Garlic & Herb Grilled Eggplant
These Garlic & Herb Grilled Eggplant are my favourite vegetable to barbecue. They are tender in the middle with slightly charred edges and are coated in a delicious garlic and herb oil which gives them so much flavour. They are Vegan, Whole30, Keto and Paleo and guaranteed to be a crowd pleaser.
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.
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
So delicious!!!!
Made this recipe, eggplants were delicious. But I needed more than a 1/2 cup of oil. This is definitely a keeper
Made this according to the recipe first time. 1/4” was too thin for slicing the eggplant. Grilling 6 minutes on each side was way too long. Second time around I sliced the eggplant 1/2” thick and grilled about 3 min on one side and 2 min on the other. Perfect!
Ef yea
This is a gastronomic delight!
Made this eggplant recipe. It was very good. My husband loved it. I will be making it again. It’s very easy to make. I did not run it through the oil again after cooking.
Delicious
Everything’s off in this recipe and it results in a salty, oily grilled eggplant. Also burned! 6 min per side is NOt the move but neither is anything else. Doesn’t make sense, needs more than a few tweaks. My BF said this person needs to go to cooking school/back to cooking school. I really don’t get it. I didn’t even do the second dip of oil and this was massively oily. Disappointing really
I think you should check your nutritional information. It surely isn’t correct.
The nutrition information does not make sense. But the dish is delicious- I used less oil and drizzled with lemon – a new recipe for summer grilling.
Hi and thank you for the recipe.
Just one question:
Where do the 33g of sugar come from in grilling the eggplants?
Lovely eggplant recipe. But what if i don’t have an oven or microwAve? Pleasr suggest
Thank you
This looks so delicious and has me excited for grilling season! I love eggplant and have been incorporating it into more meals as a meat alternative. I’ll bet grilling really amps up the flavor and makes it even more irresistible!
Delicious! Nice with some wine
,good bread., cheese before dinner a little speck.
Is it acceptable for me to post this recipe on an internet health forum? I would give you the recipe credit.
It looks really good. Do you peel the skin off or leave it on. I see a pic of 2 slices used as a bun which looks like the skin is cooked as well.
Thanks
tasted sooo good and truly was so easy!! i added more oil and red pepper flakes for some added spice!
After grilling I put them on a bed of tomato sauce (I slightly heat the sauce in the microwave with remnants of the marinade that are left after coating the eggplant). This makes a great dish as is or serve with crusty bread or pasta like an eggplant parmigiana (without all the work) so delicious! Wish I could send a picture.
Delicious!! Loved this, so much better than what I have made it in the past in the oven!
I do not like garlic. However, I can eat this dish. Your recipe is so easy. I can cook it in the first try. It is so good. I want to train my cooking skills and join trap the cat. Let’s release more posts. I really love your recipe. When I was a child, I wish I can cook well. I want to create a lot of delicious dishes. I hope that you can help me. Who want to cook more dishes? Let’s join with me.
I do not like garlic. However, I can eat this dish. Your recipe is so easy. I can cook it in the first try. It is so good. I want to train my cooking skills and join trap the cat. Let’s release more posts. I really love your recipe. When I was a child, I wish I can cook well. I want to create a lot of delicious dishes.
How could these possibly be 65 carbs??
I love grilled eggplant and this is the best I’ve ever made. I used a red pepper chilli oil I bought at Costco and garlic. The grill fired a bit and they charred but they were still incredible.
Rich and very healthy, you can’t ask for more. Congratulations on the job.
Going to try today
By doing this, can we later place them in jars with olive oil to preserve them for later usage ? Great guide! Thanks.