This Chinese Garlic Bok Choy is a quick, healthy side that can be whipped up in under 15 minutes! Blanching unlocks its perfect crisp-tender texture, while a simple sesame-soy sauce delivers a powerful punch of flavor. Top it with sesame seeds and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes – ideal alongside rich noodles, grilled meats, or steamed rice.
Table of Contents
Whether you’re looking to serve an authentic Chinese meal for the family or feel like a change from your usual leafy green side dishes, this garlic bok choy is the perfect option – it’s quick and easy, loaded with flavor, and adds a pop of vibrant green color to your plate.
Make small adjustments to the sauce to suit your level of spice, toast the sesame seeds for added depth, or combine forces with other ginger stir fry veggies to expand your servings.
Ingredient notes
- Bok choy – This is a type of Chinese cabbage that’s traditionally used in Asian dishes. It has a mild peppery flavor and you’ll typically find regular bok choy or baby bok choy in local grocery stores.
- Olive oil – My preferred choice of oil for cooking the garlic and ginger until fragrant. You could use avocado oil or vegetable oil instead.
- Garlic – Freshly minced garlic cloves always taste the best! It’ll add a delicious depth of flavor to the sauce.
- Ginger – A classic ingredient used in Asian cooking which provides a boost of warm, pungent, and slightly spicy flavor to the sauce.
- Sauce – A combination of chicken broth (or vegetable broth or water), oyster sauce, low sodium soy sauce, sesame oil, cornstarch, and honey (or sugar).
- Garnish – I love to garnish this garlic bok choy with sesame seeds (white or black) and red pepper flakes for added texture and flavor, but it’s completely optional and can be omitted, if you prefer.
How to make it
- Prepare the bok choy: Slice the heads of bok choy and wash thoroughly in cold water to remove any dirt and grit.
- Blanch the bok choy: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the bok choy and cook for 1-2 minutes, until tender. Drain well and arrange on a serving platter.
- Make the sauce: Whisk together the sauce ingredients in a small bowl, and set aside. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant. Pour in the sauce and simmer for a minute or two until the sauce is heated through and has thickened.
- Assemble and serve: Pour the thickened sauce over the bok choy. Garnish the dish with sesame seeds and red pepper flakes, if desired.
Ways to use bok choy in other dishes
Beyond being a simple side, bok choy’s mild flavor and satisfying crunch make it a versatile foundation for everything from hearty stir-fries to fresh salads, Asian condiments, and comforting soups. Here are two ways you can instantly incorporate it into other recipes:
- Stir Fry Veggies: Bok choy is a fantastic stir fry vegetable alongside other favorites, adding bulk, flavor, and nutrition to a variety of dishes, such as Yaki Udon (Japanese Stir Fried Udon Noodles) and more.
- Kimchi: Use bok choy as the preferred type of cabbage when making homemade kimchi. It’s a great alternative to napa cabbage.
Tips and tricks
- Squeeze excess liquid from the blanched bok choy before assembling with the sauce. Wrap the bok choy in a clean kitchen towel or cheesecloth to make draining easier and more efficient.
- Taste the sauce before adding it to the bok choy and adjust with seasoning or honey, as needed.
- Lightly toast the sesame seeds in a dry pan for extra crunch and depth.
- Dress the blanched bok choy just before serving to avoid an overly soggy side dish.
- Blanch in batches if your pot isn’t large enough. Overcrowding lowers the water temperature quickly, leading to soggy, unevenly cooked bok choy instead of crisp-tender stalks and leaves.
- Plunge your drained blanched bok choy into a bowl of ice water. This “shocks” the vegetables, stopping the cooking process instantly. It’s the best way to lock in that vibrant green color and perfect crisp-tender texture. I haven’t done this for this recipe, but it’s definitely an option.
Variations
This bok choy recipe is super easy to customize. Once you’ve got the basics down, try playing around with it! Here are a few simple ideas to get you started:
- Instead of bok choy – Try watercress, collard greens, baby spinach, Swiss chard, or kale. Each has a slightly different flavor profile but still pairs beautifully with the sesame-soy sauce.
- Use baby bok choy – For a more tender and quick-cooking option, try baby bok choy! No need to slice it in half. Simply trim the very base of each head and leave them whole (or quarter larger heads). Blanch for only 45-60 seconds, until just tender-crisp. They will require less time than mature bok choy.
- Include other veggies – Instead of a simple bok choy side dish, consider tossing in other veggies, such as thinly sliced radishes, julienned carrots, shredded daikon, blanched green beans, or crunchy broccoli. Pickled ginger, cucumbers, or onions are also great if you want a crisp, tangy contrast.
- Add a kick of heat – In addition to the red pepper flakes, add a pinch of chili flakes, a drizzle of chili oil, or a dash of shichimi togarashi (Japanese seven-spice) to the sauce for a lovely kick of heat to this side dish.
- Garnish options – Other garnishes that work really well with this garlic bok choy include a sprinkle of furikake seasoning or thinly sliced nori strips (for ocean-inspired flavor).
Serving suggestions
This garlic bok choy is best served slightly warm or at room temperature. If you’ve made it ahead of time or have leftovers chilled in the fridge, take it out 10 to 15 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to fully come alive.
For a well-rounded and authentic meal, pair this garlic bok choy with these Chinese-inspired dishes:
Storing
Store leftover garlic bok choy in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 days. The bok choy will lose some of its vibrant color, but the flavors of this side dish will still be delicious. I recommend only adding fresh garnish to your leftovers just before serving again.
Erin’s wine pairings
Enjoy your garlic bok choy alongside wines that pair beautifully with the garlic, ginger, and umami-driven profile of this simple side dish. Here are a few of my favorite choices to get you started:
- Light, crisp, and slightly acidic white wines, such as Sauvignon Blanc or Riesling, work beautifully with the delicate and mild bok choy with the sesame-soy sauce, and irresistible umami flavors.
- Try dry sake or any of these 8 Wines to Try with Sushi for a more traditional pairing. These are perfect for both Chinese and Japanese-inspired dishes.
More Asian-inspired side dishes to try
Did you make this garlic bok choy recipe?
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Full Recipe
Garlic Bok Choy
Equipment
- Serving Platter
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds bok choy (sliced in half, about 5 heads)
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 6 cloves garlic (minced)
- 2 teaspoons fresh ginger (grated )
Sauce:
- 1/2 cup chicken broth (vegetable broth or water)
- 2 Tablespoons oyster sauce
- 2 Tablespoons soy sauce (low sodium )
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon honey (or sugar)
To Garnish:
- Sesame seeds (to garnish (optional)
- Red pepper flakes (to garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Wash the bok choy thoroughly in cold water before cooking, to remove any dirt and grit.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the bok choy and cook for 1-2 minutes, until tender. Drain well and arrange on a serving platter.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the 1/2 cup chicken broth, 2 Tablespoons oyster sauce, 2 Tablespoons soy sauce, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, ½ teaspoon honey and 2 teaspoons cornstarch. Set aside.
- In a large skillet, heat the 1 Tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add the 6 cloves garlic and 2 teaspoons fresh ginger and cook, until fragrant, 1-2 minutes. Pour in the sauce and simmer for a minute or two until the sauce is heated through and thickened.
- Pour the sauce over the bok choy. Garnish with sesame seeds and red pepper flakes, if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
- Store leftover garlic bok choy in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 days. The bok choy will lose some of its vibrant color, but the flavors of this side dish will still be delicious. I recommend only adding fresh garnish to your leftovers just before serving again.
- Squeeze excess liquid from the blanched bok choy before assembling with the sauce. Wrap the bok choy in a clean kitchen towel or cheesecloth to make draining easier and more efficient.
- Taste the sauce before adding it to the bok choy and adjust with seasoning or honey, as needed.
- Lightly toast the sesame seeds in a dry pan for extra crunch and depth.
- Dress the blanched bok choy just before serving to avoid an overly soggy side dish.
- Blanch in batches if your pot isn’t large enough. Overcrowding lowers the water temperature quickly, leading to soggy, unevenly cooked bok choy instead of crisp-tender stalks and leaves.
- Plunge your drained blanched bok choy into a bowl of ice water. This “shocks” the vegetables, stopping the cooking process instantly. It’s the best way to lock in that vibrant green color and perfect crisp-tender texture. I haven’t done this for this recipe, but it’s definitely an option.
- Instead of bok choy – Try watercress, collard greens, baby spinach, Swiss chard, or kale. Each has a slightly different flavor profile but still pairs beautifully with the sesame-soy sauce.
- Use baby bok choy – For a more tender and quick-cooking option, try baby bok choy! No need to slice it in half. Simply trim the very base of each head and leave them whole (or quarter larger heads). Blanch for only 45-60 seconds, until just tender-crisp. They will require less time than mature bok choy.
- Include other veggies – Instead of a simple bok choy side dish, consider tossing in other veggies, such as thinly sliced radishes, julienned carrots, shredded daikon, blanched green beans, or crunchy broccoli. Pickled ginger, cucumbers, or onions are also great if you want a crisp, tangy contrast.
- Add a kick of heat – In addition to the red pepper flakes, add a pinch of chili flakes, a drizzle of chili oil, or a dash of shichimi togarashi (Japanese seven-spice) to the sauce for a lovely kick of heat to this side dish.
- Garnish options – Other garnishes that work really well with this garlic bok choy include a sprinkle of furikake seasoning or thinly sliced nori strips (for ocean-inspired flavor).
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