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This Chinese Eggplant Recipe with Garlic Sauce features crispy eggplant bites coated in a sticky, spicy, savory-sweet garlic sauce ⏤ simple but packed with flavor!
Perfect for weeknight dinners, this recipe is better-than-takeout and loved by many readers! Naturally Vegan.
Reader Randi says: WOW!!!! I had this dish recently at a restaurant so I wanted to find a similar recipe. I can’t tell you how impressed I was with this dish; it was exactly like the restaurant I had it at.
Chinese Eggplant with Spicy Garlic Sauce
Loved by many of you, this Chinese Eggplant with Garlic Sauce is truly better than take-out. It’s crispy with a deliciously savory-sweet sticky spicy sauce that’s just so good!
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Crispy. The trick to achieving a crispy eggplant is in the coating! This recipe comes with the perfect coating for that perfect crispy bite!
- Sticky sauce. Isn’t the sticky, savory-sweet, garlicky, spicy sauce the best part of this dish? It truly has it all but it’s so easy to make at home!
- Quick and easy to make, this dish is ready in less than an hour and tastes better than take-out!
- Serve over rice for the perfect meal!
Ingredients for Chinese Garlic Eggplants
Full measurements and instructions included in the recipe card below 🙂
Eggplants. Traditionally, for this dish, Chinese eggplants would be used which are longer, thinner, and softer then regular eggplants. Of course, you can still use regular eggplants (like I did) which are much easier to find! Make sure they’re unbruised and firm.
Salt, for salting the eggplant to remove excess water.
Cornstarch, for coating the eggplant to give it that delicious crisp.
Oil. I like using peanut but vegetable, canola, or sunflower will work.
Garlic. This is one of the main flavors of this dish so make sure you’re using cloves, not garlic powder.
Ginger, for that fiery kick.
Water, for the sticky sauce.
Soy sauce, for the sauce.
Rice vinegar, for the sauce. Regular white vinegar will also work.
Brown sugar for that hint of sweetness. White granulated sugar will also work.
How To Make Chinese Eggplants
Step-by-step instructions and measurements included in the recipe card below 🙂
STEP ONE: Salt the eggplants. Place the chopped eggplants in a colander, sprinkle with salt and allow to rest for 30-40 minutes to draw out the excess moisture for a more tender texture and a bolder flavor. Once done, blot them dry.
STEP TWO: Coat the eggplants. In a large shallow bowl, add the cornstarch and eggplants, and toss until each piece of eggplants is evenly coated with cornstarch.
STEP THREE: Cook the eggplants. In a large non-stick skillet over medium heat, add the peanut oil and heat until hot. Add in the eggplants making sure they’re sitting in a single layer without overlapping for best texture. Cook until crispy (4-5 minutes), then flip and cook until crispy again. Remove from the skillet and transfer to a clean plate.
STEP FOUR: Make the sauce. In a small bowl, add the water, soy sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar, and cornstarch. Mix until combined and the cornstarch has dissolved completely. Set aside.
STEP FIVE: Saute the garlic and ginger. In the same skillet over medium-low heat, add more oil and heat until hot. Add the garlic and ginger and saute until fragrant, stirring frequently. Do not allow the garlic to brown, lower the heat if needed.
STEP SIX: Assemble the dish. Give another quick mix to the sauce and then pour it into the skillet with the garlic and ginger. Cook on low heat until the sauce has thickened into a maple syrup-like consistency. Turn off the heat and pour the sauce over your eggplants and toss. Serve immediately. If preferred, serve eggplants and sauce separately so the sauce can be drizzled on right before eating by each person (eggplants will stay crispier this way).
Storing and Reheating
Storing Instructions: This dish is best eaten fresh as it may lose the crispiness overtime and turn soggy if stored together with the sauce, so I don’t particularly recommend storing but it can be stored if needed. Place in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days.
Reheating Instructions: Reheat in a skillet over medium heat with a splash of water to loosen up the sauce.
HAPPY COOKING!! I hope you’ll love this Chinese Eggplant Recipe with Garlic Sauce as much as I do!
PS: Please leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️if you make it! Your comments make my day!! You can also tag me on Instagram @itsdamnspicy🌈💘
More restaurant-style recipes you’ll enjoy:
- Chinese Scallion Pancakes with Dip
- Nobu Crispy Rice Spicy Tuna
- Lighter Chinese Lemon Chicken
Chinese Eggplant Recipe With Garlic Sauce
Damn, Spicy! @ www.damnspicy.com
ThisChinese Eggplant Recipe with Garlic Saucefeatures crispy eggplant bites coated in a sticky, spicy, savory-sweet garlic sauce ⏤ simple but packed with flavor!
Perfect for weeknight dinners, this recipe is better-than-takeout.Naturally Vegan!
4.95 from 35 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 13 minutes mins
Inactive Time 30 minutes mins
Total Time 53 minutes mins
Course Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine Asian, Chinese
Servings 2 people
Ingredients
For The Eggplants
- 2 eggplants (chopped into bite-sized pieces)
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 2 tbsp (20 g) cornstarch
- 2 tbsp (25 ml) peanut oil (or vegetable, canola, sunflower)
For The Sticky Sauce
- 1/2 tbsp (6 ml) peanut oil (or vegetable, canola, sunflower)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 tsp ginger (minced)
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) water
- 2 and 1/2 tbsp (45 ml) soy sauce
- 2 and 1/2 (35 ml) rice vinegar (or white vinegar)
- 2 tbsp (25 g) brown sugar (or white granulated sugar)
- 1 tbsp (10 g) cornstarch
Instructions
STEP ONE: Salt the eggplants. Place the chopped eggplants in a colander, sprinkle with salt and allow to rest for 30-40 minutes to draw out the excess moisture for a more tender texture and a bolder flavor. Once done, blot them dry.
STEP TWO: Coat the eggplants. In a large shallow bowl, add the cornstarch and eggplants, and toss until each piece of eggplants is evenly coated with cornstarch.
STEP THREE: Cook the eggplants.In a large non-stick skillet over medium heat, add the peanut oil and heat until hot. Add in the eggplants making sure they’re sitting in a single layer without overlapping for best texture. Cook until crispy (4-5 minutes), then flip and cook until crispy again. Remove from the skillet and transfer to a clean plate.
STEP FOUR: Make the sauce. In a small bowl, add the water, soy sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar, and cornstarch. Mix until combined and the cornstarch has dissolved completely. Set aside.
STEP FIVE: Saute the garlic and ginger. In the same skillet over medium-low heat, add more oil and heat until hot. Add the garlic and ginger and saute until fragrant, stirring frequently. Do not allow the garlic to brown, lower the heat if needed.
STEP SIX: Assemble the dish. Give another quick mix to the sauce and then pour it into the skillet with the garlic and ginger. Cook on low heat until the sauce has thickened into a maple syrup-like consistency. Turn off the heat and pour the sauce over your eggplants and toss. Serve immediately.
If preferred, serve eggplants and sauce separately so the sauce can be drizzled on right before eating by each person (eggplants will stay crispier this way).
Notes
Storing Instructions: This dish is best eaten fresh as it may lose the crispiness overtime and turn soggy if stored together with the sauce, so I don’t particularly recommend storing but it can be stored if needed. Place in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days.
Reheating Instructions: Reheat in a skillet over medium heat with a splash of water to loosen up the sauce.
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