Chili Garlic Bok Choy – 10 Minutes! (VIDEO)
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You’re going to love this Chili Garlic Bok Choy – the bok choy is stir-fried until tender (but not mushy!) with fragrant garlic and then topped with a little bit of chili oil that you won’t be able to get enough of!
Watch the Chili Garlic Bok Choy Recipe Video!
A Note from CJ
Chili Garlic Bok Choy is good!
This is one of those dishes that is so simple but SO good. Don’t believe me? Just read all of the reviews that talk about how addictive and delicious it was! (Zero chance of having any leftovers!) If you love bok choy, make sure to try Garlic Bok Choy, Bok Choy with Garlic Sauce, or Bok Choy with Oyster Sauce!
Want more vegetable sides? Try Din Tai Fung Garlic Green Beans, Chinese Smashed Cucumber Salad, Dry Fried Garlic Green Beans, Chinese Eggplant, Din Tai Fung Cucumber Salad, or Taiwanese Cabbage with Garlic!
I love bok choy and this garlicky version is nothing shy of brilliant! The smell while making this is so addicting as is the taste!
Ingredient Tips
Refer to the recipe card for the full list of ingredients and measurements!
- baby bok choy – I recommend baby bok choy for this dish, but regular bok choy works well too. You may need to trim and cut the bok choy in half like I do in the photos and video (size is up to your preference!)
- msg – I like to use MSG in moderaton as an optional flavor enhancer.
- chili oil – I like to use homemade Chinese Chili Oil but you can also use store bought.
How to Make Chili Garlic Bok Choy
Wash and Slice Baby Bok Choy – Wash the baby bok choy and peel off outer leaves until stem and the closest leaves remain. Slice the stems in half with a knife and then drain excess moisture from bok choy. Set the vegetables aside in a large bowl.
Saute Bok Choy and Season – Heat 3 tbsp of neutral oil in a pan over high heat. Add garlic and saute for 15 seconds. Then immediately add in the bok choy and season with kosher salt, sugar, and msg. Cook for 3-5 minutes until slightly wilted and browned. Add chili oil and toss until combined. Enjoy!
PRO TIPS
CJ’s Recipe & Storage Tips
Cook the Water Out! When cooking the bok choy, you likely see a pool of liquid at the bottom of the pan. This is because bok choy is high in water content – it’s important to keep cooking until all of this water is evaporated so you don’t get a soggy, watery bok choy dish.
Storage Tips – Store any leftover bok choy with sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You’ll notice that the bok choy will soften and release more water as it sits, which will dilute the sauce – this is normal but a reason why I don’t prefer leftovers. Reheat until warmed through in a microwave.
If you tried this Chili Garlic Bok Choy or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below!
Chili Garlic Bok Choy (VIDEO)
Video
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb baby bok choy
- 10 cloves garlic, chopped
- 3 tbsp neutral oil
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1/4 tsp msg
- 2 tbsp chili oil
Instructions
- Wash the baby bok choy and peel off outer leaves until stem and the closest leaves remain. Slice the stems in half with a knife and then drain excess moisture from bok choy. Set the vegetables aside in a large bowl.
- Heat 3 tbsp of neutral oil in a pan over high heat. Add garlic and saute for 15 seconds. Then immediately add in the bok choy and season with kosher salt, sugar, and msg. Cook for 3-5 minutes until slightly wilted and browned.
- Add chili oil and toss until combined. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This Chili Garlic Bok Choy recipe was originally published in October 2023, and updated in March 2026.
This is one of many recipes I’m absolutely in love with!! I love bok choy a this garlicky version is nothing shy of brilliant! The smell while making this is so addicting as is the taste! I love this by itself or in Pho!! Give it a go 🙏🏼🙏🏼 @basmati4u on insta
I love bok choy and this recipe hits!
@soelsner
Bok choy is my favorite leafy greens to eat!! It absorbs so much flavor and it’s so easy to cook! This chili flavor and the garlic recipe is a must try!! Perfect side dish to your main course!
IG: lifewith_jaly
Bok choy is one of my favorite leafy greens to eat because it absorbs so much flavor than most. I love it with soups and now I love it like this!! My kids even love eating it and it’s hard to get them to eat any greens.
Spicy and Garlicky as I like 🔥!
IG : alexandre_lolopez
Love this recipe. It’s my go to side dish and great healthy eating Addison to any meal 🍜🥢🫶
zigshar22
@therewillbegrub
A favourite with my family. Goes well with stir fry beef dishes! Easy and simple and flavourful.
In the ingredient list it says 1 tbsp. of neutral oil but in the steps, it says heat 3 tbsp. in the pan?
This was the best recipe for bok choy I’ve had. My only comment is that it says 10 garlic cloves at the top but then says chop 6 in the directions. I didn’t see instructions for the other 4 cloves. (so I deducted one star for that.. otherwise it would be a 5) However, I used 6 and it was the perfect amount of garlic.
Oops! Thanks for that – just fixed it in the recipe card 🙂 I’m so glad you enjoyed it!