I love this incredible roasted eggplant dip with tahini and garlic! This easy baba ganoush is truly one of my favorite ways to eat eggplant. If you love hummus, you must give this eggplant dip a try!
Baba ganoush (also spelled baba ghanouj or baba ghanoush) is a delicious dip from the Middle East and Mediterranean. It’s made with roasted or charred eggplant, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, and spices.
My family’s baba ganoush recipe is similar to our hummus recipe, but the base is smoky roasted eggplant instead of chickpeas, which gives baba ganoush its smoky flavor and texture. It’s absolutely delicious, especially with homemade pita bread.
Key Ingredients
- Eggplant: When shopping for eggplant, look for smooth, shiny skin and feel heavy for its size. It should also feel slightly firm, not really hard or very soft, and the stem end should be green and free of mold. I like medium eggplants for this recipe and use two of them. If you love eggplant dishes, you will also enjoy this easy roasted eggplant.
- Tahini: Tahini is a paste made from sesame seeds with a consistency similar to almond or peanut butter. I also use it to make our red pepper hummus, tahini salad dressing, and my favorite tahini sauce. You can buy it at the store or make your own. Here’s my tahini recipe.
- Lemon: Skip the bottled stuff! Fresh lemon juice makes all the difference in this recipe.
- Garlic: I love garlic in baba ganoush; it works nicely against the creamy, smoky roasted eggplant. I use three cloves but feel free to hold back a clove or two if that’s too much for you.
- Spices and Olive Oil: I add ground cumin, salt, and fresh parsley to my baba ganoush and love it. A drizzle of olive oil is a nice touch, too!
How to Make the Best Baba Ganoush
For that authentic baba ganoush flavor, char the eggplant skins. I broil the whole eggplants, but you can do this on the grill or over a gas burner. It only takes a few minutes.
Then, I roast my eggplants until they’re super soft. You’ll know they’re done when the eggplants collapse in on themselves, and a fork easily pierces through the flesh.
Once my eggplants have roasted, I scoop out the soft flesh with a spoon and mash it into the other baba ganoush ingredients with a fork. I like some texture in my baba ganoush, so I don’t bother with a food processor.
You can serve the baba ganoush right away or refrigerate for up to 5 days. It actually improves in flavor over time, making this an incredible make-ahead meze (or appetizer). Serve it with our quick flatbread, homemade pita bread, veggies, or pita chips (see how to make them below the recipe).
Easy Baba Ganoush
- PREP
- COOK
- TOTAL
My family’s baba ganoush recipe is super simple to make at home. I leave it rustic with some texture. Simply mashing and stirring the roasted eggplant into the other ingredients with a fork is perfect. Baba ganoush gets even better after a day or two in the refrigerator, so this is perfect for making ahead!
Watch Us Make the Recipe
You Will Need
2 medium eggplants (2 pounds or 900g)
1/4 cup (60ml) tahini, try our homemade tahini recipe
1/4 cup (60ml) lemon juice
2 to 3 garlic cloves, finely minced
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 teaspoon olive oil, optional
Directions
1Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and turn the broiler on (high heat). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
2Place the eggplants on the baking sheet and prick them in several places using a fork (this helps steam escape while the eggplants roast).
3Broil eggplants for 2 minutes on all sides. The skin will darken a little and begin to smell smoky, adding flavor to the dip.
4Turn the broiler off, but do not remove the eggplants from the oven.
5Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Roast the eggplants until very soft, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool them for 10 to 15 minutes or until you can easily handle them.
6While the eggplants roast, combine the tahini, lemon juice, garlic, cumin, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside so the flavors meld.
7Split the roasted eggplants, drain excess liquid, scrape out the flesh, and add to the tahini mixture. (Discard excess liquid and skins).
8Mash the roasted eggplant into the tahini mixture with a fork until somewhat smooth, with some texture remaining.
9Cool to room temperature, stir in parsley, and drizzle the top with olive oil.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Garlic: We enjoy the extra kick garlic gives this dish. The tahini stands up very well to it. If you’re unsure you want to use three cloves, reduce to 1 or 2 cloves.
- Tahini: I highly recommend using tahini for the most authentic flavor. But if you’re not a fan, try reducing the amount in the recipe above to 2 tablespoons instead of ¼ cup.
- Storing: One of the best things about homemade baba ganoush is that while it tastes great right after making it, it tastes even better after a day or two in the fridge, making it a perfect make-ahead appetizer! Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- How to make baked pita chips: Cut 2 to 3 pitas into wedges (try homemade pita bread). Add to a baking sheet and bake in a 375°F (190°C) oven until lightly browned and crisp, 7 to 10 minutes.
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.
This was such a delicious recipe! I realized I forgot the parsley and I’m sure it would have been wonderful with parsley in it. I did end up using a blender as well because I’m recovering from an illness and didn’t have the energy to fight the eggplant, as it was still somewhat stringy when I was trying to mash with the fork. Next time I make this I will definitely be doubling the recipe!
WOW!! I am a Baba connoisseur and this recipe doesn’t disappoint. For years, there was a Middle Eastern restaurant near our home. The owner/chef was authentic and I’ve never had Baba as good as his. Unfortunately, the restaurant no longer exists. This recipe comes close. I prefer it blended. Whatever floats your boat. Thanks so much for this gift.
I TOTALY AGREE !!!!!! best recipe i have found. and it all started with your tahini recipe. then the hummus then on to Baba. Imade my first with black sesame seeds , not pretty to look at but made great BABA !!! i blended 1/2 and mixed chunky 1/2 together and it was perfect. now on to french onion soup + many more
I am so happy you loved it so much, Pam! Thanks for coming back.
I saw your recipe exactly but now I’m concerned because when I sliced open the eggplant there’s an abundance of brown fleshy streaks and seeds. Your recipe video looks like yours had more light colored flesh. I’m wondering if it’s because it went from the refrigerator to the oven or if this indicate something else. have you run into this issue before?
Hi Kat, It is possible your eggplant was older. As eggplants mature, their flesh can develop a slightly spongy or fibrous texture and brown streaks. They also tend to have more developed and noticeable seeds.
Have made this and the hummus and they’re both good recipes. One thing that surprised me was that the proportion of lemon juice seems much higher than any other recipe I’ve tried, and to my taste. I used about 3/4 of the lemon juice for the Baba ganoush, but next time I think I’ll probably half it. Maybe the lemons we get in the UK are less ripe and more sour? 😄 Thank you anyway, I’ll be making this again!