A marinade of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and garlic gives this grilled eggplant wonderful flavor. This simple 20-minute recipe is perfect for summer grilling.
Eggplant has a wonderfully rich texture and savory flavor that almost feels meaty. In this grilled eggplant recipe, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and garlic perfectly complement the eggplant's natural flavor. It's excellent as a side dish, but like eggplant casserole, it's hearty enough to serve as a meatless main course.
Ingredients
See the recipe card for exact measurements. Here are my comments on the ingredients.
- Fresh eggplant: Look for a firm eggplant with smooth, blemish-free skin.
- Olive oil: If you prefer an oil with a higher smoke point, use avocado oil.
- Balsamic vinegar: Adds a wonderful flavor and promotes caramelization. Please use aged balsamic vinegar. A younger vinegar will be too acidic.
- To season: Kosher salt, black pepper, and garlic powder. I prefer garlic powder to fresh minced garlic. It coats the eggplant better.
Instructions
The detailed instructions and step-by-step photos are included in the recipe card. Here's a quick overview.
Slice the eggplant into rounds. Brush the slices with a mixture of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and spices. Save the remaining marinade for later.
Grill the eggplant slices until tender, about 5 minutes per side. If using a dual-contact grill, grill for 5 minutes on the first side and 2 more minutes on the second side.
Brush the cooked slices with the remaining marinade. Serve immediately.
This recipe is simple and flavorful. As an eggplant lover who has tried many recipes, I found this one to be especially good.
Subhash Kini
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Recipe Tips
- When making this recipe, you will walk a fine line between having the eggplant turn out undercooked or overcooked and mushy. While ideally, you want it just right, it's better to err on the side of slightly overcooking it. Undercooked eggplant is bitter, while overcooked eggplant is delicious, even if its texture is a bit mushy.
- Don't slice the eggplant too thin. Slices about ½ inch thick hold their shape better on the grill and turn out creamy inside rather than drying out.
- Preheat the grill well before adding the eggplant. A hot grill helps create nice grill marks and prevents the slices from sticking.
Recipe FAQs
There's no need to peel the eggplant. The peel can be slightly bitter, but the marinade and grilling remove bitterness. Leaving the skin on is pretty! However, if you prefer, you can go ahead and peel it.
Yes. You can bake the eggplant in a 450°F oven until tender and browned, for about 10 minutes per side.
No. This recipe relies on the relatively high sugar content and sweetness of aged balsamic vinegar. It's the only type of vinegar that will work in this recipe.
You can use an indoor electric grill or a grill pan. The photo below shows the eggplant grilling on a double-burner nonstick grill pan. 
Serving Suggestions
I like to serve grilled eggplant with a main course I can also grill, such as grilled shrimp, grilled halibut, or grilled chicken breast. The image below shows the eggplant served with chicken, alongside tahini sauce, which pairs beautifully with eggplant (so does tzatziki, by the way).
Storing and Using the Leftovers
You can keep the leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for 3-4 days. I don't reheat them. I enjoy them cold as part of an antipasti plate like the one shown below.
Another great use for the leftovers is to create the eggplant Caprese stacks shown below. To make them, stack eggplant slices, tomato slices, and mozzarella. Briefly microwave (or place in a hot oven) to melt the cheese. Garnish with basil and serve.
If you prefer to reheat the leftovers, do so gently in the microwave at 50% power. I don't recommend freezing the leftovers, as the texture will be off after thawing.
Recipe Card
Easy Grilled Eggplant
Video
Ingredients
- 1 eggplant - large, unpeeled, about 1 pound
- 2 tablespoons olive oil - or avocado oil
- 1 tablespoon aged balsamic vinegar - see notes below
- ½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt - or ¼ teaspoon of any other salt, including Morton kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Preheat a grill, grill pan, or dual-contact electric grill over medium-high heat and lightly grease the grill.
- Trim the eggplant's edges and slice it crosswise into ½-inch-thick rounds. You should get about 12 slices.1 eggplant
- In a small bowl, whisk the olive oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon aged balsamic vinegar, ½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- Brush the eggplant slices with the mixture on both sides. Set aside any remaining marinade.
- Grill the eggplant slices until golden brown and fork-tender, about 5 minutes on each side.
- Brush the eggplant slices with the remaining marinade and serve.
Notes
- Seasonings, especially salt, are just guidelines. Adjust to taste.
- Aged balsamic vinegar is the only vinegar that works in this recipe.
- Don't slice the eggplant too thin. Slices about ½ inch thick hold their shape better on the grill and turn out creamy inside rather than drying out.
- Preheat the grill well before adding the eggplant. A hot grill helps create nice grill marks and prevents the slices from sticking.
- It's better to err on the side of slightly overcooking the eggplant than undercooking it. Undercooked eggplant is bitter, while overcooked eggplant is delicious, even if a bit mushy.
- In a dual-contact electric grill, I grill the eggplant for 5 minutes on the first side, then 2 minutes on the second side.
- You can keep the leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Enjoy them cold or reheat them in the microwave. I don't recommend freezing the leftovers.
Nutrition per Serving
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Most recipes are low-carb and gluten-free, but some are not. Recommended products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate - please verify it. The carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Please read these Terms of Use before using any of my recipes.
DL says
Do you salt the eggplant ahead of time to get rid of the bitterness?
Vered DeLeeuw says
Most modern eggplants aren't very bitter, so there's usually no need to salt them first. In this recipe, the thick slices, olive oil, and high grill heat help the eggplant become tender and creamy without getting soggy. The balsamic also adds great flavor and caramelization. I only salt eggplant for certain recipes or if it's very large and seedy.
kevin gould says
I think I have seen Eggplant cooked after putting it between paper or kitchen towels...this remove some of the water, will turn out crisper. Will try this and comment again.
Vered DeLeeuw says
Hi Kevin,
Salting the eggplant first helps draw water out. I'm a big fan of simplifying recipes as much as possible so I don't do it when grilling because the eggplant turns out well without any extra steps, but I do it in this roasted eggplant recipe.
Julian says
Easy. Delicious. Leftovers taste great.
Vered DeLeeuw says
I'm so glad you liked this recipe, Julian!
Subhash Kini says
This recipe is simple and flavorful. As an eggplant lover who has tried many recipes, I found this one to be especially good.
Vered DeLeeuw says
I'm so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Subhash! Thank you for the comment.