Karniyarik Turkish Stuffed Eggplant Recipe [Video]

Karniyarik is a classic Turkish stuffed eggplant recipe. Delicious eggplants are stuffed with a tasty ground beef, pepper and tomatoes filling and are baked to perfection. 

Middle eastern and Mediterranean cuisines include many eggplant recipes that are all delicious and easy to make. From eggplant caponata and moussaka to baba ganoush, any recipe that uses eggplant can easily be my favorite! Today's recipe is a Turkish classic that's bursting with flavor in every bite. 

Jump to:

• About this recipe
• Karniyarik vs Imam Bayildi
• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Can I roast the eggplants? 
• Serving suggestions
• Notes and tips
• More Turkish recipes
• Step-by-Step Recipe

About this recipe

This Turkish eggplant is a classic and well loved all around Turkey. The name Karniyarik translates as "split belly" which I think is because of the fact that the eggplants are split after they're fried and are stuffed with a delicious minced meat mixture and then baked to perfection. 

This stuffed eggplant recipe is a must try if you're into Mediterranean recipes and would like to try Turkish cuisine. You see this dish in the menu of almost any Turkish restaurant. People also make it at home frequently because it's packed with so much flavor and is a great way to add eggplant to your weekly meal plan. 

Eggplant is very popular in Turkey and there are so many Turkish recipes that use eggplant as a main ingredient. The flavor of eggplant goes very well with tomatoes or yogurt and it can be cooked in different ways depending on the recipe. For Karniyarik, the eggplant is usually fried, however, we are going to go through other methods of cooking as well. 

Karniyarik vs Imam Bayildi

Another Turkish eggplant recipe is Imam Bayildi which is the vegetarian version of Karniyarik. We are going to publish a full recipe for imam bayildi in near future. But for now, let's just say that these are two different version of stuffed eggplant. 

Ingredients

• Eggplants: I recommend you use smaller eggplants for this recipe as they cook better. They are also softer and more tender compared to globe eggplants which are very large and have deep purple skin color. Small Italian eggplants are perfect for this recipe. 
• Ground beef: I recommend using lean ground beef for this recipe. You can also use ground lamb or a combination of both.
• Onions: Yellow onions or sweet onions would work in this recipe.
• Garlic: It's best to mince garlic fresh instead of using packaged minced garlic.
• Green pepper: You can use either bell pepper and sweet Italian peppers.
• Tomatoes: Roma tomatoes or beefsteak tomatoes.
• Tomato paste: To add color and a deeper flavor.
• Seasoning: This recipe simply calls for salt and pepper. If desired, you can add some dried oregano.

Instructions

Prepare the eggplant

Peel strips from the skin of the eggplants. Cut a slit in the middle of the eggplants without cutting all the way through. Fill a large bowl with water and add 1 tsp salt to it. Place the eggplants in salt water for 30 minutes to get rid of their bitterness. This also helps the eggplants absorb less oil when frying them. Read more about salting eggplant on the Kitchn. 

After 30 minutes, gently squeeze the eggplants and dry with a paper towel. Heat vegetable oil in a pan and fry the eggplants on all sides until cooked and brown. The eggplants will be pretty soft. Place the fried eggplants on a paper towel to absorb excess oil.

Prepare the filling

While the eggplants are soaking in salt water, make the filling by sauteing onion in olive oil. Add garlic to the onion and saute until golden brown. Mix in ground beef and brown it completely, followed by chopped green pepper and tomatoes. Add the tomato paste, salt and pepper to the ground beef mixture and cook for about 10 more minutes. 

Put the fried eggplants in a baking dish and fill them with the ground beef mixture. Make a simple sauce by mixing tomato paste and hot water and spoon it over the stuffed eggplants and also pour it into the dish. Bake in the oven at 350°F for about 30 minutes until eggplants are fully cooked and soft. 

Can I roast the eggplants? 

Traditionally, the eggplant is fried to make this recipe. However, you can also roast the eggplants. To do so, peel strips on the skin of the eggplants and poke them with a fork. Brush with 1 tablespoon olive oil and roast in the oven at 400°F for about 25 minutes. Once the eggplants are roasted, cut a slit in each of them. Then proceed with making the filling and stuffing the eggplants. Then cook the stuffed eggplants in the oven at 350°F for about 20 minutes. 

Serving suggestions

Karniyarik is a delicious complete meal on its own, but it also goes very well with some side dishes. Here are a few of our favorites:

Starchy sides:

• Rice with vermicelli
• Rice pilaf with orzo
• Turkish bulgur pilaf
• Turkish potato salad

Lighter sides:

• Gavurdagi (Turkish tomato salad)
• Cacik (Turkish yogurt and cucumber)
• Mediterranean salad

Notes and tips

• Store the leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days. To reheat, place the stuffed eggplants in a baking dish and heat in the oven at 350°F for 15 minutes. 
• To freeze this dish, let the cooked stuffed eggplants cool completely, then place them in a container and freeze for up to 2 months. When ready to serve, thaw in the fridge and cook in the oven for about 15 minutes at 350°F.
• You can also grill the eggplants over open fire flame if you would like them to have a smoky flavor. Make sure to poke the eggplants with a fork a few times before grilling them. 
• If you would like karniyarik to be spicier, add some Urfa or Aleppo pepper to the beef mixture. 
• It's always best to purchase the eggplants the day you're going to make the dish as they're very fresh then. Fresh eggplants have fewer seeds which makes them more delicious. 

More Turkish recipes

• Cilbir (Turkish eggs recipe)
• Turkish yogurt soup (yayla corbasi)
• Simit recipe
• Turkish white bean salad
• Lahmacun (Turkish pizza)

Step-by-Step Recipe