32 Delicious Eggplant Recipes That Everyone Will Love

Braised, stewed, puréed, grilled, and fried eggplant recipes to make the most of this versatile vegetable.

Think eggplant has to be stringy, bitter, greasy, or bland? Chances are you've just never had it cooked right. All it takes to make eggplant appealing is a little know-how, whether you're grilling it, roasting it, sautéing it, or blending it into a smooth dip. We especially like it when it's smoky and charred from intense direct heat.

If you still need a little convincing, if you're already an eggplant lover and your garden is abundant with eggplant, or if your overwhelmed neighbors are constantly throwing their eggplant bounty your way, these 32 recipes will rescue you.

We've got miso-glazed eggplant slices topping a burger, crisp fried eggplant smothered with tahini, eggplant packed into sabich sandwiches, and the creamiest, richest baba ganoush. Read on for more ways to enjoy this versatile nightshade.

This colorful, brunch-friendly dish of baked eggs perched in a nest of sautéed summer vegetables walks a fine line between hash and ratatouille.

Burnt Eggplant and Bell Pepper Dip

This roasted eggplant and red bell pepper dip is rich and bright with distinct smoky notes. Cumin and coriander add spice, while lentils and cashews add body.

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Kashk-o-Bādemjān (Persian Braised Eggplant With Kashk)

This silky mixture of twice-cooked eggplant with tangy kashk, fried onions, garlic, and dried mint is a mainstay on most Persian restaurant menus.

Get Recipe: Kashk-o-Bādemjān (Persian Braised Eggplant With Kashk)

Chinese Eggplant Salad

Make this salad with long, narrow Chinese eggplants and dress with this "all-purpose" Chinese-style vinaigrette that's spiced up with chili oil. It's topped with herbaceous scallion greens and minced garlic.

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Sabich Sandwiches (Pitas With Eggplant, Eggs, Hummus, and Tahini)

Move over, falafel, there's a new sandwich in town! The sabich is a popular Tel Aviv street snack that eats like a meal—a warm, thick pita, split and stuffed with fried eggplant slices, hard-boiled egg, hummus, tahini sauce, Israeli cucumber and tomato salad, and Mediterranean-style pickles.

Get Recipe: Sabich Sandwiches (Pitas With Eggplant, Eggs, Hummus, and Tahini)

Italian-Style Eggplant Parmesan (Melanzane alla Parmigiana)

Compared to its bread-crumb-laden Italian-American cousin, Italian-style eggplant parm is lighter and smoother. We start by frying eggplant slices, uncoated, then layer them with a simple tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, and fresh oregano leaves.

Get Recipe: Melanzane alla Parmigiana (Italian-Style Eggplant Parmesan)

Gaji-Namul (Korean Marinated Eggplant Banchan)

Gaji-namul is a classic summer banchan of steamed eggplant marinated with soy sauce, garlic, and sesame oil, garnished with scallions and toasted sesame seeds. It's traditionally served chilled, making it the perfect vegetable side dish to bring to a summer cookout.

Get Recipe: Gaji-Namul (Korean Marinated Eggplant Banchan)

Japanese Miso-Glazed Eggplant Burgers With Fresh Pickles

Slices of globe eggplant are exactly the right size for topping a burger patty, so this recipe was just meant to be. The tender roasted eggplant slices are brushed with a sweet-savory miso glaze, then piled on top of juicy burgers, along with creamy Japanese Kewpie mayonnaise and quick-pickled cucumbers for a nice bright crunch.

Get Recipe: Japanese Miso-Glazed Eggplant Burgers With Fresh Pickes

Summer Vegetable Lasagna With Zucchini, Squash, Eggplant, and Tomato

To make a tasty lasagna using summer vegetables, we sauté them to drive out excess water (zucchini, eggplant, and yellow squash are all full of it) and use a light hand with the cheese—too much dairy will overpower the veggies' delicate flavor. The result is a casserole that'll satisfy your lasagna cravings while still tasting fresh.

Get Recipe: Summer Vegetable Lasagna With Zucchini, Squash, Eggplant, and Tomato

Tortang Talong (Filipino Eggplant Omelette)

My version of tortang talong, based on what my mother used to cook me, is an eggplant cooked whole, peeled, flattened with a fork, dipped in egg, and shallow-fried until golden brown and stuffed with a mixture of cooked onion, garlic, and ground pork, all seasoned with an umami-packed combination of oyster, fish, and soy sauces.

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All-American Eggplant Parmesan

Here's a guide to making an American spin on Italian eggplant parmesan that is light and flavorful.

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Braised Eggplant With Garlic and Basil

Sourcing slender Asian eggplants ensures the finished dish has a tender, supple texture and no trace of bitterness. Fermented doubanjiang (Sichuan chile-bean paste) and soy sauce add savory depth to the sauce, which is absorbed by the eggplant as it braises. Garnishing the eggplant with Thai basil adds a subtle anise note to the dish.

Get Recipe: Braised Eggplant With Garlic and Basil

Gaeng Garee Makheua Yao (Thai Yellow Curry with Eggplant)

While gaeng garee is often made with meat, this recipe is a rich vegetarian version with eggplant, potatoes, and tomatoes. The coconut milk paired with the curry paste and hearty vegetables makes a slightly sweet curry that’s still satisfying even though it omits the seafood and meat products found in many other Thai curries.

Get Recipe: Gaeng Garee Makheua Yao (Thai Yellow Curry with Eggplant)

Roasted Eggplant With Tahini, Pine Nuts, and Lentils

Reminiscent of a deconstructed baba ganoush, this homey, soul-satisfying dish consists of caramelized roasted eggplant served over stewed lentils with crunchy roasted pine nuts. The star is an incredibly light, creamy tahini sauce.

Get Recipe: Roasted Eggplant With Tahini, Pine Nuts, and Lentils

Proven?al Tian (Eggplant, Zucchini, Squash, and Tomato Casserole)

Just like the famous last dish in the 2007 Pixar movie Ratatouille, the Proven?al tian has thin slices of zucchini, summer squash, and eggplant, bathed in a tomato sauce and laid out in pretty concentric circles.

Get Recipe: Proven?al Tian (Eggplant, Zucchini, Squash, and Tomato Casserole)

Makheua Yao Pad Tao Jiao (Stir-Fried Eggplant With Minced Pork)

One of my favorite ways to eat eggplant is in makheua yao pad tao jiao, a classic Thai-Chinese dish of stir-fried eggplant and minced pork. Flavored with tao jiao (fermented yellow bean sauce), garlic, fresh chiles, and licorice-tasting Thai sweet basil, the straightforward yet aromatic dish is often found at the curry and rice stalls known as khao gaeng.

Get Recipe: Makheua Yao Pad Tao Jiao (Stir-Fried Eggplant With Minced Pork)

Yu Xiang Qie Zi (Sichuan-Style Braised Eggplant With Pickled Chiles and Garlic)

Eggplant is at its most delicious when it's charred, and the best way to get a good char is to brine it first. Here, we soak the eggplant in a salt solution and stir-fry it until it's thoroughly browned. The eggplant then cooks through in a thick, glossy sauce flavored with Sichuan broad bean paste, black vinegar, Shaoxing wine, hot chiles, ginger, and garlic.

Get Recipe: Yu Xiang Qie Zi (Sichuan-Style Braised Eggplant With Pickled Chiles and Garlic)

Moussaka

A classic Greek dish made of rich, hearty layers of potato, eggplant, and tomato-based meat sauce, blanketed in creamy béchamel.

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Smoky Lamb Meatballs With Almond-Butter Baba Ganoush

These brown butter–enriched lamb meatballs get a burnished crust from a stint in the oven. They’re served over a fire-roasted eggplant baba ganoush, which is scented with a hint of vanilla and emulsified with almond butter in place of tahini. The result is a striking balance of salty and fatty, smoky and nutty, meaty and sweet.

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Pressure Cooker Thai Green Chicken Curry With Eggplant and Kabocha Squash

Using a pressure cooker makes short work of the chicken in this Thai-style stew and leaves it extra tender. The intense aroma and flavor of the coconut milk–based sauce, featuring store-bought curry paste, ginger, garlic, and spices, is much simpler to make than it's complex flavor lets on.

Get Recipe: Pressure Cooker Thai Green Chicken Curry With Eggplant and Kabocha Squash

Spiced Eggplant With Tomato and Mustard Seeds

Tender eggplant gets tossed in a lively curry paste with tomato, vinegar, and mustard before it's baked in the oven. This easy vegetarian side is inspired by the classic Bengali dish begun-er tok.

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Eggplant Tart With Goat Cheese, Honey, and Nigella

If you're on the hunt for a recipe that will turn ordinary, store-bought puff pastry into something exciting and special, look no further. This tart uses the puff pastry as a base and loads it up with creamy goat cheese, gouda, aromatic nigella seeds, eggplant, and a drizzle of honey.

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Eggplant Rice Bowl

Building a great rice bowl is all about striking the right balance of textures and flavors. Here, crisp, quick-pickled cucumbers offset a sweet and savory serving of tender braised eggplant. Garnish with ingredients like sautéed mushrooms, bean sprouts, and sliced scallions, and you have a bright and satisfying vegetarian main that takes just 30 minutes to pull together.

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Fish-Fragrant Eggplants (Sichuan Braised Eggplant With Garlic, Ginger, and Chiles)

This fried eggplant dish doesn't involve any fish. Rather, "fish-fragrant" refers to a Sichuanese sauce featuring ingredients commonly associated with cooking fish—namely garlic, ginger, and pickled chiles. Enjoy it hot or cold, over rice, tossed with your protein of choice, or simply as a side dish for your next Sichuan meal.

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Smoked Eggplant for Ramen

Store-bought ramen is much improved with homemade toppings—sliced scallions, soft-boiled eggs, or this deeply savory eggplant. We roast whole eggplants first, then scoop out the soft, smoky flesh and spin it in a salad spinner. Then we simmer it with typical Japanese seasonings: kombu, bonito, soy sauce, and mirin.

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Grilled Eggplant Rollatini

Fill grilled eggplant slices with ricotta, mozzarella, and parmesan, plus sharp provolone, fresh basil, and egg to serve as a binder. Then nestle into a grill tray of tomato-rich marinara and let cook until the cheese melts into a bubbling, gooey mess.

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Pickled Eggplant with Mint and Garlic

Zippy and flavorful, this pickle deserves to be inducted into the pantheon of classic pickles, alongside kosher dills and dilly beans.

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Sicilian Eggplant and Pine Nut Caponata

Caponata is a sweet-sour Sicilian condiment that derives its intense flavor from a laundry list of ingredients, including eggplant, olive oil, raisins, pine nuts, bell pepper, red wine vinegar, and herbs. Once cooked down into a sauce, it's ready to be tossed with pasta or (my preferred use) spread onto bruschetta.

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The Best Baba Ganoush

When baba ganoush is done well, it's bright, smoky, rich, and completely absorbing. To make a great version at home, roast the eggplant until it's meltingly tender and drain it in a salad spinner to concentrate its flavor. Mix in garlic and lemon juice, then slowly drizzle in tahini and olive oil to form a creamy emulsion that's perfect for dipping pita chips or crudité.

Get Recipe: The Best Baba Ganoush

Sheet-Pan Salmon With Tomato-Eggplant Compote

This easy weeknight dinner whips up an incredibly delicious tomato-eggplant compote with perfectly cooked salmon, all using just the oven and a rimmed baking sheet.

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Pasta With Swordfish, Tomato, and Eggplant (Rigatoni Con Pesce Spada)

Inspired by the flavors of Sicily, this pasta pairs swordfish, tomato, and eggplant with rigatoni. The dish is hearty and easy to make but light enough to enjoy all summer.

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Stovetop Eggplant With Harissa, Chickpeas, and Cumin Yogurt

This recipe uses peeled eggplant and pan-fries it whole, so that the exterior browns while the inside steams. It's served swimming in an easy yogurt-based sauce, spiked with harissa and cumin, and bulked up with tomatoes and chickpeas.

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Eggplant, Squash, and Cherry Tomato Hash With Baked Eggs

This colorful, brunch-friendly dish of baked eggs perched in a nest of sautéed summer vegetables walks a fine line between hash and ratatouille.

Get Recipe: Eggplant, Squash, and Cherry Tomato Hash With Baked Eggs

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