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This is one of the easiest and most delicious ways to make Garlic Bok Choy at home! Bok choy is one of my favorite vegetables and it really shines when prepared in such a simple way! It only requires 5 ingredients and 15 minutes – you’re going to love it!
Watch The Recipe Video For Garlic Bok Choy!
Table of Contents
I LOVE Chinese vegetable dishes – I think they’re some of the best ways to prepare vegetables in a simple manner that lets the vegetables shine, while pairing them with delicious, savory sauces.
Some of my favorite Chinese vegetable dishes are Gai Lan with Oyster Sauce, Chinese Smashed Cucumber Salad, the classic Chinese Green Beans with Pork), and Chinese Eggplant with Garlic Sauce (my favorite way to eat eggplant)!
Ingredient Tips for Garlic Bok Choy
- 1 lb baby bok choy – I like to use baby bok choy, as they’re easier to eat (smaller in size) and more tender/sweeter. However, you can use regular bok choy for this recipe – you won’t really notice a difference! Use what you can find and is available for you.
- 10 cloves garlic, chopped
- 3 tbsp neutral 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.
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1/4 tsp msg – I like to use MSG in moderation as a flavor enhancer; this is optional!
Recipe Instructions for Garlic Bok Choy
1. Prepare Your Bok Choy
Wash the baby bok choy and peel off each outer leaf until only the stem and inside leaves remain. You will be using every part of the bok choy! Slice the stems in half with a knife.
Place bok choy leaves and stem halves in a bowl and rinse them with water to remove any dirt. Once washed, drain any excess moisture with a kitchen or paper towel. Set aside.
PRO TIP
Dry The Bok Choy Thoroughly!
Ensure you remove as much water from the bok choy after rinsing the vegetables clean. The bok choy already has a lot of water in the vegetables themselves, so we want to reduce any additional water that is put into the pan. This will help make them crisp and crunch rather than watery on a home stove.
2. Mince The Garlic
Chop 10 cloves of garlic and set aside. Feel free to adjust the amount to your preference (15 cloves wouldn’t hurt!).
3. Cook Your Bok Choy and Garlic
Heat 3 tbsp of neutral oil in a pan over high heat. Add garlic and sauté for 15 seconds. We just want to extract some of the flavor out of the garlic into the oil rather than brown them.
Add in your bok choy and cook for 2-3 minutes until slightly wilted and browned.
4. Season and Stir Fry the Bok Choy
Season with kosher salt, sugar, and msg and cook the bok choy for another 1 to 2 minutes. You will see water being extracted out of the bok choy due to the salt being added – continue cooking the bok choy over high heat until all of this water is evaporated. Only once the water is evaporated will the bok choy be able to take on color which is what we’re trying to achieve, so don’t worry if this takes a few extra minutes depending on the heat of your stove at home.
My Pro Tip
Expert Tips for Making the Best Garlic Bok Choy
Garlic Tips
- Since you’ll be sauteing the garlic in the oil, I recommend a rough chop vs. a fine mince. This will help prevent the garlic from burning.
- If you prefer a fine mince, that is OK, just cook on a lower heat.
- Whether you choose to rough chop or fine mince, keep an eye on the garlic so it doesn’t burn!
Cook Out All Of the Water
Bok Choy naturally contains a lot of water. Seasoning with salt will help extract out that water, so that we can evaporate it and cook to bok choy to become crisp and browned. Depending on your stove, it may take a few minutes for this water to evaporate, but keep cooking it until the pan is dry. Only then will the bok choy be able to take on color and brown properly!
What if I can’t find Bok Choy?
You can try using one of these vegetables instead –
- choy sum or yu choy
- gai lan (Chinese broccoli)
- napa cabbage
Storage
You can store Garlic Bok Choy 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 soggy and lose shape/texture.
What to Serve with Garlic Bok Choy
I love eating this with some of my favorite classic Chinese restaurant dishes – try it with a bowl of fluffy Egg Fried Rice (make Chicken Fried Rice or Shrimp Fried Rice if you want to add a protein) and savory Soy Sauce Pan Fried Noodles! Bok Choy goes perfectly with my favorite Wonton Noodle Soup, made with my Grandma’s Pork and Shrimp Wontons and my homemade Chinese Chili Oil!
If you tried this 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!
Garlic Bok Choy
Ingredients
- 1 lb baby bok choy
- 10 cloves garlic, chopped
- 3 tbsp neutral oil, I used avocado oil
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1/4 tsp msg, optional
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.
- Chop 10 cloves of garlic and set aside.
- Heat 3 tbsp of neutral oil in a pan over high heat. Add garlic and saute for 15 seconds. Then immediately add in your bok choy and cook for 2-3 minutes until slightly wilted and browned.
- Season with kosher salt, sugar, and msg and cook for another minute. Enjoy!
Notes
-
- Since you’ll be sauteing the garlic in the oil, I recommend a rough chop vs. a fine mince. This will help prevent the garlic from burning.
-
- If you prefer a fine mince, that is OK, just cook on a lower heat.
-
- Whether you choose to rough chop or fine mince, keep an eye on the garlic so it doesn’t burn!
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 soggy and lose shape/texture.Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This is one of my favorites, so easy to make & delicious.
This was my first time eating bok choy, I would always see it at the grocery store and I was curious as to what it would taste like and I absolutely love it. It’s as if spinach and cabbage had a baby. This recipe has the right amount of salt, sugar and garlic. It’s the perfect side dish to any meal.