Roasted Eggplant Recipe (Step-by-Step) [Video]

This easy roasted eggplant recipe is great for any day of the week. Learn how to roast eggplants perfectly in the oven with all tips and tricks.

As a middle easterner, I love eggplant recipes, from stuffed eggplants and Persian eggplant soup to the best middle eastern eggplant recipe, I love making delicious dishes with this vegetable. Today, I’m going to show you one of the basics: how to roast eggplant.

There’s so much to do with roasted eggplant!

Eggplant is such as delicious and versatile vegetable that can be used in so many different recipes. I love roasted eggplant with tahini for a quick side dish and it’s so easy to put it together. You can also make roasted eggplant with tomato sauce and serve it with some bread for a quick dinner. Whatever you do with roasted eggplant, it’s going to be awesome.

How to roast eggplant in the oven

To roast eggplant in the oven, first of all you must make sure you have the right eggplant for roasting. You want an eggplant that has enough flesh inside and is fresh. Make sure the eggplant is not mushy or hasn’t gone bad. The outside of the eggplant should be firm and shiny. Learn more about different types of eggplant on Kitchn.

Wash and pat dry the eggplant with paper towels, then slice it in half lengthwise and cut diamonds inside the eggplant, making sure you’re not cutting into the skin.

Brush some olive oil on the cut side of the eggplant and sprinkle with salt and some garlic powder. Place the eggplant on a baking sheet, cut side down and place it in the oven. Broil for about 20 to 30 minutes, rotating every ten minutes to cook evenly.

Do you peel eggplant before roasting?

I don’t peel eggplant before roasting because in younger and smaller eggplants, the skin is completely edible and for this roasting method, I leave the skin on because eggplant has a very tender flesh that might burn if it’s broiled directly, therefore I peel the eggplant after it’s roasted.

Is salting eggplant necessary?

Salting eggplant isn’t always necessary unless it’s for frying. Salting the eggplant will bring out the excess water which results in absorbing less oil while frying. To fry an eggplant, salt it and let it sit for 30 minutes, rinse and pat dry the eggplant slices and then fry them. For this roasted eggplant recipe you don’t need to salt the eggplant in advance. If salting the eggplants, you can use kosher salt, sea salt or even table salt.

How do you roast eggplant cubes

Cut the eggplant into 1-inch cubes and place them in a large bowl. Drizzle a little olive oil over the cubed eggplants and then add salt and pepper. Transfer the eggplant cubes to a lined baking sheet and roast in the oven at 375F for 20-25 minutes until fully cooked.

How long does roasted eggplant last?

Roasted eggplant can last up to 3 days in the fridge in an airtight container.

Can roasted eggplant be frozen?

Absolutely. Simply peel the skin and mash the eggplant. Freeze them in freezer bags for up to two months. To use, thaw the eggplant in the fridge overnight.

What to do with roasted eggplant

You can make different recipes using roasted eggplants. Personally, I’m a huge fan of mirza ghasemi – Persian eggplant and tomatoes. You can also make roasted eggplant dips such as baba ganoush. If you’re making roasted cubed eggplants, you can add them to pastas, salads or pizzas as well. Roasted eggplant makes a delicious side dish served with some middle eastern tahini sauce, yogurt sauce or goat cheese.

Looking for more eggplant recipes?

• Kashke bademjan (Persian eggplant dip) 
• Eggplant sumac meatballs
• Stuffed eggplant parmesan 
• Greek eggplant moussaka recipe 
• Hash browns eggplant casserole 
• Eggplant Caponata Recipe