This Middle Eastern roasted eggplant is baked until tender with za’atar, then served over rice with a creamy tahini yogurt sauce, tomatoes, herbs, and Greek olives. Vegan, gluten-free, video.
If you are irritated by every rub, how will your mirror be polished? ~ Rumi~
This eggplant recipe is one of my favorite healthy meals! The secret to the best roasted eggplant is to crosshatch it. Crosshatching the eggplant renders it beautifully tender, allowing the marinade’s flavor to penetrate. Za’atar gives this baked eggplant a beautiful Middle Eastern flavor that pairs well with our tahini yogurt sauce. Serve as a veggie side dish or turn it into a vegetarian meal.
Exceptional flavor and very healthy ingredients. I just made this for a group dinner and it was a huge hit. Everyone asked for the recipe. Yum!
Why you’ll love this Roasted Eggplant recipe!
Bursting with Middle Eastern flavor! Za’atar pairs beautifully with eggplant. If unfamiliar, za’atar is a blend of Middle Eastern spices that can be made at home or found at the store.
Only 15 minutes of prep time. Then the oven transforms the eggplant into pure lusciousness!
Turn it into a meal. Serve the baked eggplant over rice with seasonal veggies like tomatoes, cucumber or radishes, and tahini yogurt sauce.
Roasted Eggplant Recipe Ingredients
- Globe eggplants: Or substitute smaller eggplants for faster cooking time.
- Extra virgin olive oil: To add richness to the dish.
- Za’atar spice: Make your own homemade za’atar or use store-bought.
- Fat garlic clove: For pungent flavor.
- Salt, black pepper, and Aleppo chili flakes: For seasoning!
How to Make Zaatar Roasted Eggplant
1. Prep. Preheat oven to 400°F. Slice each eggplant in half. Then score in a crosshatch pattern by slicing at a diagonal into one-inch cubes. Be careful not to pierce the skin!
2. Season. Sprinkle all sides of the eggplant with kosher or sea salt, letting it fall into the slices too. Mix the oil, spices, and garlic in a small bowl to create a paste. Brush or spoon over each entire eggplant.
3. Roast. Arrange the eggplant on a baking sheet and roast for 45-60 minutes, rotating halfway through. After an hour, pierce with a fork to check for tenderness. They should be juicy and golden brown when done! Larger eggplants will take longer, and smaller ones will require less time.
4. While the eggplant bakes, prep the serving components. Cook the rice, mix your sauce, and chop the vegetables (like radishes, cucumbers, or tomatoes).
5. Serve. Once the eggplant is done, serve each piece over a bowl of warm rice or other whole grain. Surround it with fresh veggies and drizzle with tahini yogurt sauce, regular tahini sauce, or tzatziki. Add olives, cheese (like feta, goat cheese, or halloumi), Aleppo chili flakes, and fresh Italian parsley.
Chef’s Tips
- Prep the eggplant for best results. In this recipe, I skip salting the eggplant flesh and draining the liquid in a colander, which saves prep time, but feel free to do so if you prefer. This step can help reduce bitterness and prevent the eggplant from becoming soggy.
- Choosing the right eggplant. We use globe eggplant here, but feel free to use smaller eggplant or Japanese eggplant, which will cook faster and perhaps not need such dramatic crosshatching.
- If using a smaller eggplant, you’ll want to check on it after 30 minutes of roasting. Cook until very fork-tender.
- Make your own homemade za’atar. Making homemade za’atar is easy! Or, try this Seattle brand by Villa Jerada – our favorite! Or simply use a substitution of 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp coriander, 1 tsp sumac (or 1 tsp lemon zest or minced preserved lemon), 1/2 tsp dried oregano or thyme, 1/2 tsp sesame seeds, and a pinch of salt.
- You can eat the eggplant skin! Don’t shy away from it – it’s completely edible and should be lightly charred, offering a nice crunch in contrast to the creamy interior.
Serving Suggestions
Create a Middle Eastern feast! Serve Za’atar Roasted Eggplant with cooked rice or grains on a serving plate with chopped veggies, Greek olives, herbs, cheese, and a sauce. Add a side of slaw, flatbread, and protein! Or serve with a side of hummus dip!
- Cooked rice or grains: Basmati rice, freekeh, farro, or quinoa. Or scoop out the vegetable flesh and serve it tossed with pasta, basil, and lemon juice!
- Chopped veggies: Tomatoes, cucumber, minced onion, or radish.
- Olives: Kalamata olives or Castelvetrano olives.
- Fresh herbs: Italian parsley, dill, or mint.
- Sauce: Tahini sauce, tahini yogurt sauce, or tzatziki sauce.
- Cheese: Feta, goat cheese, or halloumi.
- Chili flakes: Aleppo chili flakes or red pepper flakes.
Storing Roasted Eggplant
Leftovers will keep up to 4 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Reheat in a 350°F oven or microwave.
More Favorite eggplant recipes
Watch how to make Roasted Eggplant
After you try this Zaatar Eggplant recipe, let us know how it turns out in the comments below. Your review will help other readers, too! Sign up here to join our community and receive our latest recipes and weekly newsletter! xoxo Sylvia
Roasted Eggplant with Za’atar
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Main – Vegan and Gluten free
- Method: roasted
- Cuisine: Middle Eastern
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This Middle Eastern eggplant is so flavorful! Roasted with za’atar spice, served over rice or whole grains, with fresh veggies and yogurt, tahini sauce, and/or tzatziki, and a sprinkling of fresh parsley.
Ingredients
- 2 globe eggplant ( about 2–2 1/4 lbs)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoon zataar spice mix- or see notes (or use store-bought zaatar!)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper, more to taste
- 2 fat garlic clove, finely minced or grated.
Serve with:
- 3–4 cups cooked rice or grains ( freekeh, farro, quinoa)
- 2 cups fresh chopped veggies- tomatos or cucumbers (or both)
- Sauce: tahini sauce, tahini yogurt or tzatziki
- Garnish: Italian parsley, kalamata olives, aleppo chili flakes, feta or goat cheese crumbles
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F
- Eggplant Prep. Slice Eggplant in half, then slice deeply at a diagonal at one-inch intervals -“crosshatching”( see photos above), careful not to cut through skin.
- Season. Season each side with ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt, sprinkling it into the slices if possible. Mix oil, spices, and garlic together in a bowl to make a paste. Brush or spoon the entire contents over the eggplant.
- Bake. Place on a sheet pan in the oven and bake for 45-60 minutes, rotating halfway through. After an hour, pierce with a fork and if they are very tender and juicy, they are done. Bigger eggplants may take longer, smaller ones will take less time, so check.
- Prep sides. While the eggplant bakes, cook the rice, prepare the tahini yogurt sauce, and chop the vegetables.
- Assemble. When the eggplant is done, assemble the plates, topping the warm rice or grain with the roasted eggplant, then surround with fresh veggies and drizzle with tahini sauce, yogurt or tzatziki. Add olives or cheese if you wish. Sprinkle with fresh Italian parsley. Enjoy!
Notes
If you don’t have Zaatar– use a substitution of: ½ teaspoon cumin, ½ teaspoon coriander, 1 teaspoon sumac (and if you don’t have sumac, sub 1 teaspoon lemon zest -or finely chopped preserved lemon), ½ teaspoon dried oregano or thyme , ½ teaspoon sesame seeds and a pinch salt.
Eggplant: If using smaller eggplant, cross-hatching may not be necessary, and roasting time will shorten significantly – check after 30 minutes, and cook until very fork-tender. If using extra large globe eggplant, cooking time may increase.
This brand of store-bought Zaatar is my favorite.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: Includes: ½ eggplant w/ 1 cup cooked rice, 1 cup tomatoes and 1 tablespoon plain whole fat yogurt
- Calories: 344
- Sugar: 11.8 g
- Sodium: 375.7 mg
- Fat: 16.1 g
- Saturated Fat: 5.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 41 g
- Fiber: 2.4 g
- Protein: 9.5 g
- Cholesterol: 22.1 mg
I love all of your recipes but this is my favorite! Each component perfectly complimented the other. The eggplant was silky and earthy. The tomato was bright and acidic. And the creamy tahini yogurt sauce tied it all together. I served it over quinoa for a little extra protein. It was the perfect meal!
The simple ones are always the best aren’t they?! Love your descriptions!
Simply delicious! When there is a bumper crop of globe eggplant this recipe comes to the rescue. I serve it with dollops of Greek yogurt.
How lovely to have a bumper crop of eggplant! Glad you are enjoying. 🙂
Exceptional flavor and very healthy ingredients. I just made this for a group dinner and it was a huge hit. Everyone asked for the recipe. Yum!
Great to hear Kristen!
Tried this for the first time. It won’t be the last time!! Easy and absolutely delicious. It also hit all the nutritional marks for our household. Requests for next time came before the meal even ended!
Wow, great to hear this Colleen!
Would this work on the grill? Have some eggplant to use up, but it will be too hot to use the oven.
Hi Alex as long as the eggplant is not too big, and you cook low and slow,it should be ok? Otherwise slice and brush the marinade on it?
I love this eggplant- I make it over and over!
Glad to hear it Josie
My toddler ate nearly an entire eggplant with a spoon. Truly, there is no higher praise.
Oh my gosh! 😄 high praise indeed, I love it!
Wowza!!! Absolutely divine. Wish I discovered this recipe years ago as I’m never quite sure what to make with eggplant. Served it with brown rice and veggies with tahini sauce. 5 stars.
Great to hear Renee! We have a lot of great eggplant recipes, just enter eggplant in the search bar for more inspiration.
Super simple and delicious! One of my husband’s favorites!
Thanks so much!
I tried this in the air fryer and it came out perfect!!! I also threw in some diced potatoes, tomatoes and bell peppers and it was wholesome!
The spices mix is amazing, I also added paprika, cardamom and lemon pepper.
Thank you for the recipe!
Oh how yummy!
can’t wait to make tonight