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This quick braised One Pan Chicken and Eggplant recipe is going to be on repeat for dinner on nights when you want a delicious healthy meal but don’t feel like investing too much time with hands on cooking. It’s hearty and comforting and customizable based on what you have on hand. It’s gluten-free, low-carb and Paleo and Whole30 friendly.
One Pan Chicken and Eggplant Recipe
Easy dinner alert! This One Pan Chicken and Eggplant dinner is a delicious seasonal dish! It’s as simple as chopping up a few veggies, sautéing in one pan, letting it quickly braise and then dinner is serve! It’s also pretty customizable based on what you have on hand. You can serve it as is for a low carb dish, or you can pair it with rice, cauliflower rice or pasta!
What other veggies can be used in this dish?
What other veggies can be used in this dish?The best part about this dish is that you can swap out other seasonal veggies for what you have on hand!
Summer:
- Zucchini
- Summer squash
- Kale
- Chard
- Fresh Tomatoes
Winter:
- Carrots
- Cabbage
- Root Vegetables
If you like this one pot recipe, check out these others:
- Instant Pot Lemon Chicken with Artichokes and Asparagus
- One Pot Turmeric Chicken and Rice
- One-Pot Apple Cider Braised Chicken with Brussels Sprouts and Bacon
- Creamy Tuscan Chicken (Paleo & Keto)
If you like this eggplant recipe, check out these others:
- Tomato, Eggplant, and Chickpea Stew
- Eggplant Lasagna Rollatini
- Moroccan Eggplant (with Chermoula)
- Eggplant Meatballs
Watch the video:
Easy One-Pan Eggplant Chicken Dinner [VIDEO]
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 onion thinly sliced
- 1 medium-sized eggplant cubed
- 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts diced
- 1 15 oz. can organic diced tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes optional
- 3 cups fresh organic spinach
- 1 tablespoon fresh basil
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add garlic, onion and eggplant and let cook for 5 minutes, stirring often until onions are translucent and eggplant is beginning to soften.
- Add chicken and let cook until no longer pink on the outside, about 5 minutes.
- Add tomatoes and spices and let simmer until chicken is cooked through and the sauce has slightly thickened, about 7-10 minutes.
- Add in fresh spinach, mix and let cook until spinach wilts.
- Garnish with fresh basil and season to taste.
Definitely good my picky husband said we could make it again. I did not have spinach. I added zucchini. When I make again I will used fresh spices not dried. The prep time does need adjusted. I am oxygen dependent and everything takes me longer. I used to teach Home Ec, so I do have some experience. I would say prep time would be 10 min. Great recipe thanks.
This was delicious! Made it tonight for a quick and hearty dinner. I had to sub a few things: had no canned tomatoes on hand so I used an 8 oz can of Contadina tomato sauce, which worked well. Also used chicken thighs instead of breasts, because that was what I had. Other than that followed the recipe exactly, maybe a little more generous with the Italian seasonings and the garlic. It was very quick to prepare; I cut up the chicken during the five minutes at the beginning when the onion, garlic and eggplant were cooking. I used the diced garlic in a jar from the grocery, so no time at all needed to dice that. Both my husband and I really liked this. It’s something like a ratatouille but heartier due to the chicken. Definitely will be making it again.
Having just read some of the comments I realize I didn’t have any of the issues some did. I was out of time and had to make dinner fast, I had all the ingredients including fresh chicken, not frozen, and I’m not that fast with a knife to chop veggies. However I managed to get this beautiful dish assembled in maybe less than 10 mins, then include cooking time of say 20 mins was on the table in 30 mins not bad for a lovely fresh meal. Never use rotisserie chicken it’s full of fat and additives, just fresh free range chicken. 😊
Could you keep your comments to the recipe and not throw off on other people’s time-saving alternatives, especially when your observations aren’t accurate? There’s nothing wrong with rotisserie chicken as a shortcut. Do what you want, but don’t knock people using what they have and not wasting food. I cook fresh chicken all the time, yes, but I, for one, find rotisserie chicken to be a *huge* help in making salads and such in the middle of summer because it’s blasted hot in Texas, and I don’t want to heat my kitchen — and I hate the taste of watery, pre-cooked, frozen chicken on salads, so telling me to ‘cook extra and freeze it’ isn’t a time saver.
I never said that isn’t a good shortcut! I use rotisserie chicken all the time in various recipes! This specific recipe cooks the chicken with the rest of the dish, so it would take a drop of modifying cook times, etc.
Yes recipe is delicious and fast. Thank you 😊
If you use leftover chicken or shred a rotisserie chicken, your prep time goes down a lot. And regarding tomatoes in the dish. My son and I both have very sensitive stomachs. I have made a practice of substituting sweet bell peppers for tomatoes in recipes and it works pretty well. It certainly is not the same dish, but it works. I have tried this with the bell peppers, and may add a bit of pesto to “sauce” it more. I even use bell peppers making a sort of ratatouille or shakshuka. Thank you for a very flexible recipe that just fit the bill tonight!
Boring tasteless recipe. I added wine and more salt but still pretty blah.
Made as written and it was great. Spot on with the number of servings. I’m so glad I stumbled on your site.
Dish is delicious! But saying it’s 5 minute prep time is TOTAL BALONEY (polite words) when you have to cut up all the veggies (eggplant, onion, garlic, basil) and defrost and cut up chicken, which apparently you don’t count in the “prep time”, as well as the time it takes to find everything in your cupboard or garden, and unorganized fridge. Maybe if you have knife skills like Jacques Pepin and start with everything all laid out in front of you, it’s 5 minutes, but us humble home chefs don’t have that ability, knife skills, or situation. I don’t mean to criticize Jacques, he’s a great chef and an inspiration. But for those of us working at home after ordinary days in our careers, it “don’t” work that way. More like 50-60 minutes prep time and total time an hour and a half.
So sorry! Perhaps more than 5 minutes I can see, but it doesn’t usually take those making it an hour! Hope you loved it.
Love the recipe, but can’t help but wonder if the nutrition information is correct? It seems very high for the ingredients.
We had our nutritionist look at the date and update it, if needed!
Dish was awesome!!
I am trying this tonight. Wonder how you prepped everything in 5 minutes. You have to cut the chicken,the onion and garlic. Wash the spinach. I would say at least 10 minutes of prepping maybe more
Love how easy this delicious recipe is. And with only one pan clean up is also easy.
It’s my new favorite dish. Super simple entree. I used baby eggplants. Very flavorful!
Made it tonight using leftover turkey and frozen spinach. I did not have fresh basil and felt it was missing something. I put a teaspoon of curry and that gave it whatever it needed. Fabulous we will be making it again for sure.
Just made it tonight. Used rotisserie chicken, cabbage, eggplant, as I didn’t have spinach. Was delicious!
This dish is so easy to make and absolutely delicious. We will make this again
This was awesome! Subbed rainbow chard leaves for the spinach since that’s what came in my Misfit Market veggie box yesterday along with the eggplant!
Would chicken thighs work well with this recipe by any chance?
Looks delish! Is there anything that I could use in place of the tomatoes perhaps?
Hmmm this is a main part of the dish!
I know I am late to this recipe but its so good!! Eggplant and basil are in season as the summer ends and this was a super great way to use both! Thanks!