Enjoy this comforting eggplant chicken recipe! It is a delicious one-pot dish full of tender chicken, flavorful eggplant, and aromatic spices in a fragrant sauce.
This eggplant chicken is a delicious stew with tender chicken, tasty and soft eggplant, and fragrant spices. It does combine two of my favorite ingredients - chicken and eggplant - and it's quickly made in one dish, so I do make it often.
And I can serve it with polenta or Romanian mamaliga, which is a bonus.
For more chicken stews, check out Romanian Pea and Chicken Stew or Moroccan Stew with Olives; they are both great.
Ingredients: 11 + oil, salt & pepper | Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 40 minutes | Servings: 4 | Difficulty: Easy
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Recipe ingredients
Eggplants: One of my favorite veggies. If you like eggplants as much as I do, check out: Eggplants in Tomato Sauce, Vinete - Eggplant Salad, or Aubergine Spaghetti.
Skinless, boneless chicken thighs cut into cubes are my first choice.
- Chicken breast is a leaner option. Remember that breast cooks faster than thighs, so you may need to adjust the cooking time accordingly to ensure it is not overcooked.
- I would add the meat and the garlic together to the pot and sauté them for about 2 minutes instead of 6, turning the meat pieces on all sides and then continuing with the recipe.
Canned tomatoes
Chicken stock: I usually use homemade stock because I always have some in the freezer. However, store-bought low-sodium stock is great as well. Using low-sodium when cooking a stew is preferable to avoid the dish being too salty once the liquid reduces a bit.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to cook eggplant chicken?
Prepare the ingredients:
- Eggplants: Wash, dry, and trim off their stem ends using a sharp knife. Cut them into equally-sized cubes, about ½-inch/ 1 ½ cm (1).
- Chicken thighs: Pat them dry with a paper towel and cut them into 1-inch/ 3 cm cubes (2).
- Chop the onions and the garlic.
Cook the stew:
- Sauté the onions for about 3 minutes (3).
- Add chicken and sauté for another 6 minutes or so, turning the cubes occasionally so they can sear on all sides. Add garlic and cook, stirring, for another 2 minutes (4).
- Simmer: Add eggplants and stir well to combine (5).
- Pour in the stock, add salt, pepper, dried herbs, and chili flakes. Cover and cook gently on medium-low heat for about 10 minutes (6).
- Add the canned tomatoes (7) and cook for about 10 minutes until the eggplants are soft. Make sure to check; uncooked eggplants are not nice.
- Thicken the sauce with a bit of cornstarch slurry (8). You might not need it all; stir it in gradually and stop when you think it is enough.
Store and reheat
Make in advance: Stews often taste better the next day as the flavors continue to develop. Prepare the chicken and eggplants ahead of time and refrigerate them. When it's time to serve, reheat gently.
Refrigerate leftover eggplant chicken: Let it cool down first. Then, transfer it to an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
Freezing: Use freezer-safe containers or freezer bags to store the stew for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the refrigerator before reheating.
Reheat eggplant chicken on the stove or in the microwave, stirring occasionally.
What to serve with chicken and eggplant stew?
- Vegetable side dishes: Fresh salad with yogurt dressing, green tomato pickles, roasted, boiled, or steamed vegetables.
Do you like this recipe?
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Warming Eggplant Chicken Recipe
Equipment
- Large Dutch oven or another thick-bottomed pot
Ingredients
- 2 eggplants about 1.3 lbs/ 600 g
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs 900 g
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 large onions about 5.5 oz/ 150 g
- 2 large garlic cloves
- 1 cup chicken stock 230 ml Note 1
- 1 teaspoon Herbs de Provence Note 2
- ¼ teaspoon red chili flakes more to taste
- 1 can diced tomatoes 14 oz/400 g
- 1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch Note 3
- 1-2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar to taste
- a pinch of sugar
- fine sea salt or kosher salt
- ground black pepper
Instructions
- Eggplants: Wash, dry, and trim off their stem ends using a sharp knife. Cut them into equally sized cubes, about ½-inch/ 1 ½ cm. 2 eggplants
- Chicken thighs: Pat them dry with paper towels and cut them into 1-inch/ 3 cm cubes. 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
- Chop the onions and the garlic. 2 large onions + 2 large garlic cloves
- Sauté: Heat the oil in the pot and sauté the onions for about 3 minutes. Add chicken and sauté for another 6 minutes, stirring occasionally and searing the chicken on all sides. Add garlic and cook, stirring, for another 2 minutes. 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Simmer: Add eggplants and stir well to combine. Pour in the chicken stock, add salt, pepper, Herbs de Provence, and chili flakes. Cover and cook gently on medium-low heat for about 10 minutes. eggplants + 1 cup chicken stock + 1 teaspoon Herbs de Provence + ¼ teaspoon red chili flakes + fine sea salt + ground black pepper
- Add the canned tomatoes and cook for about 10 minutes until the eggplants are soft. Make sure to check; uncooked eggplants are not nice. 1 can diced tomatoes
- Thicken the sauce: Mix cornstarch and water in a small bowl. Whisk the slurry into the sauce and let it bubble briefly to thicken the stew. You might not need it all; stir it in gradually and stop when you think it is enough. 1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch + 2 tablespoons water
- Adjust the taste with 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar (up to 2 tsp, to taste), a pinch of sugar, more salt, and pepper. 1-2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar + a pinch of sugar + fine sea salt + ground black pepper
Notes
- Chicken stock: I usually use homemade chicken stock, which I keep in the freezer. But store-bought low-sodium chicken stock works well too. Using low-sodium is better for stews, so they won't become too salty when the liquid reduces.
- Herbs de Provence: You can replace them with other dried herbs like thyme, rosemary, marjoram, savory, or oregano. You can even use a combination of these herbs. If you have fennel seeds and like their taste, add a tiny pinch for extra flavor.
- Cornstarch: You can thicken the stew, but it's not required. Depending on your pot and heat level, the sauce might naturally reduce enough, making cornstarch unnecessary.
Jeannie says
Delicious! My entire family of 7 loved it. Thank you.
Adina says
I am so happy to hear it, Jeannie. Thank you so much for your feedback.
Anne says
Really like this recipe. Could you add some sort of lentils or beans to it?
Adina says
I am sure a can of lentils or beans would be delicious.