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Grilled Eggplant

By Amy Flanigan

Updated May 21, 2026

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Prep 15 minutes mins

Cook 8 minutes mins

Servings 6

By Amy Flanigan

Updated May 21, 2026

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This Grilled Eggplant is basted with seasonings, cooked until tender and slightly charred, then topped with a sprinkling of salty feta cheese. It’s an easy and healthy side dish that’s pairs well with grilled meat or fish for a complete dinner. The smoky flavor from the grill and the creamy feta make every bite savory and satisfying.

Easy Grilled Eggplant Recipe

In my humble opinion, eggplant is underutilized and not appreciated nearly as much as it should be. It’s a healthy, inexpensive vegetable, and pretty versatile when it comes to pairing with seasonings and sauces. I think most people tend to overcook it, undercook it, or don’t season it properly, so it turns out mediocre. I’ll show you how easy it can be to prepare delicious eggplant with my grilled eggplant recipe.

I’ve taken simple seasonings and paired them with extra virgin olive oil that gets brushed onto the eggplant so it cooks up soft and chewy with a slight char. Then I sprinkle a handful of salty feta cheese and garnish it with chopped parsley for a side dish that tastes great and requires just minutes to prepare.

Helpful Tips and Variations

• Make uniform slices. Make sure your eggplant slices are the same thickness, so they cook at the same rate.
• Use the oven instead. Place the eggplant slices on a sprayed baking sheet under the broiler. Cook for the same amount of time as if you were grilling them.
• Change up the seasonings. Feel free to play with the seasonings, or if you’ve got a bunch of fresh herbs growing in your garden, use them.
• No need to peel the eggplant. You actually need the peel to hold the vegetable together – if you remove it, the flesh will fall apart. Plus, the peel adds texture and a visual appeal to your finished dish.

5 from 1

Grilled Eggplant

Prep: 15 minutes mins

Cook: 8 minutes mins

Total: 23 minutes mins

Servings: 6

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This quick and easy grilled eggplant is basted with seasonings, cooked until tender and slightly charred, and then topped with feta for a healthy and delicious side dish.

Step-by-step photos can be seen below the recipe card.

Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• ▢ ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• ▢ 1 tsp dried oregano
• ▢ ¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• ▢ 2 medium eggplants*, wiped clean and dry, sliced into ½ inch rounds
• ▢ kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
• ▢ ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese
• ▢ 2 tbsp fresh chopped parsley
• ▢ juice of ½ a lemon

Instructions 

• Heat a grill over medium-high.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, oregano, red pepper flakes; baste eggplant on both sides. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• Coat the grill grates generously with nonstick spray.
• Grill eggplant slices until tender and slightly charred, about 3 minutes per side.
• Transfer eggplant to a serving platter or individual plates; top with the feta and parsley, and drizzle with the lemon juice.
• Eat and enjoy!

Video

Notes

*The perfect eggplant has smooth and shiny skin without any bruising or discoloration. The stem should be green, free of mold, and not dried out. It should have a firm texture and be fairly heavy. The larger the eggplant, the more seeds it has, which typically means a more bitter flavor, so pick a few small-to-medium-sized eggplants instead of a single large one. 

If you use Asian eggplant, slice it lengthwise into long strips, so the pieces don’t fall through the grill grates.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 215kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 6mg | Sodium: 75mg | Potassium: 357mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 199IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 52mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional information given is an automatic calculation and can vary based on the exact products you use and any changes you make to the recipe. If these numbers are very important to you, I would recommend calculating them yourself.

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How To Grill Eggplant Step by Step

Gather the ingredients, heat an indoor grill pan or outdoor grill, and prepare the oil by whisking ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil with 1 tsp dried oregano and ¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes in a small bowl.

Get the eggplant ready: Slice the washed and dried eggplant into ½ inch rounds and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Use a pastry brush to brush the seasoned oil onto the eggplant slices.

Grill the eggplant: Place the eggplant slices on the grill and cook until tender and slightly charred.

Garnish and serve: Sprinkle the eggplant slices with the crumbled feta, chopped parsley, and then drizzle with lemon juice.

Serving Suggestions

I like to use this eggplant as a side dish with grilled chicken breasts or Mediterranean-inspired beef kofta meatballs. But sometimes, I’ll use the eggplant as an ingredient for other dishes, like stirring it into a simple pasta like aglio e olio, or layering it into a Cuban sandwich.

How to Store Leftovers

• Fridge. Grilled eggplant is best served right away, but can also be enjoyed warm or at room temperature. Any leftovers should be stored, tightly covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. I do not recommend freezing eggplant.
• Reheat. Reheat in the oven until warmed through or serve at room temperature.

More Grilling Recipes

• Grilled Fish Tacos feature tender, flaky white fish, a simple spice rub, and crunchy coleslaw on corn tortillas.
• Grilled Pork Chops Foil Packets are filled with seasoned pork chops, baby potatoes, and then finished with chimichurri sauce.
• Spiral Grilled Hot Dogs feature spiral-cut hot dogs that grill faster, get nicely caramelized, and hold your favorite toppings well.