Chinese Garlic Bok Choy. Tender bok choy blanched and coated in a savoury garlicky oyster soy sauce with a hint of sesame. Ready in 10 minutes with simple ingredients!
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Weβre all looking for ways to get more fibre into our diet and this 10 minute garlic bok choy recipe is your best bet! This vegetable side dish is super tasty and makes eating your vegetables a lot easier. It will be the best garlic bok choy recipe youβve ever made at home!
It's such an easy Chinese recipe as youβre simply combining the sauce ingredients. Then blanching the bok choy until vibrant green. Then simmering the sauce in the same pan and pouring it over the bok choy. That's it!
There are many bok choy recipes online but you should make my version because itβs easy to make in little time with simple and minimal ingredients in one pan with. minimal cleanup! It's also super delicious.
Ingredients
Please scroll down to below recipe card for exact measurements.Β
- Large Bok Choy: or substitute with baby bok choy
Garlic Sauce
- Fresh Garlic
- Oyster sauce: Or substitute with vegetarian stir fry sauce. Do not confuse this with Hoisin sauce, which looks similar.Β
- Regular soy sauce:Β or substitute with low sodium soy sauce or light soy sauce.Β If youβre gluten-free, substitute with tamari sauce, coconut aminos or a gluten-free soy sauce of your choice.Β
- Shaoxing wine:Β this is a Chinese rice wine. You may also substitute with Dry Sherry.
- Sesame oil
- Cornstarch: to help thicken the sauce. You may also substitute with potato starch
- White granulated sugar
- Cold water
Note: Most Asian grocery stores will carry most of the Asian specific ingredients.
How to make Chinese Garlic Bok Choy
Slice Bok Choy in Half
Slice your bok choy in half if itβs about 6-7 inches long. If itβs baby bok choy you may skip this step.
Wash Bok Choy
Wash in-between the leaves of your bok choy for hidden dirt until water runs clear.
Make Sauce
In a small bowl, combine sauce ingredients and set aside.
Blanch Greens
Fill a large pan or large wok with enough water and bring to boil on high heat. Once itβs boiling, lower your bok choy into the water and blanch just until the leaves turn vibrant green, about 30-45 seconds. Strain immediately.
Transfer Greens to a Serving Plate
Lay the bok choy on a serving plate and set aside.
Simmer Sauce
In the same pan, wipe it dry. Bring to medium heat. Once hot, pour sauce in and allow this to simmer until sauce thickens and reduces.
Pour Sauce on Bok Choy
Once sauce is thickened, pour sauce over greens. Enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Wash bok choy well. Bok choy will have some hidden dirt, so make sure you wash in-between the leaves well.
- Only blanch greens until vibrant green. Do not boil your greens. Just blanch them for at most 30-45 seconds or until it turns vibrant green.
- Add neutral oil to boiling water. This is totally optional but by adding 1 teaspoon of oil into the water, itβll help make your greens shiny and more aesthetically pleasing. I use any neutral tasting oil, like avocado or vegetable oil.
FAQ
Yes! Feel free to substitute with choy sum or yu choy, gai-lan, napa cabbage or any Asian style greens.
Other vegetables recipes you may like!
π Recipe
Easy 10-min. Chinese Garlic Bok Choy
Ingredients
- 1.50 lb Bok Choy or sub with baby bok choy
Sauce
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoon oyster sauce or sub with vegetarian stir fry sauce
- 2 tablespoon regular soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon shaoxing wine or sub with Dry Sherry Wine
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch or potato starch
- Β½ teaspoon white granulated sugar
- Β½ cup water cold
Instructions
- Slice your bok choy in half if itβs about 6-7 inches long. If itβs baby bok choy you may skip this step.
- Wash in-between the leaves of your bok choy for hidden dirt until water runs clear.
- In a small bowl, combine sauce ingredients and set aside.
- Fill a large pan or large wok with enough water and bring to boil on high heat. Once itβs boiling, lower your bok choy into the water and blanch just until the leaves turn vibrant green, about 30-45 seconds. Strain immediately.
- Lay the bok choy on a serving plate and set aside.
- In the same pan, wipe it dry. Bring to medium heat. Once hot, pour sauce in and allow this to simmer until sauce thickens and reduces.
- Once sauce is thickened, pour sauce over greens. Enjoy!
Cambrea gordon
Christie's recipe for Bok Choy is absolutely the best I have ever had. This was the first time I had ever made bok choy that wasn't super bitter and it was SO easy! The flavor of it is delicious and it went really well with her sweet and sour chicken recipe!
christieathome
Thank you so much for making my Bok Choy Cam! Happy to hear you enjoyed it and it was easy to make! It's one of my favourite veggie recipes.
Sherri
OHHHEMMMMGEEEEEEE! I am literally obsessed with bok choy and buy tons of it every week at our farmers market. I usually stir fry it or add it ramen but THIS just takes it to a whole new level. The flavor profile is amazing! Can't wait to try! π
christieathome
Thanks so much Sherri! One of my favourite ways to cook it! Glad I could share it with you!
Tasia ~ two sugar bugs
Bok choy is something I don't make nearly enough because I love it!!! Can't wait to try this quick version!
Kim Lange
Looks so simple and deliciously healthy! YUM!
Linda
I need to make this again! It was so good and easy.
Jen
My new favourite vegetable side dish. Will be making again and again!!
christieathome
Thanks for making my recipe! Glad you enjoyed it! βΊοΈ
Yudon
Very impressed! Turned my bok choy into an exciting and delicious side dish. Thanks for the recipe!
christieathome
Thanks so much Yudon! Glad you enjoyed it!
Khanh
love, love, love this simple and delicious recipe! Making it again tonight for dinner. thank you!
christieathome
Amazing! Thanks for making it and I hope you enjoy it again!
Yudon
Totally enjoyed this recipe! I added slightly more garlic, sugar and substituted corn flour with potato flour (ran out of the former). Reminds me of what you get when you order at restaurants. Easy to prep too, the most 'tedious' part for me was washing the veg and chopping the garlic. Thanks Christie!
christieathome
Thanks so much for making my recipe, Yudon! Happy you enjoyed it and glad it was like what you ordered at the restaurant.
Dan T
Excellent
christieathome
Thanks so much for making my recipe and for the kind review, Dan!
Dianne
Delicious! It was easily adapted for a vegan main dish: I sauteed sliced cremini mushrooms and diced red onion, then tofu (pressed and cubed) and set them aside, before following your directions. Before adding the incredible sauce to the drained bok choy, I put the other ingredients in the pan. With brown rice, this was both easy and filling. We're definitely going to have this delicious meal often!
Christie Lai
Thanks so much for making my recipe and for leaving your kind review, Dianne! Glad it all worked out with those additions and it all sounds so good!
Lee
Christie, your recipe is spot on. I prepared it along with steamed pot stickers and it was perfect. I used fresh baby bok choy from our farmers market and my steamed pot stickers. Your sauce is exactly what I have been searching for and it was incredible. I made sure all of the water was drained off the finished bok then added the finished pot stickers on top. I ladled the sauce on top of it and it was, not only beautiful, but absolutely delicious!! No restaurant could be this!! Thanks so much.
Christie Lai
Thank you so much for making my recipe and for sharing your positive experience, Lee! So happy to hear that it was better than the restaurant and glad it worked well with your delicious sounding meal π Have a great day!