A quick 20-minute dinner, this Healthy Instant Pot eggplant parmesan is not breaded or fried, requires only 4 ingredients, and is a delicious, comforting, low-carb meal.
Last updated: January 12, 2020.
HEALTHY INSTANT POT EGGPLANT PARMESAN!! I’m so, so excited about this recipe!
What’s one meal that reminds you of your mom? While I could probably name a few, one thing that sticks out in my head is the eggplant parmesan. My mom did it very often in our house. He never came out of a recipe and changed it every time, and never “fried” the eggplant.
She would sauté the eggplant on the stove and cover it with sauce and cheese or lightly cover it with breadcrumbs and bake it. I think even a couple of times he turned it into a casserole-like dish with long slices of eggplant.
Whichever way he did it, it was one of my favorites. It was always comforting and plentiful, while still being light. So today I’m doing my spin and making a quick and healthy instant eggplant parmesan!
You’ve
been asking for more Instant Pot recipes, so what better way than to have one at 30 Minute Meal Solutions. If you missed it, this month is dedicated to quick and easy meals, a frying pan, 30 minutes! This Instant Pot eggplant parmesan fits the description perfectly. We’ve done this several times and each time I love him even more.
It’s cheesy, abundant and comforting, while still being lighter. It’s full of vegetables, low carb, and a delicious easy meal.
How to Make Eggplant Eggplant Healthy
Instant Pot
The
reason I love this recipe so much is because it’s so easy. All you need is 4 ingredients, 5 minutes of preparation time and then 20 minutes of cooking time. Half that time is the Instant Pot heating up. I’m sure you can guess the ingredients, but here’s what you need:
eggplant paste/marinara sauce mozzarella
- cheese water
- – if necessary
- mozzarella
- sauce
- container of salt
- eggplants
salt <img src="https://eatthegains.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Instant-Pot-Eggplant-Parmesan-1.jpg" alt = "White countertop with a packet of
cheese, a jar of marinara
,
and 2
.” />
To start, you should cut your eggplant into long strips 1/4 inch thick. I like to cut both the top and bottom so I can put it straight. Then I will pass my knife down along making long pieces. Try to get evenly cut pieces, as this will ensure even cooking.
Then salt the eggplant and dry to remove the liquid and salt. Then the stratification process begins. Place 1/2-1 cup of sauce to cover the bottom of the pot.
If necessary, mix the first layer of sauce with 1 cup of water. You want a liquid sauce and adding the water will help ensure it cooks and you don’t get the burn notice on your Instant Pot.
<img src="https://eatthegains.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Instant-Pot-Eggplant-Parmesan-2.jpg" alt="
Large baking dish with eggplant slices next to a small white bowl of salt.” /> 
Place a layer with a few slices of eggplant, covering the bottom, another 1/2 cup of sauce and cheese. Continue until you no longer have eggplants. I had 3 layers of eggplant, but I have also used smaller eggplants getting 5 layers.
The number of layers doesn’t matter, you just need to make sure you have enough cheese and sauce.
Put your Instant Pot in manual mode at high pressure for 10 minutes. You can release the pressure manually or let it release naturally, I found that the pressure is naturally released in about 5 minutes anyway.
<img src="https://eatthegains.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Instant-Pot-Eggplant-Parmesan-4.jpg" alt="Layers of healthy eggplant Parmesan in an instant pot covered with a layer of marinara sauce." /
> 
Troubleshooting Instant Pot Eggplant Parmesan
I have made this recipe countless times and have never had a problem with it not cooking or receiving the burn notice on my Instant Pot. Unfortunately, that’s not the case for many of you. Here’s some time to help:
Make sure you’re using enough
sauce
You should make sure to completely cover the bottom of the pan with sauce. If you don’t, you risk burning your Instant Pot and eggplant. You also want a waterier sauce.
I
found that a heaping 1/2 cup worked perfectly for my 8QT Instant Pot every time I tried and made this recipe. But if you feel like you need more, add more! Or mix your sauce with water as follows.
Make sure your sauce is
watery
You want a watery/liquid sauce. This ensures that there is enough liquid in the pot, it will rise to the temperature and cook the eggplant, and you will not receive the burn notice in your instant pot.
Add water to your sauce If
your sauce
isn’t liquid enough, or if you’re not sure if it is, add water. I suggest mixing the sauce that goes in the bottom layer with 1 cup of water. Again, this will help you not receive the burn notice.
Note that I have never had this problem, but it was suggested by the Instant Pot team as people have problems with this recipe.
If you have problems with this recipe, watch this step-by-step video.
Unfortunately, when I contacted Instant Pot to see if they could help, here’s what they had to say. “Also, all Instant Pots are not created equal and therefore results may vary depending on how some people can cook it perfectly, as others cannot.”
This really baffles me as to how you can make an appliance where you can’t guarantee the same results, but I guess you can.
What can I serve with Instant Pot Egg Eggplant Parmesan?
For the best experience, I would serve eggplant parmesan with a side of crusty bread, some pasta and a salad. This dish is naturally low in carbohydrates due to the fact that it is not 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 can also use white rice to keep it gluten-free. We’ve served it with anything from gluten-free pasta, rice, salad, bread, and more vegetables. Anything will work!
Can I bake
healthy Parmesan eggplant / bake it in the oven?
If you don’t have an Instant Pot, I think this recipe would work well to be baked. Follow the instructions, simply use a glass baking dish instead of your Instant Pot. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30-35 minutes until the eggplant is tender and the cheese melts.
If your
sauce looks watery after cooking If
you
open your Instant Pot and there seems to be a lot of liquid in the pot, don’t be alarmed. The eggplant gives off a little water and combined with the sauce, there will be liquid in the pot.
Once you cut the eggplant Parmigiana and remove it, there’s really not much left. We love to put the sauce on top of the eggplant or pasta, because who doesn’t love the sauce?
If necessary, you can place your Instant Pot in sauté mode for a couple of 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 a little.
Can you make this dairy-free?
While I haven’t tried it, you could upload a vegan, dairy-free cheese if you want. I would just make sure it melts however you want to get the sticky, melted consistency of the cheese in the eggplant.
More 30-minute One Pot meals:
Pumpkin Noodles with Shrimp and Crab Curry with
Curry and Peanut Sauce
Whole30 Alfredo Chicken & Broccoli
Sun-dried creamy tomato pasta
Pan shrimp fajitas
This post may contain affiliate links and I can earn little money if I click and buy the products that are linked. It doesn’t cost you extra money. Compensation helps with expenses to keep ETG running. I really appreciate your support!
