Stuffed Eggplant Recipe
This authentic Lebanese stuffed baby eggplant recipe has a spiced beef & rice stuffing and cooks in a garlicky tomato broth!
Servings: 6 servings
Ingredients
- 16-18 small Italian eggplants
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion chopped
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 2 teaspoons 7 Spice
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 ½ cups short grain rice rinsed
- 2 large tomatoes cut into 16-18 chunks
Tomato Broth
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
- 6 garlic cloves minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 4 cups water plus more if needed
Instructions
- Cut off the stalks of the eggplant. Using an apple corer, carefully hollow out the eggplant and remove the flesh without puncturing the outside of the eggplant. You can reserve the flesh for another recipe.
- Heat the olive oil in a large deep pot over medium heat. Add the onion and ground beef, and season with 7 Spice, salt, and pepper. Cook for 8 minutes, until the beef is browned. Add the uncooked rice and stir to combine. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
- Using a small spoon or your hands, fill the hollowed-out inside of each eggplant with the rice stuffing. Be sure to leave about ¼ inch of empty space at the top since the rice will expand when cooked. Then stuff a tomato chunk on top to seal the eggplant and prevent the stuffing from coming out while cooking. Repeat with the remaining eggplant. If you have any leftover stuffing, you can cook it separately with water.
- To make the tomato broth, heat the olive oil in the pot used to cook the beef over medium heat. Add the tomato paste, garlic, salt, and pepper. Cook until the mixture becomes fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the water and stir to combine.
- Transfer the stuffed eggplant to the deep pot, making sure they're almost entirely submerged in the tomato broth. Add one more cup of water if needed. Bring the mixture to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer. Place a heatproof plate directly on top of the eggplant to hold them in place and cook covered for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Uncover and continue cooking for 15 more minutes, or until the sauce is reduced and the rice is fully cooked.
- Serve the stuffed eggplant warm with the tomato broth on top.
Video
Notes
I updated this recipe in February 2026 to use small baby eggplants. The recipe video uses larger eggplants, but the recipe is still the same.
My Top Tip: Don't fully stuff the eggplant. Leave about ¼ inch of room, because the rice will expand when it cooks.
Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container. They'll last about 3–4 days in the fridge. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop.
Freezing: Place the cooled stuffed eggplants in a freezer-safe container. They'll last in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop. Alternatively, you can freeze the uncooked hollowed-out eggplants in freezer-safe containers, and the stuffing mixture (with uncooked rice) in a freezer-safe bag. Thaw in the fridge overnight and cook in fresh tomato broth.
Nutrition
Serving: 3eggplants | Calories: 472kcal | Carbohydrates: 62g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 49mg | Sodium: 1050mg | Potassium: 1165mg | Fiber: 12g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 777IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 61mg | Iron: 5mg
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