10 Minutes Garlic Bok Choy Recipe

The baby bok choy recipe is blanched and coated in umami-flavored savory garlicky oyster sauce. This baby bok choy recipe is a great side dish that comes together in 10 minutes using minimal pantry ingredients.

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• Quick, delicious, easy baby bok choy recipe
• Ingredients
• How to make it
• Helpful tips
• Serving suggestions
• How to store leftovers
• FAQS
• TRY THESE
• 📋10 Minutes Garlic Bok Choy Recipe
• Recipe Notes

Quick, delicious, easy baby bok choy recipe

Bok choy or also called pak choi or pok choi is a type of Chinese cabbage. It’s one of the essential ingredients in Asian cuisine and is mostly used in stir fry recipes, making kimchi, used as salad, or soup.

One of the ways on cooking bok choy is by blanching it in hot water for 60 seconds or more, then coating it in umami sauce with garlic and oyster sauce. Of course, bok choy can be stir-fried in the sauce as well.

Bok choy in the savory sauce is one of the most favorite Asian side dishes that can be enjoyed with white rice or brown rice. Many Asian and Chinese restaurants feature garlic bok choy dishes on their menu.  

This recipe is –

Easy to make

Needs a handful of ingredients

Packed with savory umami flavors

Ready in 10 minutes

So delicious!

Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need –

• 1.5 pound baby bok choy, halved
• 1 tablespoon cooking oil (like canola oil, vegetable oil, grapeseed oil or sunflower oil)
• 6 cloves garlic, minced

SAUCE:

• 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar or mirin or Chinese wine
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• ½ teaspoon granular white sugar
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch

More ingredients addition

You can add more flavor and taste to the bok choy recipe by adding minced ginger, shallots, and red pepper flakes.

A splash of sweet chili sauce would add a slight kick to the dish. A dash of fish sauce can be added too if you like the flavor.

Bok choy – baby bok choy works best for this recipe. Baby bok choy is sweeter and have tender stalks.

If you can’t get baby bok choy use full-grown bok choy, slice it halve or quarter depending on the size.

Oil – you can use any oil to saute garlic and thicken the sauce. Any neutral-tasting oil like canola oil, vegetable oil, grapeseed oil or sunflower oil works best.

Garlic – sautéing garlic in oil softens it and removes the raw flavor.

Oyster sauce – adds a rich umami earthy flavor to the bok choy recipe. You can substitute oyster sauce with Chinese mushroom sauce or teriyaki sauce or stir-fry sauce.

Soy sauce – I used regular soy sauce. If you are looking for a low-sodium option use low-sodium soy sauce.

Rice vinegar – adds slight zing to the sauce. If you can get Chinese wine or mirin go ahead and use it.

Sesame oil – sesame oil has a pungent taste to it. Use less amount if you don’t like the flavor.

Sugar – little sugar to give a good balance to the sauce.

Pepper – adds heat to the dish.

Cornstarch – to thicken the sauce, you can also use potato starch.

How to make it

Baby bok choy can be used whole or you can slice into halve lengthwise.

Wash between the leaves to get rid of dirt.

Boil water in a wok.

Blanch baby bok choy in boiling water for 40-60 seconds depending on its size.

Drain blanched bok choy from hot water and shock in an ice bath immediately. This will retain the vibrant green color on the leaves of the bok choy.

Drain from the ice bath and spread baby bok choy on a kitchen towel and pat dry.

In a small bowl whisk together oyster sauce, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, sugar, pepper, and cornstarch. Set aside.

Heat oil in a wok.

Saute minced garlic in hot oil for 60 seconds with constant stirring.

Pour the sauce into the wok, stir, and cook for a few seconds until the sauce thickens.

If the sauce turns too thick adjust the consistency by adding a teaspoon of stock or water.

Sauce consistency should be thick and pourable.

Arrange blanched bok choy over the serving dish and pour the sauce over the bok choy.

Serve immediately with sesame seeds sprinkled on top if you like.

Helpful tips

1. Baby bok choy is best as it is sweeter and has tender stalks. If you can’t get baby bok choy to use regular-sized bok choy, slice it into half or quarters lengthwise depending on its size.
2. Bok choy has dirt hidden between the stalks/leaves. Always wash it between leaves under tap water to get rid of dirt before you cook.
3. Blanch bok choy for not more than 40 to 60 seconds until vibrant green. Do not boil the greens for longer, it will loose vibrant green color.
4. Prep all ingredients before hand. Make sure all ingredients are ready and within reach while cooking.
5. Taste and adjust seasoning accordingly.

Serving suggestions

You won’t believe how easy the garlic bok choy recipe is to make. You can serve it just about everything!

Serve it as a side dish with chicken, fish, or steak alongside rice. The bok choy recipe is great with white rice or brown rice.

Add boneless chicken or shrimp to the dish and serve as a low-carb meal.

Stir in ramen noodles along with fried/scrambled eggs for an easy and quick dinner.

How to store leftovers

Store leftover bok choy in airtight sealed container in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days.

To reheat, reheat in a skillet with constant stirring for not more than 2 to 3 minutes.

FAQS

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