By Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff | Published on June 14, 2026
Serves 4
183 cal · 40 min
Cà Nướng (Grilled Eggplant with Garlic and Scallions)
Recipe GLPR314ae9e328218c
This Vietnamese classic features tender charred eggplant brushed with aromatic garlic oil and topped with fresh scallions. The eggplants are grilled until their skin blackens and the flesh becomes creamy, then finished with a light drizzle of fish sauce and garnished with crisp green onion rounds. A simple, deeply flavorful vegetable-forward dish that showcases the natural sweetness of grilled eggplant.
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Ingredients
4 medium Japanese eggplants
3 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 clove garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1 large scallion, trimmed and sliced into thin rounds
1 tbsp. Vietnamese fish sauce
Directions
Preheat your grill to medium-high heat. While the grill heats, prepare the eggplants by slicing each one lengthwise into quarters, creating four long wedges per eggplant. Use a sharp knife to lightly score the flesh in a crosshatch pattern, being careful not to cut all the way through the skin.
In a small bowl, combine the vegetable oil with the finely chopped garlic, stirring well. This garlic oil will be brushed onto the eggplants as they cook.
Once the grill is hot, brush or lightly oil the grates to prevent sticking. Arrange the eggplant quarters skin-side up on the grill. Grill for 5–6 minutes until the exposed flesh begins to soften and develop light char marks.
Using tongs, carefully flip the eggplant pieces to the skin side. Brush the now-facing flesh generously with the garlic oil. Continue grilling for another 8–10 minutes, or until the skin is darkened and charred and the flesh is tender when pierced with a fork.
Transfer the grilled eggplant to a serving platter. While still warm, drizzle the entire surface with the Vietnamese fish sauce, distributing it evenly. Top with the thinly sliced scallion rounds.
Serve immediately while the eggplant is warm and the scallions are still fresh and crisp.
Comments
Cà Nướng is a straightforward grilled side that checks most boxes for Charlotte weeknight cooking, but fish sauce forces a second stop—most Harris Teeter and Kroger locations stock it, but Food Lion and Walmart carry it inconsistently, and ALDI rarely does. Eggplant, garlic, and scallions are standard at all chains, running about $6–$8 total for four servings depending on eggplant price. The real time is closer to 50 minutes once you account for charring the eggplant whole over flame or under a broiler until completely blackened and collapsing, which the 40-minute estimate glosses over. This is a side dish that does not reheat well—the texture flattens—so plan it for a same-night meal and budget that fish sauce stop if your usual store doesn't stock it.
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