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    Home » Instant Pot Recipes

    Instant Pot Chicken and Eggplant in Garlic Sauce

    Published: Apr 13, 2017 · Modified: May 3, 2021 by Archana · This post may contain affiliate links · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases · 40 Comments

    1056 shares
    Jump to Recipe

    Chicken and eggplant in garlic sauce is my all-time favorite dish from the Chinese takeout menu. I LOVE eggplant and I like how it tastes so good with chicken and deliciously hot, tangy, and sweet garlic-based sauce. Served with hot fried rice this dish is my kind of comfort food.

    chicken & eggplant in garlic sauce served over fried rice

    Why I LOVE this homemade version of the Chinese takeout dish

    • Loaded with flavorful, tender, and juicy purple chinese eggplant
    • GARLIC and lots of garlic
    • Healthier since you get to control how much soy sauce to add 
    • Ready in 15 minutes
    Chicken & Eggplant in garlic sauce served over brown fried rice

    Tips

    Tips for making perfect chicken & eggplant in garlic sauce:

    • Cut eggplant into thicker wedges
    • Quick-release after the pressure cooking cycle completes and press cancel while the pressure releases so the eggplant does not overcook
    • Ground chicken works really well for this recipe but you can also use thinly sliced 1-inch pieces of boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts
    chicken and eggplant served over fried rice

    Process

    Step by step recipe:

    step 1: Mix soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar and corn starch in a small bowl and keep aside.

    sauce for chicken & eggplant

    step 2: Cut the eggplant into thick wedges.

    chinese eggplant cut on a cutting board

    step 3: Mince lots of garlic, I love this oxo garlic mincer.

    minced garlic

    step 4: Turn the Instant Pot to Saute mode and heat oil. Add garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook for 30 secs.

    sauteed garlic and red pepper flakes

    step 5: Add chicken, cook for 3 minutes breaking the chicken with spatula.

    minced chicken in the Instant Pot

    step 6: Add ¼ cup of water and eggplant. Close the Instant Pot lid with pressure valve to sealing. Set on Manual/Pressure Cook(Hi) for 2 min.

    Eggplant wedges added over minced chicken

    step 7: Press Cancel and quick release. Open the Instant Pot and set to Saute mode. Add the mixed reserved sauce.

    soy sauce & oyester sauce over cooked chicken and eggplant

    step 8: Gently stir everything together. Bring to gentle boil and then turn the Instant Pot off. Enjoy with hot fried rice!

    Chicken & Eggplant in garlic sauce

    We enjoy this spicy chicken and eggplant dish over fried brown rice. Check out my Instant Pot brown rice recipe for perfectly cooked, nutty brown rice. Once you have the brown rice cooked here is a simple recipe to make fried rice. Since the Eggplant and Chicken dish is so flavorful I usually do not add more spices, garlic, etc to this the fried rice.

    Quick fried rice recipe

    1. Scramble 2 to 3 eggs in some oil and keep aside.
    2. In a medium pot or Instant Pot, heat oil and add 1 to 2 cups of frozen mixed vegetables. Sauce for 2 to 3 minutes.
    3. Add cooked brown rice and 1 to 2 teaspoons of soy sauce. Soy sauce is optional but tastes great.
    4. Mix in the fried eggs and enjoy hot.

    Here a quick video showing how to make and chicken & eggplant in garlic sauce, using the Instant Pot!

    Did you enjoy this quick and delicious meal? Here are some of my other favorite recipes for busy weeknights:

    • Kimchi Fried Rice
    • Egg Biryani
    • Paneer Kathi Rolls
    • Black Bean Quesadillas
    • Creamy Tomato Pasta

    ★ Have you tried this recipe? We love your feedback, Please click on the stars in the recipe card below to rate.

    Tried this recipe? We love your feedback.Please click on the stars in the recipe card below
    eggplant & chicken in garlic sauce
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    4.34 from 36 votes

    Instant Pot Chicken & Eggplant in Garlic Sauce

    Spicy chicken and eggplant in a rich savory garlic sauce
    Prep Time5 mins
    Cook Time10 mins
    Total Time15 mins
    Course: Entree
    Cuisine: Chinese
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 283kcal
    Author: Archana Mundhe

    Ingredients

    • 3 chinese eggplant cut into ½ inch thick and 2 inch long wedges
    • 1 tablespoon cooking oil
    • 3 tablespoons garlic minced
    • 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes less for a milder dish
    • 1 pound ground chicken
    • ¼ cup water
    • 3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
    • 3 tablespoons oyster sauce
    • 1½ tablespoons sugar
    • 2 teaspoons corn starch

    Instructions

    • Mix soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar and corn starch well and keep aside.
    • Turn the Instant Pot to Saute mode and heat oil. Add garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook for 30 secs.
    • Add chicken, cook for 3 minutes breaking the chicken with spatula.
    • Add eggplant and water. Close the Instant Pot lid with pressure valve to sealing and pressure cook for 2 minutes followed by Quick Release.
    • Open the Instant Pot and set to Saute mode. Add the mixed sauce and stir everything together. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Bring to gentle boil and then turn the Instant Pot off. Serve with hot fried rice.

    Video

    Nutrition

    Calories: 283kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 97mg | Sodium: 849mg | Potassium: 1035mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 185IU | Vitamin C: 5.6mg | Calcium: 37mg | Iron: 1.7mg
    Tried this recipe?Share your photo and tag @ministry_of_curry or tag #ministryofcurry

    ♥ We LOVE to hear from you! Did you try this recipe? Please share your food photo with hashtag #ministryofcurry on Facebook or Instagram, so we can see it and our followers can enjoy it too! Thank you and Happy Cooking

    ♥ Subscribe to our Youtube Channel for tasty and easy video recipes. Looking for more Instant Pot recipes? Check out our delicious Instant Pot Recipe board on Pinterest.

    Author: Archana

    Hey there! I am a techie turned recipe developer, cooking instructor, and food blogger. I love food and enjoy developing easy and healthy recipes for busy lifestyles. I live in New Jersey with my husband and two sons.
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    1. Hans Susser says

      April 13, 2017 at 10:16 am

      Beats any Chinese take-out 🙂
      Good Stuff!

      Reply
      • Archana says

        April 13, 2017 at 10:17 am

        Thank you, Hans!

        Reply
    2. Ellanor Aquitaine says

      April 13, 2017 at 4:03 pm

      Sounds delicious with even just the aubergine and fresh herbs always make your food look soooo good!
      Also, I love garlic in my food too. When a recipe call for only 1 or 2 gloves of garlic I chuckle and instantly go to chop up 3 or 4 because the flavour is so good. Here we say that Vampires don't like the smell of garlic, so eating lots of it will keep them away ... but the flavour is good enough reason for me 😀

      Reply
      • Archana says

        April 13, 2017 at 5:58 pm

        Thank you Ellanor! I had no idea about the vampire story with smell of garlic. Now I have even more reason to eat more!! Thank you!

        Reply
    3. KR says

      April 14, 2017 at 8:03 am

      I do not like eggplant.... but I promise, I try this recipe. Because it look like so delicious and maybe I will surprised 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Reply
      • Archana says

        April 14, 2017 at 10:00 am

        Thank you! It is delicious and the eggplant almost melts in your mouth. I hope you like eggplant. It is one of my fav veggies and I cannot get enough of it. May be it will open up a whole new world of flavor for you.

        Reply
    4. Grubbing With Jess says

      April 19, 2017 at 5:12 pm

      I've been obsessed with eggplant lately! I love roasting them!! 🙂

      Reply
      • Archana says

        April 19, 2017 at 6:24 pm

        I love eggplant on every which way too!! SO flavorful

        Reply
    5. Linda Parker says

      October 10, 2017 at 7:54 am

      I made this for the first time last night... it was absolutely delicious... thank you so much for sharing this wonderful recipe. I am new to using the Instant Pot and this recipe made it very simple for me to do. I am also a lover of Indian dishes, so now I can't wait to try the ones you have posted. Thx again, have a great day:)

      Reply
      • Archana says

        October 10, 2017 at 8:23 am

        Hi Linda! Thank you for your lovely comments. I am so happy that you enjoyed this easy recipe. You will surely enjoy the new cooking experience in the Instant Pot. I have lots of Indian recipes on my blog and I can't wait to hear how you like them.

        Reply
    6. Nancy Adkins says

      January 15, 2018 at 1:31 am

      Made this tonight!!! Amazing. Better than our favorite Chinese Resturant. But then since we live in rural Hawaii finding GOOD Chinese is hard. I did add some more spice. And served over brown rice. It is now going to be a regular in our house. Will try it with boneless Chicken Thighs next time I think. And some time I think just the Eggplant or maybe with Tofu.

      Reply
      • Archana says

        January 15, 2018 at 8:51 am

        Hi Nancy! Thank you for your feedback. Happy to hear that you enjoyed this simple dish. And all the variations you are thinking sound delicious and will work very well with this base recipe. Enjoy!

        Reply
    7. Eggplant Lover says

      February 17, 2018 at 10:48 pm

      We adapted our favorite Chinese eggplant recipe using the method you described and it turned out perfect. Being able to make Chinese style eggplant without frying it in lots of oil is a huge win. Thanks for sharing!

      Reply
      • Archana says

        February 17, 2018 at 10:51 pm

        Awesome! Thank you for the feedback.

        Reply
    8. Michelle says

      March 05, 2018 at 7:28 pm

      Hi Archana. Are Chinese eggplants the same as Japanese eggplants (the long thin purple ones?) Otherwise could you give a weight for the eggplants? Thanks!

      Reply
      • Archana says

        March 05, 2018 at 9:37 pm

        Hi Michelle. Yes the long thin Japanese eggplants.

        Reply
    9. Virginia Cooke says

      March 27, 2018 at 2:24 am

      I've really enjoyed this recipe but it doesn't say when to put the mixed sauces back in to the pot. So I assumed that was at the same time as putting the water in, so I did that and it came out just fine. Thanks!

      Reply
      • Archana says

        March 27, 2018 at 1:05 pm

        Hi Virginia, The mixed sauce goes in step 6. I am glad it worked for you along with water and you enjoyed the recipe.

        Reply
        • Virginia Cooke says

          March 27, 2018 at 4:31 pm

          Oh so it does! Sorry, I missed that. Thanks for your reply.

          Reply
          • Archana says

            March 27, 2018 at 6:48 pm

            Thank you for trying my recipe!

            Reply
    10. Shelley says

      April 23, 2018 at 11:20 pm

      Hi! Can you please tell me how much to cook for if using small chicken breast pieces? Thanks!

      Reply
      • Archana says

        April 24, 2018 at 7:33 am

        Hi Shelley, 4 minutes cook time will work for half to 1-inch chicken pieces.

        Reply
    11. Lara Diamond says

      April 29, 2018 at 9:00 am

      By corn flour, do you mean corn starch? Or corn meal? Three markets I checked didn’t have corn flour.

      Reply
      • Archana says

        April 29, 2018 at 9:20 am

        Hi Lara, Corn starch and I will update the ingredient list too.

        Reply
    12. jade jackson says

      July 21, 2018 at 2:50 pm

      Your photo shows vegetables in the dish.... but they're not in the recipe. What veg did you add to the dish? And did you cook them in the Instant Pot along with everything else?

      Reply
      • Archana says

        July 21, 2018 at 6:15 pm

        Hi Jade, So this recipe has eggplant. I add them along with the chicken. Hope this helps.

        Reply
    13. IPnewbie says

      September 27, 2018 at 11:39 am

      This was delicious! I also love ordering eggplant at Chinese restaurants but sometimes the eggplant is too firm and almost always it's too greasy - the Instant Pot is the brilliant solution to both problems. Made a few changes to accommodate my taste, my daughter's palate, and the small size of my Mini - halved the amount of chili flakes and used 3 Tbsp garlic. For the sauce, I used 3 Tbsp soy sauce and 2 Tbsp oyster sauce + 1 Tbsp water to cut down on the sodium. Sadly, I could only squeeze in about 2 large eggplants. Thinking about cutting them into slightly smaller pieces next time though I realize they may disintegrate even more. Even with those modifications, it turned out well, and my 5-year-old loved it and even asked me to make it again, though she had declared in advance that she wouldn't eat it because she didn't like eggplant. Thank you for the wonderful recipe!5 stars

      Reply
      • Archana says

        September 27, 2018 at 7:48 pm

        You are welcome! I am so glad you enjoyed it. I agree it’s SO much healthier than the greasy restaurant versions

        Reply
    14. Robert says

      October 14, 2018 at 7:39 pm

      Hi!
      Made this last
      night. The flavor is great, but one question I have is how did your eggplants stay purple (as seen in the photo) while mine are definitely grey-ish (also probably a tad on the mushy side) Followed the directions, using a 6QT Instant Pot Duo Plus. Any ideas?

      Reply
      • Archana says

        January 19, 2019 at 7:38 pm

        Thank you! Some of my eggplant also turned grayish. The kep is to do quick release and open the lid as soon as the pressure cooking is done.

        Reply
    15. Marla says

      February 04, 2019 at 1:20 pm

      Tastes just like my favorite Chinese dish from Chinatown. I just love my instant pot. Thank you for this delicious recipe!!!5 stars

      Reply
      • Archana says

        February 04, 2019 at 6:37 pm

        You are welcome! Thank you for the feedback

        Reply
    16. Nicole Sislen says

      March 31, 2019 at 7:56 pm

      I made my sauce with just 5 tbs coconut aminos, 2 tbs white rice vinegar, 1 tbs braggs Apple cider vinegar and a half a packet of stevia. On keto diet so trying to keep it low sodium, low carb, super low sugars. I added some Himalayan sea salt for taste and was perfect! Sooooo fast to prepare and eat! Definite repeat!!! Thanks so much!

      Reply
      • Archana says

        April 01, 2019 at 5:16 pm

        Thank you for the feedback! And I like all your modifications too.

        Reply
    17. Douglas Davis says

      September 15, 2019 at 2:12 pm

      Just made this with two fresh (non-Japanese) eggplants from a neighbor's garden. It is absolutely delicious. I am having it over jasmine rice that I made yesterday to go with the baingan bharta (Indian eggplant dish) I made yesterday, also in my Instant Pot.

      This is a really great dish, and I will probably make it again in the future!

      Thank you for sharing!5 stars

      Reply
    18. Sham says

      April 12, 2020 at 4:09 pm

      I only have one Chinese eggplant. Can I substitute rest of eggplant with broccoli and how should I change the cooking time or recipe?

      Reply
      • Archana says

        April 12, 2020 at 4:53 pm

        Add one eggplant. After pressure cooking cycle completes, add small cut broccoli and keep the lid closed for 5 minutes so the broccoli steams without getting mushy.

        Reply
    19. Donna M Peterson says

      May 12, 2020 at 9:57 pm

      This was so good. My entire family loved it. I served it over white rice and accompanied by sauteed baby bok choy. I had an Italian eggplant and I tried to cut it into similarly sized pieces as shown in your recipe. It worked fine. I will definitely make this again.5 stars

      Reply
      • Archana says

        May 14, 2020 at 9:22 am

        Thank you!

        Reply
    20. Anna says

      January 06, 2021 at 7:01 pm

      The garlic chicken and eggplant turned out great! I didn't have any oyster sauce on hand, so I substituted with hoisin, added a couple of pinches of dark brown sugar and a 1/2 tsp. of fish sauce. I also added 1 small chopped onion and would probably add additional vegetables in the future. I didn't have any ground chicken, but ended up using a package of chicken thighs cut up into 1 inch pieces that I sauted with the garlic and red peppers, including a heaping tablespoon of Chicken Better than Bullion (this stuff is awesome!). I also cook my rice with 1.5 tablespoons of the Chicken better than bullion to add additional flavor. I would definitely make this again!4 stars

      Reply

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    Hi, I'm Archana: a former software engineer, now a full-time blogger. I am a mother of two boys who share my love for food and cooking. Words I love to hear are, “Mom, what’s for dinner?” The same words I say to my mom every time we speak. I live in the greater New York City Area with my husband and sons.

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