Chinese Eggplant with Garlic Sauce – Restaurant Style! (VIDEO)
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Restaurant style Chinese Eggplant with Garlic Sauce is so flavorful and delicious! It’s one of my favorite ways to eat eggplant, and is perfect as a side or served as a vegetarian main dish with rice!
Watch the Chinese Eggplant with Garlic Sauce Recipe Video!
A Note from CJ
Make my Chinese Eggplant with Garlic Sauce!
Chinese Eggplant with Garlic Sauce tastes just like my favorite Chinese restaurant – it’s perfect to go with classics like Egg Fried Rice (make Chicken Fried Rice or Shrimp Fried Rice if you need more protein), savory Soy Sauce Pan Fried Noodles, and other vegetable sides like Bok Choy with Garlic Sauce, Gai Lan with Oyster Sauce, and Chinese Smashed Cucumber Salad!
So delicious!! I have made Chinese eggplant in the past but this one is wayy better! I like the method of steaming it in advance. This is my new go to recipe!
Ingredient Tips
- Chinese eggplants – Sometimes called Asian Eggplant, they’re smaller, longer, with a thin skin and milder flavor than traditional eggplant. I recommend finding them at your local Asian grocery.
- neutral oil – use avocado, vegetable, or canola oil (not olive oil or sesame oil).
- MSG – I use MSG in moderation as an optional flavor enhancer.
- chicken stock – this is the basis of the sauce, so use high quality chicken stock or broth for best results.
How to Make Chinese Eggplant with Garlic Sauce
Cut and Steam Eggplant – Cut eggplant at an angle into 1/2″ thick pieces about 3-4 inches long. Place the eggplant in a steamer basket and steam for 10-12 minutes over medium high heat until under.
Mix Sauce and Chop Aromatics – In a small bowl, mix together chicken stock, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar, white pepper, msg, chicken stock, and corn starch. Chop garlic and mince ginger and set aside.
Dry Eggplant, Saute with Aromatics, and Add Sauce – Once the eggplant is steamed, place them on a paper towel and pat them dry to remove excess moisture. Over medium high heat, add 2 tbsp of netural oil to a large nonstick pan and saute garlic and ginger. Add in the eggplant and stir fry for 2-4 minutes until they are golden brown on both sides. Add the premixed sauce, then stir to coat the eggplant for about 2 minutes until the sauce thickens to a glaze. Serve and enjoy!
PRO TIPS
CJ’s Recipe & Storage Tips
Cut eggplant into 1/2″ thick pieces about 3-4 inches long; they should be uniform so they cook evenly. The goal here is to cut the eggplant thick enough to withhold the steaming process and still be firm and meaty.
Success is in the Prep – Chinese Eggplant with Garlic Sauce comes together extremely quickly once you start cooking. Have your premixed sauce and vegetables ready and easily accessible during the cooking process.
Storage Tips – You can store Chinese Eggplant with Garlic Sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The eggplant will continue to soften as it sits – this is normal. Reheat in the microwave until warmed through.
If you tried this Chinese Eggplant with Garlic Sauce or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below!
Chinese Eggplant with Garlic Sauce (VIDEO)
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb Chinese Eggplant, about 3 medium eggplant
- 2 tbsp neutral oil, avocado, vegetable, or canola oil
- 1/4 cup chicken stock
- 3 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tsp dark soy sauce
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1/4 tsp white pepper
- 1/4 tsp MSG, optional
- 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
- 6 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1/2 tbsp ginger, minced
Instructions
- Cut eggplant at an angle into 1/2" thick pieces about 3-4 inches long.
- Place the eggplant in a steamer basket and steam for 10-12 minutes over medium high heat until under.
- In a small bowl, mix together chicken stock, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar, white pepper, msg, chicken stock, and corn starch. Chop garlic and mince ginger and set aside.
- Once the eggplant is steamed, place them on a paper towel and pat them dry to remove excess moisture.
- Over medium high heat, add 2 tbsp of netural oil to a large nonstick pan and saute garlic and ginger. Add in the eggplant and stir fry for 2-4 minutes until they are golden brown on both sides.
- Add the premixed sauce, then stir to coat the eggplant for about 2 minutes until the sauce thickens to a glaze. Serve and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This Chinese Eggplant with Garlic Sauce recipe was originally posted in September 2022, and updated in February 2026.
All my fam loves this!
I grow up with this recipe and i love it so much.
@knock.knock2299
I grew up with this recipe and love it so much.
@knock.knoc2299
Thank you for this recipe, it’s a must for us at dim sum. How would you do stuffed eggplant? 😅
Never liked eggplants, but this is delicious. Even my kids enjoyed it
Impressive flavors.
Eggplant wasn’t a food I enjoyed much when I was younger but I’ve grown to love it more and more, especially when it’s cooked with garlicky sauce. This recipe never gets old and so comforting to eat with rice.
one of my favorite vegetables to eat and I love eating it this way. Amazing sauce that pairs well with the eggplant.
So delicious!! I have made Chinese eggplant in the past but this one is wayy better! I like the method of steaming it in advance. This is my new go to recipe!