Epic Baba Ganoush
This baba ganoush recipe is the best! It's easy to make, too (no food processor required). You'll need eggplant, tahini, olive oil, lemon juice and garlic.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on August 30, 2024
“But why would I make baba ganoush if I could just eat hummus?” Mara asked when we set out to make the ultimate baba ganoush recipe. At that moment, I couldn’t help but shrug my shoulders.
Then we nailed the method and ingredients you see here, and neither of us could stop scooping up more. When you get it right, baba ganoush is irresistibly smooth and luxurious, smoky, and savory.
In its most basic form, baba ganoush is made with eggplant, tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and salt. I found that adding a tiny bit of ground cumin, smoked paprika and fresh parsley takes it to the next level.
Baba ganoush is similar to hummus, but it calls for grilled or roasted eggplant instead of chickpeas. Both dips originated in the Eastern Mediterranean, and they’re often served together with pita bread and raw, crisp veggies. You can use baba ganoush like you would hummus—as a dip or spread. Ready to make some?!
How to Make the Best Baba Ganoush
There are a few considerations when it comes to baba ganoush. First up: do you grill the eggplant or roast it?
Roast your eggplant
I don’t have a grill, so I roasted my eggplant and it turned out great. So, you don’t need a grill for this baba ganoush!
To make up for the grilled flavor, I halved the eggplants and roasted them cut-side down for caramelized deliciousness. (Roasting them halved also means that your eggplant cooks faster, and you don’t risk an entire eggplant exploding inside your oven.) Using smoked paprika as a garnish adds some extra smokiness, too.
Roasting the eggplants until they’ve collapsed on themselves helps concentrate their flavor and ensure that your dip is silky-smooth. At that point, it’s easy to flip over the eggplant and scoop out the insides. Peeling the skin off eggplant is not my idea of a good time!
Extract moisture
The next consideration is how to extract as much moisture from the eggplant as possible. Fortunately, our roasting method has already helped eliminate a lot of it. Just let the eggplant rest in a strainer for a few minutes and stir it to release even more.
Stir it up
The next question—do you mix the dip by hand or whip it up in your food processor? I’m a big fan of my food processor, but it isn’t necessary for this recipe. Baba ganoush traditionally has some texture to it, and roasted eggplant readily falls apart when you stir it with a fork.
Add ample salt
My last tip is to salt the dip generously—eggplant is inherently bitter, and salt reduces that bitterness. This dip isn’t truly epic until it’s properly seasoned with salt. Can I call my own recipe epic? Oh hell, I’m doing it! This baba ganoush is epic.
Watch How to Make Baba Ganoush
What to Serve with Baba Ganoush
Basic baba ganoush is always vegan, gluten free and nut free. That makes baba ganoush a great party appetizer for guests who are following special diets—as long as your accompaniments fit the bill.
I like to serve my baba ganoush with sturdy raw veggies like carrot sticks, cucumber rounds and bell pepper sticks. Toasted pita wedges or pita chips are great, too.
For a full Mediterranean spread, serve this baba ganoush with herbed hummus or tahini sauce and fresh salads. I recommend Mediterranean bean salad, my favorite quinoa salad, or tabbouleh. Here are even more Mediterranean recipes!
Please let me know how this baba ganoush recipe turns out for you in the comments! I hope it’s your new favorite.
Epic Baba Ganoush
This baba ganoush recipe is the best! It’s easy to make, too (no food processor required). You’ll need eggplant, tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and spices. Recipe yields about 1 ¾ cups (enough to serve 4 to 6 as an appetizer).
Ingredients
- 2 pounds Italian eggplants (about 2 small-to-medium eggplants*)
- 2 medium cloves of garlic, pressed or minced
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice, more if necessary
- ¼ cup tahini
- ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing the eggplant and garnish
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus extra for garnish
- ¾ teaspoon salt, to taste
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- Pinch of smoked paprika, for garnish
- Serving suggestions: warmed or toasted pita wedges, carrot sticks, bell pepper strips, cucumber slices, etc.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit with a rack in the upper third of the oven. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent the eggplant from sticking to the pan. Halve the eggplants lengthwise and brush the cut sides lightly with olive oil. Place them in the prepared pan with the halved sides down.
- Roast the eggplant until the interior is very tender throughout and the skin is collapsing, about 35 to 40 minutes (this might take longer if you are using 1 large eggplant). Set the eggplant aside to cool for a few minutes. Flip the eggplants over and scoop out the flesh with a large spoon, leaving the skin behind.
- Place a mesh strainer over a mixing bowl, then transfer the flesh to the strainer and discard the skins. Pick out any stray bits of eggplant skin and discard. You want to remove as much moisture from the eggplant here as possible, so let the eggplant rest for a few minutes and shake/stir the eggplant to release some more moisture.
- Discard all of the eggplant drippings, drain and wipe out the bowl, and dump the eggplant into the bowl. Add the garlic and lemon juice to the eggplant and stir vigorously with a fork until eggplant breaks down. Add the tahini to the bowl and stir until it’s incorporated. While stirring, slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Continue stirring until the mixture is pale and creamy, and use your fork to break up any particularly long strings of eggplant.
- Stir in the parsley, salt and cumin. Season to taste with more salt (I usually add another ¼ teaspoon) and more lemon juice, if you’d like a more tart flavor.
- Transfer the baba ganoush to a serving bowl and lightly drizzle olive oil on top. Lastly, sprinkle parsley and smoked paprika on top. Serve with accompaniments of your choice. It’s also great on sandwiches!
Notes
Recipe roughly adapted from Serious Eats and Tori Avey.
*Eggplant selection: Large eggplants tend to contain more seeds, which can produce a bothersome texture. So, it’s better to use 2 small eggplants that weigh about 2 pounds total, rather than 1 large. Choose eggplants that are shiny and smooth (no mushy parts), and feel heavy for their size. Turn your eggplant into baba ganoush promptly, since overripe eggplant tastes more bitter.
Storage suggestions: Leftover baba ganoush can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 4 days (I think it’s best served fresh, but some say it tastes better after a day or two). I like to let my leftover baba ganoush warm to room temperature before serving, but others prefer it chilled, so I’ll leave this up to you.
For a lighter dip: You can reduce the olive oil to as little as 2 to 3 tablespoons. Your dip won’t be as rich and creamy, but it will still be very good!
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
This is my girlfriend’s new favorite! I saw some homegrown eggplants in the communal office break room, and remembered having baba ganoush when I lived in Turkey, so I brought them home and found this recipe. We’ve had it twice since then, and really love this light, healthy dinner!
I recommend mixing it with a whisk in the same bowl you’ll serve it in, so you don’t lose any ganoush in the blender
I love to hear that, Johann! Thank you for your review.
I brought this to a gathering today and everyone loved it. I thought I’d have leftovers but the serving dish was scraped clean. This is an easy and perfect appetizer.
I followed the recipe by the tee, my eggplant was very dark. I don’t know if it worked out, but it didn’t that sound spectacular as the recipe suggested. My eggplants was from a garden in a row sit down for 40 minutes and added all the ingredients as suggested.
Fabulous baba ganoush recipe !!!! I took your advice and added smoked paprika & cumin plus 3 times as much garlic & went light on the olive oil . Thanks .
So so good! thank you! Just a tad salty, but that might have been my salt
Halved recipe for smaller portion. Worked really well. Used avo oil (plain unflavored) which made it nice and creamy
Great recipe! We had a ton of eggplant from our last picking of the season so I was looking for recipes. This baba ganoush freezes well, too. We serve it as a dip and also as a spread for various wraps,tortillas, burritos, etc.
Great to hear, Ron!
Hi There, I love this recipe! I’ve made it on a few occasions, it’s my fave dip to make! What would you recommend in subbing out the tahini? Would love to make this for a lunch with friends but someone in the group is allergic to sesame. Thanks in advance!
Hi, you could try to use almond butter or something like that with more neutral taste. Let me know what you think!
Hi Kate,
I’ve made this recipe twice now and it’s so good! Thank you! I’m looking forward to trying more of your recipes.
-Jon
This was really good, the second time I made it, I roasted a small head of garlic and used it instead. I also added a couple of drops of liquid smoke, because I roasted the eggplant, and wanted the smoky flavor of grilled. Yummy.
Thank you for sharing, Lori! I’m glad you enjoyed it.
Oh my goodness! Absolutely delicious! I roasted my eggplant on the Big Green Egg (Smokey) and I cooked my garlic with the olive oil for 15 seconds in the microwave (I don’t like my garlic to bite me!). It’s absolutely incredible! Thank you so much!
You’re welcome, Di! I appreciate your review.
This is phenomenal! So easy, and a fantastic snack to take to work with cut up veggies and pita slices. We did hit it in the food processor to smooth it out. I would definitely double up and serve this to guests! I think we’re going to grill this on our smoker grill next time, catch some smoky flavor. Thank you for this recipe!!
You’re welcome, Abby! Thank you for your review.
What can I do so my baba ganouch comes up drier? now it is too watery
I’m sorry to hear that. How large was your eggplant?
I’ve never really liked baba ganoush before, but this recipe is delicious!
I’m glad you love it, Tanya! I appreciate your review.
The recipe was delicious, but a little bland for my taste.
I added about 6 finely chopped Kalamata olives instead of extra salt, and 1/4 tsp smoked paprika/chili seasoning. I loved it.
I’m sorry to hear you didn’t love it as written, Babs. But I’m glad you were able to make it work for your tastes.
I made this truly Epic Baba Ganoush. It certainly lived up to its name. I followed the recipe in detail and it tasted great! I spread it on Galil Sesame and Sea Salt rice cakes, which made it delicious.
I am grateful to have this perfect recipe to use again and again.
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Frances! I appreciate your review.
Easy and delicious!
Made 1/2 portion. Delicious!
Great taste and all of the ingredients I had on hand.
Easy and delicious.
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Janet! I appreciate your review.
This is so delish!!!
I made this recipe for a potluck with 1 big eggplant & using a food processor and it came out AMAZING! Everyone loved it!
Great to hear, Paula! I appreciate your review.
I loved this recipe. My only regret is that I halved the recipe. Next time I will double it.
Absolutely lovely! My husband hates aubergine but actually likes this. Very tasty! I didn’t have tahini as I don’t like it but added some sesame seeds before I blended it. Thank you
Grilled up the eggplant for 10-15 minutes, it turned out great! Went over well with my friends!
Thank you for sharing, Kai!
Made this for Christmas and it turned out so good. I used 2 basic eggplants. I used the amount of garlic and lemon the recipe called for but had to add more of both to get the right flavors for me. Definitely will make again. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for sharing! It’s DELICIOUS! Made it for a party tomorrow, I’m sure it will be a hit! I must confess I used a processor instead of stirring the eggplant…
That’s great to hear, Maria! I appreciate your review.
Really good! Next time I would double it — it makes a pretty small amount but it’s delicious so people gobble it up.
I didn’t have the patience for the hand-whipping so I used an immersion blender and that sped it up :)
Thanks for a great recipe.
You’re welcome, Holly! Thank you for your review.
The title says it all … Epic! Delicious and easy recipe! I made it the day before serving and let it come to room temperature.
Kate, your recipe was a hit on Super Bowl Sunday, notably raved about by a Lebanese friend too! It was superb. Your suggestion for more Lemon & Salt was heeded, by the way. Thanks for sharing it.
That’s great to hear, Yvette!
It was sooo good! The only thing that bothered me was the garlic even though I chopped it ultra fine. I’ll use garlic powder or my garlic press. It’s a great base recipe.
I made this 2 times already. Have bookmarked the page :) thanks a lot!
You’re welcome, Desi! I appreciate your review.
I am hoping this tastes great, however I left this thing in the oven for more than 55 minutes and the eggplant still was not soft enough to become a smooth texture with a fork. I guess this is going to require a food processor to make this smooth before I add the tahini and Olive oil.
I hope you were able to enjoy it!
Thank you for your wonderful recipe for Baba Ganoush. I’m going to try it, but I was wondering if I could mix the ingredients in a food processor instead of with a fork. What do you think?
I find it works best as written.
Easy to follow recipe and it came out great. Very popular at the gathering we brought it to. Everyone was impressed “you MADE this!” and yet it was so easy. I will definitely make it again, larger batch next time.
Great to hear, Karen! I appreciate your review.
I roasted the eggplant on the grill which is what my Lebanese friend does and it gave it an awesome smoky flavor, also I think if I had to make it again, I’d probably toss it in the blender at the end, then throw the parsley and paprika on top before serving
Easy-peasy & delicious. Mine was a bit bitter so I did some research & discovered that mixing in 1/2 tsp of baking soda (bicarbonate) eliminated the problem. I also added a dash each of cayenne & zatar for extra flavor & topped with some sesame seeds before serving.
We love this recipe in my house. Hubby loves to take it for work snack with crackers. I add a wee bit more garlic and cumin. He prefers it with a little bit of the charred skin in it, so I do my best to get most of the skin off, but not all of it. When we lived in Greece, it was often served with a bit of the char and it adds a very nice smokiness.
I don’t normally comment on recipes, but this one was so on point I had to. 10/10, everyone loves it and it’s better than any baba ganoush I’ve had in a restaurant.
I’m so glad you did! Thank you for your review.
Great recipe thanks. Only change I made was roasting the garlic skin-on with the eggplant, then squeezed the flesh into the mix.
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Pauline!
I just tried out this recipe. WOW! It’s delicious! I sticked exactly to the measurements but doubled the garlic. It’s absolutely amazing and I will make it many times in the future. Thank you for sharing
You’re welcome, Svenja! I appreciate your review.
Excellent – better than any version I’ve had at a restaurant.
I’m glad you loved it, D.B.
I love every single recipe of yours, plus your delicious sense of humor! Thank you, thank you! Keep experimenting and inventing – you make the world a better place by convincing folks that we can have beautiful, healthy, ethical and mouth-watering – our only home.
It turned out super bitter tasting I’m so disappointed. What did I do wrong? Maybe the eggplant wasn’t the right amount of ripeness? Has anyone experienced this?
I’m sorry to hear that, Shannon. Did you forget to add the salt? It could also be the variety or ripeness of the eggplant. Did it have any green to it?
Perfect recipe! Just make sure you use a good quality tahini, it makes the final outcome so worth it!
Thank you, Marin! I’m glad you loved it.
Love this recipe!
My go to recipe for baba ganoush, thank you! I only had half an eggplant yesterday so I roasted two summer squashes with it and made as usual- my mom and spouse who are regular consumers of this recipe didn’t notice a difference!
I just made it, miam! I will put a little less garlic next time but kids and husband liked it Definitely going to do this recipe again.
Thank you for sharing, Cindy!
AMAZING!! This recipe was absolutely perfect. My husband, who is middle eastern and has many many of these dips in his lifetime, said it’s the best he has had. Will definitely be making again. Thanks again for a wonderful recipe!
You’re welcome, Sarah! I appreciate your review.
This was phenomenal and so easy to make. Can’t wait to have it again!
Divine. Deluxe. Thankyou. Liz.