Cast Iron Smoked Eggplant
By Morgan BollingPublished on March 3, 2025
Time
1 hour
Yield
Serves 4
Ingredients
Before You Begin
We like using Japanese eggplants here, but you can use the same amount of small Italian or globe eggplants. This dish is great served with pita or crusty bread. We developed this recipe using hickory wood chips, but you can use whatever chips you prefer.
Instructions
- Just before grilling, soak wood chips in water for 15 minutes, then drain. Using large piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil, wrap soaked chips in 8 by 4½-inch foil packet. (Make sure chips do not poke holes in sides or bottom of packet.) Cut 2 evenly spaced 2-inch slits in top of packet.
- FOR A CHARCOAL GRILL: Open bottom vent completely. Light large chimney starter filled with charcoal briquettes (6 quarts). When top coals are partially covered with ash, pour evenly over grill. Place wood chip packet on coals. Set cooking grate in place. Place 12-inch cast-iron skillet in middle of grill. Cover grill and open lid vent completely. Heat grill until hot and wood chips are smoking, about 5 minutes. FOR A GAS GRILL: Remove cooking grate and place wood chip packet directly on primary burner. Set grate in place; turn all burners to high. Place 12-inch cast-iron skillet in middle of grill. Cover grill and heat grill until hot and wood chips are smoking, about 15 minutes. Turn all burners to medium-high.
- Toss eggplant, 3 tablespoons oil, and salt in large bowl until combined. Carefully transfer eggplant mixture to preheated skillet. Cover grill and cook until eggplant is just softened and lightly browned in spots, about 10 minutes, stirring once halfway through cooking. Stir in garlic, cumin, pepper flakes, and remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Continue to cook, uncovered if using charcoal and covered if using gas, until eggplant is fully tender, 2 to 4 minutes longer.
- Remove skillet from grill. Stir in lemon juice and season with salt to taste. If desired, transfer eggplant to serving platter. Drizzle with tahini and sprinkle with cilantro and scallion. Serve.
Time
1 hourYield
Serves 4Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
For smoky, tender, flavorful eggplant, bring your cast-iron skillet out to the grill. We ensured plenty of smoke flavor by soaking wood chips before wrapping them in foil and setting them on the hot fire. For optimum browning on the eggplant, we preheated the skillet on the grill as it came up to temperature. We started the eggplant pieces in the hot skillet with just oil, salt, and the smoke from the wood chip packet. When the eggplant was spotty brown, we added garlic, cumin, and red pepper flakes for deep seasoning. Off the heat, we stirred in lemon juice for brightness, drizzled on nutty tahini, and sprinkled the smoky eggplant with fresh cilantro and scallion.
Before You Begin
We like using Japanese eggplants here, but you can use the same amount of small Italian or globe eggplants. This dish is great served with pita or crusty bread. We developed this recipe using hickory wood chips, but you can use whatever chips you prefer.
Instructions
- Just before grilling, soak wood chips in water for 15 minutes, then drain. Using large piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil, wrap soaked chips in 8 by 4½-inch foil packet. (Make sure chips do not poke holes in sides or bottom of packet.) Cut 2 evenly spaced 2-inch slits in top of packet.
- FOR A CHARCOAL GRILL: Open bottom vent completely. Light large chimney starter filled with charcoal briquettes (6 quarts). When top coals are partially covered with ash, pour evenly over grill. Place wood chip packet on coals. Set cooking grate in place. Place 12-inch cast-iron skillet in middle of grill. Cover grill and open lid vent completely. Heat grill until hot and wood chips are smoking, about 5 minutes. FOR A GAS GRILL: Remove cooking grate and place wood chip packet directly on primary burner. Set grate in place; turn all burners to high. Place 12-inch cast-iron skillet in middle of grill. Cover grill and heat grill until hot and wood chips are smoking, about 15 minutes. Turn all burners to medium-high.
- Toss eggplant, 3 tablespoons oil, and salt in large bowl until combined. Carefully transfer eggplant mixture to preheated skillet. Cover grill and cook until eggplant is just softened and lightly browned in spots, about 10 minutes, stirring once halfway through cooking. Stir in garlic, cumin, pepper flakes, and remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Continue to cook, uncovered if using charcoal and covered if using gas, until eggplant is fully tender, 2 to 4 minutes longer.
- Remove skillet from grill. Stir in lemon juice and season with salt to taste. If desired, transfer eggplant to serving platter. Drizzle with tahini and sprinkle with cilantro and scallion. Serve.
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