Stuffed Eggplant

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I’ve made a lot of stuffed veggies in my life, but this stuffed eggplant was the first of its kind — and given my love for eggplant, I don’t know why I waited so long! Like many of my “stuffed” dinner recipes, this one combines a meaty filling with a veggie vessel that even the picky eaters will enjoy. Make my stuffed eggplant recipe with me ASAP while these vegetables are still in season!

Why You Need My Stuffed Eggplant Recipe

• Flavorful beef filling – Eggplant pairs well with Italian flavors, so I’m jazzing it up with a beefy filling loaded with lots of onion, garlic, tomatoes, and Italian seasoning. And let’s not forget the melty, cheesy finish! It reminds me a bit of my eggplant lasagna, but the filling is stuffed inside and there’s no ricotta layer.
• Perfectly tender eggplant – Roasting makes them tender, keeps their shape, and brings out a hint of sweet flavor.
• Healthy and satisfying – Like many of my healthy recipes, this one has both vegetables (of course) and protein. It’s a filling meal that won’t weigh you down.

Ingredients & Substitutions

Here I explain the best ingredients for my stuffed eggplant recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.

• Eggplant – American globe eggplants are ideal to hold the amount of filling in this recipe. Some people call them aubergine or brinjal.
• Ground Beef – I recommend 85/15 or 90/10 beef, so that you don’t have to drain it. It’s a bit more challenging to drain with the garlic and onions in there. You could use ground turkey, lamb, or sausage instead.
• Oil – You’ll need some for sautéing and some for roasting the eggplant. I used olive oil, but you can totally go with any neutral oil you prefer.
• Onion – I used a white onion, but yellow or sweet onion also works.
• Garlic – Use fresh garlic, or sub 2 teaspoons of jarred minced garlic.
• Diced Tomatoes – I chose petite diced tomatoes because they mix into the filling more evenly, but regular diced tomatoes or even crushed tomatoes will work. You can also use marinara sauce.
• Dried Basil – Dried basil adds a nice hint of Italian flavor to this stuffed eggplant. Feel free to use dried oregano, thyme, or even Italian seasoning for a similar vibe.
• Mozzarella Cheese – For the perfect gooey finish. You can easily swap in shredded cheddar, parmesan cheese, or provolone.
• Sea Salt & Black Pepper

How To Make Stuffed Eggplant

I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.

1. Prep and season the eggplant. While your oven preheats, halve the eggplants lengthwise. Scoop out most of the flesh, leaving a 1/2-inch border, and dice the scooped-out parts into 1/2-inch cubes. Place the hollowed eggplant halves cut side up in a baking dish or on a sheet pan. Brush with the olive oil and sprinkle with the sea salt.
2. Roast the eggplant. Flip the halves cut side down and roast until the skin puckers and the eggplant flesh is soft. Then, take them out and switch the oven to broil.

3. Sauté the aromatics. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the diced onion until translucent and starting to brown, then add the minced garlic and sauté until fragrant.
4. Brown the meat. Increase the heat to medium-high, add the ground beef, and season with more salt and pepper. Cook, breaking it apart to crumble, until browned.

5. Simmer the filling. Add the diced tomatoes, dried basil, and reserved eggplant to the skillet. Season with salt and simmer until the eggplant is soft, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and adjust the seasoning to taste.
6. Assemble the eggplant boats. When the eggplant halves are done, flip them cut side up, fill with the meat mixture, and sprinkle with shredded mozzarella.

7. Broil. Return the stuffed eggplant to the oven and broil until the cheese is melted and golden brown. I topped mine with fresh parsley, but fresh basil is also nice.

My Recipe Tips

• Choose eggplants that are firm to the touch. This way, they’ll hold up nicely when you scoop out the center.
• Cut a perimeter first for easy scooping. The eggplant is a little more challenging to scoop out compared to doing this for stuffed zucchini. I find it helpful to cut a perimeter with a knife first, then scoop with a spoon.
• Brush the eggplant with oil instead of drizzling. You can just drizzle the eggplant with oil, but brushing coats them more evenly.
• If the eggplant halves have liquid on them after roasting, pat them dry with paper towels. I don’t usually need to do this, but it can vary depending on your oven and baking dish.
• Watch the heat when simmering the filling. You might need to reduce heat to medium if you notice sticking or burning.
• Add more cheese if you like! If you want your stuffed eggplant to be extra cheesy, you can sprinkle mozzarella between the layers of meat instead of only on top.

Filling Variations

I’ll admit I had a hard time choosing the filling, because there are so many directions you can go with it! Here are more variations on stuffed eggplant recipes you can try:

• Bruschetta – Combine shredded chicken with the topping from my bruschetta chicken recipe, stuff your eggplants, top with fresh mozzarella, and bake.
• Pizza – This would be like a heartier version of my eggplant pizza, as the eggplant halves will hold more toppings. Follow my recipe for zucchini pizza boats, but alternate layers of toppings, sauce, and the flesh you scooped out (saute or roast it first).
• Greek – Use the stuffing from my Greek-inspired stuffed tomatoes or spinach stuffed mushrooms.
• Crab – Make my hot crab dip and spread it inside eggplant halves. Sprinkle with shredded cheese of your choice and broil.

Storage & Meal Prep

• Store: Just pop your leftovers in an airtight container and store them in the fridge for up to 3-5 days.
• Meal prep: Scoop out the eggplants, cook the filling, and roast the eggplant 1-2 days in advance. Store in the refrigerator, then fill and bake when ready. I don’t recommend cutting the eggplant if you don’t plan to roast it right away, because it will turn brown.
• Reheat: Bake the stuffed eggplant for 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees F. For quicker reheating, use the microwave.
• Freeze: Wrap each half tightly in plastic wrap and place them in a zip lock bag or container. Thaw in the fridge overnight.

Serving Ideas

What I love about stuffed veggie recipes is they’re a complete meal! But if you want something extra, try these simple sides:

• Leafy Green Salads – For that Italian vibe, try my artichoke salad, arugula salad, or burrata salad.
• Rice – You can serve stuffed eggplant with white rice, brown rice, or even cauliflower rice (my personal favorite) on the side… or even mix cooked rice into the meat for an extra hearty filling!
• Soup – Hot soup might not be ideal for summer, so I whipped up a refreshing alternative: my chilled cucumber soup.

More Stuffed Dinner Recipes

Looking for more delicious ways to enjoy stuffed veggies? Here are some of my favorites:

Turkey Stuffed Peppers

Easy Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

Stuffed Spaghetti Squash

My Tools For This Recipe

• Baking Dish – This baking dish is my preference for stuffed eggplant (rather than a baking sheet), because it goes straight from oven to table and keeps the eggplants upright.
• Large Skillet – I love my cast iron skillet, especially the beautiful colors. It heats evenly and cleans up easily!

Recipe Card

4.6 from 5 votes

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Stuffed Eggplant

My stuffed eggplant recipe is packed with juicy ground beef, tomatoes, garlic, and onion, and topped with melty mozzarella. Easy and healthy!

Prep: 15 minutes

Cook: 25 minutes

Total: 40 minutes

Author: Maya Krampf from Wholesome Yum

Servings: 4 (adjust to scale recipe)

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Ingredients

Tap underlined ingredients to see the ones I use.

• 2 medium Eggplants (~1 lb each) ▢
• 3 tbsp Olive oil (divided into 2 tbsp and 1 tbsp) ▢
• 2 tsp Sea salt (divided into 1/2 tsp, 1 tsp, and another 1/2 tsp) ▢
• 1/4 tsp Black pepper ▢
• 1/2 large Onion (diced) ▢
• 4 cloves Garlic (minced) ▢
• 1 lb Ground beef ▢
• 1 14.5-oz can Petite diced tomatoes (with liquid) ▢
• 2 tsp Dried basil ▢
• 1 cup Mozzarella cheese (shredded) ▢

Instructions

Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (204 degrees C).

2. Cut each eggplant in half lengthwise. Use a spoon to scoop out most of the inside, leaving about a 1/2-inch border inside the skin intact. Dice the parts you removed into 1/2 inch cubes, and set aside.

3. Place the hollowed-out eggplant halves into a large baking dish or on a rimmed baking sheet, cut side up. Brush with 2 tablespoons of olive oil (1/2 tablespoon for each eggplant half). Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of salt (1/8 teaspoon for each eggplant half).

4. Flip the eggplant halves to be cut side down. Roast in the oven for 15-20 minutes, until the skin is a just little puckered. The flesh should be soft. When they are done, remove them from the oven and switch the oven to Broil.

5. Meanwhile, in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat, heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Add the diced onion. Cook for 5-7 minutes, until translucent and starting to brown.

6. Add the minced garlic. Saute for about 1 minute, until fragrant.

7. Increase the heat to medium-high and add the ground beef. Season with the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper. Cook for 8-10 minutes, breaking the meat apart with a wooden spoon, until browned.

8. Add the diced tomatoes, dried basil, and the eggplant cubes (that you reserved in step 2) to the skillet. Season with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Simmer for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the eggplant is soft. Remove from heat. You can add more salt and pepper to taste if you like.

9. When the eggplant halves in the baking dish are done, flip them over to cut side up. Spoon the meat filling inside and sprinkle with shredded mozzarella cheese (1/4 cup for each half).

10. Return the stuffed eggplant to the oven and broil for 3-7 minutes, until the cheese is melted and golden brown.

LAST STEP: Leave a rating to help other readers, or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram. I’d love to hear from you!

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Maya’s Recipe Notes

Serving size: 1 stuffed eggplant half

Nutrition Facts

Amounts per serving. Serving size in recipe notes above.

Calories 507

Fat 32.3g

Protein 32.3g

Total Carbs 24.7g

Net Carbs 15.3g

Fiber 9.4g

Sugar 13.7g

I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy.

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Try More Of My Recipes

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  BLT Stuffed Avocado
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  Stuffed Pork Chops

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