If you want an irresistible dip to serve at your next get-together, make our baba ganoush recipe. Don't expect any leftovers, though! The dish is always empty when it's time to clean up.
What is Baba Ganoush?
Baba ganoush is a Middle Eastern dip known for its creamy texture, smoky aroma, and a combination of earthy, nutty, and tangy flavors. Like hummus, Baba ganoush is made with tahini, lemon juice, and garlic but uses roasted eggplant instead of chickpeas. Baba Ganoush has a chunkier texture than smooth and creamy hummus. It is also sometimes spelled baba ghanouj. We don’t just cook Middle Eastern food—we live it, breathe it, and share it with the world. Here are all our best tips for finding the best eggplants and a few different cooking methods.
Choosing a Good Eggplant at the Store
Here's how to pick a good eggplant. It should be firm, but not too hard, and it should be light, not heavy. This way, it will have fewer seeds. Fewer seeds = better baba ganoush.
Ingredients to Make an Authentic Baba Ganoush
- Eggplant. A large Italian eggplant is ideal.
- Tahini. A paste made from sesame seeds may be found in the International section at your grocery store or near the nut butters. It can also be ordered online.
- Lemon Juice. Use fresh lemons and a handheld citrus juicer to make my own freshly squeezed lemon juice. Please avoid using bottled lemon juice.but you can also just grab a bottle of juice for this type of recipe.
- Garlic. If you have a garlic press or a fine grater it is super easy to mince your garlic, and it tastes much better than jarred minced garlic.
- Salt. Brings all the flavors together, you can use coarse Kosher salt if you have it handy.
How To Make Baba Ganoush by Roasting Eggplant
Of the methods we suggest, this is the easiest and fastest. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat your oven. Slice the eggplant in half lengthwise, and then score the flesh in a diamond pattern without poking through to the skin. Brush it with oil and lay the halves face down on the parchment. Bake for about thirty minutes and then cool. Scoop out the eggplant from the skin and drain it in a colander. Add the other ingredients and mash them together with a fork. You do not need a food processor to make baba ganoush, because it is supposed to be rustic and textural.
How To Make Baba Ganoush by Broiling Eggplant
This method takes twice as long, but you get some smokiness on the eggplant. Preheat your oven to the broil setting. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and pierce the whole eggplant on all sides. Broil it for 30 minutes on each side. Let it cool, cut it in half, and scoop out the flesh. Drain the eggplant in a colander for twenty minutes. Mix it with the remaining ingredients in a mixing bowl, mashing it together with a fork.
How To Make Baba Ganoush by Grilling Eggplant
By charring the eggplant's skin on a grill, the baba ganoush will have a strong, smoky flavor. Turn on your grill to the hottest temperature. I happen to have a small searing grill on my grill that I use for this recipe. Set the whole eggplant on the grill and let it char until tender when squeezed with tongs. Don't worry when the skin turns black or bursts open. Cool the eggplant and remove the skin. Scoop out the flesh and drain it. Add the remaining ingredients and mash with a fork.
How To Make Baba Ganoush By Charring Eggplant On An Open Flame
By charring the eggplant's skin, the will have a strong, smoky flavor.
We feel obliged to offer this as a suggestion because many people find this to be quick and easy. Not so much for us … why? Because it creates a mess on your stove. If you choose this method, place the eggplant right on the open flame of your gas stove and rotate and monitor for at least 20 minutes until the skin is charred and the eggplant is soft. Some like to cover the area under the burner with foil to catch the mess. The skin must turn black, the flesh needs to be soft, and the skin should be easily peeled when the eggplant cools. Place the cooked eggplant in a bowl. Add tahini, lemon juice, salt, and garlic. Mash with a fork.
Variations
Common additions are ground cumin, sumac, chopped parsley, smoked paprika, and toasted pine nuts. Always drizzle with olive oil.
What to Serve with Baba Ganoush?
This very popular vegan eggplant dip is very tasty and served with a variety of dipping vessels, including gluten-free options. Try offering a variety of these ideas.
- Fresh Veggies: red pepper strips, broccoli, cauliflower, carrot sticks, celery sticks, cucumber.
- Bread: pita bread, ciabatta bread, baguette, etc.
- Soft Tortillas Toasted: flour tortillas or corn tortillas.
- Chips: tortilla chips, pita chips, potato chips, beet chips, etc.
- Phylo Dough Shells: Stuff store-bought phyllo shells with baba ganoush
You can also use this as a spread on sandwiches, or added to rice bowls, salads, and other dishes.
Serve baba ganoush alongside other dips such as hummus, salsa, or tapenade. It works well with a variety of appetizers.
Tips to Make the Best Baba Ganoush
- Use a fork or potato masher to combine your ingredients and keep a nice chunky texture, not too smooth.
- Tip for eggplant season or to save time: especially when eggplant is abundant in farmer markets and stands, I like to grill or char a whole bunch of eggplant, peel them, and freeze them in freezer bags to have them ready to make baba ganoush in no time.
Frequently Asked Questions
How to Store Baba Ganoush
Keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
How long will Baba Ganoush last in the fridge?
It can last for up to five days in the fridge. You may need to remove water that collects on top. Smell and appearance should be monitored.
Can I freeze Baba Ganoush?
Yes. Freeze your leftovers in an airtight container where it will keep frozen for up to six months.
More Mediterranean Dips to Make
- Easy Roasted Red Pepper Hummus
- Homemade Hummus
- Easy Hummus Recipe with Shawarma Mushrooms
- Beet Hummus
- Moroccan Matbucha
If you enjoyed this recipe, it would help us tremendously if you left us a star rating in the comments below or on the recipe card. Do you have any questions about the recipe? Do you need a swap for any of the ingredients? We are here to help, just leave us a question in the comments below.
Baba Ganoush
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 1 ¾ cups 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
If you want an irresistible Mediterranean dish to serve at your next get-together, make our baba ganoush recipe. Don't expect any leftovers, though!
Ingredients
- 2 large eggplant
- ⅓ cup tahini
- 2-4 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, to taste
- ¼-½ teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1 grated garlic clove (optional)
Instructions
- First, decide which method you are going to use to cook your eggplant. See the options below. You should end up with about 1 ½ cups of cooked eggplant.
- Once the eggplant is cooked make sure to place it on a colander with a bowl underneath to drain any excess moisture. Don't skip this step.
- Place the cooked eggplant in a bowl. Add tahini, lemon juice, salt, and garlic, if using.
- Mix well with a fork until all the ingredients are well combined.
- Refrigerate until ready to use.
- Before serving drizzle extra virgin olive oil on the baba ganoush and garnish with sumac, parsley, pinenuts or cumin.
How to Roast eggplant for baba ganoush
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- Preheat the oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Slice the eggplant in half lengthwise.
- Score the flesh in a diamond pattern, without poking the skin. Brush 1 teaspoon of the oil on each eggplant half and place them cut side down on the parchment paper.
- Bake for 30 minutes, or until the eggplant is tender. Let cool for about 20 minutes or until it can be easily handled
- Place eggplant in a colander, with a bowl underneath, and let it sit for 20 minutes to drain any excess liquid.
How to Broil Eggplant for Babaganoush
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- Preheat oven to broil or 550ºF. Pierce the eggplant on all sides with a knife about 20-30 times (depending on the size) and place it on the baking sheet. If you line the baking sheet with parchment it may catch on fire, so place the eggplant straight on the baking sheet.
- Broil for 30 minutes on each side. Remove eggplant from the oven and let it sit until cool enough to handle, about 20 minutes.
- Cut in half and with the help of a spoon, scoop out all the flesh trying to avoid as many seeds as you can. Discard the skin.
- Place eggplant in a colander, with a bowl underneath, and let it sit for 20 minutes to drain any excess liquid.
How to grill eggplant for baba ganoush
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- Turn on your grill to the hottest temperature. I happen to have a small searing grill on my grill.
- Place the eggplant on the grill and let it cook undisturbed for at least 20 minutes per side or until the eggplant skin is charred and the eggplant is tender when you squeeze it with tongs. If the skin starts to burst and peel apart from the flesh of the eggplant, get the eggplant out of the grill.
- Place the eggplant in a plate or bowl until it is cool and safe enough to handle.
- Carefully remove all the charred skin, you may even do it under running water
- Using a spoon or your hands scoop all the eggplant flesh trying to avoid as many seeds as you can and trying not to get the black charred skin on the eggplant flesh.
- Place eggplant in a colander, with a bowl underneath, and let it sit for 20 minutes to drain any excess liquid.
How to cook eggplant in an open flame for babaganoush
- You can only use this method if you have a gas stove. We highly recommend you turn on your range hood to extract the fumes from burning the eggplant's skin
- Turn on your burner to medium-high and place eggplant one at a time right on the open flame, turning it as the skin becomes charred.
- Place the eggplant in a plate or bowl until it is cool and safe enough to handle.
- Cut the eggplant in half vertically, without cutting it all the way through and expose the flesh.
- Using a spoon or your hands scoop all the eggplant flesh trying to avoid as many seeds as you can and trying not to get the black charred skin on the eggplant flesh.
- Place eggplant in a colander, with a bowl underneath, and let it sit for 20 minutes to drain any excess liquid.
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 45
- Category: Dips
- Method: oven
- Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 tablespoons
- Calories: 54
- Sugar: 2.8 g
- Sodium: 47.5 mg
- Fat: 3 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 6.4 g
- Fiber: 2.9 g
- Protein: 1.8 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Leah Goldman
what does 1/3 tahini mean?
Vicky and Ruth
Hi Leah,
Thank you for catching the typo. We updated the recipe. It's 1/3 cup tahini.
juleezee
Thank you for the super easy recipe! I add a couple of coriander seeds, crushed lightly in a small mortar to my baba ghanoush, lifts the taste a bit. I always make my eggplants on the grill in our backyard and we like them best done this way. We have a gas grill and will cook a few things on it, since it's being used anyway. Can't beat Jersey fresh produce in teh summer! I usually toss a few multicolored peppers on the grill at the same time to blacken them, but you have to watch them a bit closer than eggplant and turn them more often than an eggplant. I make Romanian roasted pepper salad (salata de ardei copti) and eggplant salad/dip (salata de vinete), and whatever mess the veggies make burns off at the end. If you're sensitive to raw garlic, a dash of garlic powder will work well, I find.
Vicky and Ruth
We love Summer Jersey produce, and love the idea of adding coriander seeds, I'll have to try next time I make baba ganoush!