Thai Basil Eggplant
on Jan 17, 2023, Updated Mar 29, 2026
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This Thai basil eggplant is the kind of quick, flavour-packed stir fry that feels like takeout, but comes together in under 30 minutes with simple ingredients. Tender, caramelized eggplant is cooked until just soft (not soggy), then tossed in sticky, sweet-salty sauce with garlic, ginger and fresh Thai basil.
Featured Review
Wendy
My garden is overflowing with eggplant, peppers and basil, so this recipe is a perfect fit! So easy, and I love the sauce! Omitted chilis and added tofu and a little sriracha. Will definitely make again and agin. Thank you!
Eggplant can easily turn oily or mushy, but with the right method, it stays silky, structured and perfectly coated in sauce. This version is designed to give you that rich, restaurant-style texture without excess oil or complicated steps.
It’s naturally vegan, easy to make gluten-free, and works as both a main or side. Serve it over jasmine rice or noodles, add tofu or your protein of choice, and you’ve got a balanced, satisfying meal that’s savoury, slightly sweet, and just a little spicy.
🔍 Recipe at a Glance
Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 15 min
Servings: 4
Nutrition: 149 cal/serving
Diet: Vegan, gluten-free option
Difficulty: Easy
Why You’ll Love Thai Basil Eggplant
If you’re looking for a delicious and easy way to prepare eggplant, you’ll love this dish. It’s simple to make and tastes amazing. Here are a few reasons to love it:
- It’s vegan and can be made gluten-free.
- It’s easy to make in one pan and ready in 30 minutes.
- It has lots of flavour and is perfectly saucy.
- It makes a great side dish or main paired with protein or served with rice or noodles.
- It’s a delicious way to try eggplant.
You can pair this dish with more Thai-inspired favourites like Vegan Tofu Pad Thai, Vegan Drunken Noodles or Vegan Thai Green Curry for a real feast. For more easy eggplant recipes, this Eggplant Stir Fry is quick, easy and yummy too.
Ingredient Notes
Below is a quick overview of what you’ll need to make the recipe and any substitutions you can make. Use the recipe card with the full list of ingredients and measurements at the bottom of the post when you’re ready to make the recipe.
- Soy Sauce: I used 3 tbsp of soy sauce and 1 tbsp of dark soy sauce but if you don’t have dark soy sauce, use 4 tbsp soy sauce.
- Oyster Sauce: Use vegetarian oyster sauce for a vegetarian and vegan recipe.
- Rice Vinegar: You can use seasoned or unseasoned rice vinegar.
- Maple Syrup: You can use maple syrup, coconut sugar or brown sugar.
- Cornstarch: You can use cornstarch or arrowroot powder for thickening the sauce.
- Oil: You can use any neutral oil such as avocado oil or grape seed oil.
- Eggplant: You’ll need Japanese eggplant, or the long skinny ones! Japanese (or Chinese) eggplant are a bit more tender than regular eggplants so work well in a stir fry.
- Onion: You can use white or yellow onion for this recipe.
- Garlic and Ginger: Fresh (raw) garlic and ginger are best for this recipe rather than garlic powder or ground ginger. If you have to substitute the fresh ginger, you can use 1 tsp ground ginger and mix it into the sauce.
- Thai Chili: These are the small red chilies and are used to add heat to the recipe. Remove the seeds if you are sensitive to spice (I remove the seeds). Use 1-2 Thai chilies to your preference.
- Thai Basil: Thai basil (holy basil) is best for this recipe though you can use Italian basil in a pinch. Thai basil is definitely recommended here though.
Variations & Additions
- Greens: Baby bok choy, green onion and spinach work well as an addition to the stir fry. If using, add them when you add the peppers and onions.
- Other Veggies: You can add or substitute vegetables like mushrooms, snow peas or snap peas, broccoli or carrot for the bell pepper. I would suggest keeping the onion in the recipe.
- Serving & Garnish: Serve Thai eggplant with fresh basmati, jasmine rice or noodles like soba or udon. Garnish with more Thai basil and sliced scallions before serving.
How to Make Thai Basil Eggplant
Step 1: Prepare the sauce by whisking together the soy sauce, dark soy sauce, vegetarian oyster sauce, rice vinegar and maple syrup. In a separate small bowl, mix together the cornstarch and water.
Step 2: Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Once it’s hot, add the eggplant and toss well to coat in the oil then spread the pieces evenly around the pan.
Sprinkle a little water over the eggplant, cover and cook for about 2-3 minutes, flip the pieces and sprinkle with a little more water, cover and cook for another 2 minutes.
Remove the lid and stir fry until the eggplant is golden brown. It should be tender but still holding its shape. We don’t want mushy eggplant here and it will cook a little more in the final step.
Remove the eggplant from the pan and set aside for now.
Step 3: Heat the other 1 tbsp of oil in the same pan and add the onions and bell pepper. Cook them for 5-6 minutes, stirring often.
Step 4: Add the garlic, ginger and Thai chili and cook them for 1 minute, stirring constantly. For the Thai chilies, I found one chili with the seeds removed to be the right amount of heat for me. You can leave a few seeds in for a spicier dish and/or use 2 Thai chilies.
Step 5: Add the sauce you prepared and the cornstarch slurry. Make sure you give the slurry a stir before adding to the pan as the cornstarch will have settled on the bottom.
Step 6: Once the sauce is simmering, add the eggplant and cook for about 2 minutes until the sauce thickens and the eggplant absorbs some of the sauce. Turn off the heat and stir in the Thai basil.
Serve your Thai eggplant over fresh Jasmine or Basmati rice, garnished with more Thai basil, if you like!
Recipe FAQs
In general, the skin on eggplants is edible though some varieties like Globe eggplant have thicker skin than Japanese and Chinese eggplant. You can trim the skin off if you prefer but it’s not necessary for this recipe.
Yes. You’ll need to use tamari instead of soy sauce and find a gluten-free vegetarian oyster sauce.
Eggplant on its own doesn’t taste like much but in this dish it’s savoury, slightly sweet and mildly spicy with a rich, umami forward flavour. The eggplant softens and absorbs the sauce and the Thai basil adds a fresh, peppery flavour distinct from Italian basil.
It can be but the heat is easy to adjust. Thai chilies add heat but you can use:
• Use just one chili with the seeds removed for mild heat
• Skip the chilies for no spice
• Add extra chilies for a spicier dish
Yes but Japanese eggplant, the long, skinny variety, are more tender and less bitter, making them a good choice for a stir fry. If your’e using globe eggplant, be sure to cut into small pieces and consider removing the skin.
It can be a very balanced, nutrient-dense dish. Eggplant is high in fibre and low in calories. To make it a complete meal, pair with a carbohydrate like rice or noodles and a protein like prawns, tofu, tempeh, chicken or beef.
Expert Tips
- Prepare everything before you start cooking as the recipe goes fast once you start.
- Don’t chop up the eggplant until you’re ready to start cooking to avoid it browning.
- Be sure to use Japanese or Chinese eggplant and not globe eggplants. Look for the long, skinny ones, not the fat ones!
- Thai basil, or holy basil, is really best for flavour here so I’d recommend using that instead of Italian sweet basil.
- You can omit the Thai chili if you’re sensitive to heat but I would suggest using one if you don’t mind just a little spice because it helps balance the sweet and salty flavours.
- Be sure to slice the eggplant in more than 3/4-inch pieces so they don’t take too long to cook.
Storing Leftovers
- Let the stir fry cool before storing.
- Store in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Reheat in a pan or in the microwave until heated through.
- This recipe is not suitable for freezing. Well, you could but it wouldn’t really be the same after it thaws.
If you try this Thai Eggplant recipe or any other recipe on Running on Real Food, don’t forget to leave a comment and a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the comment section below. It helps others who are thinking of making the recipe, and I love to hear from you. And don’t forget to tag me on Instagram @runningonrealfood so I can see your creation! Thanks for trying my recipes! – Deryn
More Recipes to Try!
Thai Basil Eggplant
Ingredients
For the Sauce
- 3 tbsp tamari or soy sauce, 45 mL
- 1 tbsp dark soy sauce, or soy sauce/tamari, 15 mL
- 3 tbsp vegetarian oyster sauce, 54 g
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar, 15 mL
- 1 tbsp maple syrup or coconut sugar, 20 g
- ¼ cup cold water, 60 mL
- 2 tsp cornstarch
For the Eggplant Stir Fry
- 2 tbsp neutral oil, like avocado or grape seed (30 mL)
- 2 Japanese eggplants, halved lengthwise, then cut into 3/4-inch pieces (about 6 cups/420 g)
- 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced (approx. 140 g/1.5 cups)
- 1 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced (approx. 140 g/1.5 cups)
- 1 onion, thinly sliced (approx. 155 g/1.5 cups)
- 4 garlic cloves, minced or grated (heaping 1 tbsp/20 g)
- 1- inch ginger, peeled then grated (1 tbsp/20g)
- 1-2 red Thai chili, seeds removed, if desired, thinly sliced
- 1 bunch Thai basil, torn (15 g, about 1 cup torn)
For Serving
- fresh Jasmin or Basmati rice
- more Thai basil
Instructions
- Prepare the Sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, dark soy sauce (or additional soy sauce), vegetarian oyster sauce, rice vinegar and maple syrup until combined. In a separate small bowl, mix together the cornstarch and cold water. Set both aside.3 tbsp tamari or soy sauce, 1 tbsp dark soy sauce, 3 tbsp vegetarian oyster sauce, 1 tbsp rice vinegar, 1 tbsp maple syrup or coconut sugar, ¼ cup cold water, 2 tsp cornstarch
- Cook the Eggplant: Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Once it's hot, add the eggplant and toss to coat in the oil. Spread the pieces evenly around the pan in one layer. Sprinkle a little water over the eggplant, cover and cook for 2-3 minutes, flip the pieces and sprinkle with a little more water, cover and cook another 2 minutes.Remove the lid and stir fry until the eggplant is golden brown. It should be tender but still holding its shape. Remove the eggplant from the pan and set aside.2 tbsp neutral oil, 2 Japanese eggplants
- Stir Fry Peppers & Onions: Heat the remaining 1 tbsp oil over medium-high. Add onions and peppers. Cook for 5-6 min, stirring often, until tender-crisp.1 red bell pepper, 1 yellow bell pepper, 1 onion
- Add Aromatics: Add garlic, ginger and Thai chili. Cook for 1 min, stirring constantly, until fragrant.4 garlic cloves, 1- inch ginger, 1-2 red Thai chili
- Add Sauce: To the pan, add the sauce and cornstarch slurry, making sure to re-mix the slurry as the cornstarch will have settled to the bottom.
- Add Eggplant and Thai Basil: Bring to a simmer. Once simmering, reduce heat to medium. Add eggplant to the pan. Cook for another 2 minutes stirring often, until slightly reduced, saucy and eggplant absorbs some of the sauce. Turn off the heat and stir in the Thai basil.1 bunch Thai basil
- Serve: Serve Thai basil eggplant over your choice of rice. Garnish with more Thai basil, if desired.
Fabulous recipe. This one nails the restaurant taste perfectly. Will make again and again. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you, Nick!
I love ordering the Spicy eggplant at the local Thai restaurant. This recipe is almost exactly as the take out version. Delicious.
Aw, thanks so much! So glad you loved it.