Tortang talong (or Filipino eggplant omelette) brings together the smokey, sweet taste of grilled eggplant and the umami-rich flavor of ground pork omelette. Easy to make and delicious! Usually eaten for breakfast, also great for lunch and dinner.
(Add beef tapa and chicken tocino for an amazing Filipino breakfast spread.)
Eggplant is such a versatile vegetable. You can put it in stews, soups and lasagna. You can roast it, grill it or make it into dips.
Today we’re making a Filipino favorite — tortang talong.
Let’s get to it.
What is it
Eggplant omelette (tortang talong in english) is a favorite breakfast dish of many Filipinos.
We don’t chop the eggplants up and throw them in with scrambled eggs like how you would a Spanish omelette.
Instead, tortang talong is made with grilled eggplant that is then squished and flattened, topped with ground pork and beaten eggs, then fried. It’s delicious.
(Miso aubergine is another unique and delicious way to cook eggplant!)
How to make tortang talong
There are 3 steps to making this tortang talong recipe (you can find the tortang talong ingredients list in the recipe card at the bottom of this article).
Grill eggplants
First you need to grill your eggplants. We usually just use a stovetop grill though grill outside if the weather is nice!
Take each eggplant and drizzle with olive oil on both sides. Grill until they’re soft.
Ground pork
While that’s happening (it takes about 15 minutes on each side to grill the eggplants), get to cooking your ground pork (ground turkey, chicken and beef can work too).
Sauté garlic and shallots in vegetable oil until the garlic is crispy (but not burnt) and the shallots are translucent.
Then add your pork and cook until brown.
Add your bell peppers and seasonings.
Allow this mixture to simmer for a few minutes then remove from heat and divide into 3 portions.
Put them together
The eggplants should be ready by now.
Remove from the grill and allow to cool. When they’re cool enough to handle, peel the skin off (if they don’t come off easily, you need to grill them some more).
In a bowl, beat 1 egg.
Put a peeled eggplant into the same bowl.
Mash with a fork until it’s completely flattened and squishy.
Add a portion of ground pork and mix to incorporate with the egg and eggplant completely.
Carefully slide off the eggplant from the bowl into a skillet with oil and cook on medium heat until it’s golden brown (about 2 minutes) before flipping and cooking for another 2 minutes.
Repeat for the rest of your eggplants.
Expert tips
Easy, right? Here are some tips for the best Filipino eggplant omelette every time.
- Grilling eggplant. When grilling the eggplants, it’s important to grill until the skin is almost black. This ensures the insides are soft and the skin is easy to peel off once it cools.
- Using the stem. If using Filipino or Chinese eggplant, don’t cut off the stem because it helps you flip the omelette in one piece when frying.
- Seasoning. Make sure to season your ground pork mixture well. The eggplant itself doesn’t have a lot of flavor. You can also add in your favorite things, like chopped ham or diced mushrooms. And if you can’t find Old Bay, you can just omit that.
(Love eggplants? Make some eggplant involtini!)
Recipe FAQs
Traditionally, tortang talong is made with Filipino or Chinese eggplants — long, skinny and light purple. They have thinner skin making them perfect for grilling.
If you can’t find those, you can use other eggplant varieties such as the Globe or Italian eggplant (like in the photos).
You will just need to slice the raw eggplant to make it easier to grill, and adjust your grilling time.
This recipe is for tortang talong with giniling (ground meat) but you can absolutely make it with just beaten eggs.
If you’re not able to grill the eggplants, you can tenderize them by boiling until soft, or broiling in the oven until charred.
Filipinos usually serve tortang talong with fried rice and a side of vegetables.
Ketchup, specifically banana ketchup, is the dipping sauce of choice.
But you can also serve it on its own, with a side of potatoes, or with bread.
Keep leftovers covered in the fridge. They should keep up to 3 days.
More Filipino cuisine
Looking for more Filipino dishes to try? Check these out:
We love making tortang talong and not just for breakfast! It’s filling, protein packed and delicious.
Did you make Filipino eggplant omelette? I’d love to hear all about it! Leave a comment or a star rating below. You can also tag me on Instagram or Facebook. I’d love to see your creations!
You can also find me on Pinterest and YouTube.
Tortang Talong (Filipino Eggplant Omelette)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pc Globe or Italian eggplant (about 1 lb/450 g) sliced into 3 pieces lengthwise (see notes)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- ⅛ cup chopped shallots
- ½ lbs ground pork
- ¼ cup chopped red bell pepper
- ⅛ tsp Old Bay seasoning optional
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 3 large eggs
- canola or vegetable oil for cooking
Instructions
- Take each eggplant slice and drizzle with olive oil on both sides.1 pc Globe or Italian eggplant (about 1 lb/450 g), 2 tbsp olive oil
- Grill (we use a stovetop grill) until soft, mushy and translucent in several places (about 10-15 minutes on each side). Don't worry about having pretty grill marks – you'll see why later.
- While the eggplants are grilling, cook your pork. Using a medium-sized skillet on medium heat, sauté garlic and chopped shallots in about a tablespoon of canola oil until the garlic turns brown (not burnt) and the shallots transparent.3 cloves garlic, ⅛ cup chopped shallots
- Add ground pork. Stir and let it brown (about 5-7 minutes).½ lbs ground pork
- Add chopped red bell pepper. Stir for another 2 minutes to allow the flavors to incorporate. Add Old Bay seasoning, if using, and salt and pepper to taste.¼ cup chopped red bell pepper, ⅛ tsp Old Bay seasoning, Salt and pepper to taste
- Switch to low heat and let the pork mixture simmer for another 2 minutes.
- Remove from heat and equally divide into 3 portions. Set aside.
- Let’s go back to the eggplants. Once they are properly grilled and allowed to cool so they’re not too hot to handle, peel the remaining skin off the edges (if they don’t easily come off, you need to grill them some more).
- In a small bowl, beat 1 egg.3 large eggs
- Put a slice of peeled eggplant into the same bowl and mash with a fork until it's completely flattened and squishy.
- Add a portion of ground pork and mix to incorporate with the egg and eggplant completely.
- Carefully slide off the eggplant from the bowl into a skillet with oil on medium heat and cook until it's golden brown (about 2 minutes) before flipping and cooking for another 2 minutes.canola or vegetable oil for cooking
- Repeat for the rest of your eggplants.
Video
Notes
- When slicing the eggplant, slice off the two outer ends so you don’t end up with two slices covered in skin.
- If using Filipino or Chinese eggplants, you will need 3 and you need to grill them whole.
- See post for more tips, FAQs and step-by-step photos.
Nutrition
Nutritional information are estimates only.
Kerry
This looks delicious! And a perfect healthy meal, will try it out!
Jolina
Hi Kerry! Another version of this actually just consists of eggplant and egg, if you want to leave pork out and make it healthier 🙂 Hope you like it!
Nina
Mmmm that makes my lunch look so blah right now, lol. Of course ketchup would go perfectly!
Jolina
LOL! I’m sorry? 🙂 Try this one time, and yes, ketchup goes really well with it IMHO.
Eileen Gray
I get lots of eggplant in our farm share. I can’t wait to try this as a change from ratatouille.
Jolina
Nice! Hope you like it 🙂 Thanks Eileen! Would love to hear how it goes.
Tom
Looks gorgeous never tried eggplant might have to give it a go myself!
Jolina
It’s really not a well-known dish but a staple Filipino dish. Hope you like it!
Ivelisse Estes
Oh that looks so good! I could eat that for any meal lol
Jolina
We do actually! Breakfast, lunch, dinner 🙂 Because of the pork in it, it’s meaty and very filling. Thanks Ivelisse!
Dawn
I’ve never had this before, but who doesn’t love an omelette? Looks delish! And as for the ketchup, it’s pretty popular ’round here. Though, I don’t use it as often as I used to and mostly use hot sauce instead, but I do enjoy it 🙂 Looks like quite the comforting dish!
Jolina
I’m not surprised that not a lot of people know of this dish. It’s quintessentially Filipino though, hope you like it! And yeah, hot sauce would be ah-mazing with this (though I think I would still mix it in with the ketchup haha).Thanks Dawn!
Milton
Ahh this is my favorite and actually our ulam last week haha
this kind of meal never failed me … I love to dip it with overwhelmin amount of catsup while my brother preferred to match it with soysauce
Jolina
So cool! Our is ubos na hahaha! We need to make another batch 🙂 It’s super sarap isn’t it? I think wherever in the world you are, Filipinos would make tortang talong and be transported back home in a single bite 🙂 (I’ve never tried it with soy sauce…I’m with you on the ridiculous amount of ketchup lol!)
Samantha Reveley
I don’t particularly like eggplant, but the omlette looks delicious! I’d definitely be open to trying it!
Jolina
Grilled eggplant takes on a smoky and sweet flavour, hope you give it another chance? 🙂 Thanks Samantha!
Karla
I actually prefer vegetables over fruit. Weird, I know. I never would have thought of egg plant in an omelet – with the ground pork, it sounds amazing.
Jolina
It’s not weird, vegetables are awesome too 🙂 Hope you get to try it Karla!
Jolina
Thanks for the invite Karla! I already joined 🙂 Looking forward to new and exciting things! Happy Saturday!
Elizabeth O.
I love eggplant, very sweet and versatile, there’s so many things that you can do with it and one of them is this lovely recipe that you have here! I’m sure it tastes as good as it looks!
Jolina
Yes! So versatile. I love it grilled with the insides all mushy 🙂 Thanks Elizabeth. Hope you try this omelette!
Crystal
Oh wow, this is so different and looks delish!
Jolina
Hi Crystal! Yes it’s not your typical omelette 🙂 It’s a very traditional Filipino dish though. Hope you try it!
Liz
Ooo this is fascinating! Never considered an eggplant omelette, but that’s why I read blogs, right? Thank goodness you explained the whole “ketchup” thing. I always think of ketchup as so American, but now I know how to use in properly on a Filipino omelette as well! I feel educated!
Jolina
Hey Liz! Now you got me thinking. The Philippines was an American colony for 50 years (if my history is correct) so it’s more westernized than people expect. We put ketchup on a lot of things. Now I feel like I’m having an epiphany haha! Ah well. Hope you try this omelette. It’s really unique and very Filipino, ketchup or no ketchup 🙂
courtney
Such an interesting meal and totally not what I was expecting when I saw the title! It looks yummy!
Jolina
Haha right? It’s technically an omelette because of the eggs but then not really 🙂 Hope you try it while eggplants are in season! Thanks Courtney!
Liz Mays
This would be a fun new omelette to try. Those flavor sound great. I don’t get to use eggplant very often!
Jolina
The lowly eggplant is often overlooked I agree. But it really is so versatile! Hope you like the omelette Liz!
Brian
TBEX is in Manila this year and I need to learn more about their food!
Jolina
Hi Brian! That’s awesome! I just looked it up and it starts a day before I have to fly back to Toronto! There are lots of must tries like lechon and sisig and Jolibee (ask a local what that is haha). I hope you enjoy your stay 🙂