Deep Fried Lasagna
It’s hard to imagine how anything could make lasagna any more awesome, right? I mean, this dish already has everything.
Tender noodles. Hearty, savory ground beef. Zesty marinara sauce. Creamy ricotta and melted mozzarella. All layered together so you get every one of these fabulous flavors in every forkful. What could possibly make that better?
I’ll tell you what: deep frying.
I know it sounds crazy, but it’s for real. You just take a whole, frozen lasagna, cut it into pieces, and coat each piece in flour, egg, and breadcrumbs. Then fry the pieces one by one in hot oil until they’re crisp and golden brown. Now you have all those same fabulous lasagna layers, but with an extra layer of crunchy breading on top. You can eat it with a fork, cutting through the crisp outer layer to release the melting cheese and oozing sauce within. Or you can pick up the whole piece in your hand and eat it like a sandwich, with dipping sauce on the side.
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It’s the same lasagna you know and love, but with the crunch of a good French fry on the outside. Everyone’s favorite Italian meal, only even better.
How to make Deep Fried Lasagna
- Remove lasagna from packaging and set out to thaw for 30 minutes-1 hour before preparing. The lasagna does not need to thaw completely (see notes) but it does need to thaw a bit so that a knife can cut through it.
- Cut lasagna into 6 or more equal pieces and set aside. Smaller pieces will cook more quickly and are great for appetizers. We cut dinner size portions – each frozen lasagna will make about 6 large portions.
- Begin heating the cooking oil in a heavy stock pot or Dutch oven. Heat the oil to 350°F (this takes about 15 minutes.) Clip a candy thermometer onto the side of the pan so that you can maintain an even cooking temperature.
- While the oil is heating, prepare a dredging station. Combine the flour, salt, and pepper in a shallow bowl. Whisk together the milk and eggs in a second shallow bowl. Combine breadcrumbs and the grated cheese in a third bowl.
- Working with one piece of lasagna at a time, dip the lasagna square into the flour mixture, coating on each side. Move the piece into the milk/egg mixture and dip on each side, ensuring that all sides are wet. Finally, place the lasagna into the breadcrumbs, again coating on each side.
- Set the battered lasagna pieces on a sheet pan.
- When the oil is heated, add the lasagna, one or two at a time and fry until deep golden brown on all sides. Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and set them on paper towels or brown paper bags to soak up the excess oil.
- IMPORTANT: When cooking larger pieces of lasagna, they will not heat all the way through in the short time they are in the fry oil. If the internal temperature of the lasagna does not reach 165°F in the oil, simply place the fried pieces on a sheet pan and bake at 350°F for 15 minutes. The breading will stay crisp and delicious and this will finish cooking the lasagna all the way through. Smaller pieces of lasagna (bite-size or up to 2” squares) will cook through during the time in the frying oil.
- Serve lasagna hot with freshly grated parmesan cheese, marinara dipping sauce, and/or a sprinkle of parsley.
- Storage: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat by baking on a sheet of aluminum foil at 350°F for 15 minutes.
Recipe Tips
- Be sure that the oil is at least 6” deep.
- You can season plain breadcrumbs by adding a teaspoon of Italian seasoning.
- If the temperature of the oil is too cold, the lasagna will soak up too much oil while cooking. If it’s too hot, it will burn.
- Cutting a frozen lasagna can be challenging, which is why we recommend allowing it to thaw partially before slicing.
- Breading the lasagna becomes more challenging as it thaws. You can set out the lasagna for 30 minutes-1 hour, then cut into pieces, bread them while still frozen, and then deep fry them later. The quickest overall method is to bread and fry them while still frozen and then pop them into the oven for 15 minutes for a final cook through.
Here are more Lasagna Recipes we love:
Deep Fried Lasagna
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Ingredients
- 1 frozen lasagna
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 cup milk
- 3 large eggs
- 2 cups Italian herb breadcrumbs
- 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese plus more for garnish
- 6-8 cups vegetable oil or vegetable shortening for frying
- Fresh parsley finely chopped (for garnish)
Instructions
- Remove lasagna from packaging and set out to thaw for 30 minutes-1 hour before preparing.
- The lasagna does not need to thaw completely (see notes) but it does need to thaw a bit so that a
- knife can cut through it. Cut lasagna into 6 or more equal pieces and set aside. Smaller pieces will cook more quickly and are great for appetizers. We cut dinner size portions - each frozen lasagna will make about 6 large portions.
- Begin heating the cooking oil in a heavy stock pot or Dutch oven. Heat the oil to 350°F (this takes about 15 minutes.) Clip a candy thermometer onto the side of the pan so that you can maintain an even cooking temperature.
- While the oil is heating, prepare a dredging station. Combine the flour, salt, and pepper in a shallow bowl. Whisk together the milk and eggs in a second shallow bowl. Combine breadcrumbs and the grated cheese in a third bowl.
- Working with one piece of lasagna at a time, dip the lasagna square into the flour mixture, coating on each side. Move the piece into the milk/egg mixture and dip on each side, ensuring that all sides are wet. Finally, place the lasagna into the breadcrumbs, again coating on each side.
- Set the battered lasagna pieces on a sheet pan.
- When the oil is heated, add the lasagna, one or two at a time and fry until deep golden brown on all
- sides. Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and set them on paper towels or brown paper bags
- to soak up the excess oil.
- IMPORTANT: When cooking larger pieces of lasagna, they will not heat all the way through in the
- short time they are in the fry oil. If the internal temperature of the lasagna does not reach 165°F in the oil, simply place the fried pieces on a sheet pan and bake at 350°F for 15 minutes. The breading will stay crisp and delicious and this will finish cooking the lasagna all the way through. Smaller pieces of lasagna (bite-size or up to 2” squares) will cook through during the time in the frying oil.
- Serve lasagna hot with freshly grated parmesan cheese, marinara dipping sauce, and/or a sprinkle of parsley.
- Storage: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat by baking on a sheet of aluminum foil at 350°F for 15 minutes.
Video
Notes
Nutritional Disclaimer: Family Fresh Meals is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.
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