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Bok Choy with Garlic Sauce (Restaurant Style!) (VIDEO)

By Chris Joe

5 from 126 votes

Nov 08, 2023, Updated Apr 01, 2024

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Bok Choy is one of my favorite vegetables and this Bok Choy with Garlic Sauce recipe is inspired by the many Chinese banquet dinners I ate growing up! The bok choy is cooked just until crispy and tendy, and covered in a savory garlic sauce that comes togehter in 15 minutes!

Watch the Bok Choy with Garlic Sauce Recipe Video Below!

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Ingredients

• bok choy – see note below
• salt
• garlic
• avocado oil – My favorite neutral oil is avocado oil, but you can also use canola or vegetable oil! I don’t use olive oil when cooking Chinese food for two reasons: 1. It has a low burning point and 2. I find that the flavor profile does not usually go with the dish. 
• oyster sauce – This is an ingredient used often in Asian cooking; if you’ve never had it, it’s hard to describe the flavors – it’s sweet and salty with a lot of umami, but the flavors are more developed.
  • I like to use Lee Kum Kee’s oyster sauce (the bottle with the lady on the label); I usually pick it up at my local Asian grocery store (99 Ranch) but I’ve noticed it being available at more stores recently.
  • If you need a vegan alternative, I’ve heard Lee Kum Kee makes a great vegan version made with mushrooms!
• soy sauce (reduced sodium) – this is your “light” or “all-purpose” soy sauce. I recommend using low sodium because you’ll be using oyster sauce, as well, which is already salty.
• Shaoxing wine – This is one of my favorite Chinese pantry staples. It adds a depth of flavor and complexity to the sauce and truly one of my “secret ingredients” for making restaurant quality Chinese food. If you can’t find it, you can substitute with mirin, sherry, or even chicken broth.
• sugar
• white pepper – I love white pepper and it’s used very commonly in Chinese cooking (another “secret ingredient” for cooking restaurant quality Chinese food at home). It has an earthier flavor than black pepper. I recommend having some in your pantry but if you can’t find it, you can always substitute with black pepper.
• sesame oil
• chicken stock
• corn starch – Cornstarch will help thicken the Garlic Sauce into that velvety texture that Chinese restaurants made so famous.

Want more vegetable sides? Try my Crispy Roasted Brussels Sprouts, which is my top vegetable recipe on my site!

Recipe Instructions

1. Prepare the Bok Choy

Clean, wash and trim your bok choy. If the bok choy are larger, cut in half lengthwise and blanch in salted water for 1-2 minutes until bright green.

2. Mix the Sauce Ingredients

Mix together oyster sauce, soy sauce, shaoxing wine, sugar, white pepper, sesame oil, chicken stock & corn starch.

3. Make The Sauce and Serve With The Bok Choy

In a pan, fry garlic for 15 seconds until fragrant; then add your sauce. Simmer over medium high heat for 2-3 minutes until thickened. Immediately spoon over bok choy & enjoy!

5 from 126 votes

Bok Choy with Garlic Sauce

By: Chris Joe

Servings: 4

Prep: 5 minutes mins

Cook: 10 minutes mins

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This is a super easy 15-minute Bok Choy with Garlic Sauce recipe that you can find in many Chinese restaurants! It's a delicious vegetable side dish that goes with everything!

Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1.5 lb bok choy
• ▢ 1/2 tbsp salt
• ▢ 10 cloves garlic, minced
• ▢ 1 tsp avocado oil
• ▢ 2 tbsp oyster sauce
• ▢ 2 tbsp soy sauce
• ▢ 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
• ▢ 1 tsp sugar
• ▢ 1/4 tsp white pepper
• ▢ 1/2 tbsp sesame oil
• ▢ 1/2 cup chicken stock
• ▢ 1/2 tbsp corn starch

US Customary – Metric

Instructions 

• Clean, wash and trim your bok choy. If the bok choy are larger, cut in half lengthwise and blanch in salted water for 1-2 minutes until bright green.
• Mix together oyster sauce, soy sauce, shaoxing wine, sugar, white pepper, sesame oil, chicken stock & corn starch.
• In a pan, fry garlic for 15 seconds until fragrant; then add your sauce. Simmer over medium high heat for 2-3 minutes until thickened. Immediately spoon over bok choy & enjoy!

Notes

KEY TIPS

Wash and Trim Your Bok Choy; Don’t Boil: Bok Choy tends to have dirt hidden between the leaves, so make sure to wash your bok choy thoroughly before cooking. If you can’t find baby bok choy, use regular size bok choy and cut the leaves into smaller bite-size pieces. Blanch your bok choy until they are vibrant green (1-2 minutes MAX); you do not want to boil them!

Watch Your Garlic: You want to fry your garlic for only a few seconds to get a nice color; do not let it cook any further as garlic has a tendency to burn. Do not cook your garlic over high heat!

Premix Your Sauce: The cooking process for the sauce is FAST so it’s a great idea to premix your sauce together, then add it straight into the pan! The corn starch will help thicken the sauce into that velvety texture that Chinese restaurants made so famous.

 

STORAGE

You can store these in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days; however, I want to note that I don’t think bok choy holds up very well as leftovers. They usually get more water-y and lose shape/texture. 

Nutrition

Calories: 93kcalCarbohydrates: 11gProtein: 5gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 1775mgPotassium: 515mgFiber: 2gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 7602IUVitamin C: 79mgCalcium: 199mgIron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Chinese

Tried this recipe?Mention @cj.eats_ or tag #cjeatsrecipes!