Berenjenas Rellenas Spanish Stuffed Eggplant Made Easy

What Is Berenjenas Rellenas?

Are you looking for a tasty way to cook eggplant? Berenjenas rellenas is a traditional Spanish stuffed eggplant dish that turns a humble vegetable into a hearty, satisfying meal.

The name says it all: in Spanish, berenjenas means eggplant and rellenas means stuffed, so the dish is simply stuffed eggplants filled with seasoned meat, vegetables, tomatoes, and herbs, then topped with melted cheese.

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This recipe is one of my favorite ways to use ground beef because the eggplant shells act like edible bowls that hold every bit of flavor.

We tested it on a busy weeknight and the family went back for seconds, which is always the best sign in our kitchen. If you are wanting other recipes that use ground beef, try our Salisbury steak or our sloppy Joe sliders.

Quick Look at Spanish Stuffed Eggplant Recipe

Before we dive in, here is a quick snapshot of the recipe so you can plan your time. Our Spanish stuffed eggplant (berenjenas rellenas) recipe naturally fits a gluten free diet and can be made dairy free by skipping the cheese topping.

Time saving hack: use a food processor to quickly chop the onions and peppers. Equipment needed: a box grater, a cookie sheet, and a large skillet.

Why This Recipe Works

Every step in this recipe has a purpose, and once you see the logic, you will trust the method. Scoring the eggplant with a diamond pattern allows the steam to escape while roasting, which prevents a soggy or gummy texture. Drizzling the eggplant with olive oil before roasting in the oven helps the top of the eggplant to nicely caramelize.

Browning the meat in oil in the skillet and seasoning with salt gives the first layer of flavor for the filling and allows the meat to be properly drained of fat.

Blooming the spices and deglazing the skillet with the juice of the fresh Roma tomatoes adds more layers of flavor to the filling. Browning the thick layer of cheese under the broiler finishes the dish with a golden, bubbly crust that tastes restaurant worthy.

About

Spanish stuffed eggplant, or berenjenas rellenas, is a very popular recipe in Spain. It also has many different variations since this dish is so well liked, and it seems each family has their own spin on it to cater to their own individual tastes.

The filling is usually made with ground beef, pork, or ground lamb, and it can easily be adapted for vegetarians by swapping the meat for lentils and mushrooms.

Cooking methods for the eggplant vary from roasting to boiling to grilling, and different spices are used depending on what meat you choose.

Everyone agrees on sea salt and black pepper, though, and if you eat cheese, we recommend using Manchego, Parmesan, or mozzarella and putting it under the broiler to brown for the finishing touch on this Spanish recipe.

This flexibility is exactly why berenjenas rellenas has earned a place on our list of healthy Mediterranean diet recipes.

Ingredients

The ingredients for Spanish stuffed eggplant (berenjenas rellenas) recipe are easy to find year round at your local grocery store. Here is what you will need.

• Roasted Eggplant: 2 large eggplants (about 2½ pounds), good quality olive oil for drizzling, salt to taste.
• Vegetables: 2 cups finely diced yellow onion, 1¼ cup finely diced green pepper, 1½ cup finely diced fresh tomato (about 4 Roma tomatoes).
• Aromatics: 1 tablespoon minced garlic, ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley.
• Meat: 1 pound lean ground beef (we used 80/20 well drained, but 90/10 works too).
• Spices: 1½ teaspoons fine sea salt, 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, 1 teaspoon dried oregano.
• Cheese: 6 ounces finely grated mozzarella, grated on the small hole of a box grater.
• Cooking fat: 2 tablespoons good quality olive oil, divided.

The beauty of this ingredient list is that nothing is exotic. You probably have most of it in your pantry already, and the rest is a quick stop away. If you want to round out the meal, our garlic herb roasted vegetables make a great side.

Variations

One of the best parts about berenjenas rellenas is how easily it bends to what you have on hand. Here are five simple swaps we have tried and loved.

• Pork Version: Use ground pork and season with rosemary instead of oregano.
• Lamb Version: Use ground lamb and season with cinnamon instead of oregano.
• Meatless Version: Try a mixture of lentils and grated carrots with sautéed mushrooms.
• No Fresh Tomatoes: Substitute with ½ cup of tomato sauce.
• Different Cheese: Try freshly grated Parmesan or Manchego instead of mozzarella.

Each variation keeps the spirit of the original Spanish stuffed eggplant while fitting your fridge, your diet, or simply your mood. If you want to compare another take, this Spanish stuffed eggplant recipe from Allrecipes is a classic reference.

How to Make Spanish Stuffed Eggplant

Ready to cook? Here is the step by step method. Follow it once and you will have it memorized for life.

1. Prep and score the eggplant. Wash two eggplants and cut in half lengthwise, then score in a diamond pattern with a chef’s knife. Be careful not to cut through the outer skin.
2. Roast the eggplant. Place the eggplant on a baking tray lined with foil and drizzle olive oil on top then sprinkle with salt. Bake at 350°F for 1 hour until browned on top and soft inside.
3. Scoop the flesh. Allow the eggplant to cool for 10 minutes, then scoop the cooked flesh out of the eggplants and put it in a bowl. Break up any large clumps using a metal spoon.
4. Brown the meat. In a large skillet over medium high heat, heat up 1 tablespoon of olive oil until it is shimmering, then brown the hamburger. Sprinkle on some salt while the meat is cooking. Remove the meat from the skillet with a slotted spoon to drain the fat.
5. Sauté the vegetables. In the same skillet, heat up 1 tablespoon of olive oil, then sauté the onion and green pepper until the onion is golden brown. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant.
6. Bloom the spices. Add the sea salt, black pepper, oregano, and fresh parsley and bloom for 30 seconds to 1 minute.
7. Deglaze with tomatoes. Add the diced tomatoes and cook for 1 minute, using a wooden turner to scrape any brown bits (fond) off the bottom of the pan.
8. Combine the filling. Mix in the cooked hamburger and reduce the heat to low. Add the cooked eggplant to the skillet, stir, and cook for a minute. Taste and adjust seasonings.
9. Stuff the shells. Stuff the eggplant meat mixture in the hollowed out eggplants.
10. Broil with cheese. Sprinkle with grated mozzarella cheese and broil for 8 to 10 minutes, or until lightly browned.
11. Serve. Serve the Spanish stuffed eggplant (berenjenas rellenas) as a main course and garnish with fresh parsley.

For a second opinion on the method, this authentic berenjenas rellenas recipe from The Spruce Eats walks through a similar process with great photos.

Serving Suggestions

Berenjenas rellenas is a complete main course on its own, but the right sides can turn it into a true Spanish feast.

If you are looking for more Spanish traditional ideas to round out your meal, we suggest serving Spanish stuffed eggplant along with Spanish rice or arroz con tomate, Spanish tapas like olives, cheeses, and patatas bravas, a chilled Spanish gazpacho, or a Spanish flan for dessert.

If you are looking for a more American slant, we suggest a crispy green garden salad, a bowl of tomato soup, a tomato and olive salad, a crusty bread like our rosemary bread, and finish off your meal with a light and airy maple mousse.

For a lighter plate, pair one stuffed eggplant half with a simple mixed greens salad dressed in olive oil and lemon. You can also try the traditional approach in this easy stuffed eggplant from Spain recipe on Spanish Sabores.

Expert Tips

After making this dish many times, we have picked up a few small tricks that make a big difference. Use these tips and your berenjenas rellenas will turn out perfectly every time.

• Keep the skin intact. When scoring and scooping, be careful not to puncture the outer skin, or the filling will leak out during broiling.
• Deglaze for flavor. Deglaze the skillet with the juice of the fresh tomatoes and scrape the bottom with a wooden turner to release the brown bits (fond).
• Match the meat to the spice. Change up the meat. Season lamb with cinnamon and pork with rosemary for a different flavor profile.
• Brunch twist. To make this for brunch, use a spicy sausage and scrambled eggs in place of the ground beef.
• Extra eggplant. If you have leftover eggplant, roast the halves plain at 350°F for 45 to 60 minutes and use them in salads or grain bowls.
• Storage and freezing. The filling can be made ahead through step 8 the night before. Leftover stuffed eggplant keeps for up to 4 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator and reheats well in the microwave or in a 350°F oven for 15 minutes. Leftovers also freeze well for up to 1 month.

For a deeper dive into the cultural roots of this classic, this traditional berenjenas rellenas dish from Food and Wine is a wonderful read.

Frequently Asked Questions

Spanish Stuffed Eggplant (Berenjenas Rellenas)

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What Is Berenjenas Rellenas? Are you looking for a tasty way to cook eggplant?

• Total Time: 110 min
• Yield: 4 servings (1 eggplant half each) 1x

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Roasted Eggplant
2 large eggplants, 2½ pounds
good quality olive oil, for drizzling
salt, to taste

Filling
2 tablespoons olive oil, good quality
1 pound lean ground beef, pork, or lamb, lean
2 cups yellow onion, finely diced
1.25 cup green pepper, finely diced
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
0.25 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1.5 teaspoon sea salt, fine
1 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1.5 cup fresh tomato, finely diced (about 4 Roma tomatoes)
6 ounces mozzarella, finely grated

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Instructions

Roasting the Eggplant
1-Wash two eggplants and cut in half: Wash two eggplants and cut in half lengthwise, then score in a diamond pattern with a chef’s knife.
2-Place the eggplant on a baking tray: Place the eggplant on a baking tray lined with foil and drizzle olive oil on top then sprinkle with salt. Bake at 350°F for 1 hour. Take the roasted eggplant out of the oven when it’s browned on top and soft inside.
3-Allow the eggplant to cool for 10: Allow the eggplant to cool for 10 minutes, then scoop the cooked flesh out of the eggplants and put it in a bowl. Break up any large clumps using the metal spoon.

Making the Filling
4-In a large skillet over medium high: In a large skillet over medium high heat, heat up 1 tablespoon of olive oil until it’s shimmering, then brown the hamburger. Sprinkle on some salt while the meat is cooking. Remove the meat from the skillet with slotted spoon or spider to drain the fat.
5-In the same skillet, heat up 1: In the same skillet, heat up 1 tablespoon of olive oil, then sauté the onion and green pepper until the onion is golden brown. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant.
6-Bloom the spices (sea salt, black pepper,: Bloom the spices (sea salt, black pepper, oregano and fresh parsley) for 30 seconds to 1 minute.
7-Add the diced tomatoes and cook for: Add the diced tomatoes and cook for 1 minute, using a wooden turner to scrape any brown bits (fond) off the bottom of the pan.
8-Mix in the cooked hamburger and reduce: Mix in the cooked hamburger and reduce the heat to low. Add the cooked eggplant to the skillet, stir, and cook for a minute. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Assembling the Stuffed Eggplant
9-Stuff the eggplant meat mixture in the: Stuff the eggplant meat mixture in the hollowed out eggplants.
10-Sprinkle with grated mozzarella cheese and broil: Sprinkle with grated mozzarella cheese and broil for 8 to 10 minutes, or until lightly browned.
11-Serve the Spanish stuffed eggplant (berenjenas rellenas): Serve the Spanish stuffed eggplant (berenjenas rellenas) as a main course and garnish with fresh parsley.

Last Step:

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• Author: Ruby Bennett
• Prep Time: 20 min
• Cook Time: 90 min
• Method: bake

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 eggplant half
• Calories: 509kcal
• Sugar: 15g
• Sodium: 1242mg
• Fat: 29g
• Saturated Fat: 11g
• Carbohydrates: 29g
• Fiber: 10g
• Protein: 37g
• Cholesterol: 107mg