This post may contain affiliate links or sponsored content. That means if you click on my link and buy something, I will earn a small commission from the advertiser at no additional cost to you. For more information on this, please click here.
Italian Grilled Eggplant uses a simple “reverse marinating” technique for preparing the most flavorful and tender eggplant! Eggplant slices are grilled dry and unseasoned on a hot surface then marinated afterwards in a aromatic and savory mixture of extra virgin olive oil, garlic and lots of fresh herbs and lemon. It’s a delicious side dish or appetizer and can be enjoyed so many ways.
Eggplants have a meaty texture and amazing deep, earthy flavor that makes them so versatile to work with. They’re delicious roasted, fried, pickled, pureed in soups and dips, mashed into meatless “meatballs” or grilled as in this recipe. Any way you prepare eggplant, it always seems to deliver on both flavor and texture. They’re also so satisfying!
More eggplant recipes: Creamy Eggplant Soup, Sicilian-Style Stuffed Eggplant, Eggplant Meatballs (without Meat), Fried Eggplant Cutlets, Roasted Eggplant with Crispy Garlic and Herbs, Sicilian Caponata Relish, Stuffed Eggplant Boats and Pasta alla Norma.
What is reverse marinating?
This recipe uses a unique, little-known cooking technique called “reverse marinating” or “post marinating” in which meat, fish or vegetables are soaked in a flavorful sauce AFTER being cooked. That’s right–marinating doesn’t have to happen before cooking! While this technique is mostly used for meat served at room temperature during grilling season, I love applying it to eggplant–the meatiest of all veggies IMHO!
In this recipe, slices of eggplant are grilled completely unseasoned and dry until tender, then bathed in the most delicious marinade of lemon, lots of fresh herbs, two types of garlic and extra virgin olive oil. The hot eggplant soaks up all that delicious flavor and your grill remains clean!
While marinated eggplant can often cause your grill’s flames to really flair up (plus your grill grates or pan to get really messy), reverse marinating keeps everything streamlined and clean. Plus, I think it created a more flavorful veggie in the long run. Like a lot of Italian recipes, this grilled melanzane actually gets better as it sits continues to soak up the bright, herby marinade flavors.
And, fyi, eggplant and tangy lemon are a great, underrated combo! When paired, it really is something extra special.
This grilled Italian eggplant recipe is fast, simple and approachable to prepare and delicious to eat. Whether you’re hosting a cookout this summer or just looking for an easy vegetarian and vegan dish on any random Tuesday night, it will not disappoint. Hope you try this technique out! I bet it will change your definition of marinating forever.
Ingredients for Italian Grilled Eggplant
This marinated grilled eggplant recipe has few ingredients, but they are all significant. Like a simple chicken cutlet or fried peppers, it relies on simple technique and great seasoning to become delicious. Here are the ingredients we’ll be using:
- Eggplant: One of the most popular vegetables in Italy, especially in Sicily! I used large globe eggplants in this recipe. It would also be great with round Sicilian eggplant. Choose eggplants that have a slightly firm, but not hard, texture and that feel dense and heavy for their size with shiny, smooth, blemish-free skin. Avoid eggplant (aka, aubergine) with wrinkled skin that feel soft as they may be old and/or taste bitter. If you’re able to puncture the eggplant skin, then it is too far gone.
- Oil: Use an oil for brushing the grill pan that can take a high heat, such as avocado oil. Do not use extra virgin olive for this or it will burn. On the other hand, be sure to use a delicious extra virgin olive oil for the marinade as you will taste the difference!
- Garlic: A small amount of sharp, spicy raw garlic is used in the marinade, along with a larger amount of milder, nutty garlic confit or roasted garlic. Both infuse loads of flavor to the final dish. Be sure to mince the raw garlic so you don’t bit into any large garlic. Remember–the marinade is applied to the eggplant AFTER grilling, so it does not get cooked.
- Fresh Lemon Juice and Zest: I’ve said many times before that fresh lemon juice makes almost everything better, and this recipe is a great example of that. Lemon + eggplant is a very underrated and unrecognized pairing that are so great together. The acidity and brightness that lemon brings to the final dish through the marinade is everything.
- Fresh Herbs: I used a combination of fresh Italian, flat-leaf parsley, basil, mint and oregano in this recipe, but you can get creative here and try lots of other herbs and herb combinations. Rosemary, thyme, dill and cilantro are all great options. Fresh herbs add lots of fragrance and brightness to the eggplant. I do not recommend using dried herbs in this recipe as they will not have a chance to hydrate since the marinade will net be cooked.
How to Make Italian Grilled Eggplant
Prep is super quick and simple, relying mostly on quality, simple ingredients and good technique. Here are the main steps for making this easy Italian eggplant recipe:
- Gather and prep all ingredients. Be sure to zest the lemon before squeezing it. Then, make the marinade by combining the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, lemon zest, salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes and herbs. until well-combined. Set the marinade aside.
- Next, slice the eggplant into even slices about ¼”-⅓” thick.
- PRO-TIP: Don’t slice the eggplant too thin as they will burn while grilling! Err on the side of thicker.
- Once the grill or grill pan is very hot, brush it with oil. Brush the grill and not the eggplant with oil. The eggplant should be grilled dry.
- PRO-TIP: The grill should be hot before placing the eggplant on it to help create nice grill marks on the outside while still remaining tender on the inside.
- Then, grill the eggplant in batches. Grill until each side gets a little color and some grill marks, 1 to 3 minutes per side, but this will vary widely based on their thickness and the heat level of your grill or grill pan.
- PRO-TIP: The eggplant should be grilled while dry and unseasoned. They will be marinated after grilling.
- PRO-TIP: Keep a close eye while you are grilling, as the eggplant can burn quickly.
- Once each eggplant slice is done cooking, transfer it to a shallow dish. Then, lightly spoon a little marinade over the grilled eggplant slices and sprinkle with a pinch of salt.
- PRO-TIP: Alternatively, you can quickly dunk each grilled slice into the marinade.
- Continue grilling the eggplant, drizzling each with marinade and sprinkling each with salt until all the eggplant are done. Layer the eggplant in the shallow dish as you go.
- When finished grilling, pour any remaining marinade over all the eggplant, cover the dish with plastic wrap and let the marinated eggplant sit for 45 to 60 minutes at room temperature. As the eggplant marinates, it will continue to steam and soften while absorbing the flavors of the marinade.
- After marinating, you can serve the eggplant immediately or cover and refrigerate for later. That’s it!
Serving Suggestions for Melanzane Grigliate
This grilled-then-marinated eggplant can be enjoyed in so many ways! It’s a great side dish to just about anything, and can even be a vegan main dish in its own right in a larger portion. I love to serve them as is with a little Pecorino Romano or grated ricotta salata sprinkled over them, or simply drizzled with some additional fresh lemon juice. Here are some of my other favorite ways to enjoy them:
- Added to an antipasto platter along with cured meats, cheeses, olives, spreads, crusty bread and other veggie antipasti like crispy baked zucchini, marinated mushrooms, caponata, baked artichoke hearts, etc.
- Pair it with creamy ricotta cheese and toasted bread for a quick and flavorful crostini or as a base to a classic tomato bruschetta.
- Made into a sandwich! Pair this grilled eggplant with a thick slice of fresh tomato, fresh basil and a little extra virgin olive oil, with or without fresh mozzarella or a shmear of ricotta cheese. Mamma mia! Or, add it to any Italian sub with cured meats and cheeses and or to a chicken cutlet sandwich with sautéed broccoli rabe!
- Added to a platter of insalata caprese.
- As a side to any number of hearty entrees or pastas, such as meatballs, steak pizzaiola, roasted turkey breast or a light summer pasta with pesto.
More Veggie Recipes You’ll Love
If you love Italian Grilled Eggplant, check out these other simple Italian vegetable recipes:
- Classic Zucchini Fritters with Lemon and Basil
- Crispy Baked Panko Crusted Zucchini and Summer Squash
- Peperonata ~ Sautéed Bell Peppers with Olives and Capers
- Zucchini Parmesan with Ricotta
- Baked Tomatoes Provençal with Parmesan and Breadcrumbs
- Sautéed Broccoli Rabe
- Pesto Roasted Vegetables
- Italian Roasted Peppers
Frequently Asked Questions
Choose eggplants that have a slightly firm, but not hard, texture and that feel dense and heavy for their size with shiny, smooth, blemish-free skin. Avoid eggplant with wrinkled skin that feel soft as they may be old and/or taste bitter. If you’re able to puncture the eggplant skin, then it is too far gone.
Leaving the skin on eggplant is a personal choice. While eggplant skin is edible and nutrient-rich, sometimes it can be tough and/or bitter. I left the skin on for this recipe. Since the eggplant slices are thin, you almost don’t even notice the skin.
Unless you are using old eggplant that have been stored for too long, no, you do not need to salt the eggplant. I realize this may be a controversial reply, since so many people swear by salting eggplants to remove its bitterness. The reality is that, over the years, farmers have bred out much of eggplants’ signature bitterness, rendering salting unnecessary. Having said this, click here for great information about salting eggplants.
Yes, you can roast the eggplant slices in a single layer on a parchment-lined sheet pan in a high heat (425ºF) oven on the bottom rack. You may want to lightly brush each side of the sliced eggplant with a little oil to help give it color. Roast for 10-15 minutes then flip the eggplant and continue roasting for another 15 minutes or until the eggplant is completely tender. Then, proceed with the recipe and reverse marinate.
TOP TIPS FOR ITALIAN GRILLED EGGPLANT
- Marinate AFTER Grilling: Unlike most other recipes with a marinade, in this recipe, the marinating is done after, not before, the eggplant are grilled. The eggplant should be grilled while DRY AND UNSEASONED. They will be MARINATED AFTER GRILLING.
- Choosing Eggplant: Select eggplants that have a slightly firm, but not hard, texture and that feel dense and heavy for their size with shiny, smooth, blemish-free skin. Avoid eggplant with wrinkled skin that feel soft as they may be old and/or taste bitter. If you’re able to puncture the eggplant skin, then it is too far gone.
- Eggplant Slicing: Cut the eggplant into slices about ¼”-⅓” thickness. Try to cut all the slices evenly so that they grill properly. Use a mandoline if you have one and are comfortable using it. Don’t slice the eggplant too thin as they will burn while grilling! Err on the side of thicker.
- Oil for Grill: Use an oil for brushing the grill pan that can take a high heat, such as avocado oil. Do not use extra virgin olive for this or it will burn.
- Oil for Marinade: However, be sure to use a delicious extra virgin olive oil for the marinade as you will taste the difference!
- Preheat the Grill: The grill should be hot before placing the eggplant on it to help create nice grill marks on the outside while still remaining tender on the inside.
- Recipe Substitutions or Variations: Italian Grilled Eggplant is a simple recipe routed in proper cooking technique. So, really, you can experiment with other seasonings, hot peppers, herbs and acids/vinegars/lime juice/balsamic vinegar in the marinade. Have fun with different flavors!
- Leftovers: Leftovers will hold in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. And, while you technically can freeze the marinated, grilled eggplant. I do not suggest it as the texture will be compromised too much.
More Great Recipes to Try
I hope that you are enjoying my Italian food blog and all of my Italian recipes and Italian-American recipes!
If you’ve tried Italian Grilled Eggplant, please let me know how it went in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK and INSTAGRAM to see more delicious food and what might be going on behind the scenes!
Easy Marinated Italian Grilled Eggplant (Melanzane Grigliate)
Ingredients
For the Marinade:
- ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 4 Tbsp fresh lemon juice (Be sure to zest the lemon first!)
- 6-10 cloves garlic confit or roasted garlic
- 1½ tsp minced raw garlic
- Zest of one lemon
- 2 tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- ½ tsp crushed red pepper
- ½ cup chopped fresh herbs (mint, parsley oregano, basil; see NOTES.)
For the Eggplant:
- 2 medium eggplant (about 2¼ pounds)
- Oil for grill (See NOTES.)
- Salt
- ½ red bell pepper, cored, seeded, very small dice (optional garnish)
Instructions
- *NOTE: The marinating is done after, not before, the eggplant are grilled.*
- Gather and prep all ingredients according to specifications above. Make garlic confit or roasted garlic if you do not already have some on hand. Be sure to zest the lemon before squeezing it. (Please see the section above in the blog post for Step-By-Step instructions with photos.)Zest of one lemon
- Then, make the marinade. In a bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, mashed garlic confit or roasted garlic cloves, raw garlic, lemon zest, salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes until well-combined. Then, stir in the chopped fresh herbs. Set the marinade aside. (NOTE: The marinade is going to be used on the eggplant AFTER grilling, not before.)¾ cup extra virgin olive oil, 4 Tbsp fresh lemon juice, 6-10 cloves garlic confit, 1½ tsp minced raw garlic, 2 tsp salt, ½ tsp ground black pepper, ½ tsp crushed red pepper, ½ cup chopped fresh herbs
- Preheat the grill–either a grill pan indoors on medium-high heat or a grill outdoors. Your choice!
- Next, prep the eggplant. Cut off and discard the ends and thick stem of the eggplant. Peeling is optional. (I did not.) Then, cut the eggplant into slices about ¼”-⅓” thickness. Try to cut all the slices evenly so that they grill properly. Use a mandoline if you have one and are comfortable using it. NOTE: Don’t slice the eggplant too thin as they will burn while grilling! Err on the side of thicker. Also, the eggplant should be grilled while DRY AND UNSEASONED. They will be MARINATED AFTER GRILLING.2 medium eggplant
- Now it’s time to grill the eggplant. Assuming that the grill or grill pan is very hot by this point, brush it with oil. Note that you are brushing the grill and not the eggplant with oil. The eggplant should be grilled dry.
- Grill the eggplant in batches. Grill until each side gets a little color and some grill marks, 1 to 3 minutes per side, but this will vary widely based on their thickness and the heat level of your grill or grill pan. Keep a close eye while you are grilling, as the eggplant can burn quickly. The eggplant should be tender, but not burnt, when finished. Use tongs to turn the eggplant over. Reapply oil to the grill as needed if the eggplant begins to stick.
- Once each eggplant slice is done cooking, transfer it to a shallow dish.
- Give the marinade a stir as the spices and herbs will have likely fallen to the bottom as it sat. Then, lightly spoon a little marinade over the grilled eggplant slices and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Don’t use too much marinade as it needs to last for the full batch of grilled eggplant. Plus, any marinade left at the end will get drizzled over the full batch. (Alternatively, you can quickly dunk each grilled slice into the marinade.)
- Continue grilling the eggplant, drizzling each with marinade and sprinkling each with salt until all the eggplant are done. Layer the eggplant in the shallow dish as you go.
- When finished grilling, pour any remaining marinade over all the eggplant, cover the dish with plastic wrap and let the marinated eggplant sit for 45 to 60 minutes at room temperature. As the eggplant marinates, it will continue to steam and soften while absorbing the flavors of the marinade.
- After marinating, you can serve the eggplant immediately or cover and refrigerate for up to 5 days. Allow it to come to room temperature before serving. Serve with optional small-diced red bell pepper sprinkled over it. Enjoy on an antipasto platter, sandwich or bruschetta or as a delicious side to almost anything. Buon Appetito!½ red bell pepper,
Notes
- *NOTE: The marinating is done after, not before, the eggplant are grilled. The eggplant should be grilled while DRY AND UNSEASONED. They will be MARINATED AFTER GRILLING.
- Don’t slice the eggplant too thin as they will burn while grilling! Err on the side of thicker.
- Peeling the eggplant is optional and a personal choice. I did not peel it.
- Use an oil for brushing the grill pan that can take a high heat, such as avocado oil. Do not use extra virgin olive for this or it will burn.
- On the other hand, be sure to use a delicious extra virgin olive oil for the marinade as you will taste the difference!
- Use any fresh herbs or combination that you prefer. I used flat-leaf parsley, basil, mint and oregano. Do not use dried herbs here.
- The grill should be hot before placing the eggplant on it to help create nice grill marks on the outside while still remaining tender on the inside.
- If you feel that you have a lot of marinade left over, use it for chicken, fish, shrimp, etc. It will go with lots of proteins and veggies!
- This grilled eggplant is best served at room temperature or warm.
- Leftovers will hold in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. And, while you technically can freeze the marinated, grilled eggplant. I do not suggest it as the texture will be compromised too much.
- If you don’t have a grill or grill pan and would like to make this recipe in the oven, no problem. Just roast the eggplant slices in a single layer on a parchment-lined sheet pan in a high heat (425ºF) oven on the bottom rack. You may want to lightly brush each side of the sliced eggplant with a little oil to help give it color. Roast for 10-15 minutes then flip the eggplant and continue roasting for another 15 minutes or until the eggplant is completely tender. Then, proceed with the recipe and reverse marinate.
- You can make this recipe with a thin or baby eggplant as well. Just slice it in half lengthwise and proceed with the recipe. The grilling time will likely be different, but use your judgment and grill until the eggplant is tender throughout.
I loved the reverse marinating technique and the marinade itself was delish! Very easy.