Turkish Karnıyarık-Style Eggplant Casserole

About This Recipe

Karnıyarık, literally "split belly," is one of Turkey's most iconic eggplant dishes — fried or roasted eggplant halves split open and filled with a savory ground meat and tomato mixture, then baked until everything melds together. This casserole version takes that same beloved combination and bakes multiple eggplant halves together in one dish, making it easier to cook for a family without frying each piece individually.\n\nThe technique that makes karnıyarık work is roasting the eggplant first until it's fully soft and slightly collapsed, which lets you split it open without tearing and gives it a base sweetness that balances the savory meat filling. The filling itself is built the way most Turkish meat sauces are — onion and pepper cooked down first, then meat browned hard, then tomato paste and fresh tomato simmered until thick — before it's spooned generously into the split eggplants and baked just long enough for the top to blister.\n\nServe with rice pilaf and a simple yogurt or cacık on the side — this is classic Turkish home cooking, not a fussy restaurant dish.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 4 mediumeggplants(halved lengthwise)
• 0.33 cupolive oil(divided)
• 400 gground beef
• 1onion(finely diced)
• 2green bell peppers(1 diced for filling, 1 sliced for topping)
• 3 clovesgarlic(minced)
• 2tomatoes(1 diced for filling, 1 sliced for topping)
• 2 tbsptomato paste
• 1 tspground cumin
• 0.5 tspblack pepper
• 0.5 cuphot water
• 2 tbspfresh parsley(chopped)

Instructions

1. 1

   Prep and roast the eggplant

   Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Score the flesh of each eggplant half in a crosshatch pattern, brush generously with olive oil, and roast cut-side up 25-30 minutes until fully soft.

2. 2

   Make the filling

   While the eggplant roasts, heat remaining oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and diced pepper and cook 5 minutes, then add beef and cook until browned, about 7 minutes.

3. 3

   Build the sauce

   Add garlic, diced tomato, tomato paste, cumin and black pepper. Cook 8-10 minutes until thickened and no longer watery.

   Cook the filling until it's noticeably thick before stuffing — a wet filling will make the casserole soupy instead of holding its shape when baked.

4. 4

   Split and stuff

   Once the eggplants are soft, use a spoon to gently press down the center of each half, creating a pocket. Fill generously with the beef mixture.

5. 5

   Top and bake

   Arrange a slice of tomato and pepper on top of each stuffed eggplant. Pour hot water into the bottom of the dish and bake 15-20 minutes until the tops are lightly blistered.

6. 6

   Serve

   Let rest 5 minutes, then scatter with parsley and serve warm.

Variations

• •

  Use ground lamb instead of beef for a richer, more traditional flavor found in many regional versions.

• •

  Make it vegetarian by swapping the beef for a mix of mushrooms and lentils, keeping the same tomato-pepper base.

• •

  Add a pinch of Aleppo pepper to the filling for background heat.

Storage

Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat covered in a 350°F (175°C) oven until warmed through, or microwave individual portions.

Frequently Asked Questions