Name: Baked Eggplant Kebab
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 90 min
Total time: 110 min
Ingredients: 1 medium-sized onion (peeled); 1 lb. ground beef (85% or ground lamb or 50-50); ½ cup breadcrumbs (or panko breadcrumbs); 2 cloves garlic (minced); 1 large egg; 1 teaspoon ground cumin; 1 teaspoon kosher salt; ½ teaspoon black pepper (freshly ground); ¼ cup fresh Italian parsley (chopped plus more as garnish); 2 medium-sized slim eggplants* (about 1 ½ lbs in total); 1 teaspoon kosher salt; 3 tablespoons olive oil; 2 green peppers (Anaheim or bell pepper, deseeded and cut into ½-inch strips); 2 medium-sized tomatoes (cut into ½-inch slices); ½ cup water (at room temperature); 2 tablespoons tomato paste; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 3 cloves garlic (minced); 1 teaspoon kosher salt; ½ teaspoon black pepper

It All Starts At The Produce Aisle

If you have ever visited Türkiye during the summer months and stopped at a kebab restaurant, you have probably seen eggplant kebab on the menu and, hopefully, even ordered it. This iconic eggplant dish originates from the Gaziantep region and is usually cooked on skewers over the grill.

In my version, I make it in a casserole dish so I can pull it off in a home kitchen.

What makes this eggplant kebab recipe distinctly Turkish is the eggplant itself. Back home, the recipe uses long, lean eggplants that slice into even rounds, so everything cooks evenly.

Here in the US, I have never been able to get my hands on those eggplants. All we have access to are globe eggplants sold nationwide in every supermarket. And those eggplants are nowhere near lean.

That is the first thing I learned making this recipe: it starts in the produce aisle. Picking the leanest eggplants you can find matters. Because having the eggplant and the meatballs of similar size is the key to success.

Can you still make it if all you can find are the big-bellied eggplants? You can, but it requires a bit of technique: slice the widest center pieces in half (or close to the size of the leaner ones) so they match in size.

After many trials and errors, I think I nailed a recipe that is as close as possible to what I grew up eating.

A Few Ingredient Notes

Below, I am sharing notes on the ingredients that need a bit more explanation for this recipe to succeed. Anything not mentioned is pretty straightforward. You can find all ingredients with exact measurements in the recipe card below.

The ingredients for the Turkish eggplant kebab from the top view with text on each ingredient.

Eggplants (aubergines outside the US): If you can get your hands on Italian eggplants, they are closest to what we have in Türkiye, with fewer seeds and a sweeter flavor.

If all you can find are globe eggplants, they work as well, but take the time to pick ones that are leaner in the middle and similar in weight.

If you are new to shopping for eggplants, check out my detailed post on the different types you can find in US supermarkets.

Ground Meat: The traditional eggplant kebab is made with ground lamb, which is prized for its high fat content. In my version, I use ground beef (85/15) because we prefer a leaner cut.

That being said, you can use ground lamb or half lamb and half beef. I would recommend against using lean ground beef (like 93/7) if you want to replicate the richness of the original recipe.

Peppers: Turkish cooks use sivri biber, a long and lean pepper that I cannot find in the US. A close substitute is Anaheim peppers, but any color bell peppers would also work in this recipe.

How To Make Eggplant Kebab

The recipe has three parts. First, I make the meatball mixture, which is my mom’s classic Turkish kofte recipe. Then I assemble the vegetables, drizzle them with a quick tomato sauce, before baking it all in the oven.

Here is how I make it step by step:

Person grating onion and draining its juices.

Step 1 – Grate and drain the onion: Use a box grater to grate the onion, then transfer it to a fine-mesh strainer to remove all the juices. This step is important because it keeps the meatball mixture from being too watery.

Discard the juices and transfer the onion to a large bowl.

The meatball mixture before and after it is mixed in a bowl from the top view.

Step 2 – Make the meatball mixture: Add the remaining meatball ingredients to the bowl and mix to combine. Stop as soon as you no longer see streaks of egg or loose breadcrumbs; overmixing makes the patties dense.

Step 3 – Chill the meatball mixture: Cover the bowl and refrigerate while you are working on the rest of the ingredients.

Do not skip the chilling time: Even a short 15-20 minutes of refrigeration helps firm up the fat in the meat so the patties hold their shape when standing next to the eggplant slices.

Person cutting eggplant and brushing it with olive oil and seasoning it with salt.

Step 4 – Slice the eggplant: Trim the stems and then slice them into ¾-inch-thick slices. You should have about 18 to 20 slices of eggplant. Slice evenly so they cook at the same rate.

New to using eggplant in your cooking? If you have questions about preparing eggplant for recipes, especially about slicing it properly according to your recipe, feel free to check out my detailed article on how to cut an eggplant.

Step 5 – Season the eggplant slices: Transfer them to a sheet pan and sprinkle both sides with salt. As they sit, they will release some moisture. Dry each slice with a sheet of paper towel.

Brush the slices with olive oil on both sides and set them aside.

Step 6 – Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). I used a 10-inch round baking dish, but a 12-inch would also work. Alternatively, you can use a 9-inch square dish.

We want a dish that lets the eggplant and meatballs fit snugly with some room to spare for tomatoes and peppers once fully assembled.

Step 7 – Portion the meat mixture: Take the meat mixture out of the fridge and divide it into portions equal to the number of eggplant slices you have so you have one meatball per slice.

Person shaping kofte mixture to start assembling the kebab.

Step 8 – Shape the patties: Roll each portion into a ball, then flatten it into a patty about the size of an eggplant slice. Do your best to shape them evenly so they bake at the same rate.

Person comparing the size of the meatball to an eggplant slice before assembling them in a pan.

Step 9 – Assemble the eggplant kebab: Starting at the outer edge of the dish, place an eggplant slice upright on its edge, then place a patty next to it. Repeat the same steps, creating a spiral pattern, adding in sliced peppers in between every 2-3 pairs.

Pro Tip: The eggplant and patties should be snugly but not too tight. As you get towards the middle, it is okay if you run out of eggplant or meat because you can fill it with more pepper and tomatoes.

Pouring tomato paste sauce over assembled eggplant kebab.

Step 10 – Add in the tomatoes: Tuck in a few sliced tomatoes in the spiral pattern and some in the middle.

Step 11 – Make the tomato sauce: In a small cup, whisk together water, tomato paste, olive oil, minced garlic, and salt and pepper. Pour it over the kebab, letting it settle down in between the vegetables and meat.

Step 12 – Cover: Place a sheet of parchment paper, followed by a sheet of foil (to keep everything in place), and cover tightly. The goal here is to trap the steam so the vegetables and meat cook gently before they start to brown.

Step 13 – Bake: Transfer it to the oven and bake for 45 minutes. Then remove the cover and bake for another 35-40 minutes, or until the edges of the eggplant are slightly charred and the meat is lightly browned.

Pro tip: While browning is a good visual cue to check doneness, I also like to take out a slice of eggplant to see if it is fully cooked. If it is not, cook for another 5 minutes or so.

Step 14 – Rest and serve: Let it cool down on the counter for a few minutes. When serving, be sure to drizzle the vegetables and meat with the juices from the dish.

Freshly baked eggplant kebab garnished with parsley from the top view.

What To Serve It With

If you ordered this dish at a kebab restaurant in Istanbul, it would probably come with a side of rice with vermicelli and tzatziki, but plenty of pairings work well too.

Below are a few of my favorite pairings:

Starch: Rice is a classic choice, but if you want to branch out, my mom’s bulgur pilaf would also be a traditional side. If you prefer a gluten-free dish, then my lemon quinoa is a good alternative. Its flavor is mild enough to stay out of the way of eggplant and meat.

Yogurt: In Turkish cuisine, kebabs are rarely served without a side of yogurt. Tzatziki (or, as we call it, cacik) is a wonderful match, but if you want a sauce you can make fast, my yogurt dill sauce takes 5 minutes.