Best Grilled Eggplant Recipes

GRILLED EGGPLANT WITH MARINATED FETA

Steps:

• Slice 2 eggplants 1/2 inch thick; lay on paper towels, sprinkle with salt and let sit 10 minutes, then pat dry. Heat 1/4 cup olive oil with 1 grated garlic clove in a saucepan, 1 minute. Stir in 1 tablespoon each chopped oregano and parsley, 1 teaspoon chopped rosemary and 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes. Let cool; pour over 4 ounces crumbled feta. Brush the eggplant with olive oil; grill over medium-high heat, 5 minutes per side. Top with the feta.

GRILLED EGGPLANT, PEPPERS AND ONIONS

Steps:

• Prepare a bed of hot coals in a charcoal grill, or heat a stovetop grill to medium-high. Arrange eggplants, onions and peppers on a baking sheet. Paint vegetables lightly on both sides with olive oil.
• Working in batches, grill all vegetables on both sides until softened and lightly charred, about 5 to 6 minutes per side. When all vegetables are cooked, chop them into rough chunks and place in a mixing bowl. Drizzle with 3 tablespoons olive oil and the vinegar. Season well with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Add capers and toss again.
• Transfer mixture to a serving dish and sprinkle with oregano and crushed red pepper. Serve at room temperature.

GRILLED EGGPLANT WITH MOZZARELLA, TOMATOES, AND BASIL

Steps:

• Prepare a barbecue (or preheat a broiler). Cut the eggplants into slices about 1/2-inch thick. Spread on a baking sheet and brush with olive oil on both sides. Set aside.
• Cut mozzarella in half crosswise, then slice each half about 1/4-inch thick to create half-moon shaped pieces. Slice tomatoes in the same manner. Arrange tomatoes and mozzarella decoratively around the edge of a large serving platter.
• Place eggplant slices on barbecue (or place on baking sheet in broiler) and cook, turning once, until nicely charred on each side; the eggplant should almost caramelize. Arrange the cooked eggplant down the center of the serving platter, surrounded by the tomatoes and mozzarella. Pluck about 12 large leaves from the basil bunch, stack them, roll them up like a cigar, then slice crosswise into thin shreds (?chiffonade?). Scatter the basil shreds over the vegetables and cheese, then drizzle balsamic vinegar and more olive oil over all. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, to taste, and let stand until eggplant is at room temperature.

GRILLED EGGPLANT WITH TOMATOES, BASIL, AND FETA

Steps:

• Generously season eggplant slices with salt. Place vertically in a colander, overlapping them. Let stand 30 minutes; rinse and pat dry.
• Preheat grill to medium-high. Liberally brush cut sides of eggplant with oil. Grill, turning once, until tender, about 4 minutes a side. Mix tomatoes, pine nuts, feta, red-pepper flakes, and oil; season with salt. Spoon over eggplant; top with basil.

GRILLED JAPANESE EGGPLANT

Steps:

• Place eggplant in a large shallow baking dish. Mix together the soy sauce, sherry, sesame oil, and garlic in a small bowl. Pour the marinade over the eggplant and let marinate at room temperature for 1 hour. Preheat grill. Season the eggplant with salt and pepper to taste and grill on each side for 3 minutes, basting occasionally with the remaining marinade. Serve topped with the toasted sesame seeds.

GRILLED EGGPLANT AND PEPPERS WITH FETA

Steps:

• Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat and lightly oil the grate.
• Place eggplant and all bell peppers into a large bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat. Sprinkle with steak seasoning; coat well.
• Place eggplant and bell pepper slices directly on the preheated grill. Cook until eggplant is softened, marked, and slightly charred and peppers are softened and marked, 15 to 20 minutes, turning every 3 to 5 minutes. Reduce heat as necessary to prevent burning.
• Remove from grill. Arrange in 4 piles, starting with a slice of eggplant and alternating eggplant and pepper slices, including one slice of each bell pepper color in each pile. Top with feta cheese. Sprinkle with basil and oregano. Serve warm.

GRILLED EGGPLANT PARMESAN

Steps:

• Prepare a grill for indirect heat. If using a charcoal grill, build the hot coals on one side only. If using a gas grill, heat one side only to medium-high heat.
• Peel the eggplants lengthwise in 1-inch intervals to create stripes (this helps with oiliness) then slice each eggplant crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick rounds. Add the eggplant to a large bowl with the olive oil. Sprinkle in the oregano and toss to combine. Season well with salt and cracked black pepper.
• Place the seasoned eggplant slices over direct heat and cook until nicely charred and beginning to soften, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Move the slices over indirect heat to finish cooking as you add more pieces to direct heat. Top each piece with a slice of tomato and a slice of mozzarella. Close the grill and allow the cheese to melt and the tomato to warm through.
• Remove the eggplant to a baking sheet and grate Parmesan all over the top. Place the baking sheet back on the grill over direct heat to warm up and melt the Parmesan. Transfer to a platter and top with torn basil leaves and a drizzle of olive oil. Serve!

GRILLED EGGPLANT SANDWICHES

Steps:

• Mix oil and garlic; brush onto cut sides of rolls and both sides of vegetables. Sprinkle vegetables with salt and pepper., Grill eggplant, covered, over medium heat until tender, 4-5 minutes per side. Grill tomato, covered, until lightly browned, 1-2 minutes per side. Grill rolls, cut side down, until toasted, 1-2 minutes., Spread roll bottoms with goat cheese. Top with basil, eggplant and tomato; close sandwiches.

GRILLED EGGPLANT PANINI WITH BASIL AIOLI

Steps:

• For aioli, place the first 8 ingredients in a blender; cover and process until smooth. , Brush vegetables with oil. Place in broiling pan and broil 3-4 inches from heat, or grill, covered, over medium heat until tender, 4-5 minutes per side. Chop the peppers when cool enough to handle. , Spread cut sides of each roll with 2 tablespoons aioli; top each with cheese. Layer bottoms with eggplant and peppers. Replace tops., In a panini press, grill sandwiches until cheese is melted, 5-7 minutes. Serve remaining aioli with sandwiches or save for another use.

GRILLED EGGPLANT SANDWICH

Steps:

• Heat a grill or grill pan to medium-high. Clean and lightly oil hot grill. In a small bowl, combine garlic with 1 tablespoon oil; season with salt and pepper. Brush garlic oil on cut sides of bread and grill until lightly toasted on both sides, 1 to 2 minutes. Top bottom half with cheese.
• Brush eggplant with 1 tablespoon oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill until tender and lightly charred, 12 to 15 minutes, flipping once. Layer eggplant on cheese. Brush tomatoes with 1 tablespoon oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill until lightly charred, 2 to 3 minutes, flipping once. Layer tomatoes on eggplant, top with basil, and sandwich with top half of bread. Cut crosswise into 4 pieces and serve.

GRILLED EGGPLANT, TOMATO AND GOAT CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat grill for medium heat.
• In a large bowl, coat eggplant with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Season with salt and pepper.
• Arrange half of the eggplant slices on a tray. Place a slice of tomato and a slice of goat cheese on each slice of eggplant. Sprinkle a little salt and pepper on the tomatoes and cheese. Top with remaining slices of eggplant, and secure each bundle with a toothpick.
• Lightly oil the grill grate. Remove toothpicks, and arrange bundles on grate. Cook about 7 to 8 minutes, then carefully flip. Continue cooking for 6 to 7 minutes.

GRILLED BABY EGGPLANT WITH BALSAMIC GLAZE

Steps:

• For the grilled baby eggplant: Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium high.
• Cut off the stems from the baby eggplant and slice them in half lengthwise. Make a 1/2-inch-deep crosshatch pattern on the flesh side of each using a knife. Put them in a medium bowl.
• In a small bowl, mix together the oil, rosemary and garlic. Pour the mixture over the eggplant, tossing to coat completely, and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Grill, flipping halfway through, until tender and dark, about 10 minutes.
• For the glaze: Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine the oil, stock, balsamic vinegar, honey, mustard, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Cook over low heat until the glaze is reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Drizzle over the eggplant to serve.

GRILLED EGGPLANT AND FRESH MOZZARELLA ON CIABATTA WITH ROASTED RED PEPPERS, GARLIC MAYONNAISE, FRESH BASIL AND ARUGULA

Steps:

• Combine the mayonnaise and garlic in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.
• Heat a grill to high.
• Brush the eggplant on both sides with oil and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Grill until golden brown on both sides and just cooked through, about 4 minutes per side. Brush the peppers with oil and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Grill until charred on all sides, remove, place in a bowl, cover and let steam for 10 minutes. Remove the skin and the seeds.
• Put bread on the grill, cut side down, and grill for 30 seconds to warm through and crisp slightly. Spread the bread with the mayonnaise mixture and top the bottom half with eggplant, peppers, cheese, basil and arugula. Cover with the top of the bread and serve.

GRILLED EGGPLANT SALAD

Steps:

• Heat grill to medium high. Prick the eggplant all over with a fork, put in on the grill and close the cover; cook, turning occasionally, until eggplant is very soft and skin is blistered, about 15 minutes.
• When cool enough, scoop out the insides of the eggplant and coarsely chop. Transfer to a bowl and toss with tomatoes, vinegar, salt, oregano and garlic. Stir in oil and parsley; season with pepper and more salt if needed. Garnish with capers if you like them. Serve with warm pita bread.

GRILLED MARINATED EGGPLANT

Steps:

• Finely chop the parsley with the capers and garlic. Add the oregano and peperoncini and chop everything together. Put the mixture in a bowl, stir in the oil, season with salt and pepper, and reserve.
• Preheat an outdoor charcoal or gas grill or a grill pan until smoking hot.
• Put enough eggplant slices on the grill to cover it without crowding. Cook the eggplant until well marked, 3 to 6 minutes, then turn the slices over. Cook until tender, about 3 minutes more. Remove the eggplant from the grill.
• Pour the vinegar into a shallow bowl. While still hot, dip each eggplant slice into the vinegar and set it aside on a plate. Continue grilling and dipping the eggplant until all the slices are cooked and seasoned.
• Spoon 2 tablespoons of the parsley mixture onto a platter and spread it evenly with the back of a spoon. Arrange half of the grilled eggplant on the parsley in a single layer. Smear each slice of eggplant with more parsley. Place a second layer of eggplant on top and spread the remaining parsley on it. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and set aside to marinate at room temperature for about 2 hours (or refrigerate for longer). Serve at room temperature.
• Chef's notes:
• You could make the parsley mixture in a food processor, but I don't. I find hand chopping gives me the somewhat drier texture I prefer.
• For this recipe, I don't salt or oil the eggplant; I grill it dry. This way, it has a nice chewy texture. I marinate the eggplant as soon as it comes off the grill so the flavor of the marinade penetrates.

ITALIAN GRILLED EGGPLANT WITH BASIL AND PARSLEY (MELANZANE GRIGLIATE AL BASILICO E PREZZEMOLO)

Steps:

• Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat and lightly oil the grate.
• Brush eggplant lightly with olive oil on both sides. Stir together remaining olive oil, garlic, and salt in a small bowl.
• Arrange eggplant slices on the preheated grill and cook, turning occasionally, until tender and browned, 3 to 4 minutes per side.
• Arrange grilled eggplant on a platter. Brush with the olive oil and garlic mixture until eggplant has absorbed the oil. Sprinkle with the chopped basil and parsley and serve.

GRILLED CHICKEN AND EGGPLANT WITH MOZZARELLA AND TOMATOES

Steps:

• Heat grill to high. Pound chicken with a mallet or small pan to an even 1/2-inch-thick. Season with salt and pepper; drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil.
• Toss eggplants with 3 tablespoons oil, season, and grill, flipping once, until charred in places and tender, about 4 minutes a side. Transfer to a bowl, cover, and let stand until fully softened, 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, grill chicken, flipping once, until cooked through and charred in places, about 3 minutes a side. Stir together olives, remaining 1/4 cup oil, herbs, and vinegar; season to taste.
• Arrange chicken, eggplants, tomatoes, and cheese on a platter or plates. Sprinkle with olive mixture and more herbs. Drizzle with oil and serve with grilled bread.

GRILLED EGGPLANT STACKS WITH GOAT CHEESE, TOMATO AND BASIL SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Cut the eggplant into ½" thick rounds. Lightly season them with salt on both sides and let sit on a paper towel for 30 minutes to let water to come out of the eggplant.
• Brush or drizzle olive oil on top of each slice and grill them for 2 -3 minutes each side until cooked.
• Blend the basil leaves with 4 tablespoons olive oil, 2 garlic cloves, lemon juice, and 1 teaspoon salt in a food processor or blender until smooth.
• Cut the tomatoes crosswise to 1/4" thick rounds.
• On an oiled baking pan or using parchment paper, arrange 4 eggplant rounds side by side. Spread 1/2 tablespoon of the basil-garlic mixture on top of each one, then generously sprinkle the cheese crumbs. Top each with tomato rings. Add another layer of eggplant, basil spread, cheese and tomato rounds and top with the rest of the crumbled feta. Make as many layers as you can. Usually, 1 large eggplant will make 4, 3 layer stacks.
• Bake for approximately 20-25 minutes until the tomatoes are wilted and the cheese is soft and melted.
• Enjoy!

GRILLED EGGPLANT

Steps:

• Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat and lightly oil the grate.
• Mix soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil together in a small bowl. Coat eggplant slices in sauce. Place on preheated grill, carefully, as they will flame up.
• Cook each eggplant slice until deep brown, about 5 minutes per side.

GRILLED EGGPLANT PARMESAN

Steps:

• Place eggplant in a large bowl. Add 4 tablespoons olive oil, lemon juice, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Stir to combine and let marinade for 20 minutes.
• Preheat an outdoor grill to medium-high heat and lightly oil the grate.
• Thread shallot and tomatoes onto skewers and brush 1 tablespoon of olive oil over them. Grill for 4 minutes. Flip and grill 4 minutes more.
• Transfer grilled tomatoes and shallot to a blender. Add vinegar, garlic, crushed chili flakes, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Pulse until blended but still chunky. Set aside.
• Grill eggplant slices for 5 minutes. Flip, and sprinkle the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt over them. Top each with a slice of mozzarella and grill until cheese begins to melt, about 2 minutes.
• Spoon tomato mixture on a serving platter. Top with eggplant. Sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese over the top and garnish with fresh basil.