Gai Lan with Oyster Sauce (Chinese Restaurant Style) (VIDEO)
Aug 23, 2022, Updated Apr 01, 2024
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Gai Lan (Chinese Broccoli) with Oyster Sauce is the quintessential classic Chinese dish. If you are a dim sum lover like I am, you’re familiar seeing this on the carts, bustling around the tables. The sauce makes this dish – it’s salty, savory, and sweet, with hints of ginger and garlic. You’re going to love this umami bomb of flavor!
Watch the Gai Lan with Oyster Sauce Video Below!
Table of Contents
Gai Lan (or Chinese Broccoli) with Oyster Sauce is a must-order dish at dim sum! Alongside succulent pork and shrimp dumplings like Siu Mai (Shu Mai), golden brown Fried Shrimp Balls, delicious and savory Soy Sauce Pan Fried Noodles, Gai Lan (Chinese Broccoli) is what I remember ordering the most with my family.
Ingredients for Gai Lan (Chinese Broccoli) with Oyster Sauce
You only need a handful of ingredients to make Chinese restaurant quality Gai Lan (Chinese Broccoli) with Oyster Sauce – most of these will already be in your panty if you enjoy Chinese cooking!
What is Gai Lan?
Gai Lan is a very popular and commonly eaten Chinese vegetable. It’s called Chinese Broccoli because the stem has the same texture as broccoli; however, the leaves actually taste like spinach leaves (but thicker).
Gai Lan or Chinese Broccoli needs to be cooked before eaten. It’s commonly steamed (like in this dish) or stir-fried (like in Pad See Ew).
I purchase mine from my local Chinese grocery (99 Ranch).
How to Pick Gai Lan
- The stem should be a light green color and look ‘fresh’.
- If you were to snap the stem, it should break easily in half.
- The leaves should be a deep green color.
- If it has flower buds, they should be green. (Avoid any that are yellow.)
Ingredients
- Gai Lan: Gai Lan is also called Chinese Broccoli. I find this at my local Asian grocery stores but I understand this might not be the easiest ingredient to find – if you can’t find Gai Lan, you can substitute with another green vegetable, like broccoli, broccolini, asparagus, or bok choy.
- Chicken Stock
- 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!
- Light 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.
- Dark Soy Sauce: Dark soy sauce is different from “light” soy sauce in that it is thicker, sweeter, and used to darken dishes.
- 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
- MSG: As you know, I like to use MSG in moderation as a flavor enhancer; this is always optional!
- Garlic
- Ginger
- Cornstarch: Cornstarch will help thicken the Oyster Sauce into that velvety texture that Chinese restaurants made so famous.
Gai Lan (Chinese Broccoli) with Oyster Sauce: Recipe Instructions
1. Cut and Steam the Gai Lan
The first step in making this recipe is trimming the Gai Lan stems. Trim off about 1″ of the woody, tough stem prior to steaming.
Next, in a bamboo steamer or metal steamer, steam the Gai Lan over high heat for 4-5 minutes until tender and bright green.
The stems should be bright green and tender at this point. Turn off the heat while we make the savory oyster sauce.
2. Make the Sauce
After the gai lan (Chinese broccoli) is steamed, mix the sauce by combining chicken stock, oyster sauce, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, shaoxing wine, sesame oil, sugar, msg, grated garlic & ginger, and cornstarch.
Next, whisk until the ingredients are combined and turn the heat to high. Cook for a few minutes until the sauce has thickened slightly. This will be in large part due to the cornstarch that is added. Pour it over the Gai Lan and top with fried garlic as garnish and enjoy your Gai Lan (Chinese Broccoli) with Oyster Sauce!
PRO TIPS
Expert Tips for Gai Lan (Chinese Broccoli) with Oyster Sauce
How to Pick Gai Lan
- The stem should be a light green color and look ‘fresh’.
- If you were to snap the stem, it should break easily in half.
- The leaves should be a deep green color.
- If it has flower buds, they should be green. (Avoid any that are yellow.)
What if I can’t find Gai Lan?
If you can’t find Gai Lan or Chinese broccoli, you can substitute with another green vegetable. The star of the show is actually the restaurant-style Oyster Sauce that is poured over the Gai Lan, so you can still enjoy this dish with another vegetable like:
- broccoli
- broccolini
- asparagus
- bok choy
Storage
You can store Gai Lan (Chinese Broccoli) with Oyster Sauce in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
What can I serve with Gai Lan (Chinese Broccoli) with Oyster Sauce?
Gai Lan (Chinese Broccoli) with Oyster Sauce is a phenomenal side dish to serve with any of your favorite Chinese dishes!
I grew up eating this at dim sum, so I would serve this with other popular dimsum items like Siu Mai (Shu Mai), Fried Shrimp Balls, Soy Sauce Pan Fried Noodles, and fluffy Egg Fried Rice.
What Other Vegetable Sides Can I Make?
I think Chinese vegetable dishes are some of the best – they’re simple enough to let the flavors of the vegetables shine and usually comes with a perfectly paired sauce. Some of my favorites are my Bok Choy with Garlic Sauce, the famous Din Tai Fung Cucumber Salad, garlicky and addictive Din Tai Fung Green Beans (or maybe you want to try the classic Chinese Green Beans with Pork), and Chinese Eggplant with Garlic Sauce (my favorite way to eat eggplant)!
If you tried this Gai Lan (Chinese Broccoli) with Oyster Sauce or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below!
Gai Lan With Oyster Sauce
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb gai lan (Chinese broccoli), stems and leaves trimmed
- 1/2 cup chicken stock
- 2 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1/2 tsp dark soy sauce
- 1 tbsp shaoxing wine
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1/4 tsp msg, optional
- 2 cloves garlic, grated
- 1/2 tbsp ginger, grated
- 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
- fried garlic, for garnish
Instructions
- Wash your Gai Lan and trim 1 inch off the stems and trim leaves to create uniform pieces.
- In a small saucepan, mix together chicken stock, oyster sauce, light & dark soy sauce, shaoxing wine, sesame oil, sugar, MSG, grated garlic and ginger, and cornstarch and stir to combine. Bring to a boil over medium heat for 30 seconds and let cool.
- Steam your Gai Lan for 4 minutes and pour sauce directly over the vegetables. Top with fried garlic (optional) and enjoy!
Notes
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- The stem should be a light green color and look ‘fresh’.
-
- If you were to snap the stem, it should break easily in half.
-
- The leaves should be a deep green color.
-
- If it has flower buds, they should be green. (Avoid any that are yellow.)
STORAGE
You can store this in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days.Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
The whole family enjoyed it.