Tender eggplant cooked in a spicy, savory garlic sauce with aromatic red chilies, scallions, and ginger. This quick and easy Chinese spicy garlic eggplant recipe is ready in 30 minutes with simple ingredients. A great side that is family-friendly and restaurant-quality!
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Spicy garlic eggplant features Chinese eggplant coated in starch and fried in oil, then tossed in a spicy savory sauce with aromatics!
This popular Asian eggplant dish is served at Chinese restaurants, but you can easily make this at home, and it tastes better-than-takeout!
It's packed with delicious and complex flavors, thanks to the aromatics.
This flavorful vegetable side dish is best served with steamed rice and protein. I love enjoying this dish because it's a great source of fiber.
The best part about my eggplant recipe is it's shallow fried - not deep fried in a lot of oil, like other recipes.
Also, if you're not a fan of spice, try my Chinese Hoisin Eggplant Stir-Fry!
Ingredients & Substitutes
Please scroll down to the below recipe card for exact measurements.
- Chinese Eggplant: Or substitute with Japanese eggplant available at the Asian market or regular seedless eggplant, as a last resort. Asian-style egg plants are longer and slender than regular ones.
- Cornstarch: Or substitute with potato starch or arrowroot starch. Avoid using tapioca starch as it causes the eggplant to stick together in the pan.
- Neutral Oil: Use a neutral oil like avocado, sunflower, grapeseed, peanut, vegetable, or canola oil. Avoid olive oil or any low-smoke point oil.
- Ginger
- Green Onion: Or substitute with 1 small shallot or 2 tablespoon onion finely chopped.
- Whole Dried Red Chili Peppers: or substitute with fresh red chilies or bell peppers for a mild version. For extra spicy, substitute with bird's eye chilies.
Sauce
- Garlic
- Regular Soy Sauce: Or substitute with low-sodium soy sauce or light soy sauce.
- Dark Soy Sauce: Or substitute with dark mushroom soy sauce or season with more regular soy sauce to taste at the end of cooking.
- Oyster Sauce: Or substitute with vegetarian stir-fry sauce.
- Water
- Shaoxing Wine: Or substitute with dry sherry wine, dry white wine, or chicken broth.
- White Granulated Sugar: Or substitute with cane sugar.
- Rice Vinegar: Or substitute with white vinegar or apple cider vinegar.
- Cornstarch: Or substitute with potato starch or arrowroot starch.
- Crushed Red Chili Flakes: or substitute with gochugaru, red pepper flakes, or chili oil.
Note: Asian ingredients are typically available at most Asian grocery stores or check online.
Variation
- Gluten-free version: Replace the soy sauces with tamari sauce, coconut aminos, or gluten-free soy sauce. Use gluten-free oyster sauce. Substitute the Shaoxing wine with dry sherry, dry white wine, or chicken broth.
Expert Tips
- Choose fresh eggplant with a vibrant and firm skin; avoid using wrinkled or discolored eggplant.
- Chop the eggplant into even pieces, so they cook consistently.
- Prepare the ingredients in advance as the cooking process is fast.
- Ensure you cook the eggplant through as you toss it in the sauce because undercooked eggplant tastes unpleasant.
- Be gentle when stir-frying the eggplant and use two spatulas to toss it or it can break apart.
Instructions
Below are step-by-step instructions on how to make Chinese spicy garlic eggplant:
- Make the sauce: In a small bowl, combine the sauce ingredients as listed above and set aside.
- Prepare eggplant: Vertically slice the unpeeled eggplant into four quarters, so you have four long strips. Then chop the strips into 2-inch-long pieces and transfer to a large mixing bowl. Add cornstarch and toss until eggplant is evenly coated.
- Fry eggplant: Heat ¼ cup (60 ml) vegetable oil in a large pan on medium-high heat. Gently fry the coated eggplant until tender and about 90% cooked. Remove and set aside.
- Fry aromatics: Reduce to low-medium heat. Add remaining vegetable oil and sauté ginger, red chilies and green onions for 10 seconds.
- Toss in eggplant and sauce: Add eggplant and the sauce, and gently toss until evenly coated. Remove from heat and enjoy!
Storage & Reheating
- Chinese spicy garlic eggplant can last up to 4 days stored in an airtight container in the fridge once cooled. To enjoy, reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop until hot throughout.
- I don't recommend freezing Chinese spicy garlic eggplant because the eggplant will become mushy.
Pairing Suggestions
Chinese spicy garlic eggplant pairs well with:
- Starters: Egg rolls, Crab rangoon, Egg drop soup, or Hot and sour soup.
- Rice Dishes: White rice, Brown rice, or Fried rice.
- Noodle Dishes: Chow mein, Lo mein, Plain noodles, or Soup noodles.
- Vegetable Dishes: Chinese Garlic Bok Choy, Spicy Garlic Bok Choy, Chinese Garlic Yu Choy, Chinese Garlic Gai Lan, Garlic Green Beans or Stir-fried Snow Pea Leaves.
- Protein Dishes: General Tso Chicken, Beef and Broccoli, Honey Walnut Shrimp, Egg Foo Young, Soy Garlic Tofu, and more!
FAQ
Chinese spicy garlic eggplant can be made up to 4 days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge once cooled. To enjoy, reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop until hot throughout.
Chinese eggplant tastes sweeter and less bitter because it's completely seedless. It's also longer and more slender, whereas regular eggplant is less sweet and shorter with a thicker shape. Chinese eggplant looks like the below image.
📖 Recipe
Quick & Easy Chinese Spicy Garlic Eggplant
Ingredients
- 1 lb Chinese eggplant or Japanese eggplant
- ¼ cup cornstarch or potato starch
- 5 tablespoon vegetable oil or any neutral oil
- 10 dried red chilies or 2 chopped fresh large red chilies
- 5 slices ginger peeled
- 1 green onion finely chopped
Sauce
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tablespoon regular soy sauce or light soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce or vegetarian stir-fry sauce
- 1 tablespoon water cold
- 1 teaspoon Shaoxing Cooking Wine or dry sherry wine / dry white wine / chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon white granulated sugar or cane sugar
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar or white vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- ½ tablespoon cornstarch or potato starch
- ½ teaspoon crushed red chili flakes or gochugaru / red pepper flakes / chili oil
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the sauce ingredients as listed above and set aside.
- Vertically slice the unpeeled eggplant into four quarters, so you have four long strips. Then chop the strips into 2-inch-long pieces and transfer to a large mixing bowl. Add cornstarch and toss until eggplant is evenly coated.
- Heat ¼ cup (60 ml) vegetable oil in a large pan on medium-high heat. Gently fry the coated eggplant until tender and about 90% cooked. Remove and set aside.
- Reduce to low-medium heat. Add remaining vegetable oil and sauté ginger, red chilies and green onions for 10 seconds.
- Add eggplant and the sauce, and gently toss until evenly coated. Remove from heat and enjoy!
Livia Rushworth
I used less of the sauce because it would have made it too strong for our taste. A really good quick recipe. A great way to use aubergine. Perfect with rice and chicken.
Christie Lai
Thanks so much for making my recipe, Livia and for sharing your experience!