Balsamic Chicken Stuffed Eggplant

This simple Balsamic Chicken Stuffed Eggplant recipe creates a flavorful and satisfying meal for two in no time at all.

When it comes to Paleo cooking, there is no shortage of items that you can stuff. There are a plethora of recipes out there for stuffed avocados, stuffed mushrooms, stuffed squash, and now…stuffed eggplant.

I had never really thought about stuffing an eggplant until last summer when I had a few on hand that I didn’t know what to do with. The eggplants ended up making a great vehicle for stuffing. They held up pretty well in the oven and were quick to absorb any flavors that I packed them with.

In this case, I use a mixture of ground chicken, mushrooms, and roasted red peppers. I also throw the eggplant that you carve out into the mix to help create a rich texture. After baking, the eggplants are drizzled with a simple balsamic reduction for an extra boost of flavor. Overall, it’s a simple process that produces a satisfying result.

How to Make Balsamic Chicken Stuffed Eggplant

Start by cutting the eggplant in half and carving out the center (I’ve found a pairing knife like this one from Mercer works pretty well for this). Give the eggplant innards a rough chop.

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add some diced onion, and sauté until it is translucent, 5-6 minutes.

Add the chopped eggplant, mushrooms, and garlic. Cook until the eggplant starts to get tender, about another 6-7 minutes.

Add the ground chicken, dried oregano, salt, and pepper. Sautee until the chicken is no longer pink, then stir in some chopped roasted red peppers and basil.

Stuff the mixture into the eggplant halves, and drizzle a little olive oil on top. Bake in a preheated 400°F oven for 30-35 minutes.

While the eggplants are baking, bring 1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar to a low simmer. Simmer for about 10 -12 minutes until it turns thick and syrupy and has reduced by about half.

After removing the eggplants from the oven, top with the balsamic reduction and some more fresh basil. Enjoy!

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4.70 from 20 votes

Balsamic Chicken Stuffed Eggplant

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 2

Ingredients

• 1 large eggplant
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 yellow onion diced
• 1 cup Baby Bella Mushrooms sliced
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1 pound ground chicken
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/3 cup roasted red peppers roughly chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh basil chopped
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 400°F
• Cut the eggplant in half length wise, and carefully hollow out each half leaving about a 1/4 of an inch around the sides. Roughly chop the removed eggplant.
• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the onion sauté until tender, about 5-6 minutes.
• Add the chopped eggplant, mushrooms, and garlic. Cook until the eggplant is tender, about 7-8 minutes.
• Add the ground chicken, oregano, salt and pepper. Cook until the chicken is no longer pink, about 10 minutes. Stir in the roasted red peppers and basil and remove the skillet from the heat.
• Place the eggplant halves in a baking dish and stuff them with the chicken mixture. Drizzle a little olive oil on top and roast for 30-35 minutes until tender.
• Meanwhile, add the balsamic vinegar to a small sauce pan. Bring to a low simmer and cook until it has thickened and reduced by about half, about 10-12 minutes.
• Remove the stuffed eggplants from the oven and top with the balsamic reduction and additional basil before serving.

Tried this recipe?Mention @sophisticatedcaveman or tag #sophisticatedcaveman on Instagram!

The ingredient or equipment sections above may contain affiliate links to products that I personally use or recommend!

This post was originally published on January 25, 2017 and last updated May 13, 2020.

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