Grilled Eggplant

This Grilled Eggplant is delicious, with the perfect tangy dressing, and served on a bed of arugula. You can enjoy this as an entree or as a low-carb, keto, and gluten-free side dish. 

This Grilled Eggplant makes a great side dish or vegetarian meal. You can easily make it with a homemade dressing that's a breeze to make and serve it for dinner or lunch. I love the char marks left by the grill grates because they add wonderful flavor and make them look amazing. The total cooking and prep time are super fast, too, so this is really convenient on busy days. Enjoy this fabulous eggplant recipe with all your favorite breads, potatoes, and chicken breast or salmon. Let's look now at what you'll need to make this salad.

Video Tutorial

Main ingredients

• Eggplants. Try to find fresh eggplants that are firm.
• Olive oil. I recommend using extra virgin olive oil.
• Balsamic vinegar. Choose a good quality one.
• Garlic. Fresh garlic is a must here.
• Kosher salt.
• Arugula. Optional. To serve.

How to make Grilled Eggplant

1. Cut the eggplant into ½ inch or thinner circles. Arrange them on a large cutting board and sprinkle both sides with salt. They'll rest while you're preparing the dressing.

2. To make the dressing, add the olive oil, garlic, and balsamic vinegar into a small bowl or jar. Shake or stir well with a spoon.

3. Preheat your grilling pan to medium heat. While it's heating, use a kitchen towel to remove some of the water from the eggplants. Once the pan is hot, place the eggplant slices on top in a single layer and let them cook.

4. After about 2 minutes, check to see if they have developed nice char marks. Then flip them over onto their opposite sides. Once cooked, remove and place them on a chopping board to rest. Repeat this step for the rest of the eggplant slices.

5. Plate the grilled eggplant by massaging a handful of arugula or baby spinach in your hands and placing them in the center of the plate. Drizzle the greens with the balsamic dressing. Arrange the eggplant slices in a circle around the greens and generously drizzle with balsamic vinegar dressing. Serve and enjoy.

Tips for the best Grilled Eggplant

• Slice the eggplant the same size. You want the eggplant to not have too thick slices and about the same size for all. This helps them cook evenly so they don't burn or end up undercooked.
• Salt and pat the eggplant dry. Doing this will remove excess water from the eggplant. It helps them to char easier and avoid getting soggy.
• Preheat the pan before putting the eggplant in it. Having the pan already hot ensures that the eggplant will cook fast and develop a nice char and texture.
• Massage the arugula. If you plan to serve this dish with arugula, massage the leaves to cause some wilting. This unleashes their tangy full flavor without bitterness and makes them more tender.

Variations to this recipe

• Use cast iron grill skillet. You can also grill these outdoors. If you don't have a cast iron skillet, you can use a non-stick skillet (no oil) to char the eggplants nicely. Of course, these could be grilled on the outdoor grill.
• Substitute the eggplant with other vegetables. You can also make this recipe with slices of zucchini, okra, or Portobello mushrooms.
• Add some heat. Spice this recipe up with some cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes. You can also add your favorite spicy pepper to the dressing.
• Add other seasonings to the eggplant. Add some fresh herbs, parsley, oregano, black pepper, fresh mint, thyme, garlic powder, or brush with lemon juice.

How to store it

Store leftovers of this Grilled Eggplant in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can reheat it on the stovetop or in the oven. It is also good when served at room temperature or even cold.

What to serve this Grilled Eggplant with

• On rice. I love a bowl of these veggies over some rice. My Rice and Beans, or Cilantro Lime Rice would make a great fit here.
• On a tortilla. This makes a great vegetetarian or vegan meat. 🙂 Try them with my Black Bean Taquitos. Use flour tortillas or corn tortillas. Don't forget to add your favorite sauce sauce.
• In a sandwich. This tastes great between some slices of bread or atop a piece of crusty rustic bread. You can also enjoy them on veggie or beef burgers.
• With hummus. Spice up your hummus with this chopped eggplant. Make it into a sandwich or just spoon it up for lunch. Try my Sweet Potato Hummus with it!

I hope you love this Grilled Eggplant as much as I do. It's perfect with so many dishes and such a breeze to make. 

Let me know how you enjoyed it and leave a comment. The printable recipe and nutrition information are located below.

More tasty eggplant recipes:

• Roasted Eggplant Dip
• Eggplant Potato Patties
• Eggplant with Tomatoes
• Cheesy Eggplant with Marinara