Oven roasted eggplant (aubergine)

Recipe video above. This is a recipe for how to roast eggplant in the oven so each piece is plump and juicy on the inside, and beautifully caramelised on the outside. As oposed to a mushy mess, or shrivelled up and dismal! The key is: large pieces and high oven temp.Eggplant is actually really bland when raw, but it completely transforms when roasted. You don't need anything more than salt and pepper, but I've added some suggestions!

Prep time: PT5M

Cook time: PT30M

Rating

4.97 stars (133 reviews)

Keywords

baked aubergine, roasted eggplant

Ingredients

700g/ 1.2 lb eggplants ((2 medium), aka aubergine)
3 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt ((kosher / cooking salt, or 1/4 tsp table salt))
1/2 tsp black pepper

Cuisine

Western

Steps

Preheat oven to 240°C / 450°F (220°C fan).
Line a tray with parchment/baking paper (optional - recommended for first timers so you don't lose the caramelised surface).
Cut eggplant into large cubes - 3 cm / 1.2". Place in large bowl, drizzle with oil, salt and pepper.
Toss well, spread on tray, roast 20 minutes. Turn, roast for a further 10 minutes - edges should be caramelised, soft inside, but they're not shrivelled up and dismal.
Transfer to serving plate. Delicious served plain, but see below for some finishing options.
FINISHING OPTIONS:
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (my favourite!), drizzle of fresh lemon juice, parsley, chives or green onions (for touch of freshness and colour, not so much flavour), tiny drizzle of balsamic vinegar (pop of tartness is terrific! OR drizzle of balsamic glaze), dollop of yogurt (creamy yogurt pairs really well with the juicy eggplant flesh).

Reviews

Soph on 2026-03-25 (5 stars):
Perfection- I tossed the recipe ingredients in a zip lock bag with nigella seeds, a big tablespoon of paprika and a teaspoon of ground cumin and wham! Flavour!
Jackie N on 2026-03-02 (5 stars):
So good! Leaving the skin/peel on is a must!
Alice Cote' on 2026-02-02 (5 stars):
I absolutely love this eggplant recipe! I gave thrown away eggplant before because I didn't get around to fixing it & expected it to be a major ordeal... easy-peasy...so glad I'm found you! I like it with thyme & balsamic vinegar. Of course I used the leftovers to make a bit of spread for toast! Thanks!
Vince on 2026-01-29 (5 stars):
Made the recipe exactly as written. It was carmelized on the outside and done on the inside. It was good. I added the drizzle of balsamic vinegar and it was great! My wife is a small eater but she went back for seconds of this.
Carey Menasco on 2025-11-25 (5 stars):
This was the best eggplant I've ever made! So good that I didn't leave much for my family to enjoy. :-) Love the crispy skin. Will be adding roasted eggplant to our rotation. Thank you!
Mike Smithson on 2025-10-08 (5 stars):
Love the addition of the haloumi. We do roasted jalapenos stuffed with haloumi - definitelely worth a try.
Elisa on 2025-09-27 (5 stars):
Excellent receipe, I’ve made it many times as it so easy. My first mistakes were to cut the bites too small and using too much oil. Now I am closer to perfection.😉
Shelley on 2025-09-17 (5 stars):
This recipe really is an excellent way to find out how good aubergine/eggplant can be, without much time or effort at all! I have used it many times this season, keeping up with a glorious abundance of eggplant. I use your recipes often, Nagi, and am very happy to add this one to our favorites. Thank you, Nagi!
Aleicia on 2025-09-07 (5 stars):
I was amazed how delicious this aubergine recipe really was. I have tried to cook aubergine many times with limited success, however this recipe turns out amazing everytime. My daughter is 7 and it is hard for me to get her to eat many vegetables, but she loves it as much or more than I do. Today I added a drizzle of balsamic glaze to the finished aubergine and it was delicious, thank you so much for sharing a new family favorite! 15/10
Cristina Crimaldi on 2025-08-16 (5 stars):
Well I just ate an entire medium eggplant in one sitting. Haha! This was delicious and so so easy. Thanks! Will make again and again!
Brian Hudson on 2025-06-25 (5 stars):
I didn't care for leaving the skin on, maybe it was a thicker skin? Second time I made it without the skin and it was much better. Didn't have trouble with pieces staying together. I tossed the eggplant with all my ingredients up front: salt, pepper, garlic powder and thyme leaves then baked it.
Olga on 2025-06-08 (5 stars):
I've made my share of mushy eggplant... This recipe is perfect! I've made it with fresh thyme, chives, and next up, rosemary. So delicious!
Jay on 2025-04-14 (5 stars):
I had always been intimidated by eggplant, never knew how to cook it. Used to just steam it, but with this recipe I never need to eat tasteless eggplant again. This is so easy and feels so decadentT Delicious!!!
Ali B on 2025-03-31 (5 stars):
Once again, Nagi's technique for a simple process is just soooo perfect, that it must now be followed TO THE LETTER! (Same with cooking rice, making mashed potato, dressings, etc etc!). I've tried many "foolproof" or "must-do" ways of roasting eggplant, as well as my own non-technical chop up and roast at a random temperature. The outcome was often disappointing - but not any more! <3
Simone on 2025-01-15 (5 stars):
This was delicious. I made it with the warm lentil Salad. Oh my god. Warmed it slightly the next day for lunch. Yum.
Alyssa on 2024-12-29 (5 stars):
I was skeptical. How would a cooking temperature make that big of a difference with something as meh as eggplant? Well, it does! We had this sprinkled with lemon juice, but next time, I am planning to add the finished product to pasta. I also envision stuffing a sandwich with cold leftovers, fresh mozzarella, and some balsamic. So many possibilities!
Neil on 2024-12-09 (5 stars):
Thank you perfect and delicious, yet so simple. I scattered some fennel seeds over the top when mixing the oil and added a nob of butter- a meal in itself👍🏼👍🏼
Tara on 2024-11-04 (5 stars):
I usually never leave a comment, but as a broke student, I have to say this is probably the best thing I have tasted all year. So cheap and DELICIOUS