Spicy Grilled Eggplant Bowl
Spicy grilled eggplant bowls! Grilled eggplant in a sweet and spicy gochujang sauce with rice and scallions. A simple summer dinner or lunch.
How good does this spicy grilled eggplant look? I’m a huge fan of eggplant and can’t get enough of it this time of year. While I usually enjoy it in Italian-inspired dishes– like my eggplant lasagna, pasta alla norma, and eggplant bolognese.
This time, however, I wanted to baste it in a spicy gochujang sauce. If you love my spicy gochujang bowls or gochujang noodles, then you’ll love these.
See below for more details, or scroll down to the full recipe below.
Ingredient Notes
I use Japanese eggplant for this recipe as I find their tender skin better for grilling. You can also use Italian or globe eggplant.
The sauce is made with just a few ingredients, and because of this, I don’t recommend trying to substitute in other options. Harissa paste may be substituted for gochujang, but it’s not the same.
I find gochujang in Trader Joe’s, but you can also grab it at Target or other grocery stores.
Tips for Success
For ease in grilling, I recommend slicing the eggplant into 1/4-1/2 inch thick slices and then grilling until tender and soft. For extra flavor, I like to baste the eggplant slices in the marinade while it grills.
Then, chop into smaller pieces, cover with the remaining sauce, and marinate for another 10 minutes.
Serve with cooked rice and thinly slice the scallions, then garnish and serve.
If you want more protein, I’d recommend pressing a block of tofu, slicing it into slabs, and grilling the same way with the marinade. You’ll likely want to double the sauce if you add in tofu!
I use a grill pan for this for ease and so that the eggplant slices don’t fall through the grill grates!
More Eggplant Recipes
If you make this spicy grilled eggplant, make sure to come back to leave a comment and a rating. Your feedback helps other readers, and seeing you make my recipes makes my day.
Spicy Grilled Eggplant Bowl
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 pounds Japanese eggplant, sliced into 1/4″ thick planks
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon mirin, or more rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seed oil
- 1 teaspoon gochujang paste
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cups cooked rice, for serving
- 1 scallion, thinly sliced
Instructions
- Make the sauce: whisk together the soy sauce, maple syrup, mirin, sesame seed oil, gochujang, rice vinegar, garlic, oil and pepper.
- Heat a grill pan or grill to medium heat. Lightly oil the grates, then add the eggplant. Using a pastry brush, brush the eggplant with the sauce and let it cook for 3-4 minutes per side until it is charred and tender, basting on the sauce as you grill
- Remove and chop into small pieces, then place into a bowl and cover with the remaining sauce. Let sit for 10 minutes, allowing the sauce to absorb into the eggplant.
- Divide rice into 4 bowls, then top with the eggplant. Garnish with scallions.Â