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This breaded and deep fried lasagna is the best way to eat lasagna. Cut your frozen lasagna into pieces and fry them to perfection.
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If you’ve never had deep fried lasagna you’re missing out. And we’re not talking about the fried lasagna rolls served as appetizers at the Olive Garden. I’m talking about a real piece of lasagna, deep fried oozy gooey goodness!
Table of Contents
This is the ultimate comfort food. We’ve made these so many times and the whole family loves them! They’re easy to make and oh so tasty. Moreover, you can even make them into fried lasagna bites to serve as an appetizer at a dinner party.
What Is Deep Fried Lasagna?
When you think of deep fried lasagna you might think of some deep fried lasagna noodle rolls you can get at some restaurants. Olive Garden fried lasagna isn’t half as good as this one! This is a real lasagna, deep fried. We cut this into dinner size portions so they cook through but this is the real deal. If you try this you’ll never want to eat lasagna another way!
Why You’ll Love This
- Notable: It’s lasagna, only better!
- Main Ingredients: frozen lasagna, Italian bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, egg, milk, all-purpose flour and spices
- Cooking Method: Deep Fry
- Cooking Time: 15 minutes prep time, 15 minutes cook time
- Pairs well with: fresh crunchy salad, crusty white bread, garlic bread, marinara sauce
- Special Equipment Needed: high heat thermometer or candy thermometer, large deep skillet or dutch oven, knife and cutting board, 3 separate shallow bowls, slotted spoon
Ingredients
You may have all of these ingredients for this deep fried lasagna in your refrigerator or pantry and not need to make a trip to the grocery store! If this is your first time making this fried lasagna recipe you might want to read the possible variations before deciding on your ingredients.
Deep Fried Lasagna Ingredients
- 1 large frozen lasagna
- 2 cups Italian bread crumbs
- 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 3 large eggs
- ½cup milk
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper or white pepper
- frying oil
Optional Garnish
Fresh parsley, fresh basil, parmesan cheese
Variations and Substitutions
Lasagna: Buy a frozen lasagna from Costco or use your own frozen or chilled leftovers from our easy lasagna recipe. I love our easy lasagna because it has spicy Italian sausage and ground beef plus ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, mozzarella, lasagna noodle and the flavors are perfect! Or you can make this classic lasagna with cottage cheese.
Bread Crumbs: Substitute normal bread crumbs mixed with a teaspoon of Italian seasoning in a pinch.
Frying Oil: When frying it is important to use an oil with a high smoke point like vegetable, canola, or peanut oil. Oils with a low smoke point may cause an odd taste in your food.
WHAT TO MAKE NEXT: If you love Olive Garden inspired copycat recipes, try our Crockpot Olive Garden Chicken Pasta. You’ll love it because this Italian chicken and pasta is creamy, comforting and bursting with flavor.
Andrea Says…
One of the craziest and best sandwiches I’ve ever had was a grilled cheese deep fried lasagna sandwich. Just sandwich your deep fried lasagna between two pieces of bread with mozzarella cheese and grill as you would a grilled cheese sandwich. This is a meal to share!
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Dutch Oven — We love using adutch oven to make this delicious deep fried lasagna but any large saucepan or heavy stock pot would work well too. In case you own a deep fryer, you can also use that.
Thermometer – Use a candy thermometer or this versatile thermometer to check the temperature of the frying oil.
Instructions
This section shows how to deep fry lasagna on the stovetop, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique. For full step-by-step instructions, photos and nutritional information see the recipe in the recipe card below.
PREHEAT OIL: Firstly, heat oil in a large heavy pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Using a candy thermometer, make sure the oil is between 350°F and 375°F.
CUT FROZEN LASAGNA: Remove your lasagna from the freezer and leave on the counter for 30 minutes before cutting. Then cut your frozen lasagna into 2″ squares. You can even cut lasagna triangles, however, make sure you cut equal pieces. While smaller pieces of lasagna will cook all the way through while frying, large portions will need to be cooked longer in the oven once fried.
PREPARE DREDGING STATION: In a shallow dish, mix flour, salt and pepper. In a second shallow bowl whisk egg and milk together, to make an egg wash. Then combine breadcrumbs and grated parmesan cheese in a third bowl.
BATTER LASAGNA PIECES: Firstly, coat each piece of lasagna in the flour mixture. Afterwards dredge the pieces in the egg mixture. Turn to coat all sides and edges. Finally, coat each piece in the breadcrumb mixture. Use your hands to thoroughly coat the lasagna with each coat.
DEEP FRY: Make sure your oil is between 350°F and 375°F. Then deep fry each piece of lasagna until golden brown. You will need to fry these battered lasagna pieces in batches. Remove lasagna from oil and place on a wire rack or paper towel-lined sheet pan to drain excess oil.
CHECK TEMPERATURE: Afterward, use a kitchen thermometer to test the internal temperature of the lasagna. If it is not at least 160°F put it on a baking sheet and give it a final cook in the oven for 15 minutes at 350°F. Serve this comforting dinner topped with fresh herbs and parmesan cheese.
WHAT TO MAKE NEXT: In case you are looking for a yummy drink to serve with this indulgent twist on a classic lasagna, then try our most amazing Red Wine Sangria. It is a bold, fruity blend of red wine, citrus, and strawberry with a hint of booze and bubbles!
Stef Says…
Drizzle some marinara sauce on top of your deep fried lasagna. Or plate it on top of marinara sauce for dipping.
Recipe Tips
Follow these tips to make the best deep fried lasagna.
- Tip: Only use good frozen lasagna. That way you can be sure the pieces wont fall apart while deep frying.
- Tip: Make sure your cooking oil is at the right temperature of 350-375ºF. Try to keep an even cooking temperature throughout the cooking process.
- Tip: Check the inside temperature of the fried lasagna. Larger pieces of lasagna might need a couple of minutes in the oven to be fully cooked through.
What To Serve With Deep Fried Lasagna
We love to eat fried lasagna bites all by themselves. But sometimes you need to serve it as a meal. Try one of these delicious recipes:
Bread: Serve homemade fried lasagna with crusty bread or soft dinner rolls. Garlic French Breadis made with fresh parmesan cheese and store-bought french bread. If you have extra time makePizza Dough Garlic Knots. These delicious garlic knots are brushed with butter, seasoning and parmesan.
Salad: Pair this fun twist on a traditional lasagna with a fresh salad. A green salad like our fabulousItalian SaladorAntipasto Tortellini Salad. Or even aCaprese Saladwith tomatoes, mozzarella and basil. If you are serving this yummy pasta dish during the summer, serve it with Stef’s incrediblePeach Burrata Salad.
Easy Italian Salad Recipe With Homemade Salad Dressing
Easy Homemade Garlic Knots Recipe
Tortellini Pasta Salad Recipe
Garlic French Bread
More Italian Recipes
If you love Italian food as much as we do, then you have to try these other scrumptious Italian inspired dinners:
Easy Lasagna
Easy Dump And Bake Meatball Pasta Casserole
Baked Ravioli
The Best Italian Meatballs
How To Store
Refrigerate: Store leftover lasagna in an airtight container or ziploc bag and refrigerate for up to 3 days if you can’t eat it the next day.
Freeze: Store in an airtight, freezer-safe, container or freezer bag. If you’re storing in a zip top plastic bag, try to get as much air out as possible. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Defrosting: A great way to thaw deep fried lasagna leftovers is in the refrigerator overnight.
How To Reheat
Reheat: The best way to reheat leftovers is in the oven at 350°F until heated through. Alternatively you can reheat leftover lasagna in the air fryer.
Common Questions
Can you reheat deep fried lasagna in the air fryer?
Yes, by all means. Keep an eye on it because you don’t want it to over crisp.
Can I make this if my lasagna isn’t frozen?
We’ve tried many ways to make deep fried lasagna. We found the best results came from frozen lasagna. However, if your lasagna isn’t frozen, a quick trip to the freezer should help a lot. Freezing it keeps the layers together so it doesn’t all slip apart while frying.
Is deep fried lasagna the same as lasagna fritta?
Lasagna fritta is an appetizer found at Olive Garden, an American Italian restaurant. However, this is not the same as Olive Garden lasagna fritta. We think that without a doubt, these fried lasagna bites are 100% better!
Can you fry lasagna noodles?
Yes, you can fry just the lasagna noodles. Cook them first then follow our steps to coat in flour, egg wash and bread crumbs. Then fry as directed in our instructions. You could also try the air fryer.
Does it matter what temperature my oil is?
Yes! Make sure you have the fry oil at the correct 375 ºF temperature before you start frying. If your oil is too cold the lasagna will absorb too much oil while cooking and become oily. If the cooking oil is too hot the piece of lasagna will burn on the outside, while staying undercooked on the inside. We recommend checking the hot oil withthis versatile thermometer.
Learn 5 ways to cook a frozen Costco Lasagna!
5 from 43 votes
The Best Deep Fried Lasagna Recipe
Author Andrea + Stef
Course dinner, Main Dish
Cuisine American, Italian
Prep Time 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes minutes
Total Time 30 minutes minutes
12 Pieces
This breaded and deep fried lasagna is the best way to eat lasagna. Cut your frozen lasagna into pieces and fry them to perfection.
Equipment
dutch oven or large skillet
high heat thermometer
knife and cutting board
3 shallow dishes
slotted spoon
Ingredients
- 1 Large Frozen Lasagna
- 2 cups Italian bread crumbs
- 1 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese
- 3 eggs
- ½ cup milk
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
Heat your frying oil in a large heavy pot or dutch oven. Using a candy thermometer, heat oil to between 350°F and 375°F.
Cut your frozen lasagna into 2"-4" pieces. You can even cut lasagna triangles. The smaller pieces will cook all the way through while frying. Larger pieces will need to be cooked longer in the oven once fried.
In one shallow bowl or shallow dish, mix flour, salt and pepper.In the second shallow bowl combine breadcrumbs and grated parmesan cheese. In a third bowl whisk egg and milk together.
Coat the piece of lasagna in the flour mixture first. Next, coat the piece in the egg wash. Finally, thoroughly coat the piece in the breadcrumb mixture.
Make sure your oil is between 350°F and 375°F.Deep fry the piece of lasagna until golden brown, approximately 3-4 minutes.
Remove lasagna from oil and place on a paper towel to drain.
Use a kitchen thermometer to test the internal temperature of the lasagna. If you cut larger pieces it likely is not hot enough. If it is not at least 160°F put in the oven for 15 minutes at 350°F.
Notes
- Use your. hands to thoroughly coat the lasagna with each coat. Gently press the flour mixture and the breadcrumb mixture onto top, bottom and sides of the lasagna piece. This will help it adhere to the lasagna and not fall apart while frying.
- Sometimes omitting salt is fine in a recipe. We’ve tried this with and without and agree that it’s much better with the salt!
- Remove your lasagna from the freezer and leave on the counter for 30 minutes before cutting. Frozen lasagna can be difficult to cut through. Alternatively, cut defrosted lasagna then freeze.
- Try using the air fryer! Instead of deep frying try using the air fryer.
Nutrition
Calories: 339kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 49mg | Sodium: 609mg | Potassium: 99mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 187IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 149mg | Iron: 2mg
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