This Chicken and Eggplant stir-fry is inspired by Thai cuisine and is one of my favorite dishes. Stir-fry always presents a great option when you are hungry and just want to get food on the table as quickly and easily as possible. Thai chicken and eggplant stir-fry preps and cooks quickly, and serves up a colorful dish.

Chicken Eggplant Stir Fry

Stir fry dishes are popular throughout Asian cuisines, and are one of my favorite ways to crank out a meal for the starving masses that are my children at any given moment.

Anywhere woks are used for cooking over high heat, where the ingredients are added at specific stages and intervals to cook but not over-cook, where the ingredients help layer flavors in depending on when they are added, and where constant stirring helps speed the cooking while also helping avoid burning could be called stir-fry.

Regional popular ingredients and local takes on specific sauces help differentiate them.

Great stir fry balances on timing the ingredients correctly. With Chicken and Eggplant stir fry, you don’t want the chicken under or over cooked while you are cooking the eggplant. Eggplant cooks less quickly than the other vegetables in the dish, and has a great deal of water in it. So you don’t want the moisture to make your other vegetables soggy and mushy.

Need more great Stir-Fry ideas? Check out my Gochujang Chicken Stir-Fry, Chicken and Broccoli Stir-Fry, Honey Garlic Ginger Stir-Fry, or my Shrimp Yakisoba.

Why You’ll Love This Dish

Big Flavor, Simple Steps – Stir, sear, sauce, done. The ingredients do the heavy lifting.
Eggplant Turns Silky And Saucy – It grabs the sauce and tastes rich without being heavy.
Great For Meal Prep – Packs up well for lunches and stays tasty the next day.
Crowd-Friendly Over Rice – Easy to stretch for family dinner or guests.
Flexible Veggie Lineup – Swap in what you have and it still works.

Get all of my Stir Fry Recipes here!

Recipe Shopping List

Wondering if you have to hit the store? Here's the list of items you'll need to make this recipe. For specific amounts, please refer to the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.

Chicken Broth – Forms the base of the sauce and keeps it pourable; veggie broth works in a pinch.
Soy Sauce – Adds salty depth and that classic stir-fry flavor; use low-sodium if you prefer.
Chili Garlic Sauce – Brings heat and tang; sambal oelek or sriracha can stand in.
Garlic (Fresh) – Sharp, bold flavor that anchors the sauce; pre-minced works when you’re in a hurry.
Mirin Rice Wine – Adds gentle sweetness and balance; a splash of rice vinegar plus a pinch of sugar can sub.
Fish Sauce – Adds savory richness that doesn’t taste “fishy” in the final dish; skip if needed, add a touch more soy.
Granulated Garlic – Reinforces the garlic flavor and rounds out the sauce.
Cornstarch – Thickens the sauce into that glossy coating; arrowroot works but thickens faster.
Avocado Oil – High-heat friendly for wok cooking; peanut or canola oil are solid swaps.
Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast – Lean, fast-cooking protein; thighs stay juicier if you prefer.
Sweet Onion – Adds sweetness and texture; yellow onion is fine too.
Salt – Seasons the chicken so it tastes good before the sauce hits.
Ground Black Pepper – Adds light bite and warmth.
Asparagus – Brings crisp snap and cooks quickly; green beans are a great swap.
Eggplant – Soaks up sauce and turns tender; Chinese or Japanese eggplant cooks even faster.
Bell Pepper – Sweet crunch and color; any color works.
Cilantro – Fresh garnish that brightens the whole pan; green onion works if cilantro isn’t your thing.

Try my Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry, too!

Recipe Tips

Proper preparation of your ingredients for your chicken and eggplant stir-fry makes everything go smoothly.

Cut chicken into bite-sized chunks – You want to keep the size as even as possible. When your chicken hits your hot oil in the pan, it is going to cook quickly. So making sure that all the chicken is cubed and consistently sized makes sure they cross the finish line of doneness at the same time.
Slice your eggplant into similar sized cubes & salt – Then salt them and let them sit for about an hour prior to cooking. This part is optional, so if you don’t have that much time, even 20 minutes helps.

The salt helps a few ways:

The salt helps extract water, which gives the eggplant a better texture, more firm and less spongy.
The salt also helps offset the natural bitterness in eggplant. (It doesn’t necessarily remove the bitterness, but salt balances the bitterness and makes it less noticeable).

Rinse the excess salt off prior to cooking, and then pat it dry.

Slice Vegetables – Just like the chicken and eggplant, keep the pieces consistently cut, size-wise.

Dice the asparagus to about a one inch length and slice the onions so they are about a half inch long by a quarter inch wide.

Some people and restaurants cut the onions much longer and wider. Either way is fine, base the choice on how big a bite of onion you like. The bell peppers should be sliced in long strips as well, after removing the seeds.
Chop the cilantro – Give your cilantro a rough chop. No need to pulverize it. The cilantro goes on top at the end and provides flavor and color.

Serve with one of our Fried Rice Recipes!

How To Make This Recipe

This is just the overview so you can see what you're actually getting into here. When you are cooking, you'll want to use the full recipe at the bottom of the page.

Mix The Sauce: Whisk broth, soy sauce, chili garlic sauce, garlic, mirin, fish sauce, granulated garlic, and cornstarch. Set it nearby.
Prep Everything: Cut chicken and vegetables so they’re ready to hit the pan fast.
Sear Chicken And Onion: Heat oil over high heat, season chicken with salt and pepper, then stir-fry chicken and onion until the chicken is no longer pink on the outside (about 5 minutes).
Cook Vegetables In Batches: Remove chicken, drain excess liquid, add oil, then stir-fry asparagus, eggplant, and bell pepper until crisp-tender.
Sauce And Finish: Return chicken and veggies to the pan, stir sauce again, pour it in, and stir until thickened. Serve over rice and top with cilantro.

Have some Egg Rolls with this!

Recipe FAQ

Do I have to use a wok for stir frying?

A wok is handy for a few reasons. It is big enough to hold all your ingredients, and the curved bottom helps the stirring and flipping of everything. However, you don’t have to have a wok to stir fry.

Any large fry pan works for stir fry:
– Cast iron
– Non-stick Teflon
– Ceramic glazed pan
– Copper non-stick

All can do the same job. You just need something large enough to handle all the ingredients.

How Do I Store Leftovers?

Cool it down, then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Keep rice separate if you can so it doesn’t soak up all the sauce.

What’s The Best Way To Reheat It?

Warm it in a skillet over medium heat with a small splash of broth or water to loosen the sauce. Microwave works too, just stir halfway through so it heats evenly.

Can I Prep This Ahead Of Time?

Yes. Chop the vegetables and cube the chicken up to a day ahead. Mix the sauce and refrigerate it in a jar. When it’s time to cook, it goes fast.

What Substitutions Work Best?

Chicken thighs swap in easily. Use zucchini or mushrooms if you’re out of eggplant, or green beans in place of asparagus. For gluten-free, use tamari instead of soy sauce. For less heat, cut back the chili garlic sauce.

Try this Spicy BBQ Pork Tenderloin or our BBQ Pork Rice Bowl

Serve This With

Your stir fry doesn’t need appetizers to present a full balanced meal, but you may like to try a few anyway. My Egg Rolls would be a great option here. These Fried Wontons or Coconut Shrimp. Maybe you want to check out our Kimchi Gyoza too!

Chicken and Eggplant Stir-Fry

Yield: 8 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

This easy stir-fry is full of vegetables and tender chicken, and one of the best stir-fry sauces I've ever tasted! Easily one of my favorite meals of the year, you are not going to want to miss this one!

Ingredients

Stir-fry Sauce

1 cup chicken broth
1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons chili garlic sauce
3 cloves diced garlic
2 teaspoons mirin rice wine
2 teaspoons fish sauce
1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
2 tablespoons cornstarch

Stir-fry Meat and Vegetables

3 tablespoons avocado oil
2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast, cubed
1 medium sweet onion, sliced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
8 ounces diced asparagus
8 ounces sliced eggplant
1 large bell pepper, sliced

Garnish

1/8 cup diced cilantro

Instructions

Combine all of the sauce ingredients and set aside.
Make sure all of your vegetables and meat are prepped and ready to go, and within reach.
Place the oil into your wok or skillet and heat over high heat.
Season your chicken with the salt and pepper.
When the oil is shimmering but not quite smoking, add in your chicken breast and the onion. Stir constantly until the chicken is no longer pink on the outside, or about 5 minutes. If your wok isn't big enough you may have to cook in batches so you don't overload your cooking surface.
Remove the chicken from the wok, drain any liquid that remains, and add the rest of the oil. Let it heat and then cook the vegetables in batches until they are crisp-tender.
Place all of the meat and vegetables back in the pan over medium-high heat. Give your stir-fry sauce a stir and then pour it into the pan.
Stir the mixture constantly until it is thickened. Remove from heat and serve over rice.

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Flat-Bottom Wok

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 316Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 97mgSodium: 827mgCarbohydrates: 13gFiber: 2gSugar: 5gProtein: 37g

Nutrition data provided here is only an estimate. If you are tracking these things for medical purposes please consult an outside, trusted source. Thanks!