Why It Works
- Roasting draws out moisture from the eggplant, which concentrates its flavor.
- The sugar in the sauce helps the eggplant brown and caramelize in the oven.
One of my favorite rituals is heading to Manhattan’s Chinatown or Brooklyn’s Sunset Park for a late-night meal at a street food cart. When most of the neighborhood’s restaurants have shuttered for the night, these carts become glowing beacons of light and smoke, drawing lines of people waiting for skewers of grilled lamb, beef, chicken gizzard, eggplant, and chewy mochi cakes. Even when I’m still blocks away, I begin to catch the intoxicating scent of charcoal and smoke laced with cumin and caramelized sugar. Whether I’m hungry or not, I inevitably walk away with my favorite shao kao—sticky, savory, fork-tender eggplant brushed with caramelized garlic. It’s a dish so good that I always wish I’d ordered two.
Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez
Shao kao is a catchall term for Chinese-style barbecue, a street food that’s beloved across China and other parts of Asia. Unlike American barbecue, where fatty cuts are slow-smoked and slathered in sauce, shao kao is all about speed, spice, and direct heat. Meats, seafood, and vegetables are skewered, seasoned with spice blends or savory sauces, and grilled over charcoal. While charcoal grilling has ancient roots in China, the cumin- and lamb-heavy style commonly associated with the Western Chinese province of Xinjiang has gained widespread popularity in the last few decades: The genre has taken China by storm, and more recently, the United States. Found on busy corners in Chinatown, in night markets, and at restaurants specializing in hot pot or bing fan (“ice rice,” a dessert), shao kao is so popular that many stalls stay open until the early morning hours. (My favorite spot in Brooklyn closes at 4 a.m.!)
Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez
Until last year, I was loyal to the classic lamb skewer: tiny cubes of meat coated in a fiery blend of Sichuan peppercorn, chile powder, and MSG. But earlier this year, after a trip to Fujian filled with nightly shao kao feasts, my new favorite isn’t even served on a stick. Thin, knobby Chinese eggplants are roasted, split open, and brushed with a soy sauce–based sauce that’s heavily scented with garlic. Spice mixes typically lean dry, with cumin and chile powder, but the mixes can also be saucy and include oyster sauce, fresh red Thai chiles, and soy sauce.
Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez
You could visit a street cart or shao kao restaurant for Chinese barbecue eggplant, but it’s just as easy to make at home—no charcoal grill required. The dish requires just a handful of ingredients: slender eggplants, garlic, fresh chiles, oyster sauce, soy sauce, and sugar. I roast the eggplants until they’re tender, then spoon a savory mixture of garlic and chiles bloomed in hot oil, oyster sauce, soy sauce, and sugar onto the face of each eggplant. I like to finish with another short roast to caramelize the garlic before garnishing the dish with sliced scallions and serving it plain or with rice.
Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez
Savory, Sweet, Sticky: This Simple Chinese Dish Is My Go-To Weeknight Dinner
Cook Mode
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2 large Chinese or Japanese eggplants (about 14 ounces; 400 g total)
5 tablespoons (75 g) neutral oil, such as peanut, divided
8 medium cloves garlic (40 g), minced
2 fresh red Thai chiles (2 g), sliced
2 teaspoons oyster sauce
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons (30 ml) light soy sauce, such as Lee Kum Kee
1 teaspoon MSG (optional)
2 scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced cross-wise
Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Place eggplant on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet and brush each eggplant all over with 1 tablespoon oil. Roast until tender and brown, 20 to 25 minutes.
Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez
Meanwhile, in a small heatproof bowl, combine garlic, chiles, oyster sauce, sugar, light soy sauce, and MSG, if using. In a small saucepan set over medium heat, heat the remaining 3 tablespoons oil until shimmering. Pour hot oil over garlic and chiles, add other seasonings, and stir well to combine.
Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez
Remove eggplants from the oven and, using a paring knife, split the eggplant open by making an incision down the center of each eggplant (do not cut all the way through). Divide sauce between eggplants, spooning into each incision. Roast until the garlic begins to carmelize and brown, about 10 more minutes. Remove from heat, let cool slightly, garnish with scallions, and serve.
Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez
Special Equipment
13- by 18-inch rimmed baking sheet, pastry brush
Make-Ahead and Storage
The eggplant is best eaten shortly after making, when the sauce is bubbly and hot, but it can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 days and reheated.
