Grilled Eggplant
Grilled vegetables are my go to side dish for any summer barbecue. They are incredibly easy to prepare, go with just about anything, and can be made in advance. While most people grill zucchini, peppers and onions, my absolute favourite vegetable to grill is eggplant.
Grilled eggplant (or melanzane, aubergine or brinjals depending on where in the world you are from) can be a tricky vegetable to cook. Too much oil and it becomes slimey, cut too thick and it has an unpleasant texture.
It took me a trip to Italy where I spent time watching the way the locals prepared it before I finally learned how to grill eggplant.
It all starts with salting which is meant to draw bitterness out of the slices. I find that salting is required for larger “meaty” eggplant, and is a step that can easily be skipped for the smaller sized ones.
The next step is to quickly dip them in a mixture of olive oil, herbs and garlic which helps stop them from drying out when grilled. After grilling, toss them back into the oil and herb mixture again which gives them added flavour.
This grilled eggplant can be used in an endless number of ways. Serve them warm as a side dish, cold as part of an antipasti platter, chopped and added into a salad or you can even use them as a base for hamburgers or bruschetta.
The eggplant will last for about 4 days in the fridge so I recommend making a big batch. I like snacking on slices straight from the fridge and tossing them into my salads. I used thick slices as a base for lamb burgers and they were incredibly delicious as a healthy bun substitute.
If you make this recipe let me know in the comment section below, I would love to hear what you think or take a photo and tag me (@everylastbite1) on Instagram, I love seeing your photos!
Grilled Eggplant with Garlic & Herbs
Leave a Review »Ingredients
- 2 eggplants
- 2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic crushed
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh oregano
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
- Cut the eggplant into 1/4 inch thick slices and generously salt each slice. Let them rest for about 15 minutes so that the salt can draw out the moisture and bitterness. Wipe each of the slices with a paper towel to remove the salt and moisture.
- Preheat the barbecue to medium heat
- In a large dish combine the olive oil, garlic, parsley, oregano, salt and pepper. Place each of the eggplant slices in the dish, flipping them over to ensure both sides are covered in oil.
- Grill for approximately 6 minutes per side until golden in colour with grill marks. If the eggplant slices become dry and stick to the grill, brush them with more oil.
- Once the eggplant is tender and cooked. Remove from the grill and return back to oil, herb and garlic mixture in the pan. Flip once so that both sides are coated before transferring to a serving platter. Spoon any of the excess herbs & garlic overtop before serving. The eggplant can be enjoyed hot or at room temperature and will last for up to 4 days in the fridge.
Can you use indoor grill!
Yes definitely! A grill pan or sandwich press would also work well
I was cooking for 30 people. I thought to try this recipe as part of the appettizers. It was such an amazing success. I used it for “montados” on a slice of baguette and tomato. Everyone kept coming for more.
What a fantastic way to serve them! Sounds delicious
Delicious, need to monitor the grill next time, can overcook easliy.
Will be making again soon, thank you
Thanks for the feedback David! Happy you enjoyed it!
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Absolutely the best grilled eggplant!
Thank you!!
Estimated calories for a serving (4 slices?)
Unfortunately I dont calculate nutrition and prefer to stick to simply using real ingredients, but if you are looking for the nutritional info I recommend trying the App RecipeIQ, its free and all you have to do is take a photo of the recipe and it calculates everything for you in seconds. Here is a link to it https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/recipeiq-recipe-calculator/id1213761554
This was delicious. Will definitely make again!
Thanks for the comment Robin!
Oh my goodness! This is delicious! My husband grows eggplant in our home garden. Until now, my favorite recipe was Maria Emmerich ‘s healthified refried “beans” (eggplant recipe sub for refried beans on Mexican food night). Thank you for this deliciousness! Have you tried freezing it?
Thanks for the comment Judy! Unfortunately I have no tried freezing these so can’t say with 100% certainty how they will turn out
This was outstanding!! It’s both flavorful and easy to make. It is now my new go-to recipe for eggplant.
Thank you so much for sharing!
Awesome! So happy to hear that!
These were amazing! I had a small eggplant and they crisped up almost like eggplant chips. Can’t wait to make them again!
Awesome! So happy to hear that they were a hit Christine!
Delicious!
So happy they you enjoyed them Diane!
I made it for the first time! Super easy and great taste!
Very tasty. I used them on grilled pizza. I wish I made more because they do shrink quite a bit. They are also attractive enough to impress guests just by sight alone.
I have such trouble grilling these, been doing it forever but yours look superior. I will definitely be trying your way. I also do this an chop it up an add to cooked pasta, ricotta, some EVOO, grated Parmesan with cheesy garlic bread
ooohh that pasta sounds incredible! Let me know if you give these a try, would love to know what you think
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Way to oily. And we did not re dip.
Came out amazing. I followed your recipe exactly. Thanks!
Yea! So glad you enjoyed it!
Is it OK if I share this recipe with an online health community? I would give you credit for the recipe.
We had this last night-made lots for the week but eveyone devoured it! delicious-will use this recipe often during grilling season. Thanks for a new way to serve eggplant.
Awesome! So happy to hear it was a hit Sally!
I really like eggplant, your recipe is great, thank you for sharing.
Thank you Marcy!
Fabulous… from not a fan of eggplant.
Followes precisely. Thought they were going to be too oily but it all cooks off for the most part.
I’ll bre adding grilled eggplant tho my grilled veggie repertoire. Thanks!
Awesome! So happy to hear that they turned out well Candace!
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Made it, loved it, plan to make it again and again!
Haha this is the kind of comment I LOVE to receive 😄
Awesome!!
This is excellent!! I did the oven version and I’m looking forward to making it on the grill too.
So happy to hear they turned out well in the oven!
I have not experimented with eggplant a lot and would love to try this ! But I don’t have a grill, do you have any recommendations for other ways to make these?
You could use a grill pan or alternatively cook them in the oven for about 20 minutes at 400F (200C), flipping half way through.
Would love that recipe! Eggplant stack