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    Home » Recipes » Easy Meals

    Meat Stuffed Eggplant Recipe (Turkey)

    July 15, 2018 By Monika Last Updated July 22, 2022 12 Comments

    Jump to Recipe
    Top down view of 4 baked stuffed eggplant halves on top of dark tray.

    This super easy to make turkey meat stuffed eggplant recipe is a delicious, healthy dish that's perfect for entertaining or as a family meal.  Tastes great the next day too!

    Try also quinoa stuffed eggplant.

    Top down view of stuffed eggplant on oven tray with green cloth to right.

    Why this recipe works

    This meat stuffed eggplant recipe uses simple ingredients and is very easy to make. In addition to the eggplant and the meat I used tomatoes and a few spices to create a delicious, simple dish.

    You can make a large batch and enjoy the next day too.  It's a great potluck dish too.

    It is made using lean ground meat (use any!) and the eggplant does not require a lot of oil. So it's healthy too!

    Last but certainly not least, this dish is filled with delicious flavours thanks to a handful of spices it contains.

    Meat stuffed eggplant ingredients

    I used Moroccan inspired spices in this recipe but you don't have to necessarily used the same proportions.  You can also omit some of the spices if you like or add different ones.  

    Meat stuffed eggplant ingredients in individual dishes.

    Step-by-step recipe instructions

    1.Slice each eggplant lengthways in half, brush with oil and bake, open side up, in a preheated oven at 400 F for 30 minutes. In the meantime start preparing the sauce (see below).

    Roasted eggplant halves on oven tray.

    2. Once the eggplant has browned remove it from the oven. allow to cool a little then scoop the middle out of each eggplant half, leaving around 1 cm thickness round the edges. 

    Eggplant halves on even tray with small white plate.

    3. Prepare the sauce. In a large frying pan heat up 2 tablespoons of the oil, add the garlic and onion and cook over a medium heat for 2-3 minutes stirring often. Add the meat, mash using a fork and continue cooking for 3 more minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes, tomato puree and spices, stir and cook over medium/high heat for about 5 more minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.

    Turkey tomato sauce in pan with black spatula on oven tray.

    4. Place the eggplant pulp and half of the sauce mixture in a blender and whiz for a few seconds to combine.  Add to the remaining sauce and stir.

    Turkey sauce with eggplant in blender bowl.

    Place generous amounts of the mixture inside the eggplant halves, drizzle with a little oil and bake on top of a tray for 40 minutes.

    If you like this recipe you might also like this easy turkey spaghetti bolognese.

    What meat to use 

    I chose turkey meat for its delicious flavour and low fat content.  Having said that I don't recommend using meat with less than 7% fat as it might be a little dry.  You can also use lamb, pork or beef instead of turkey if you prefer.  All the spices in this recipe work equally with all these meats.

    Expert tips and FAQs

    • Use similar size eggplants for even cooking.  Be careful not to tear the eggplant when scooping the middle out.  Leave around 1 cm of thickness.
    • To save time make the sauce while the eggplant halves are in the oven.
    • Use your favourite lean meat though ensure it contains at least 7% fat (it doesn't need to have any more than that).
    • This dish tastes great the next day too.  Heat up in a microwave or enjoy cold.
    • Storing: Refrigerate, covered, for up to 3 days.
    • Freeze individual portions for up to 3 months.
    Top down view of baked stuffed eggplant with herbs and tomatoes on the vine on oven tray.

    Serving suggestions

    This healthy meat stuffed eggplant recipe makes a fantastic family dinner as well as party food idea.  Serve it alongside rice, quinoa or couscous.  It tastes delicious with roasted cauliflower tabbouleh salad with pomegranate.

    You might also like

    • Easy Turkey and Rice Stuffed Peppers
    • Polish Stuffed Cabbage Rolls (Golabki) in Tomato Sauce
    • Quick Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls with Rice
    • Meat Stuffed Peppers without Rice

    Check out also this collection of healthy, easy one pot chicken recipes!

    Keep in touch!

    I'd love to know how your stuffed eggplant has turned out for you. Let me know in the comments below, thanks!

    Follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for regular recipe updates! Or you could subscribe to this blog and receive all my latest recipes right into your mailbox!

    Recipe

    Top down view of stuffed eggplant on oven tray with green cloth.

    Meat Stuffed Eggplant Recipe (Turkey)

    This easy meat stuffed eggplant recipe is a delicious and healthy dish that's perfect for sharing. Tastes great the next day too!
    4.50 from 6 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dinner, Party Food
    Cuisine: Low fat, Moroccan Fusion
    Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes
    Servings: 6 servings
    Calories: 278kcal
    Author: Monika Dabrowski

    Equipment

    • Large oven tray
    • Large non-stick frying pan
    • Melon baller (optional)

    Ingredients

    • 10.58 ounces (300 g) ground turkey
    • 3 large eggplants
    • 1 onion finely chopped
    • 3 garlic cloves finely chopped
    • 1x14.11oz can (400 g) chopped tomatoes
    • 4 tablespoons tomato puree
    • 4 tablespoons olive oil plus a little more for drizzling
    • 1¼ teaspoons cumin powder, smoked paprika, fine sea salt each
    • ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper and onion powder each
    • ⅓ teaspoon ground nutmeg
    • Cilantro/fresh coriander for garnish

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 400 F/ 200 C/ gas mark 6. Cut the eggplants in half lengthways and place on a large baking tray open side up. Brush/drizzle with a little olive oil (2 tablespoons) and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool a little. Keep the oven on.
    • Whilst the eggplant is in the oven prepare the sauce. In a large frying pan heat up 2 tablespoons of the oil, add the garlic and onion and cook over a medium heat for 2-3 minutes stirring often. Add the meat, mash using a fork and continue cooking for 3 more minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes, tomato paste and spices, stir and cook over medium/high heat for about 5 more minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
    • Once the eggplants have cooled a little scoop out the flesh leaving about 8 mm around the edges (you can do this using a knife and either a melon baller or a large spoon). Place the pulp, along with HALF of the sauce in a blender and whiz for a few seconds until the ingredients are well combined. Add this mixture to the remaining sauce and stir thoroughly. 
    • Place a generous amount of the sauce inside the eggplant halves, drizzle with a little oil and bake for 40 minutes.
    • Remove from the oven, sprinkle with freshly chopped cilantro and serve.

    Notes

    • Use similar size eggplants for even cooking.  Be careful not to tear the eggplant when scooping the middle out.  Leave around 1 cm of thickness.
    • To save time make the sauce while the eggplant halves are in the oven.
    • Use your favourite lean meat though ensure it contains at least 7% fat (it doesn't need to have any more than that).
    • This dish tastes great the next day too.  Heat up in a microwave or enjoy cold.
    • Storing: Refrigerate leftovers, covered, for up to 3 days.
    • Freeze individual portions for up to 3 months.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1serving | Calories: 278kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0g | Cholesterol: 28mg | Sodium: 204mg | Potassium: 1008mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 371IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 54mg | Iron: 2mg

    *Nutritional information is automatically generated and should be considered as an estimate.

    **A note about baking: If using a fan-assisted oven refer to your appliance's instructions and adjust the temperature accordingly.

    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @Monika8021 or tag #EverydayHealthyRecipes!
     

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    1281 shares

    Comments

      4.50 from 6 votes (4 ratings without comment)

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    1. Danielle says

      November 03, 2020 at 6:18 pm

      Hi Monika, this recipe sounds delicious. I love eggplant and can’t wait to try it. Quick question....Can you freeze your meat filled eggplants or just the meat portion for up to 3 months

      Reply
      • Monika says

        November 03, 2020 at 7:56 pm

        Hi Danielle, yes, you can freeze the meat stuffed eggplants after they've cooled completely.

        Reply
    2. Kate - Gluten Free Alchemist says

      July 20, 2018 at 3:46 pm

      What a fabulous looking dish Monika. I adore aubergine, but sadly seem to eat them less often than I would like as the family are less keen. This totally floats my boat though, so I'll pop over to yours for dinner!
      Thank you so much for sharing with #G2BGF xx

      Reply
      • Monika says

        July 21, 2018 at 8:33 am

        Thanks Kate, come by anytime!

        Reply
    3. Corina Blum says

      July 17, 2018 at 10:27 am

      5 stars
      This looks delicious and is exactly the type of recipe I'd love! I'd really like to try it out on my children who won't eat aubergine at the moment as I think it might be able to tempt them as I know they'd love the filling. Thanks for sharing with #CookOnceEatTwice!

      Reply
      • Monika says

        July 17, 2018 at 3:07 pm

        Thank you Corina! My children loved the filling and didn't really mind the aubergine in this recipe, though they usually aren't crazy about it.

        Reply
    4. Farrah says

      July 16, 2018 at 7:00 pm

      I love how easy this is to make and it looks so flavorful! Can't wait to try it out! *-*

      Reply
      • Monika says

        July 17, 2018 at 9:24 am

        Thanks! Let me know how it turns out if you do end up making it!

        Reply
    5. Jacqui Bellefontaine | Recipes Made Easy says

      July 16, 2018 at 12:31 pm

      5 stars
      I love stuffed aubergine (actually i love all things aubergine although one of my lads doesn't which is frustrating otherwise I would eat it even more) but i have never used turkey before what a good idea! Thank you for linking to #CookBlogShare.

      Reply
      • Monika says

        July 17, 2018 at 9:24 am

        Thank Jacqui, I've been using this vegetable so much lately even my boys are warming up to it. So I'll use it even more until they all love it as much as I do!

        Reply
    6. frugal hausfrau says

      July 16, 2018 at 5:00 am

      These are seriously making my mouth water - and that sauce sounds so good with all the spices!

      Reply
      • Monika says

        July 16, 2018 at 7:25 am

        Thanks Mollie!

        Reply

    Hi, I am Monika, welcome to Everyday Healthy Recipes! This blog is all about simple recipes with a healthy twist, old classics with a modern take, and an occasional Polish dish thrown into the mix - all easy to make and delicious, perfect for everyday cooking.

    Find out more about me →

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