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.
Unfortunately 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 they become slimy, cut too thick and they have an unpleasant chunky 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.
Table of Contents
How to make this grilled 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.
Why you will love these grilled eggplant:
- They are tender in the middle and develop a nice char on the edges
- By dipping the eggplant slices into the garlic and herb oil before grilling, they absorb a lot of the oil which gives the eggplant so much flavour
- Unlike other grilled vegetables such as zucchini, these grilled eggplant last a few days in the fridge without becoming mushy. The leftovers are incredibly versatile and can be enjoyed in a variety of different ways (see more below)
- They are low carb and tick the majority of healthy boxes including Keto, Whole30, Vegan, Paleo and SCD Legal
Ways to serve the grilled eggplant:
- Serve warm as a side dish
- Serve cold as part of an antipasti platter or chopped up and added into a salad
- Use as a base for bruschetta topped with pesto, prosciutto or any of your other favourite bruschetta toppings
- Use two thick slices as “buns” for burgers. They are especially delicious with Greek lamb burgers
Love grilled vegetables? Here are a few other grilled vegetable recipes you might enjoy:
- Charred Broccolini with Lemon Tahini Sauce
- Grilled Asian Asparagus & Scallions
- Grilled Portobello Mushrooms with Walnut Arugula Pesto
- BBQ Cauliflower Steaks with Chimichurri
- Asian Grilled Eggplant
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 (@everylastbite_) on Instagram, I love seeing your photos!
Grilled Eggplant with Garlic & Herbs
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
- 1/4 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.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Tried This Recipe?
Leave a comment below and let us know how it was!
This was too salty and too oily for my taste. I didn’t even add the salt to the dip mixture since the eggplant was salted to sweat the slices. I don’t think I will try this again.
We had this for dinner and it was delicious. We will definitely have again.
With a sprinkling of parmesan, I had no leftovers. Great resipe, thanks!
So delicious came out looking like yours I did sprinkle pecorino on top
Can I make this recipe in the oven instead of on a grill?
thank you for sharing the eggplant recipe it was delicious .
Tried the grilled eggplant recipe last night, used eggplant, garlic, and fresh herbs from my garden it was easy, favorable, didn’t stick to the grill, and paired wonderfully with steak.
Easy, delicious amazing
Turned out delicious but a bit salty. Next time I make this I will omit salt from the olive oil combo.
I think this recipe nails the flavors, but 1/2 cup of oil turned out to be way too much. After sweating the eggplant and wiping with paper toweling, they soaked in the oil like sponges, and it was instant heartburn for me. I will try rinsing with water after sweating, and substitute my favorite vegetable broth for the oil next time. Thank you for helping me brave the grill!
These turned out pretty good. Super easy instructions and ingredients. We were super excited to cook our first harvest of eggplant from the garden.
So a few things on this…. We didn’t have any Propane left so we ended up baking them. I’m sure they are even better grilled though. Next time…. and I dont know if it is because we baked them that 2 things happened. 1. They ended up pretty salty. At least to my taste buds. (Maybe I need to wipe them off more? Or maybe because the oil mix was able to stay on the cookie sheet and they just “boiled” in it?) 2. They shrunk a lot. I kept them pretty close to the 1/4 inch but they ended up like a 16th….. Again not sure if it was because we had to bake them. But we like a more meaty eggplant.
Needless to say, it was easy, fast and fun to experiment and we can’t wait to try it again. Both ways but with adjustments.