Surprisingly easy, and jam packed with flavor.
This is a dinner that you will find yourself preparing time and again. It’s easy to pull together, light and delicious. Don’t you love when the side dish is right there with your main, cooking in the same pan? Here you have it, and this time, it’s not a potato. Rather, a very tasty eggplant.
This dish starts with some Japanese eggplants. They’re beauties, right?
They’re not always available, but if you see them at your local grocery, grab them. Yes, you can use regular eggplants if they’re not available. It used to be that Japanese eggplants were only available around August time, but lately we’ve been seeing them pop up out of season too.
Cut them in half both horizontally and vertically,
arrange in your pan, and drizzle with olive oil
and salt. It’s really handy to keep your oil in squeeze bottles like these particularly for recipes like this.
While the eggplant is baking in the oven, we’re going to get started on the chicken. Add all the seasoning.
Then, once the eggplant is ready, top it with
the thinly sliced onion
Then the crushed tomatoes.
Then add the chicken on top. Now we’re ready to bake!
About a half an hour later, it’s ready!
So much flavor with so little work!
9×13 Chicken and Eggplant
Ingredients
- 3-4 Japanese eggplants, washed and sliced lengthwise and then in half (see images)
- 2-3 tsp olive oil
- salt
- 1 Spanish onion, thinly sliced (we used a mandolin but you don't have to)
- 1 jar crushed tomatoes (we used Tuscanini)
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- ½ tsp turmeric
- ½ tsp cumin
- 5 chicken capons
- 1-2 tsp oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Cut eggplants lengthwise and then in half (as shown in images). Arrange in a single layer in a 9 x 13-inch pan, skin side down. Drizzle with olive oil and salt.
- Bake uncovered for about 20 minutes or until starting to brown. Remove from oven.
- Meanwhile, season chicken with salt, pepper, turmeric, and cumin.
- Top cooked eggplant with onions and crushed tomatoes. Layer the seasoned chicken capons over it all in one layer.
- Bake, uncovered, for another 30-40 minutes, until browned and cooked through. Serve over mashed potatoes or basmati rice.
Can I do this with chicken leg quarters instead of capons?
Yes but add 10 minutes to the cook time
Capons are boneless?
Which stores in Lakewood would sell Japanese eggplant?
If they’re open, Hallocks u pick farm has a lo eggplants
A variety of different eggplants
gourmet south has in the produce fridge.
Can I use regular eggplants?
Yes. Read the second paragraph.
Made this last night. It was a real hit! I used reg eggplant, purple onions (Bc that was what I had), and drumsticks. I baked covered for an hour and then broiled it for 10 minutes. Keeper!
what can i use instead of the can tomato
what can i use instead of the crushed tomato
Any sort of tomato sauce would work
can i do this with chicken cutlets
Yes I wld also love to know if you can do with cutlets
Yes but the cook time would be less than capons. Expect 20 -30 minutes depending on the thickness of the cutlets. Pull from the oven once the cutlets feel firm and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing into it (for best moisture retention).
do the capons have to have skin
Tried this recipe with cutlets first and tomato sauce because that’s what I had was a winner. Next time around followed recipe exactly and some liked some not. Tried it with chicken dark cutlets some liked some not. Will try again now with reg cutlets again! Thanks for ur easy recipes.
This so my type , does the eggplant need to be cooked before I put the rest in. I want to dump everything in pan at once…
Made this using boneless chicken breast and cooked for 30 min. Chicken was fully cooked, but we didn’t like the harsh acidic flavor of the tomatoes. It felt like we were eating eggplant, tomatoes, and chicken, not a whole dish where the flavors are combined nicely.