Baba ganoush is easy to make, but even easier to mess up. This post shows you how to fix the most common mistakes with one simple method: double-roasting. It’s super easy and delivers rich, smoky flavor every time. Skip to the recipe if you’re convinced, or read on if you want to understand why this recipe works so well.

Baba ganoush seems straightforward enough! It’s just roasted eggplant, right? Smash it up, swirl in some tahini, and boom—you’ve got a dip.
Except, not quite. It is easy to make baba ganoush with a few simple tricks. But there are so many things that could go wrong. The biggest problem? Moisture. Eggplants are basically little water balloons. If you don’t deal with all that water, you’ll end up with a sad, soggy sludge.
Every good baba ganoush recipe deals with this problem one way or another. Some drain it after roasting. Some salt it before roasting. Some poke a million little holes in each eggplant. But most of these methods make one or two compromises:
Either:
A. They drain the flavor right along with the water, or
B. They don’t do enough to remove moisture effectively.
But fortunately there is a better way! And this way also happens to be easy and delicious.


Why double roasting makes the best baba ganoush
Let me introduce you to the magic of double-roasting. I know, it sounds like a hassle. Two rounds of roasting? Who has the time?
But stay with me—because double roasting is not only the easiest method (more on that in a sec), it’s also the most reliable way to remove excess moisture, dial up the flavor, and get a perfectly creamy texture.
Here’s how it works:
- You roast the eggplant over an open flame until the skins get all wrinkly and burnt.
- Then you peel those burnt skins away and split the eggplants open.
- Next, you lay them cut-side-up on a sheet pan, and pop them in the oven for a second roast.
The second round does two very important things: It cooks off even more moisture and it adds an extra layer of roasty, smoky depth that takes the flavor from good to “how did you make this?!”

why double roasting is also the easiest method
1. It actually saves on dishes:
It seems like it would involve a lot of cleanup, but if you play your cards right, it barely makes a mess.
- Line your sheet pan with foil, so you don’t have to wash it.
- Skip the food processor! Double-roasted eggplant gets so buttery-soft, you can just mash it with a fork. I sometimes go the food processor route, but you truly don’t need it. You can even tear the parsley instead of chopping it if you’re really feeling the laziness.
- You fire-roast the eggplant directly on an open flame—no skillet, no tray, no nothing. You can do this on a gas stove or grill, and as long as you don’t let the eggplant get to the point of dripping everywhere, cleanup is easy.
By my count, that results in a pairing knife, garlic press, plate, and mixing bowl! Plus a serving bowl if you’re feeling fancy. This is a much better dish situation than recipes that call for a strainer, salad spinner, or a bunch of kitchen towels.
2. It takes the guess-work out of fire-roasting
Fire-roasting sounds intimidating if you’ve never done it. How do you know when the eggplant is “done”? Is it cooked all the way through? With double-roasting, you don’t need to look for signs from the eggplant gods.
With double-roasting, you don’t need the eggplant to be cooked through in round one. You’re just trying to get a solid char and start the softening process.
Think of it like roasting marshmallows as an unsupervised eleven-year-old. You’re not aiming for golden-brown perfection. You’re lighting that thing on fire. Blacken the outside, peel it off, and toss the eggplants into the oven to finish roasting.

Other baba ganoush tips for extra flavor
1. Peel, don’t scoop
When it comes time to remove the charred eggplant skins, try to peel rather than scoop whenever possible. Here’s why:
Scooping tends to dig out just the soft, watery interior, leaving behind the golden brown layer you just worked hard to create. It’s just under that charred skin, and it’s where the magic lives. It’s smoky, concentrated, and full of depth. When you scoop, you’re often tossing out the most flavorful bits without realizing it.
Instead, start by peeling off any skin that comes off easily with your hands. If there are any stubborn patches that won’t budge, then you can scoop. And if a little skin clings here and there, that’s totally fine.
See the above photo for an idea of what you’re missing out on if you choose to scoop.
2. Use fresh garlic, but with restraint
Raw garlic adds a punch, but it can also hijack the whole dip if you’re not careful. 2 cloves might not sound like a lot, but it gives it plenty of garlicky flavor. And remember—you can always add more later.
3. Lemon and tahini proportions
If you want to cut back on either the lemon or tahini for some reason, make sure you cut back slightly on both (or add a little extra of both). They need to be in balance for the dish to have the right texture and flavor. If you cut back on the tahini without cutting back on the lemon juice, the dish will be watery and tart (even though you’re not actually adding any extra lemon). And if you cut back on the lemon juice without cutting back on the tahini, it will set up and taste very stodgy. There are plenty of great recipes for baba ganoush that don’t include tahini, but they use a lot less lemon that this recipe. Lemon and tahini balance each other out.

A note on eggplants varieties for baba ganoush:
I developed this recipe using Italian eggplants. They’re smaller than those giant American eggplants and much easier to work with. But if you have a couple American eggplants on hand, you can use them to make this recipe (as long as they are not grotesquely large). I have done so once or twice, and it worked well.
Fire-roast your eggplant first (American eggplants will take a bit longer than Italian eggplants), but when you go to split it open, think of it more like opening up a scroll rather than splitting it in half. You want as much of the inside of the eggplant to be exposed as possible. Spread it open on the sheet pan. It might look ugly, but as long as it’s in a spread-out layer, it should work great.
You can also try other varieties, but keep in mind that not all eggplants will have the right texture. But if you’re not afraid of an experiment, I say go for it! I just can’t guarantee it will turn out well. With Italian eggplants, on the other hand, it’s hard to go wrong!


baba ganoush
- Yield: about 2 to 3 cups
Ingredients
To double roast the eggplant:
- 3 pounds baby Italian eggplants*
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, divided into 1 tablespoon and 1 1/2 tablespoons
To make the dip:
- 1 or 2 cloves garlic
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1/4 cup minced parsley
- 3 tablespoons tahini
- Salt
- Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Instructions
- Fire-roast the eggplant:
- For indoor grilling: set a gas stove to high heat. Open a window and turn on the exhaust. Place an eggplant directly on the grate. Let it blacken and become wrinkly on one side, then rotate it until it’s wrinkly all over (about 8 minutes total). Repeat with the rest.
- For outdoor grilling: Set your grill to high heat with the lid closed for a few minutes. Place your eggplants on the grates and close the lid. Rotate them as they blacken on one side, and repeat until wrinkly and blackened all over (10 to 20 minutes for smaller ones, longer for larger ones). Transfer to a large plate.
- Strip the charred eggplant skins as soon as they come off the grill (be careful and use gloves, or wait for them to cool). The skins should come off in big strips, leaving behind golden brown flesh underneath. Hold the eggplants by the stems and use the side of a paring knife and your thumb to get the strips started. Place the stripped eggplants in a large bowl, leaving the skins behind on the plate to discard.
- Broil the eggplant: Preheat the oven to 450°F [230°C]. Line 1 or 2 rimmed sheet pans with parchment or foil.
- Spit the eggplants in half lengthwise and cut off the stems. If any are too soft to slice, spread them open a bit with your fingers, so the inside is exposed.
- Place the eggplants cut-side up on the sheet pan(s), leaving any liquid behind in the bowl. Don’t crowd the pan, and use both pans if necessary. Drizzle each with about 1 Tbsp of olive oil and sprinkle with ½ to ¾ tsp salt.
- Roast for about 50 minutes. They’re done once they’ve shrunk down, turned golden brown, and the juices have cooked off. Let cool on the sheet pan.
- Make the dip: Place the garlic in a food processor** fitted with the blade attachment. Process until the garlic is minced. Add the eggplant, lemon juice, parsley, tahini, and salt to taste, and pulse a few times, just until it’s creamy but not completely smooth.
- Spread onto a plate or bowl, top with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, a little more parsley, and a pinch of extra salt.
Notes
* This is about 7 small Italian eggplants, but you can substitute an equal weight of big eggplants. See the note about different varieties above the recipe for more info on how the roasting changes.
** If you’d like to you can skip the food processor and just mash everything with a fork. Finely tear the parsley leaves with your hands before adding them if you don’t want to bother with a cutting board. Use a garlic press for the garlic before adding it.

Psst… by the way, I love this recipe so much, I ended up including it in my cookbook, Piecemeal.
If you like this baba ganoush as much as I do, you might like my book! It’s full of mix-and-match recipes and inspiration for fun and easy meals.
The double-roasted eggplant is used in 3 different recipes: this baba ganoush, deep dish pizza, and a ricotta frittata.
I originally posted this recipe to my blog in 2017, but I updated it and re-posted it in 2025.
Last night I was trying to make an ezme eggplant, without a recipe, but with a general sense of what I wanted to achieve. I roasted my eggplant under the broiler like I always roast my peppers: halved, skin side up. To my chagrin, in trying to achieve the proper degree of smokiness, I found the flesh had dried out and reduced to almost nothing by the time I pulled the eggplant out of the oven. I managed to salvage what I could and proceeded with my creation. THEN I read your post and about the concerns with too much moisture, and I realized my mistake wasn’t so bad after all, This morning I got to taste my dish and it was everything I had hoped for. But next time, I will try your double roasting method–it’s a genius idea! Thanks Kate! I’ve gotten so much inspiration from your blog.
Ah broiling and roasting these things can be so frustrating sometimes! Always too much or too little moisture, too mushy or not cooked enough—so hard to get it just right! But I’m so glad it ended up working out, and I hope the double roasting technique helps next time. It’s always just good to have multiple strategies and plans on deck in case things go wrong! 😉
Just made this. It was delicious!! The double roasting gave it a lovely texture.
Oh that’s so wonderful! I’m glad you enjoyed it 😀
I’ve been look for a good recipe. Thanks Kate. 🙂
Aw Thanks Kris! That means so much, and I hope you enjoy it! <3