Karnıyarık and İmam Bayıldı can look similar, but they belong to different traditions at the Turkish table. İmam Bayıldı is a zeytinyağlı preparation built around olive oil, onions and tomatoes, while Karnıyarık is one of Turkey’s well-known minced-meat dishes. Traditional versions soften the eggplants before filling them and cook them again with tomatoes and green peppers. Rice pilaf and cacık are customary companions; this version follows that structure with a modest amount of oil and an oven finish.
Karnıyarık — Recipe Card
Turkish eggplants stuffed with seasoned ground beef
Makes 6 servings · Makes 6 stuffed eggplants; 1 per serving.US cup = 240 ml · tablespoon = 15 ml · teaspoon = 5 ml. Cup and weight conversions are approximate. Australian cooks: use a 15 ml measuring tablespoon.
Ingredient quantities and servings are scaled. Cooking times, pan sizes, frying oil depth, and temperatures stay the same; cook larger batches as needed.
Ingredients
How to make Karnıyarık
Salt the eggplants
Peel alternating lengthwise strips from each eggplant, leaving the stems attached. Cut one deep lengthwise slit in each without cutting through the bottom or ends. Rub the 24 g (4 tsp) salt over the exposed flesh and set the eggplants in a colander for 30 minutes. Rinse away the salt and pat every surface very dry.
Soften the eggplants
Heat half the olive oil in a wide lidded skillet over medium heat. Add the eggplants in batches, adding the remaining oil as needed. Cover and turn them regularly for 12–15 minutes in total, until lightly browned, flexible and easily pierced with a small knife but still holding their shape. Transfer them slit-side up to a baking dish.
Cook the filling
Dice two-thirds of the tomatoes and one-third of the green peppers; cut the remaining tomatoes into 6 wedges and the remaining peppers into 6 long strips. In the same skillet, cook the onions over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the beef and cook for 7–8 minutes, breaking it into small crumbles, until browned with no pink remaining and the thickest crumbles reach 71°C/160°F. Stir in the garlic and tomato paste for 1 minute. Add the diced tomatoes, diced pepper, 6 g (1 tsp) salt and black pepper; simmer for 8–10 minutes, until thick. Remove from the heat and fold in the parsley.
Fill and garnish
Heat the oven to 190°C/375°F. Gently widen each slit with two spoons, keeping the eggplant intact, and divide the filling among them. Top every eggplant with one tomato wedge and one green-pepper strip.
Bake until tender
Pour the hot water around, not over, the eggplants. Cover the dish loosely with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake for 15 minutes more, until the sauce bubbles and the eggplants are completely tender without falling apart.
Rest and serve
Rest for 10 minutes so the cooking juices settle. Serve one eggplant per person, spooning a little sauce around it; rice pilaf and cacık are natural accompaniments.
Bring this recipe to your kitchen with a printable copy.
Print recipeRecipe from MyTurkishRecipes · https://myturkishrecipes.com/turkish-stuffed-eggplant-karniyarik. Quantities reflect your selected serving scale. Cooking times are estimates; follow the doneness cues.
A few helpful kitchen notes
Choosing eggplants
Use slender, evenly sized eggplants so they soften at the same rate and fit one per serving. Keep the stem ends attached to help the eggplants hold together.
Dietary notes
The recipe contains no intentional wheat ingredients, but packaged tomato paste and ground spices can vary. Check their labels and kitchen cross-contact requirements if cooking for someone who must avoid gluten; this recipe is not presented as certified gluten-free.
Heat level
No added chili. The base recipe uses mild green peppers. For medium heat, stir 1/2 tsp pul biber into the filling with the black pepper; use 1 tsp for a hotter version.
Oven-softened alternative
Instead of pan-softening, brush the salted, rinsed and dried eggplants with all the oil and roast at 220°C/425°F for 20–25 minutes, turning once. Lower the oven to 190°C/375°F before filling and continue with the recipe; the texture will be a little less silky.
How to store and reheat Karnıyarık
Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in a shallow covered container at 4°C/40°F or colder. Eat within 3–4 days. Reheat until the center reaches 74°C/165°F; add a spoonful of water and cover so the eggplant does not dry out.
Karnıyarık: questions and answers
Is Karnıyarık the same as İmam Bayıldı?
No. Both use whole eggplants, tomatoes and onions, but Karnıyarık has a ground-meat filling and is served as a hot main dish. İmam Bayıldı is a meatless olive-oil dish in the zeytinyağlı tradition.
Why salt the eggplants first?
Salting seasons the exposed flesh and draws off some surface moisture. Rinsing and drying thoroughly also reduces splattering when the eggplants meet the hot oil.
Can I prepare Karnıyarık ahead?
Yes. Assemble the filled eggplants, cool the filling promptly, cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day. Add the hot water just before baking, and allow a few extra minutes in the oven if the dish is cold.
