This fried eggplant with honey recipe is a popular tapa throughout Andalusia. Known locally as berenjenas fritas con miel, it's a sweet and savory dish that you must try at least once! Luckily, it's easy enough to prepare at home.
If you want to try more Spanish tapas, you'll love these recipes for calamares fritos (fried calamari), pinchos morunos (pork skewers), or these 8 Spanish fried tapas.
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Introduction
I miss the tapas culture in Seville every day, and one of my reasons is berenjenas con miel: crispy fried eggplant with honey. This tapa is especially popular in Seville and Malaga, and is one of the best vegetarian tapas I've tried. Fortunately, it isn't difficult to make!
Traditional berenjenas de miel recipes drizzle the fried eggplant with miel de caña, which translates to "sugarcane honey". This is a high-quality molasses from the province of Malaga.
If you can't find miel de caña, try this with bee's honey, or serve them with salmorejo as a dipping sauce for something different but also authentic and delicious.
Ingredients
Curious what you need to make this fried eggplant? You only need a few basic ingredients to make this popular Spanish tapa.
- Eggplants: The eggplants are the star of the show here. Try to choose eggplants that are free from bruises or cuts, and that have a heavy weight.
- Milk: This is optional. It's a way to remove the bitterness found in many eggplants. I prefer it to salting the eggplant (but you can do that too!). Or, if your eggplant is not bitter (some varieties aren't) skip this step altogether!
- Olive Oil: As with all Spanish fried foods, olive oil (preferably virgin or extra virgin) is the oil of choice.
- Honey: The most traditional topping isn't actually honey, but rather molasses (miel de caña), but many tapas bars also serve these with bee's honey, and they're delicious. Either one will work!
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Substitutions
- Eggplant: If you need to substitute the eggplant, use zucchini. The result won't be quite the same, but will still taste delicious. Skip the milk soak, and cut it in slightly larger pieces.
- Milk: This is optional. It's a way to remove the bitterness found in many eggplants. I prefer it to salting the eggplant (but you can do that too!). Or, if your eggplant is not bitter (some varieties aren't) skip this step altogether!
- Olive Oil: Any neutral frying oil will work here.
How to Make
If you’d like to see the full ingredients and instructions, scroll to the bottom of the post for the printable recipe card.
- Start by cutting the eggplant into matchsticks (some prefer rounds -- either way works well).
- Cover the eggplant with milk and a healthy pinch of salt. Soak the eggplant for at least 30 minutes (preferably one hour) to draw out the bitterness. Then discard the milk and pat the eggplant slices dry with paper towels.
- Season a bowl of flour with salt and pepper and lightly flour the eggplant.
- Heat about one inch of olive oil in a heavy pan, and when hot (but not smoking), add the eggplant in batches.
- Fry on both sides until browned.
- Once browned, drain each batch on paper towels.
- Season the fried eggplant with sea salt.
- Drizzle with honey or molasses. If serving with salmorejo, serve the salmorejo on the side for dipping. Enjoy immediately!
Recipe FAQs
Soaking eggplant in milk is a great way to remove the eggplant's bitterness. Simply cover in milk for at least 30 minutes, and then drain and pat dry. The eggplant will have released most of its bitterness and will also have absorbed some of the milk, making it extra creamy in your recipe.
You can peel eggplant before frying if you wish, but I prefer to keep the skin on. It gives the final dish more texture and is more nutritious.
Miel de caña is Spanish for "cane honey" or molasses. The best miel de caña in Spain comes from Malaga in Andalusia. It's a dark colored, slightly bitter, sweet syrup that is delicious on top of fried foods.
Sure, you can (if doing so I recommend heating them in the oven at a high heat for a few minutes to remain somewhat crispy). But, like most fried foods, these fried eggplant are best when freshly made.
Serve
Serve berenjenas con miel with miel de caña or bee's honey, or serve them with extra thick salmorejo. You can also serve it with honey and salmorejo.
I recommend making these delicious fried eggplant tapas as part of a larger tapas feast! My favorite things to pair with them? Ham croquettes, homemade Spanish tortilla, chorizo stuffed mushrooms, salmorejo, and boiled shrimp. Don't forget about drinks! Try my tinto de verano or refreshing cava sangria.
Store
Leftovers: Of course, berenjenas con miel taste better when it's freshly fried, but leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. Reheat by baking them in a hot oven for a few minutes.
Expert Tips
- If you're using larger or bitter eggplant, be sure to soak it in the milk and salt for at least 30 minutes, but preferably for an hour. If you're using a variety that isn't bitter, you can skip the soak.
- Use good quality olive oil for frying the eggplant. You'll need enough to fill a frying pan with 1-2 inches of oil.
- Want to make this vegan? Drizzle the eggplant with the authentic miel de caña (sugar cane syrup), which is a type of molasses rather than honey, or serve with salmorejo as a dipping sauce.
- Want baked ones instead of fried? Coat the eggplant slices in olive oil and spread them on wire racks set over cookie sheets. Bake at 425°F (218°C) for 25-35 minutes or until browned, switching the trays around halfway through.
More Delicious Fried Tapas
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Fried Eggplant with Honey (Berenjenas Fritas con Miel)
Ingredients
- 2-3 small eggplants
- milk to cover
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 2 teaspoon pepper
- all-purpose flour for breading
- good quality olive oil an inch or two for frying
- honey (miel) or molasses (miel de caña) for drizzling
Instructions
- Wash and dry the eggplant, then cut it into in round slices or in matchsticks, depending on your preference.
- Place the eggplant in a bowl, then cover with milk and add a pinch of salt. Allow the eggplant to soak for at least 30 minutes, but preferably for an hour to draw out any bitterness.
- Drain the eggplant thoroughly and pat the slices dry with paper towel.
- Season the flour with salt and pepper if desired, then coat the slices in the flour.
- Pour the olive oil into a pan to a depth of an inch or two, and heat it to 350-375°F (176-190°C). Fry the eggplant in batches, being careful not to not overcrowd the pan.
- Drain the fried eggplant on paper towels to remove excess grease, then season with a pinch of salt.
- Drizzle with honey or molasses before serving, and enjoy immediately (with salmorejo as a dipping sauce if desired).
Notes
- If you're using larger or bitter eggplant, be sure to soak it in the milk and salt for at least 30 minutes, but preferably for an hour. If you're using a variety that isn't bitter, you can skip the soak.
- Use good quality olive oil for frying the eggplant. You'll need enough to fill a frying pan with 1-2 inches of oil.
- Want to make this vegan? Drizzle the eggplant with the authentic miel de caña (sugar cane syrup), which is a type of molasses rather than honey, or serve with salmorejo as a dipping sauce.
- Want baked ones instead of fried? Coat the eggplant slices in olive oil and spread them on wire racks set over cookie sheets. Bake at 425°F (218°C) for 25-35 minutes or until browned, switching the trays around halfway through.
Nutrition
Photography by Giulia Verdinelli
Susan Mercurio
Miel de cana sounds very much like sorghum syrup (molasses).
joanna
very tasty recipe! very like the one I have at my local spanish place-will defo have again
Candy
Thank you for this recipe. My husband and I had this tapain Malaga last winter and it was delicious. Could I bake the eggplant instead of frying it, and if so, how?
Gavin
You'll be surprised - possibly even shocked - to learn that a fabulous berenjena fritas con miel is served at a tiny tapas bar in the town of Largs on the west coast of Scotland. A big family group rents a house there for a week each August, and Tuesday is tapas night for 4 of us while the grandparents look after the children. This year we got through 21 plates (yes, we are greedy; yes the food is that good) but the Berenjenas is the only dish we have to have one of each - no sharing! Love the milk and salt prep, much 'softer' on the flesh of the fruit than just salt, then rinsing under water. All I need to find now is a UK supplier of dark, strong Spanish honey . . . . .
Lauren Aloise
Wow that sounds delicious and fun! I'll bet you can find it online -- look up "Miel de caña" -- it's actually not honey but rather sugarcane syrup (molasses).