Chicken Stir Fry with Eggplant and Tomatoes

Chicken Stir Fry with Eggplant and Tomatoes - Marinated chunks of chicken, stir fried with chunks of eggplants and tomatoes with a tasty sauce! The sauce this one comes with is so yummy on white rice, or you can mix it with some noodles too!

Jump to:

• Type of Eggplants
• Oyster Sauce
• Chili Bean Paste
• How to cook Chicken Stir Fry with Eggplant and Tomatoes (Step by Step)
• Storage & Reheating
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Chicken Stir Fry with Eggplant and Tomatoes
• Pin for later!
• More Delicious Eggplant Recipes!

Prefer to listen to this blog post? Here you go:

Type of Eggplants

There are several types of eggplant varieties - American, Italian, Thai, Japanese, Chinese, etc.

For this recipe, we will be using Chinese Eggplants.

Chinese Eggplants

Of the asian variety of eggplants, Chinese eggplants are a lot thinner than American and Italian eggplants. They have a thinner skin and are less bitter as it has less seeds (the seeds are what makes an eggplant slightly bitter).  

Since Chinse eggplants have a sweeter flesh with tender skin, which makes them perfect for stir fry and sauté recipes.

They are actually very similar to Japanese eggplants, but Chinese eggplants are a lot lighter in color. It's good to know though, that you can easily substitute these two types of eggplants interchangeably in recipes as they cook similarly.

For this recipe, if you can't find Chinese eggplants, but find some Japanese eggplants, you can substitute with Japanese eggplants.

By the way, if you love eggplant dishes, be sure to also check out my Chinese Eggplants in Garlic Sauce or Thai Basil Eggplant Stir Fry!

Oyster Sauce

Oyster sauce is actually literally made by cooking oysters! It's usually made from oyster extracts, sugar, salt and cornstarch. If you think that's gross because you hate the taste of seafood, for some reason, the fishy seafood taste isn't actually… noticeable. I legit grew up not realizing that oyster sauce even had seafood in it. The flavor of oyster sauce is sweet and savory.

If you are vegan or vegetarian, you are in luck!

There are vegan / vegetarian oyster sauces - they are made with mushrooms instead of Oyster sauce. And this sauce is actually very tasty. I normally don't prefer the vegetarian/vegan version of things that are normally not vegetarian/vegan, but I actually prefer the mushroom oyster sauce to the normal one!

Some of my fave dishes to make with Oyster sauce is this Beef and Onion Stir Fry, and Shiitake Mushrooms Stir Fry with peppers!

You should be able to find oyster sauce in Asian super markets or maybe even the international sections of regular grocery stores. If not, you can also check out Amazon:

L.k.k Panda Brand Oyster Sauce

Lee Kum Kee Premium Oyster Flavored Sauce

Vegetarian Mushroom Oyster Sauce (Vegan/Vegetarian *** My Favorite ***)

Chili Bean Paste

Chilli Bean Paste aka Doubanjiang 豆瓣酱, is a chunky sauce you can buy at the store that is spicy and savory. It's traditionally made from fermented broad beans, chili peppers, soybeans, salt and flour. There are also different ones you can find, for example some will add spicy chili oil in it already.

Chili Bean Paste is often used in Sichuan food (ex: mapo tofu), which might explain why I love it because I love Sichuan food (and my grandma was from there!). I use it in my Szechuan Chicken, Twice Cooked Pork and Jalapeno Chicken.

On Amazon:

Sichuan Pixian Boad Bean Paste with Red Chili Oil

Lee Kum Kee LKK Chili Bean Sauce

How to cook Chicken Stir Fry with Eggplant and Tomatoes (Step by Step)

First gather your ingredients:

• 1 lb Chicken, cut in to chunks
• Marinade:
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 3 tablespoon light soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoon rice wine (aka michiu)
• 5 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
• 2 Chinese eggplants, cut in to chunks
• 1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Cooking oil/fat of choice
• 1 medium tomato, cut in to wedges
• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
• 1 tablespoon doubanjiang (aka chili bean paste)
• 1 tablespoon rice wine
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• Salt, to taste

Combine chicken with marinade ingredients and set aside. Let it marinade for at the very least 15 minutes. You can marinate up to overnight, but place in fridge if marinating over 30 mins.

While you wait for the marinade, place eggplants in a bowl and fill with water. Add salt and either vinegar or lemon juice, and mix well. Allow it to soak for about 15 minutes. This helps keep the eggplants from browning and helps keep it more 'purple'.

Remove from water, and pat dry with paper towel.

When ready to cook, in a wok or cooking pan, heat up 1 tablespoon vegetable oil. When oil is hot, add garlic and stir fry about a minute, and then add chicken. Stir fry together until the meat is slightly browned (about 2-3 mins). Remove from heat and set aside.

Add a little more cooking oil if pan is dry, then add tomatoes. Stir fry for about 2 minutes or until tomatoes begin to soften. Then add eggplants and chili bean paste, oyster sauce, sugar and rice wine, and stir fry for about 5 minutes or until eggplants soften.

Add chicken back in to pan, and stir fry everything until cooked thoroughly.

Remove from heat and serve!

Storage & Reheating

Storage

• Let the stir fry cool completely before storing.
• Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3-4 days.
• I don't recommend freezing since eggplant tends to lose its texture after thawing.

Reheating

• Stovetop (best method): Add a splash of water or chicken broth to a skillet, then stir fry over medium heat until heated through.
• Microwave (quick method): Place in a microwave-safe dish, cover loosely, and heat in 45-second intervals, stirring in between, until hot.
• Avoid overcooking when reheating, since eggplant can become mushy.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use chicken breast instead of thighs?
Yes! Both work well since the chicken is marinated. Just be careful not to overcook chicken breast so it stays tender.

Do I have to use Chinese eggplants?
Not necessarily. Japanese eggplants are a great substitute and cook similarly. You can also use Italian or American eggplants, but they'll take longer to cook and may be slightly more bitter.

Can I make this vegetarian?
Yes - swap the chicken with tofu, mushrooms, or another veggie. Use mushroom oyster sauce instead of regular oyster sauce.

What can I serve this with?
It's delicious over white rice, but also works great with noodles or even spooned over quinoa for a different base.

Can I make it spicier?
Definitely - add extra doubanjiang, toss in dried chilies, or finish with chili crisp.

Pin for later!

More Delicious Eggplant Recipes!

Love eggplant as much as I do? Try these other tasty recipes next:

• Thai Basil Eggplant Stir Fry - Fragrant, spicy, and super satisfying. Includes both Thai-style and my Taiwanese-style version!
• Fried Eggplants - Crispy and golden-perfect as a snack or side dish.
• Air Fried Chinese Eggplants - Quick, healthy, and packed with flavor.
• Chinese Steamed Eggplant - Soft and tender with a garlicky soy-based sauce.