Cheesy Chicken Stuffed Eggplant - Chicken and Eggplant Recipe (2024)

This easy stuffed eggplant recipe with chicken and cheddar cheese is a great dinner option everyone will love and can be made in 30 minutes.

Cheesy Chicken Stuffed Eggplant - Chicken and Eggplant Recipe (1)

Cheesy Chicken Stuffed Eggplant

Whether you’re looking for a simple weeknight meal or something to show off at your next dinner party, these cheesy, delicious stuffed eggplants are sure to be a crowd-pleaser!

Once you try this chicken and eggplant recipe, you’ll wonder why you never cook with eggplant more often!

Its a hearty and nutrient-dense recipe that will have you going back for seconds because it’s too good to only have one.

Enough of just talking about how good it is, let’s get to this recipe!

What is Eggplant?

Eggplant is a member of the nightshade family, closely related to tomatoes, potatoes, and the tobacco plant. It’s a great versatile ingredient that can be used for all sorts of recipes.

One of the most common ways people use eggplant is when they want an alternative to meat in a recipe.

This is because it holds up as a hearty main ingredient that’s packed full of nutrients and antioxidants that support heart health, cholesterol, liver health, and a number of other things.

Cheesy Chicken Stuffed Eggplant - Chicken and Eggplant Recipe (2)

Ingredients For Eggplant Chicken

A lot of these ingredients are ones you might already have stocked in your kitchen.

So, there’s no excuse not to make this recipe if you already have almost everything you need to make it. Lentil stuffed eggplant is another great pantry eggplant recipe too!

Just one quick in and out trip to the store and you’ll have everything you need to make this amazing cheesy chicken stuffed eggplant.

  • Eggplant
  • Garlic cloves
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt & pepper
  • Chicken breast
  • Tomatoes
  • Cheddar cheese
  • Green onions or parsley

How to Make Chicken and Eggplant

You don’t need any trained skills to make this recipe easily come together. It’s all pretty straightforward and simple, which allows you to get it on the table, and better yet, into your mouth in no time!

Just preheat the oven and score each eggplant in half on the diagonal and stick the slices of garlic in the slits in the flesh.

Then, you will drizzle the eggplant with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Roast on a baking sheet, and once roasted, remove the eggplant from oven, top with chicken and tomatoes then layer the cheese slices on top of that.

Return to oven until cheese is melted, then remove it from oven and garnish with the green onion.

Cheesy Chicken Stuffed Eggplant - Chicken and Eggplant Recipe (3)

Do I Have To Use Eggplant?

I personally love how this eggplant pairs with the chicken and cheese for a fresh Mediterranean style dish, but you certainly don’t have to use eggplant.

Really any squash will work, so pick your favorite and get cooking. Just be sure when working with something other than eggplant, you follow proper instructions for prepping. Some squashes involve a deseeding process.

A few squashes you could try are:

  • Butternut squash
  • Spaghetti squash
  • Acorn Squash
  • Summer Squash

You could also try these cheesy chicken stuffed poblano peppers for a similar style recipe.

Can I Make Eggplant Chicken With Different Toppings?

Of course! Feel free to mix up the type of cheese and the additional toppings.

I kept it simple with just a few extra toppings, but if you wanted to you could load it up with as much as you want.

You could add some artichoke hearts, sliced vegetables, olives, or anything else you can think of.

This is a recipe you can really get creative with.

Cheesy Chicken Stuffed Eggplant - Chicken and Eggplant Recipe (4)

What To Serve With Chicken and Eggplant

The side dish options are endless! If you want to keep things simple, try lemon roasted asparagus or green bean fries. and a good starch like this Greek potato casserole.

You can get even simpler with your potato options and try these crispy potato strips or sweet potato tots. Both are super easy and so delicious.

If you want to get some fruits in with your sides, then try out sweet and salty green bean salad or this lemon quinoa with roasted grapes and walnuts.

Tips For Making Stuffed Eggplant Recipes

  • When purchasing eggplant, look for those that are heavy for their size with firm, evenly colored and unblemished skin. Caps and stems should be intact with no mold.
  • Refrigerate eggplant in plastic bags for up to 5 days.
  • There are many different types of eggplants, ranging in different colors and shapes. For this recipe, you’ll want to use the more typical eggplant that is purple and oblong in shape.
  • Choose the shiniest color eggplants at the grocery store. Matte color eggplants are the ones which are not fresh.
Cheesy Chicken Stuffed Eggplant - Chicken and Eggplant Recipe (5)

More Eggplant Recipes

Italian Spiced Eggplant Fries

Roasted Eggplant Fennel Pizza

Tomato Basil Eggplant Noodles

Mediterranean Eggplant Chips

Roasted Baby Eggplants with Goat Cheese Stuffing

Cheesy Chicken Stuffed Eggplant - Chicken and Eggplant Recipe (6)

4.80 from 15 votes

Cheesy Chicken Stuffed Eggplant

By: Gina Matsoukas

Servings: 4 servings

Prep: 5 minutes mins

Cook: 25 minutes mins

Total: 30 minutes mins

Save

Cheesy Chicken Stuffed Eggplant - Chicken and Eggplant Recipe (7)

This easy chicken stuffed eggplant is topped with lots of sharp cheddar for a dinner everyone will love.

Ingredients

  • 2 medium eggplants, sliced in half lengthwise
  • 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
  • 2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • salt & pepper
  • 8 ounces cooked chicken breast, shredded
  • 1/2 cup diced tomatoes
  • 4 ounces grated cheddar cheese
  • parsley or green onions, chopped for garnish

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400°F degrees.

  • Score each eggplant half on the diagonal.

  • Rub each half with the garlic cloves then stick the slices of garlic into some of the slits.

  • Drizzle the eggplant with the olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper.

  • Roast for 20 minutes on a baking sheet.

  • Remove eggplant from oven, top with chicken and tomatoes then sprinkle the grated cheese on top.

  • Return to oven for another 5 minutes, until cheese is melted.

  • Remove from oven and garnish with parsley/green onion.

Nutrition

Serving: 1SERVINGCalories: 407kcalCarbohydrates: 28gProtein: 27gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 76mgSodium: 340mgFiber: 8gSugar: 10g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Main Dishes

Cuisine: American

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Gina Matsoukas

Founder and Writer at Running to the Kitchen | About

Gina Matsoukas is an AP syndicated writer. She is the founder, photographer and recipe developer of Running to the Kitchen — a food website focused on providing healthy, wholesome recipes using fresh and seasonal ingredients. Her work has been featured in numerous media outlets both digital and print, including MSN, Huffington post, Buzzfeed, Women’s Health and Food Network.

Cheesy Chicken Stuffed Eggplant - Chicken and Eggplant Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is stuffed eggplant made of? ›

In a bowl, mix together the cooked eggplant, vegetables, beef, herbs, 1 cup of the cheese, 1/4 cup of the bread crumbs and the egg. Fill the scooped-out eggplant halves with this mixture, dividing it evenly between the two halves.

Should I soak eggplant in milk or water? ›

Milk is said to help draw out the bitterness in eggplant. Our recipe doesn't call for milk, but if you're worried that your eggplant will taste bitter, you can soak the slices in milk for 20 to 30 minutes. Drain and pat them dry before proceeding with the rest of the recipe.

Should you soak eggplant in milk or salt water? ›

Soak it in milk.

Soak eggplant slices or cubes in milk for about 30 minutes before cooking. The milk not only tempers the bitterness, but it actually makes for eggplant that is extra creamy, since the vegetable acts like a sponge and soaks up a good amount of milk in its flesh.

Why do you soak eggplant in vinegar? ›

Why do you soak eggplant in water and vinegar? Soaking eggplant in water and vinegar helps remove some of the vegetable's natural bitterness. This step also helps preserve some of the skin's color so it stays a vibrant purple even after cooking.

What is the purpose of soaking eggplant? ›

Many recipes call for salting and rinsing eggplant before cooking it to draw out its bitterness. Brining can be used instead and has the added advantage of helping the eggplant keep its shape when it's cooked, whether your recipe calls for baking, frying, or grilling.

What is the black stuff inside eggplant? ›

If you notice black seeds inside the eggplant when you cut it open, throw it away; it has been sitting around too long and will be bitter. Eggplant are naturally sweet when fresh, and do not need to be salted for a long time to remove bitterness.

Why are eggplants so expensive? ›

During peak growing seasons, when there's an abundance of eggplants, prices tend to be lower. Conversely, during off-seasons or when supply is limited, prices may rise due to increased demand. The cost of eggplants can also vary based on where they are grown and distributed.

What is the secret to cooking eggplant? ›

Eggplants are known to absorb a lot of fat while cooking. A useful tip to prevent sogginess and greasiness is to salt sliced or diced eggplant and let it sit for an hour. This helps to draw out moisture. Next, rinse and drain any liquid from the sliced eggplant, then pat dry before cooking.

How long should you soak eggplant before cooking? ›

Submerge the pieces in the salted water. Use an upside-down plate or pot lid to weigh down the eggplant so it is fully submerged in the water. Let the eggplant sit in the brine for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour. Drain the eggplant and pat it dry with a clean kitchen towel or layers of paper towels.

Do you need to soak eggplant in salt water? ›

Many recipes call for eggplants to be salted and rinsed to draw out any bitter juices, but this shouldn't be necessary if they're fresh. If the seeds are too defined or feel hard, the eggplant may be old and should be salted.

Why do you soak eggplant in cold water? ›

Next, soak the eggplant in ice-cold water: The chill shocks the surface of the vegetable and fills tiny air pockets between the cells, preventing the oil from entering them.

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