This easy baba ganoush recipe is smoky, savory, and creamy. Made with eggplant, tahini, garlic, and lemon, it's a delicious dip for pita and veggies.
Have you tried baba ganoush? If you like hummus, I have a feeling you’ll love this Mediterranean eggplant dip too. Made with grilled or roasted eggplant, tahini, garlic, and lemon, it’s creamy, smoky, nutty, and bright.
I’m sharing my easy baba ganoush recipe below. It pairs perfectly with crisp veggies and pita bread, but I love it so much that I’ve also been known to eat it straight off a spoon. I hope you enjoy it too!
What is baba ganoush?
Baba ganoush is a Middle Eastern dip made from roasted or grilled eggplant, tahini, lemon juice, and garlic.
Grilling or roasting the eggplant imparts the dip with rich, smoky flavor, and the tender eggplant flesh gives it a silky, creamy texture.
It’s a must-try dish. Learn how to make it with this recipe!
How to Make Baba Ganoush
This baba ganoush recipe is simple to make. It starts with 6 basic ingredients:
Baba Ganoush Ingredients
- Eggplant – You’ll roast or grill it to create the dip’s smoky base. I recommend using 2 medium eggplants to make this recipe. They’ll cook more quickly than 1 large eggplant would.
- Tahini – This sesame seed paste makes the dip rich and creamy. Be sure to use good-quality tahini in this recipe. Because it has so few ingredients, the tahini’s flavor really comes through. I like Cedar’s, Soom, and Seed + Mill. Each of these brands has an ultra-smooth texture and nutty—not bitter—flavor.
- Lemon juice – For brightness.
- Olive oil – It makes the baba ganoush rich and smooth.
- Garlic – It adds sharp, savory flavor.
- And sea salt – To make all the flavors pop!
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
Grill or Bake the Eggplant
The first step in this recipe is grilling or roasting the eggplant.
- To roast the eggplant, pierce each one a few times with a knife or fork and wrap it in foil. Roast at 400°F until very soft and collapsing, 50 to 60 minutes.
- To grill the eggplant, pierce each one a few times with a knife or fork. Place directly on a grill over high heat. Cook, rotating the eggplants as they char, until they’re very soft and charred all over.
Remove from the oven or grill and set aside to cool to room temperature.
- Tip: You can cook the eggplant up to 2 days in advance. Store it in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to use.
Drain the Eggplant
The eggplant will be very watery after roasting, so the next step is draining its excess liquid.
When it’s cool enough to handle, peel off and discard the skin. As you work, remove any large clumps of seeds.
Place the eggplant flesh in a fine mesh strainer set over a bowl and let it stand for 20 minutes.
Discard any liquid that pools in the bowl, and transfer the eggplant flesh to a food processor.
Blend and Season to Taste
Next, blend up the dip. Traditionally, baba ganoush is mixed together without a food processor. However, I like mine silky smooth. I find that the easiest way to achieve this texture is with a few quick pulses in the food processor.
Add the tahini, lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, and salt to the food processor with the eggplant. Pulse until smooth and season to taste with more lemon and salt as desired.
- Tip: Add a pinch of smoked paprika for smokier baba ganoush.
Chill until you’re ready to serve. Then, devour with pita and fresh veggies!
What to Serve with Baba Ganoush
I love to serve baba ganoush as an appetizer or snack. I garnish it with a drizzle of olive oil, chopped parsley, red pepper flakes, and a pinch of smoked paprika. Then, I set it out with pita bread (or pita chips) and crisp veggies like peppers and cucumber slices for dipping.
For a larger appetizer spread, add it to a mezze platter. It would go well with other dips like hummus or tzatziki, small bites like olives or feta, tabbouleh or Greek salad, and/or falafel.
How to Store
Store baba ganoush in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. I love to keep it on hand for snacking or make it ahead for parties and gatherings.
More Favorite Dip Recipes
If you love this recipe, try one of these dips or spreads next:
- Hummus
- Muhammara
- Whipped Feta Dip
- Tzatziki Sauce
- Homemade Labneh
- Or any of these 35 Best Dip Recipes!
Baba Ganoush
Ingredients
- 2 medium eggplants, pierced with a knife or fork
- ¼ cup tahini
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
- 2 garlic cloves
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- Finely chopped fresh parsley
- Smoked paprika
- Red pepper flakes, optional
- Pita bread, for serving
- Veggies, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and wrap the eggplants in foil. Roast for 50 to 60 minutes, or until they are soft and collapse to the touch. Remove from the oven and set aside.
- Once cool to the touch, peel the skin from the eggplants, removing any big clumps of seeds. Place the flesh in a strainer set over a bowl and let stand for 20 minutes to remove excess water.
- Place the eggplant flesh, tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, and salt in a food processor and pulse until smooth.
- Transfer the baba ganoush to a serving dish and sprinkle with parsley, smoked paprika, and red pepper flakes, if using. Serve with pita and veggies.
Notes
to easily remove charred skin from eggplant is to cover after cooking. when cool it peels off easily.
thanks
Hi! I would love to make this but my little guy is allergic to sesame (so no tahini!). Is there anything we could use to substitute?: Thanks so much!
Hi Alix, I think greek yogurt would be a great substitute.
This is so super easy to make and it’s crazy delicious. I just needed a warning that I should double the recipe because we finished off everything and then wanted more! Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe!
Ha, I’m so glad you loved it!
Could you give a weight for the eggplants? Or the amount you should have after roasting and peeling? Thank you.
Agree, I don’t even love eggplant and this is delicious!
So glad you love the baba ganoush, Jess!
I always put cumin in mine. Yums it up nicely!
Sounds delicious, Kate!
I looooved this recipe! Thank you!
This is so super easy to make and it’s crazy delicious. I just needed a warning that I should double the recipe because we finished off everything and then wanted more! Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe!
Hi Cindy, ha, so glad you enjoyed it! It always disappears quickly in my house too. 🙂
How much eggplant should you have from 2 medium eggplants. I have no idea how to judge what is medium!
This is a million times better than any store bought baba.
I made the baba this morning and it’s absolutely delicious! I didn’t change or substitute a thing. Thank you for another great recipe. I’m serving it as an appetizer before dinner with cut veggies and pita bread.
I have never tasted this before I made it from this recipe – it is so good!
Will it keep well in the fridge for a couple days?
Creamy deliciousness! I have a bountiful harvest of eggplant. This dish was easy to make & perfect!
Hi Barbara, I’m so glad you loved it!
Just a safety note from experience: Piece your eggplant with a fork a few times so steam doesn’t build up when its baked in the oven. Years ago I was making a dish with eggplant for a party. I pulled the rack out of the oven with the eggplant on it to check for doneness. It blew up in my face and all over my mother’s kitchen ceiling. It’s funny now, but hot eggplant sticking to me then was not. We still get a laugh because we never did get all the eggplant of the ceiling, I think it ended up getting painted over:)
Great tip, Jay! Thank you!
Very tasty! Since it’s summer, I grilled the whole (poked) eggplant, and after cooled, scooped out insides and let drain. I didn’t use the food processor. I mashed the flesh with a fork & whipped everything into it. It was great!
My eggplants are prolific this year, so I’ll freeze mashed eggplant in freezer bags with no air inside bags. Each bag will have enough eggplant to make one recipe of the Baba G!
I’m glad you enjoyed it! What a smart plan to save all of your eggplant!
Delicious!! I have tried different recipes, but they didn’t turn out as well as this one. A definite repeat.
Hi Diane, so glad you loved it!
This is my go-to baba ganoush recipe! All the ingredients are in perfect proportion. Love it.
Hi Naomi, so glad you love it!
Sweet Baba Ganoush! This dish was awesome! Definitely a repeat! Thanks for sharing this!
I’m so glad you loved it!
Fantastic creamy texture. Lovely combination of flavours. I added a little Pirri-Pirri sauce right at the end, instead of chilli flakes which gave it just a nice hint of warmth on the tongue too. Thoroughly reommend this recipe. Note I also used a hand blender as I do not have any other time and it was abosultely fine.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
I used 4 small eggplant from my garden and added a little bit of olive oil and smoked salt to each of the foil packets for roasting. It helped to add a hint of smoky flavor without grilling. Otherwise followed the recipe to the letter. End result? This recipe is the best texture and tasting BG I’ve ever had. Definitely a keeper! Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Hi Andrea, I’m so glad it was perfect!