Sautéed Bok Choy
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My sautéed bok choy recipe is seasoned with soy-garlic Asian flavors and cooks in just five minutes. It makes the perfect veggie side dish!
Why I love this recipe
My family loves my bok choy stir fry, but when we want some simple greens to pair with dinner, sautéing the bok choy on its own is always a winner. It’s quick to cook, needs very few seasonings, and pairs well with almost anything.
If you’re wondering how to cook bok choy, this is one of my favorite ways to do it. Here’s why you should make it:
- Incredible texture. My combination of seasonings gives the veggie a sticky, caramelized exterior and a juicy, soft interior.
- Five-ingredient recipe. With minimal savory ingredients and bok choy, you’ll have one of the tastiest sides ever.
- Perfect side dish. I love it with some honey soy salmon, and my partner loves it with any kind of rice or noodle dish.
★★★★★ REVIEW
“I tried this and love it!! My house smells so good!! I’ll be making this again. Thank you!!“ – Camille
Table of Contents
Key Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need, along with my kitchen notes. Full measurements are in the recipe card below.
- Bok choy. Pick fresh, clean bok choy and cut each bunch into quarters. Retain their cores. I find more and more grocery stores stock it, but if all else fails, any Asian grocery store will have it. Baby bok choy also works well, though I would check on it around the 3 1/2 minute mark, as it cooks more quickly.
- Garlic. Freshly minced, please, not the dried kind.
- Sesame oil. Only a little is used because it’s quite the flavor powerhouse.
- Olive oil. I prefer using olive oil for skillet recipes, but any neutral oil, like avocado, sunflower, or canola, will work for this recipe.
- Soy sauce. To make the tasty, umami-flavored sauce for sautéing bok choy.
How to cook bok choy
Step 1- Prep. Scrub, wash, and clean the bok choy thoroughly. Using a sharp knife, chop each bunch into four quarters and set aside.
Step 2- Sweat aromatics. To a large non-stick skillet (or wok), add oil and sesame oil. Add minced garlic and cook it over medium heat to prevent it from burning.
Step 3- Cook. Stir-fry bok choy with oil and garlic for a minute. Add soy sauce and water, cover it with a lid, and cook bok choy for roughly 3 minutes until softened.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Soak bok choy in water. Dirt can hide around the base and between the stalks, so I like to soak the bok choy in cold water for 10 minutes, then rinse and pat it dry before cooking.
- Don’t overcook bok choy. Overcooking will result in wilted, dull bok choy without any crunch. To avoid this unpleasant texture, remove it from the heat as soon as it softens (for me, I check around the 4-minute mark).
- No need to add salt. Because soy sauce contains lots of salt, you don’t need to add it again to season bok choy. Adjust the salt to your taste if you use a low-sodium soy sauce.
- Cut in even-sized pieces to ensure this dish cooks at the same time.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, just like cabbage, you can enjoy it raw as a part of a salad or relish or as a soup topping.
For this recipe, I like to keep the leaves attached to the stems. Slice the bok choy lengthwise down the middle, then cut each half in half again to create four wedges.
Sautéed Bok Choy
Video
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 pound bok choy quartered
- 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
Instructions
- Add oil and sesame oil to a non-stick skillet and place over medium heat.
- Add the garlic and cook for a minute before adding the bok choy and cook for another minute. Add the soy sauce and a few spoons of water and cover the pan. Cook for 3 minutes.
- Remove the bok choy from the heat and serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
More vegetable sides
Originally updated August 2023
I tried this this and love it!! My house smells so good!! I’ll be making this again.
Thank you!!
Love to hear that, Camille!
This was super easy and turned out great!
Thanks Rina! Glad you liked this one.
This fish looks really good. I would like to try it for the first time!
Perfect LOVED IT!