April 4, 2026
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I can’t remember a time in my life when I wasn’t eating grilled aubergines. They’re one of the simplest, most satisfying things you can make, and the south of France where I grew up has been making them this way for centuries.
No wonder, it’s a lovely fleshy vegetable and the warm, dry climate suits the plant perfectly to grow them. It became as central to Provençal cooking as olive oil and garlic. You can also make stuffed aubergines with goat cheese if you fancy something more creamy with the same vegetable!
Table of Contents
Where grilled aubergines comes from
The aubergine itself isn’t European at all. It came out of India and Southeast Asia, spread west with Arab and Persian traders, reached Spain in the 8th century, and then travelled up through Catalonia into southern France. The word itself carries that whole journey: Arabic al-badinjan became Catalan alberginia, and the French, struggling with the “al-” prefix, rendered it aubergine. Also known as eggplant!
Once it arrived, the south adopted it wholeheartedly, and chargrilling is the oldest and simplest way they’ve treated it. Olive oil, garlic, fierce heat, nothing more. It’s basically peasant cooking at its best, and centuries later it still can’t really be improved on in my opinion.
Ingredients
- Aubergines – Firm, glossy and heavy. Sliced lengthways into long 1cm strips, then salted (see the walkthrough) to draw out moisture.
- Extra virgin olive oil – Used throughout: in the garlic oil, the sauce, and for the garlic chips. Pick a good one, since it’s a lead flavour.
- Garlic – Doing triple duty: chopped into the brushing oil, crushed into the sauce, and sliced for crisp chips on top. It’s a garlic-forward dish and proud of it!
- Full-fat Greek yogurt – The base of the cool sauce. Full-fat only, since low-fat is too watery and the sauce won’t have body.
- Dill – Fresh, for the sauce. Its slight anise note pairs beautifully with both aubergine and garlic.
- Lemon – A little juice to sharpen the yogurt sauce.
- Coriander – Fresh leaves scattered at the end. Swap for parsley or mint if you prefer.
How to make grilled aubergines
1. Salt the aubergines
Slice them lengthways into even 1cm strips, salt both sides, and leave for 15 minutes. This draws out excess moisture, which stops them turning into oil-soaked sponges on the grill and helps them char instead of steam. Pat them properly dry before they go anywhere near the pan. Don’t skip this, it genuinely changes the texture.
2. Make the garlic oil and the sauce
Stir the chopped garlic into olive oil with salt and pepper, that’s your brushing oil. Then make the sauce: Greek yogurt, crushed garlic, chopped dill, olive oil and lemon, seasoned and stirred, into the fridge. The sauce is better made ahead, so do it first and let it sit while everything else happens.
3. Fry the garlic chips
Gently fry the sliced garlic in olive oil for 2 to 3 minutes until golden and just crisp, stirring so it colours evenly. Watch it like a hawk, because garlic goes from golden to acrid-burnt in seconds. Lift it onto kitchen paper the moment it’s golden, it crisps further as it cools.
4. Grill the aubergines
Get the cast iron grill pan properly hot, really hot, before anything goes in. Brush the slices generously with garlic oil on both sides and grill in batches, a few at a time without crowding, for 3 to 4 minutes a side until well charred and completely tender through. Don’t crowd the pan or the temperature drops and they steam. Keep the cooked slices warm and brush each batch with a little more garlic oil as it comes off. Then platter them up, scatter over the garlic chips and coriander, and serve with the sauce alongside.
Tools for this recipe
Check out my favorite kitchen essentials and cookware!
- Use a cast iron grill pan to chargrill the aubergines perfectly.
- I use my trusty pastry brush to coat the aubergines with garlic oil.
- I use my sharp chef’s knife to slice the aubergines the right size.
Tips for success
- Don’t skip the salting: it draws out moisture and makes a real difference to the texture, stopping the aubergines going soggy on the grill. About fifteen minutes, then pat them dry.
- Get the cast iron grill pan properly hot first: if it’s not hot enough, the aubergines steam instead of char, and you lose the entire reason of using cast iron.
- Cook in batches: crowding the pan drops the temperature and gives you pale, soft slices of aubergines instead of charred ones. A few at a time, with room between them.
- Use full-fat yogurt for the sauce: low-fat is too watery and the sauce won’t have the body to stand up to the aubergine.
- Watch the garlic chips like a hawk: they go from golden to burnt in seconds, and burnt garlic is bitter. Lift them out the moment they’re golden!
How to store it
- These are one of those handy dishes that’s just as good at room temperature as hot, which makes them brilliant for entertaining. Grill them ahead, let them come to room temperature, and they’re ready to serve without any last-minute stress. In fact, in Provence they’re traditionally served warm rather than piping hot, so the flesh can settle and the flavours develop.
- Leftover grilled aubergines keep in the fridge for up to 3 days in a sealed glass container, and they’re lovely cold, folded through a salad, piled onto toast with a smear of the yogurt sauce, or chopped into pasta. The sauce keeps a day or two in the fridge, so it’s worth making extra.
- The garlic chips are best made fresh, since they soften once stored, so fry those close to serving if you can.
Variations
- Swap the sauce: Not keen on yogurt? A classic aioli or a drizzle of good tahini both work beautifully instead.
- Add a drizzle of honey or pomegranate molasses: a thread of sweetness over the charred slices plays gorgeously against the smoky bitterness.
- Change the herbs: mint or parsley in place of the coriander, or a mix. Mint is especially good with the yogurt.
- Add feta or pomegranate: crumbled feta and a scatter of pomegranate seeds turn it into a more substantial salad-style plate.
FAQ
Do you have to salt aubergines before grilling?
It’s worth it if you do. Salting for 15 minutes draws out excess moisture, which stops the slices soaking up too much oil and helps them char rather than steam. Modern aubergines aren’t as bitter as they used to be, so it’s more about texture than removing bitterness, but it genuinely improves the result. Pat them dry before grilling.
Why are my grilled aubergines soggy instead of charred?
Usually the pan wasn’t hot enough, or it was overcrowded. Aubergine steams instead of charring if the heat is too low, so get the pan properly hot and cook in batches with space between the slices. Salting and drying them first helps too.
Can I make grilled aubergines ahead of time?
Yes, they’re ideal for it! They’re just as good at room temperature, which is how they’re traditionally served in the South of France, so grill them ahead and serve them relaxed. They also keep in the fridge for up to 3 days and are lovely cold.
Can I use a barbecue instead of a grill pan?
Absolutely. A barbecue gives even more smokiness. The method is the same: brush with garlic oil, get the grill hot, and char the slices well on each side before turning. A cast iron grill pan just lets you get the same result indoors, year round.
Prep Time 10 minutes 
Cook Time 20 minutes 
Total Time 30 minutes 
Servings 2Description
Ingredients
For the aubergines
- 2 aubergines
- 6 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
- 3 cloves garlic finely chopped
- salt and black pepper
- 3 sprigs coriander
For the yogurt and dill sauce
- 200 gr Greek yogurt full-fat
- 1 cloves garlic
- 1 handful dill fresh
- 1 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- salt and black pepper
Instructions
1. Salt the aubergines
- Slice the aubergines lengthways into even slices about 1cm thick. Lay them out, sprinkle both sides with salt, and leave for 15 minutes to draw out excess moisture. Pat dry with kitchen paper before grilling.
2. Make the garlic oil
- Mix the finely chopped garlic into the olive oil with salt and pepper. This is what you brush onto the slices.
3. Make the yogurt and dill sauce
- Mix the Greek yogurt, crushed garlic, dill, olive oil and lemon juice in a bowl. Season, and keep in the fridge until serving. Better made ahead.
4. Fry the garlic chips
- Heat the olive oil in a small frying pan over medium heat. Fry the sliced garlic, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes until golden and just crisp. Watch closely, they burn fast. Lift onto kitchen paper; they crisp further as they cool.
5. Grill the aubergines
- Heat the cast iron grill pan over high heat until properly hot. Brush the slices generously with garlic oil on both sides. Grill in batches, without crowding, for 3 to 4 minutes per side until well charred and completely tender. Keep cooked slices warm, brushing each batch with a little more garlic oil as it comes off.
6. Serve
- Arrange on a platter. Scatter over the garlic chips and coriander, and serve the yogurt and dill sauce alongside.
Notes
- Don’t skip the salting step. It makes a real difference to the texture, stopping the aubergines from going soggy on the grill.
- The pan needs to be properly hot before the aubergines go in. If it’s not hot enough, they steam instead of char and you lose the whole point of the cast iron.
- Cook in batches. Crowding the pan drops the temperature and you end up with pale, soft slices instead of properly charred ones.
- Full-fat Greek yogurt is important for the sauce. Low-fat versions are too watery and the sauce won’t have enough body.
- The sauce keeps well in the fridge for a day or two, so it’s worth making it ahead.
Share your feedback and spread the love!
If you try this recipe, I’d love to hear how it turns out! Leave a ★★★★★ rating and your thoughts in the comments, it helps fellow French foodies discover this recipe too. Snap a photo and tag @obviously.french on Instagram. Come talk about it in our Facebook group. And don’t forget to save this recipe to Pinterest so you’ll always have it handy for your next French-inspired meal!
