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 absolutely incredible. The best either my partner or I have ever had. I will literally be making this recipe for the rest of my life. Thank you x
I’m so happy to hear that, Sarah! Thank you for your review.
Delicious and easy! Tastes so fresh. Your recipe lets all the ingredients shine. I love that it is so earthy, real and not fussy.
Excellent! We have a Syrian student living with us and I made this recipe from fresh produce from our garden. He said it was “fancier” than what his mother makes and better. I’ve printed it to use as our standard recipe in the future.
So good! And easy to make!
Lovely smoky flavour and really easy ri make.
Wow so good. I love baba more than hummus. By accident I mixed in
The parsley still so good I could just eat spoonbills of it. Will def make again
This is excellent! Not very difficult and very tasty. Thanks from a first time maker:)
Thank you Kate for sharing this great recipe. First attempt turned out perfect, have it with Pita bread. Glad that I can make it at home now, whenever I feel like eating.
I have never posted a review on recipes I find online and I have used many! This by far is the best baba ganoush recipe I have found. I adjusted it to my taste with more lemon and salt and a dash of red wine vinegar! Thank you. It’s fabulous
Easy and tasty! Will definitely make again.
I look forward to trying this recipe!
Delicious! So smart to drain the liquid from the eggplant after cooking. Already have eggplant on my grocery list so I can make it again!
Delicious! I roasted the garlic alongside the eggplant and took the garlic out a few minutes early to avoid burning it. I think it tastes even better the next day!
I just made this with egg plant from my garden! I skipped the tahini because I’m out and blended it for a silky smooth hummus like texture. It is so delicious! My 8 year old approves!
Made it and it was incredibly easy and came out super delicious!!
This was even better than my dad’s! Very, dry good. Thank you.
I tried this recipe and it was a hit at our ‘small’ game-day party. There was home-made wings, pizza and queso, but the baba ganoush was the winner amongst our friends! I used our own homegrown regular eggplant. I grilled the eggplant and then turned it in the processor. Turned out delicious and couldn’t see or feel any eggplant seeds.
Yes I made it and it’s the best ive ever had! The cumin and paprika really enhance it! Thanks for providing a great recipe!
Made for Mediterranean night and it was incredible. Easy to whip up! Served with veggies, hummus and fresh pita and it was polished off quickly! I did cut back on the amount of oil used, and it still tasted great.
This baba ganoush is definitely a keeper. I’m not much for measuring, so I threw a lot more garlic in there than probably advised. (Probably more tahini too.) But it’s the basic foundational recipe I’ve been looking for. And my Palestinian boyfriend gave it two thumbs up!
Thank you for letting me know it was a hit! I appreciate your feedback from both you and your boyfriend.
Thank U for this most easy and delicious, healthy recipe. I’m in luv!!
Holy eggplant, I had to take a moment and say, Wow! This is a sensational recipe. I don’t even like baba ganoush all that much… usually. I prefer hummus. But my wife and vegan son love it, so I gave it a try. And, honestly, this is the best baba ganoush we have ever had. Absolutely delicious. Thank for you figuring out the perfect recipe! And, BTW, it’s pretty darn easy, too.
I’m happy you loved and excited it’s the best you have had! I appreciate your review, Greg.
Hi, can I make this with white eggplant?
Hi! I haven’t tried it with this recipe. The seasoning may need to be adjusted as it does have a slightly different taste. I can’t say without trying it myself.
Hi Cookie love the eggplant recipe! I used little fingers eggplants and peeled them and cut them up and sprinkled them with salt beforehand and then put them in a colander to let the bitterness drip out. Give Kate a scratch behind the ears for me.
Followed the recipe to the T. Absolutely delicious!!! Thanks :)
You’re welcome, Jo-Ann! I appreciate your review.
I just made this for the first time. It is so tasty and delicious. I omitted the parsley, as I did not have any on hand. It didn’t affect the flavour. Another awesome recipe, thanks Kate.
Thank you, Julie! I’m happy to hear you loved it.
Made this twice and its delicious. I added an extra couple of cloves of garlic which really increased the flavor.
Thank you for your review, Christine!
I have been making Babaganoush for the past 30 years but I give it more of a kick.
1st I make a large batch of Tahini dip by blending lemon juice, water and garlic, with a touch of good olive oil
than I split it to three portion. One is blended with parsley and a touch of salt. to make Tahini dip
Second portion is pureed with cooked Garbonzos, until smooth, to make Hummus dip.
Third part follows the recepie above (more or less) to make the Baba Ganoush. Note: If you mix Baba Ganush in a blender or a food processor it may grind the seeds and your dip may taste bitter
I had never heard of this dish before but had some baby eggplant a friend gifted me and wanted to try something new. Wow!!! I followed your recipe almost exactly, left out the parsley bc I didn’t have fresh. When you said EPIC, you were not kidding. It was one of the best I have ever had and could not stop eating it. I was a pig and it was worth it. I will always make this your way and perhaps I’ll even share it. Tks so much.
I’m excited you agree, Jo! Thank you for taking the time to review.
I roasted my garlic with the eggplant. This is a wonderful recipe!!
Great idea! Thanks Jacklyn!
This is a wonderful recipe. My husband, who normally avoids eggplant, couldn’t stop eating it.
I used lemon-flavoured olive oil, lemon juice and finely grated lemon rind along with homegrown robustly flavoured garlic.
You are right – it tastes better slightly warmed up.
That’s wonderful to hear, Mary Anne! Thank you for taking the time to review.
Outstanding recipe–I use a cuisinart to mix everything together and it comes out great. Thank you for such an easy and great tasting recipe–this is a favorite!
Thank you, Michael! I’m happy you enjoy it.
Delicious! Thank you so much for sharing. I didn’t scoop out most of the seeds from the eggplant after baking and was wondering if you recommend removing the seeds?
Hi Kristine! No need to remove the seeds specifically, follow the other discarding directions and you will have a creamy result!
Oh my lands, ‘Gloriously epic’ your recipe is and amazingly delicious, thank you!! I have tried to make Baba Ganoush a few times with no success, was always bland and I couldn’t understand why people raved about it… now I know why :)
Excellent! My first time to make baba ganoush. I cut the the oil by 1/2, to reduce fat, very little salt, a little more garlic and Wow! Musta had some sweet eggplant.
Fan-freaking-tastic flavor!
I’m happy you loved it, Joseph! Thank you for your review.
I always get rave reviews when I make this dip. I think the parsley makes all the difference.
I just made this for the first time. Yummy! I added a couple cloves of garlic roasted in olive oil. I am so glad I picked this recipe for my first try
Wonderful, Kim!
I had a bottle of orange and chilli infused olive oil which I used on top with a sprinkle of smoked paprika, was totally delish.
Sounds delicious, Anna! I appreciate your review.
My son and I love this recipe! He discovered Baba Ganush in college when a dorm mate made some and now we’re hooked. It’s especially great for him because he’s allergic to chick peas, so he can’t eat hummus.
I love that! Thank you for sharing, Rose.
My 60 yo husband just said this was the best thing he ever tasted – so EPIC indeed!! Thanks – it will make our W30 extra enjoyable!
As a lover of Baba Ganoush, I never imagined I could make this at home and have it taste like this. Epic is an understatement. This recipe is out-of-this-world delicious. I didn’t even eat it with anything. I just inhaled it and enjoyed it. Thank you so much for sharing it!
Thank you, Dio! I’m happy you loved it.
I enjoy making hummus, and seeing that this recipe was essentially the same ingredients but aubergine instead of chickpeas make me try. It was my first time trying baba ganoush in general, and I love it! I think I actually prefer it to hummus, it’s so flavourful and creamy. I also like that it’s easier to make, as it doesn’t require the cleanup of a blender. Thank you for sharing!
I’m happy you loved it, Darrell! Thank you for your review.
Love this recipe! Thanks for sharing. Just wondering whether it can be frozen?
Hi! I’m glad you loved it. I haven’t tried it, sorry.
This. Is. Absolutely. EPIC!!! why not try recipes that I never seem to have time to try♀️ I love eggplant, but my husband is indifferent. I made hummus, which he loves, and this Baba ganoush recipe. The Baba ganoush was by far the winner! I roasted the eggplant in the oven, stirred it with a fork and it came out perfect! This is such an easy and delicious recipe, a must try!
I’m delighted you loved it, Melissa!
Used some homegrown eggplants and made my first baba ganousch, EPIC is the true definition of your recipe, thanks for sharing!
First time I have ever made baba ganoush! SUPER happy I found this recipe!!! Its AMAZING and have never had taste this good from a restaurant or store! Followed the recipe without making any changes and its perfect!
This is the best! I’ve made it with oven roasted eggplant, but if you have a grill the smoky flavor is amazing and takes it over the top.
Absolute perfection!!!
I put my oven to 425 and lessened time to 30 min (because I mistakenly burned my first eggplant). Such a healthy and delicious recipe and cannot wait to make it regularly!!!
Great way to eat my carrots and cucumber intentionally, rather than forcefully ;) Thank you for the great recipe Kate!
Wow! my first time making baba ganoush ever … and with this recipe it was epic. The skin of my eggplants didn’t collapse, just dimples on the skin, but definitely cooked. Also — I roasted garlic cloves with the eggplants, and mashed those into the mix, and substituted smoked paprika with 3 drops of chili habanero xxxtra hot sauce. You might say 6 portions, except just two of us got through this for dinner (!!) … will definitely make it again soon.
Hi! Was excited to try this but it didn’t work out that great. I had 2 large heavy eggplants but mine were more on the skinny side so I didn’t get as much pulp as I think I need it. I’m lucky if I have a little more than a cup of finished eggplant. Everything else seemed good although I use less tahini. Thanks, might try again but it was a lot of work for a tiny amount of dip.
Hi Molly, I’m sorry your eggplants seemed to yield a small quantity.