How to Make Gordon Ramsay's Vegan Steak Recipe With an Eggplant

Years ago, you'd never find the words "Gordon Ramsay" and "vegan" in the same sentence. In fact, he wouldn't be caught dead making a plant-based dish. But these days, anything is possible—and that includes the pro chef going viral for cooking up a vegan steak recipe that looks like the real deal.

In the video posted last year—which has garnered nearly 25 million views—Ramsay shared the secret to making a great vegan steak recipe: eggplant. Yep, you read that correctly. While turning an eggplant into a steak seems impossible at first, just wait: By the time it's charred, seasoned, and roasted, you'd never guess it wasn't real meat.

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♬ original sound - Gordon Ramsay

Aside from being delicious, making this vegan steak recipe is beneficial to the planet, too. A pound of beef requires 1,800 gallons of water to produce, while eggplants—and other plant-based foods—require much less. A lower carbon and water footprint, plus an excuse to get creative in the kitchen this year? Count us in.

If you want to make Ramsay's vegan steak recipe for yourself, you're in luck: He shared his step-by-step instructions below.

How to Make Gordon Ramsay's Vegan Steak Recipe

1. After charring the eggplant over an open flame on the stove until tender (you can also broil it), allow it to cool and peel off the skin. Then, season it liberally with a steak rub. You can use a store-bought version, but Ramsay prefers going the homemade route: Just toast cumin seed, mustard seed, peppercorn medley, and dill seed in a large pan on the stove, then run it through a spice grinder.

2. Turning an eggplant into a steak takes time. After seasoning it, Ramsay roasts it in the oven at 400˚F for 30 to 45 minutes, flips it over, then roasts it for an additional 30 minutes.

3. Once it comes out of the oven, you'll probably be shocked at how steak-like it looks. And while that's the gist of creating his vegan steak recipe, he shared more detailed instructions—and some fun add-ons, like a basting sauce—on his website.