Cut the time in half between you and vegan baba ganoush with this air fryer eggplant dip recipe. This smoky, full-bodied dip is a terrific appetizer alongside toasted pita.
No air fryer? No problem! I give standard oven directions as well!
For a while after we moved back to Iowa from Los Angeles, I felt very baba ganoush deprived.
The baba ganoush I could find locally didn’t have any of that signature smokiness that I really crave. It just tasted like a plainer hummus.
So I set about making my own baba ganoush – prepared just the way I like it. Plenty of smokiness, a bit of body, light on the lemon juice, nutty undertones from my favorite tahini, and of course, a little kick of garlic.
What is baba ganoush?
Baba ganoush is the smoky, eggplant-rich cousin of hummus. Whereas hummus uses chickpeas as the base, baba ganoush uses eggplant instead.
Eggplant is roasted, grilled, or in today’s case air fried, until it picks up smoky flavor from cooking at a high temperature.
I’ve made baba ganoush a million ways over the years – by roasting the whole or halved eggplants in the oven, on a cast iron skillet, or on the outdoor grill. (Including the time I forgot it was out there, and it was burnt to a crisp. Oops.)
That’s the problem with long cooking times… sometimes you move on to other things and forget about your old friend, aubergine.
Luckily, there are no worries about that with this air fryer eggplant dip recipe, because it takes only 20 minutes to fully cook it.
That means you don’t have to save baba ganoush for special occasions. In fact, you could have it done from start to finish in less time than it would take you to drive to your favorite hummus & falafel place, place an order, and have it brought to you.
Smoked salt adds extra smoky flavor
Even though the high cooking temperature gives the dip smokiness of its own, I like to add a bit more by way of smoked salt.
You can find smoked salt online, in specialty cooking stores, and even a lot of regular grocery stores have it.
This is the smoked salt I used in this recipe. It’s also terrific in vegan split pea soup. I’m sure any smoked salt you pick up will be fine!
How to make eggplant dip in the air fryer
Start with a medium sized, standard globe eggplant. You don’t want a skinny Japanese eggplant or those adorable mini eggplants.
Make sure the eggplant looks fresh, smooth, and shiny. You don’t want an eggplant that looks wrinkled, cut, shriveled, or damaged.
Slice the stem off the top. Then cut the eggplant length-wise down the center.
Rub oil on each half, front and back. Then use a fork to stab holes into the peel.
Place the eggplant halves cut side down in the air fryer basket. Air fry at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.
The eggplant is ready when the cut portions are toasty brown and even black in parts. The peel will be wrinkled.
(If it’s not brown enough after 20 minutes, flip it over and cook for a few minutes more.)
Wait for the eggplant to cool. Once it’s cool enough to handle, scoop out the flesh, and move it into a food processor. You can discard the peel.
Add the following to the food processor:
- Peeled eggplant
- Minced garlic
- Lemon juice
- Tahini
- Cumin
- Smoked salt
- Regular salt
Pulse the food processor 4 or 5 times, leaving the dip somewhat chunky.
Serve warm or at room temperature.
Garnish with any of the following:
- Chopped parsley
- Pomegranate seeds
- Vegan feta cheese
- A drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
- A pinch of sumac or paprika
How to roast in the oven
If you don’t have an air fryer or just prefer to roast instead, it’s easy to make in the oven.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Put the eggplant halves cut side down on a parchment paper covered baking sheet. Roast for 45 minutes.
Check at about 35 minutes for doneness since cooking times/eggplant sizes vary.
Let the flavors meld before eating
You certainly can eat the baba ganoush right away. But I recommend putting it in a covered container, and popping it into the refrigerator to allow the flavors to meld and mellow.
The raw garlic cools down and intertwines with the other flavors. All of the tastes find a kind of fusion.
What to serve with baba ganoush
Baba ganoush is terrific with:
- Homemade pita chips
- Sliced cucumbers
- Bell pepper wedges
- Carrot sticks
- Dolmas
- Grilled artichoke hearts
- Warmed Castelvetrano olives
- Olive tapenade
- Turnip pickles
And of course, it’s great alongside homemade or store-bought hummus, kalamata olive hummus, or even sun-dried tomato hummus.
How to store baba ganoush
Keep the dip in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to four days. The flavors will continue to deepen and improve.
Don’t worry if the liquid has separated a bit. Simply give it a stir before serving.
To brighten the flavor, add a squeeze of lemon, sprinkle of salt, or fresh drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
More air fryer eggplant recipes
Vegan baba ganoush - in the air fryer or oven
Ingredients
- 1 medium-sized eggplant around 13 ounces
- 2 teaspoons organic canola oil
- 3 Tablespoons tahini
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic minced
- ⅛ teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon smoked salt
- ⅛ teaspoon regular salt
- Drizzle extra virgin olive oil optional garnish
Instructions
- Cut the stem off of the top of the eggplant. Slice the eggplant down the middle lengthwise. Put a teaspoon of canola oil on each eggplant half, and rub it evenly across the entirety of the eggplant, including the cut side and peel. Prick several holes in the eggplant peel with a fork.
- TO AIR FRY: Lay the eggplant halves cut side down in the basket. Air fry at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.
- TO ROAST IN THE OVEN: If you don't have an air fryer, roast the eggplant in the oven instead. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees, and put the eggplant halves cut side down on a parchment paper covered baking sheet. Roast for 45 minutes. Check at about 35 minutes for doneness since cooking times can vary.
- When the eggplant is done, the cut side will be toasty brown, and the peel will be wrinkly. Remove the eggplant halves from the air fryer basket (or baking sheet), move them to a plate, and allow them to cool.
- Once the eggplant halves are cool enough to touch, scoop the soft eggplant out of its peel, and put the eggplant into a food processor. You'll be able to easily scoop out all of the white, soft eggplant. You can discard the peel.
- Add the tahini, lemon juice, garlic, cumin, smoked salt, and regular salt to the food processor. Pulse the food processor 4 or 5 times. Baba ganoush is best when it still has a bit of body to it, as opposed to being entirely creamy. So make sure everything is evenly combined, but don't blend to the point of being a puree.
- The baba ganoush can be served right away, but it's best if the flavors have a chance to meld for at least a few hours. (It's even better if you can make it the day before you want to serve it.) Move it to a covered container and put it in the refrigerator until you're ready to serve it.
- Serve the baba ganoush with pita bread and/or sliced vegetables for dipping. If you like, drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil onto the baba ganoush before serving.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Content, photos, and recipe updated January 18, 2021. Originally posted May 22, 2018.
Andrea
About halfway through your post I went running to the kitchen to see if an eggplant might fit in my air fryer. My fryer looks smaller than yours, but I think I might be able to do it. I never thought of cooking a whole eggplant in the air fryer! I have slow roasted them over a gas stove flame to smoky effect, but air frying sounds much easier and less messy. Thanks for the idea and recipe.
Cadry
I have 2 air fryers – a 3.7 quart & a 5.8 quart. I put the eggplant into both of them to be sure it would fit, and it went in fine. Of course, eggplants come in different lengths, but I’d think that most would work, especially once the stem is gone. (This is all starting to sound a whole lot more like a double entendre than I’d intended… I suppose with an eggplant as the topic, that’s built in.) Anyway, you’ll have to let me know how it goes for you! Slow roasting over a gas stove flame sounds like it would require a lot of patience, and there’s potential for it to go terribly wrong. But I imagine the taste was terrific!
Andrea
I had to reword my comment at least three times so it wouldn’t sound risqué! Sheesh. Roasting over a gas flame takes about 15 minutes but you have to watch the eggplant and turn it often. I have a post about it somewhere — learned the technique in a Turkish cooking class. The air fryer is more my style. 😀
Don
We love this type of dip, but I’ve never made it. Now I plan to give it a try. Thanks.
Curious, in your experience how long will this keep in the frig?
Cadry
In my experience, this dip doesn’t even last 24 hours in the fridge. Haha! But seriously, since it’s 3/4 cup of dip, it’s very easy for one or two people to finish it off within a day. Since it includes lemon juice & garlic, both of which have anti-microbial properties, I imagine it would last 5 days in the refrigerator.
Sam
This was the first recipe I did with my new air fryer, it went great! Your excellent pictures made it super easy to follow the instructions, and it tasted delicious! Thanks for sharing!
Cadry
That’s so nice to hear, Sam! Thanks for letting me know. I hope you’re still getting a lot of use out of your air fryer.
Faith
Hi Cadry! Just wanted to let you know I made this yesterday on a cold, rainy, lazy Saturday and loved it! I added a dash of liquid smoke and loved how it came out. Love the idea for making this dish much faster in the air fryer. Please continue to share your innovative ideas for air fryer veggies!
Cadry
Thank you, Faith! I’m delighted that you loved the baba ganoush.
Samara
This is my new favourite dip!! Seriously, I am so happy it is summertime so I can make this dip all. the. time! It could not be easier, and yet it is so delicious people think I must have spent hours in the kitchen! That, IMO, makes this a truly great recipe! Thank you Cadry!!
Cadry
That’s so awesome to hear! I’m glad you’re loving this baba ganoush as much as I do.
Jedda
Amazing thank you!!! I recently moved into a micro studio in Sydney so only have an induction hot plate & mini airfryer so thought my days of baba ganoush were over & this worked a treat!!!! Thanks so much
Cadry
Aw, that warms my heart! You are welcome! I’m so glad to hear that, Jedda. It’s really amazing what a person can do with an air fryer. Definitely check out my air fryer recipes for more ideas!
Tammi
I made this yesterday and it was delicious! I didn’t have smoked salt so I used a dash of liquid smoke (hickory) and that seemed to work. It’s about gone so it must be a success 😊 nice use of eggplant other than the usual. As always, love your recipes!
Cadry
Thank you so much, Tammi! That’s really nice to hear. I’m so glad you enjoyed the baba ganoush!