Keto Eggplant Lasagna

This easy keto eggplant lasagna is a delicious and low-carb alternative to traditional lasagna. With layers of tender eggplant slices, rich meaty marinara sauce, and melted mozzarella cheese, this dish is sure to satisfy your cravings without the carbs.

Table of Contents

• Ingredients
• How To Make Keto Eggplant Lasagna
• Tips And Variations
• Frequently Asked Questions
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Reviews

Anything layered with my rich homemade tomato sauce and packed full of herby flavor is a winner in our kitchen! This keto eggplant lasagna is a breeze to make and high in protein to keep bellies fuller and satisfied for longer. Dried oregano and fresh basil bring tastes of Italy, while parmesan and mozzarella ensure everything becomes a melty, juicy, layered dinner for any night of the week.

Eggplant is the star of the show in this lasagna, and it’s incredible how well it replaces traditional lasagna sheets. The flavorful meat sauce and tender slices of eggplant help keep the lasagna low-carb without missing out on silky texture or depth of flavor. Ground beef or turkey works well in the sauce, giving each ingredient a richness that can’t be beaten on a cold evening.

Replacing the meat with keto-friendly vegetables is great for vegetarians or meat-free Mondays! With a prep time of 20 minutes and a cooking time of 45 minutes, our keto eggplant lasagna can go from oven to table in less than an hour.

Ingredients

• Eggplant: Sliced eggplant is the perfect replacement for pasta sheets as it absorbs flavor impeccably whilst helping give the lasagna a stable structure. There’s no need to peel the eggplant, as leaving the skin on adds texture and a tasty, nutritious boost.
• Ground Beef or Turkey: Meat is an excellent source of protein, but it also makes the eggplant lasagna a substantial meal that’s sure to feed the whole family. Ground beef or turkey is ideal as both melt into the tomato sauce, creating a thick mixture to layer in between the eggplant.
• Tomato/Marinara Sauce: Use my homemade low-carb tomato/marinara sauce for this recipe! It helps the keto lasagna become lusciously thick and smooth. Tomato and fresh basil are a match made perfect. Bursting with vibrant Italian flavors, this lasagna would be lost without it.
• Parmesan: Tangy parmesan cuts through the richness of the lasagna sauce whilst also adding a little nuttiness. Sprinkling some parmesan in between the layers of eggplant and meat sauce melts everything together beautifully, so each mouthful is decadent and moorish.
• Mozzarella: Mozzarella is known for melting deliciously, and in a hot oven, nothing beats the smell of oozy, molten cheese. Using both parmesan and mozzarella in the eggplant lasagna creates rich and complex flavors and saltiness.
• Eggs: Pouring combined egg and mozzarella over the lasagna adds yet another layer of taste and texture. The mozzarella and eggs create a savory mixture that, once exposed to the heat of the oven, becomes golden, bubbly, and inviting.
• Basil: Just two tablespoons of fresh basil is enough to add earthiness and vibrancy to the lasagna. Fresh basil can be chopped up small and incorporated into the sauce, or if you don’t have fresh herbs to hand, dried basil works wonders, too.
• Oregano: The slightly bitter taste of oregano helps create a well-rounded flavor in the keto lasagna whilst also adding aesthetic flecks of forest green. A tablespoon is enough to bring a gentle oregano flavor to the dish, remaining balanced with each of the other ingredients.
• Olive Oil: Cooking the lasagna sauce with oil is vital to stop the meat from sticking to the pan. The ground turkey or beef can instead become brown and tender, ready to absorb the fresh flavors of tomato, basil, and oregano.
• Salt And Pepper: Forgetting to season a dish isn’t the end of the world, but it sure does help flavors remain balanced. Grinding salt and pepper into the lasagna may seem like a small step, but both ingredients help bring together all the individual elements in the meal.

How To Make Keto Eggplant Lasagna

Our keto eggplant lasagna can be put together in just 20 minutes and needs less than an hour in a hot oven to make the eggplant tender and flavorful. It’s tempting to dive straight into this tasty dish, but it’s wise to let it cook for a few minutes as the cheese will be scolding, and the lasagna will firm up a little for easier slicing.

Step one: Preheat the oven to 375℉ (190℃) and heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Allow the pan to get nice and hot before adding ground beef or turkey.

Step two: As the meat becomes lightly browned, juices and excess fat will start to appear. Drain any of the additional fat away, as it can make the lasagna too rich and oily, and break up the meat with a wooden spoon.

Step three: Using dried oregano, salt, and pepper, season the meat and add the tomato/marinara sauce, stirring thoroughly to disperse the flavorful chunks of meat around the pan. Reduce the heat and allow the sauce to simmer for 10 minutes.

Step four: Take a 9x13-inch pan and grease it with a little olive oil so the lasagna doesn’t stick too badly while it’s in the oven. Once the meat sauce has thickened, it’s time to get layering.

Step five: Half of the eggplant slices can be layered in the bottom of the pan before being lightly coated with a dusting of fresh basil and parmesan. Only use half of the cheese and basil, as you’ll need the rest for another lasagna layer.

Step six: Spoon the meat sauce onto the cheese and herb-coated eggplant, repeating the layering process with the rest of the eggplant slices, parmesan, basil, and meaty tomato sauce.

Step seven: Allow the pan to sit for a few minutes while whisking the eggs and mozzarella together. Once combined, the cheesy mixture can be poured over the lasagna and gently encouraged to each edge with a spatula.

Step eight: Cover the oven dish with foil and put the lasagna in the oven for 30 minutes. The foil can then be removed, and the lasagna placed back in the oven for 15 minutes to guarantee a bubbly, golden final layer.

Tips And Variations

Keto Vegetarian Eggplant Lasagna: Creating a keto-friendly vegetarian eggplant lasagna is a breeze! Omitting meat from the tomato sauce is the only change needed. The meat can be replaced with keto-friendly vegetables such as diced bell pepper, zucchini, and mushrooms.

Keto Zucchini Lasagna: It’s hard to find a vegetable able to create perfect lasagna layers other than eggplant. Zucchini, however, is a surprisingly ideal alternative, and thinly sliced, it produces very similar results to eggplant.

Ground Chicken Variation: If you don’t have ground beef to hand or simply would prefer to use a different meat, ground chicken is a tasty alternative. Ground chicken can be cooked in the same way as ground beef in our keto-friendly lasagna and will still produce a delicious eggplant dinner.

Chili Variation: Nothing livens up a dish more than chili, and adding a little dried cayenne or chili flakes into the tomato sauce is a simple and effective way to achieve some heat. Just be sure your guests are happy with a kick in their lasagna, as dried chili flakes can really spice things up!

Frequently Asked Questions

📖 Recipe