery
You want a watery/runny sauce. This ensures there is enough liquid in the pot, it will come up to temperature and cook the eggplant, and you don’t get the burn notice on your Instant Pot.
Add water to your sauce
If you sauce is not runny enough, or if you are unsure if it is, add water. I suggest mixing the sauce that goes on the bottom layer with 1 cup of water. Again, this will help so you don’t get the burn notice.
Please note that I have never had this issue, but it was suggested by the Instant Pot team since people have trouble with this recipe.
If you are having trouble with this recipe, please watch this step by step video.
Unfortunately when I contacted Instant Pot to see if they could help, this is what they had to say. “Also, all Instant Pot are not the same and hence the results may vary depending on how some people are able to have it cooked perfect were as other’s can’t.”
This really baffles my mind as how can you make an appliance where you can’t guarantee the same results, but I guess you can.
What can I serve with Instant Pot Eggplant Parmesan?
For the ultimate experience, I would serve eggplant parmesan with a side of crusty bread, some pasta, and a side salad. This dish is naturally low carb due to the fact it isn’t breaded. If you wanted to keep it low carb, you could serve it with some cauliflower rice or zucchini noodles to help absorb the sauce.
You could also use white rice to keep it gluten free. We’ve served it with anything from gluten free pasta, rice, salad, bread, and more veggies. Anything will work!
Can I bake healthy eggplant parmesan/make it in the oven?
If you don’t have an Instant Pot, I think this recipe would work just fine to be baked. Follow the direction as it, just use a glass baking dish instead of your Instant Pot. Bake it at 350 degrees for about 30-35 minutes until eggplant is tender and cheese is melted.
If your sauce looks watery after cooking
If you open up your Instant Pot and it looks like there is a lot of liquid in the pot, don’t be alarmed. The eggplant gives off some water and combined with the sauce, there will be liquid in the pot.
Once you cut into the eggplant parmesan and remove it, there really isn’t much left. We love to spoon the sauce over the top of the eggplant or pasta, because who doesn’t love sauce?!
If needed, you could place your Instant Pot on sauté mode for a couple minutes to help absorb the liquid. Just be careful not to burn the bottom of the eggplant. Also, as the eggplant cools, the sauce will thicken up some.
Can you make this dairy free?
While I haven’t tried it, you could sub a dairy free and vegan cheese if you want. I would just make sure it melts as you want to get the gooey and melty consistency of the cheese on the eggplant.
More 30 minute One Pot meals:
Shrimp Curry & Butternut Squash Noodles with Curry Peanut Sauce
Whole30 Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo
Healthy Instant Pot Eggplant Parmesan
Ingredients
- 2 large eggplants (780 grams)
- 2-2 1/2 cups marinara sauce, divided*
- 1 cup water* (see notes!)
- 8 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded (2 cups)
- salt
- for servings: fresh basil, red pepper flakes, parmesan cheese...
Instructions
- Prepare eggplant. Cut off the top and the bottom of the eggplant and stand up straight. Slice eggplant lengthwise into 1/4 inch slices. Salt eggplant slices on both sides and let sit for a few minutes. Pat dry with a paper towel to take off excess moisture and salt.
- In your Instant Pot, add 1/2-1 cup of marinara sauce and spread out evenly on the bottom. Add with 1 cup of water and thoroughly mix with the sauce, spreading out evenly on the bottom.* This will also help ensure you don't get the burn notice on your Instant Pot. Cover sauce with a layer of eggplant, covering the bottom as best you can. Add 1/2 cup of sauce and sprinkle with cheese. Continue layering the eggplant, sauce, and cheese (I had 3 layers).
- Close Instant Pot lid, make sure vent is set to sealed, and set to manual mode on high pressure for 10 minutes. Manually or naturally release pressure when done (pressure releases natually in about 4-5 minutes). There will be a lot of liquid in the pot - use to top eggplant or if serving with pasta. After you cut into it and remove eggplant, there isn't that much either. Cut into 4 equal pieces and top with optional toppings. Enjoy!
Notes
- Make sure you are using enough sauce - you need to make sure you fully cover the bottom of the pan with sauce. If you don't you run the risk of burning your Instant Pot and the eggplant. You want a more watery based sauce as well. I found that a heaping 1/2 cup worked perfectly for my 8QT Instant Pot each time I tested and made this recipe. But if you feel like you need more, add more! Or mix your sauce with water.
- Make sure your sauce is watery - you want a watery/runny sauce. This ensures there is enough liquid in the pot, it will come up to temperature and cook the eggplant, and you don't get the burn notice on your Instant Pot.
- Add water to your sauce - if you sauce is not runny enough, or if you are unsure if it is, add water. Mix the sauce that goes on the bottom layer with 1 cup of water. Again, this will help so you don't get the burn notice. Please note that I have never had this issue, but it was suggested by the Instant Pot team since people have trouble with this recipe.
- Make sure there is enough liquid in the pot - follow the steps above to make sure there is enough liquid.
Nutrition
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Nancy kelly
March 7, 2019 at 10:40 pmFantastic! I think i am going to try the panko bread crumbs next time i make it….❓
Kelly
March 11, 2019 at 7:41 amYes, that way is always good too!!
Christine G
April 17, 2019 at 3:34 pmI always prefer my recipes “Fairy free”…sorry, I couldn’t resist. Thank you for the delicious recipe!
Kelly
April 18, 2019 at 4:46 pmOMG HAHAHA!! That is amazing! As many times as I read over my posts, I always miss things. Thank you for catching it and I’m glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for trying!
Courtney
April 24, 2019 at 10:38 amVery soggy. The cheese basically became part of the sauce. It tasted ok but the texture was unfortunate.
Kelly
May 1, 2019 at 1:46 pmSo sorry to hear that Courtney. Cooking in the IP can be tricky and I think this recipe depends on the kind of sauce you are using and how much water it gives off. When I made it, the texture was still meaty. Sorry it didn’t turn out and hope you can enjoy another recipe of mine!
Rosa
July 6, 2019 at 2:39 pmHi Kelly, I followed your recipe but after the 10 minutes, eggplant was still quite hard and so I just reset it again for another 10 minutes. There was plenty of sauce in there so not sure why it did not cook through. So the second 10 minutes is up and its cooked through but looks like there is way too much sauce. Maybe I am not using the right type of eggplant. I am using the really big fat one….should I be using the longer thin ones? Would like to make this again and get it right the first time. Thank you
Kelly
July 30, 2019 at 5:49 pmHi Rosa! I’m sorry to hear that! I actually just made this again last night has some people were have trouble with it. You should use Italian eggplant – the purple kind you regularly see in the store. 10 minutes worked perfectly for me – the ones are the bottle were def cooked through and a little mushy, while the ones on the top are cooked through but still have some texture. Is your IP on high pressure? You could try to slice them a little thinner to make sure they cook in 10 minutes and let the pressure naturally release. They will release some water as they cook, making it look like there is a lot of sauce in the pan. After it cools, it thickens up some and I like to pour it on the eggplant. I hope that helps!
Kristy
July 23, 2019 at 9:44 ammine was super soggy/mush … can you add all your settings on the instant pot when you made this? Like should it be on manual but low pressure and even a slow cook button? or steam button? Inso want this to work for me.
Kelly
July 31, 2019 at 8:41 amHi Kristy! I’m sorry to hear that. I actually just made it the other night as some people are having trouble with the recipe. The eggplant on the bottom will be a little softer/mushy as it’s closest to the hear source and is the same as if you were to make a casserole. The eggplant towards the top will still have some texture to it though. It is one manual on high pressure. Other then that, there were no other settings changes. You could try to less time or slice the eggplant a little thicker as well.
Dad
August 1, 2019 at 3:16 pmLove eggplant hope mom makes this
Kelly
August 16, 2019 at 4:06 pmYou guys had it when you visited! Tell mom to make it at home!
Robert Johnson
August 16, 2019 at 4:15 pmGreat recipe. I just made it. The texture was great. Just added 1/4 cup of water to thin sauce out so it would come to pressure. Will definitely make it again.
Kelly
August 16, 2019 at 4:25 pmSo glad you enjoyed it Robert! And thank you so much for the tip, I can add that to the notes of the recipe. Thank you for trying it!
Matt
August 19, 2019 at 6:46 pmNot good. Eggplant didn’t cook after 30 minutes. Followed recipe as shown. Won’t try that again.
Kelly
September 3, 2019 at 12:11 pmHi Matt. I am sorry to hear that. I have never had an issue with this recipe, but it seems others have. I think it really depends on what sauce you are using. I did a step by step on my Instagram and saved it. If you go to this link and click the Eggplant Parm circle below the text (you might have to scroll to the right some), it will show you how I make it. I hope that helps and I’m sorry it didn’t turn out for you the first time. Here is the video – https://www.instagram.com/eatthegains/
Kelly
September 3, 2019 at 12:12 pmActually I think you have to watch it in the app, so you need to have Instagram. I will work on a video for this post to see if that helps!
Cassie
August 20, 2019 at 7:38 pmAmazing! I didn’t have mozzarella so I used grated Parmesan instead. It turned out great! Yum!
Kelly
September 3, 2019 at 12:09 pmLove that substitute! Glad it turned out for you Cassie!
Sarah
August 22, 2019 at 6:47 pmDelicious! I was searching for a simple instant pot recipe and this was perfect. Thanks for the recipe!
Kelly
September 3, 2019 at 12:15 pmSo glad it worked for you Sarah! Some others are having trouble. Thank you for trying it!
Kim
September 6, 2019 at 7:01 pmAwesome .. I did add some sautéed mushrooms after the sauce between layers and ended up with the best eggplant sandwiches 🙂 ,, so glad I found this recipe
Kelly
September 19, 2019 at 2:21 pmOh I love that idea! So glad you liked it and thanks for trying Kim!
Leo
October 3, 2019 at 4:53 pmTried it but got the “BURN” message on the Instant Pot display after about 5 minutes. Am I doing something wrong?
Kelly
October 4, 2019 at 9:25 amHi Leo! I have never gotten that message, but I know others have. I think it has to do with not having enough liquid in the pan. I would suggest adding more sauce to the bottom of the pot to make sure it is fully covered (you can double the amount I recommend). Some sauces are a lot more watery than others and I think it’s a huge factor when making this recipe. I hope that helps and let me know if you try it again!
Claudia
October 15, 2019 at 10:48 pmLoved it but mine burned on the bottom and there was plenty of sauce. Not sure what I did wrong. But very tasty.
Kelly
October 18, 2019 at 2:45 pmDang, I’m sorry to hear that Claudia. I honestly don’t know what happened as I’ve never had this happened, but I know others have. I’m glad it turned out though and you liked it! Thank you for trying it!
Amy Kay
October 30, 2019 at 7:22 pmExcellent! I added waited mushrooms and onions with a little rosemary and sage. I prepared the eggplant parm. I’m a springform insta pot pan. I added a 1/3 cup water to the bottom of the ip dur to earlier reviews. It turned out perfect. Thank you for the recipe.
Kelly
November 5, 2019 at 7:33 amOh I love those additions, sounds so so good! And a great idea to use a springform pan. So glad you liked I Amy and thanks for trying it!
Alyssa
December 4, 2019 at 4:34 pmThis was terrible! Very soupy and only halfway cooked even though I increased the fine based on reviews. What a waste.
Kelly
December 9, 2019 at 10:19 amI’m so sorry to hear that Alyssa. It seems to be hit or miss with people and I’m not sure why it works in some peoples Instant Pot and not others. I’m sorry it didn’t work out for you, but hope you will try something else from the site. Thank you for the feedback.
Clara
December 9, 2019 at 9:46 amUnfortunately this recipe was a bust. It completely charred the bottom of my instant pot. After the “burn” notification went off multiple times, and I scraped, added water, and restarted, multiple times, I finally had to transfer to a baking dish and put it in the oven.
Not a very accessible recipe if it can *only* be made with a *specific* brand of tomato sauce. What a bummer!
Kelly
December 9, 2019 at 10:25 amI’m so sorry to hear it didn’t work out for you Clara. It seems to be hit or miss with people and I’m not sure why it works in some peoples Instant Pot and not others. Hopefully you were able to salvage it some. As for the sauce, I think it just depends on the consistency of it and unfortunately I can’t control what sauce people are using. I mentioned the one I have used as that is our favorite one and we use it a lot at our house. I am not saying that is the *only* one that can be used and you have to use it, but it is one that I know works. I have tried another sauce brand and it works too. I have actually never had any trouble with this recipe in my Instant Pot. I’m sorry it didn’t work out for you, but hope you will try something else from the site. Thank you for the feedback.
Taramuni
December 10, 2019 at 1:59 pmThat dish was a disaster!
Kelly
December 18, 2019 at 4:17 pmHi Taramuni, I am so sorry to hear it didn’t turn out for you. Can you be more specific as to why it doesn’t work so I can try to troubleshoot. It seems to work fine for some and not for others. I have emailed Instant Pot to see what the problem is. Thank you for letting me know.
Nikki
December 13, 2019 at 4:24 pmUgh. Ruined my instant pot I just got. Did exactly as said. And lots of watery sauce. Devastated.
Kelly
December 18, 2019 at 4:13 pmHi Nikki, I am so sorry to hear that. Unfortunately I have not had trouble with getting a burn notice, but it seems others have. I have emailed Instant Pot to see what the problem is. Thank you for letting me know and I hope your Instant Pot is okay.
Ian
January 9, 2020 at 10:58 pmsalty gooey mess that was inedible and hard to clean… I had a hunch that you needed to wash the salt off but it was not mentioned in the recipe so i decided to skip it.. please refer to this https://www.myrecipes.com/how-to/cooking-questions/how-to-salt-eggplant
Kelly
January 12, 2020 at 3:30 pmHi Ian, thanks for sharing that. I have never heard of that, but I can update the recipe. The salt is only really on it for a few minuets and it actually helps draw out the liquid to help cooking. I have just heard from Instant Pot about how all Instant Pots are different, which is also why you might of had some troubles. Thank you for trying it.
Diana
January 21, 2020 at 10:43 pmI am having a hell of a time with this. First my pot changed to low pressure, then it never fully pressurized so the eggplant came out half cooked. Started over and now I have a burn notice. Dinner is an hour and a half late at this point.
Kelly
January 26, 2020 at 2:37 pmHi Diana, I am so sorry. As I mentioned in the notes of the recipe, a lot of people are having trouble and I even reached out to IP and they don’t really have a resolution. I have never had this problem but apparently all IP are different. My only suggestion about be to mix water with the sauce in the bottom layer. I’m sorry it didn’t turn out for you.
Danielle
February 16, 2020 at 12:41 pmMine was a disappointing disaster, too, even though I added water and used a very watery sauce. It took a lot of effort to clean my new instant pot. I transferred the whole mess to a pan and continued baking it for 15 minutes at 400 degrees in my conventional oven after I got the burn notice, and it was edible, but I won’t try it again. I got the burn notice just one minute after it entered the cooking phase. If I ever do it again, I will just cook the eggplant alone in the instant pot, then transfer everything to the oven to bake my eggplant Parmesan so it won’t be runny and burned.
Kelly
February 20, 2020 at 8:26 amUgh, I’m so sorry Danielle. I honestly don’t know why it works for some and not others. I’m sorry you experienced this and I hope you IP is okay.
Kalindi Kaur
April 28, 2020 at 2:40 pmMade this for dinner a few nights ago and the eggplant almost evaporated into the sauce.. so I was left with eggplant bolognese. I threw in some spaghetti when it was down to 5 minutes left so it cooked all the way through. Not to say it wasn’t tasty, I just wish I had a full eggplant to eat from.
Kelly
May 8, 2020 at 4:57 pmSo sorry to hear that Kalindi. I honestly don’t know why it works on some people’s IP and not others. Sorry for the inconvenience.
Randy
April 30, 2020 at 7:17 pm5 attempts and still getting the BURN notice….I have added 3 extra cups of water and stirred but effect. Smells really good but I’d hate to waste all these ingredients. Any ideas to salvage this other than use slow cooker setting? Any oven baking ideas? Thanks
Kelly
May 8, 2020 at 5:00 pmSo sorry to hear that Randy. I honestly don’t know why it works on some people’s IP and not others. Sorry for the inconvenience. I think it will work fine in the slow cooker – probably on low for 4 hours. Or you can just bake for 40-45 minutes until cooked through.