There’s no delivery required for this delicious and easy bok choy with garlic and oyster sauce recipe. 10 minutes is all it takes to make this savory and nutty Chinese-style vegetable stir fry. Serve it as a simple side dish with rice, noodles, tofu, fish, or your favorite takeout-style dinner.
Why This Recipe Works
- Restaurant-style flavor at home. Oyster sauce gives the bok choy a savory-sweet flavor that tastes similar to what’s served at Chinese restaurants.
- Tender-crisp texture. Blanching helps the bok choy stay bright green and slightly crunchy instead of turning limp or watery.
- Easy to customize. Add ginger, dried chilies, sesame oil, mushrooms, or crunchy garlic in chili oil to change the flavor.
- Cheaper than takeout. This recipe gives you a generous plate of garlicky bok choy for a fraction of the price of ordering delivery.
Table of contents
What is Bok Choy?
Bok choy, also called pak choi, is a type of Chinese cabbage with crisp white stems and tender green leaves. It has a mild, slightly sweet flavor and cooks very quickly.
Baby bok choy is harvested earlier than mature bok choy, so it’s smaller, more tender, and a little less fibrous. I like using baby bok choy for this recipe because the stems stay juicy and crisp, while the leaves become silky and tender.
Regular bok choy also works well. Just slice it into smaller pieces, about 2 to 3 inches long, so the stems and leaves cook evenly.
How to Clean Bok Choy
Bok choy can trap dirt and sand where the stems meet, so it’s important to clean it well before cooking.
You have two options:
- Cut and rinse. Trim the end where the stems connect, separate the leaves, and rinse them under cold water. This is the easiest method if you are using regular bok choy or cutting the bok choy into pieces.
- Soak and rinse. If you want to keep baby bok choy whole or sliced in half lengthwise, place it in a large bowl of cold water and swish it around. Let the dirt fall to the bottom of the bowl, then rinse well. You may need to repeat this if the bok choy is very sandy.
Drain the bok choy well before cooking. Too much water can dilute the sauce and make the stir fry watery.
Ingredients for Bok Choy with Oyster Sauce
Scroll to the bottom of the post for the full recipe measurements and instructions.
- Garlic: A few minced garlic cloves add fragrance and a little sweetness.
- Oil: Use a neutral oil such as vegetable oil, canola oil or grapeseed oil.
- Bok choy: Baby bok choy is my personal preference since it has a tender texture and pliant crunch. You can quickly blanch – then shock the leaves in cold water – for a striking saturated green color. Regular bok choy also works, but it should be sliced into 2 to 3 inch pieces so it cooks evenly.
- Oyster sauce: Oyster sauce is savory, slightly sweet, and full of umami. It gives the sauce its rich, restaurant-style flavor. If you are vegetarian, use vegetarian oyster sauce, which is usually made with mushrooms.
- Shaoxing wine: Shaoxing wine is a little sweet, vinegary, and has a sharp dry finish. Dry sherry is the best substitute, but mirin or a small splash of apple cider vinegar can also work in a pinch.
- Soy sauce: A little soy sauce adds saltiness and more umami.
How to Make it
- Clean your bok choy and set it aside.
- Fill a large pot with salted water and bring to a boil. Add the bok choy and blanch for 1 minute.
- Drain and immediately rinse the bok choy under cold water. Once cold, drain well.
- Place a wok or large skillet over high heat and add the oil and garlic. Sauté for one minute.
- Add the bok choy – and the soy sauce, oyster sauce, shaoxing wine and black pepper – and toss for around 1 minute, until tender.
- Turn the heat off and transfer to a plate. Serve immediately.
Cooking Tip
Measure the oyster sauce, Shaoxing wine, and soy sauce before you start cooking and place them next to the stove. Stir frying moves quickly, and having everything ready prevents certain ingredients from overcooking or burning.
Tips for the Best Bok Choy Stir Fry
- Drain the bok choy well. This is the most important step. If the bok choy is too wet, the sauce will taste diluted and the dish can turn watery.
- Do not overcook it. Bok choy should be tender but still have a little crunch. The blanching step only takes about 1 minute, and the stir fry step is also very quick.
- Use high heat. A hot skillet or wok helps the sauce coat the bok choy quickly.
- Add garlic at the right time. Garlic burns easily, especially over high heat. Cook it just until fragrant before adding the bok choy and sauce.
- Taste before serving. Oyster sauce and soy sauce are both salty, so you may not need extra salt.
Storage
This bok choy dish tastes best fresh out of the pan, while the stems are still crisp and the sauce is gooey. For leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. The bok choy will soften and release water as it sits, but it will still taste good.
Reheat leftovers in the microwave or, better yet, reheat quickly in a hot pan or wok with a little oil. Since it may get watery, add a splash of soy sauce or oyster sauce to liven up the flavors.
Do not freeze this dish. Bok choy becomes watery and mushy once thawed.
Why I Started Making This at Home
Simple economics. I used to spend a lot of money on delivery. Mainly because I used to think it was cheaper to order takeout than it was to cook for one person.
But, in New York – where ordering food from a normal, no-frills Chinese restaurant was anything but cheap – a simple egg fried rice would be like $12, and any vegetable stir fry started around the $16 mark.
Being a bok choy lover, I used to order this pretty much every single time I did takeout. But that changed when I started shopping in Chinatown and saw that a bag of baby bok choy only costs $3 per pound. I did the math and decided to make my own.
What to Serve With Bok Choy Stir Fry
I usually serve this simple bok choy stir fry with white rice and a soup. It’s light enough to serve as a side dish, but flavorful enough to spoon over rice for a quick lunch.
It also pairs well with other takeout-style dishes, such as:
- Vegan Dan Dan Noodles
- Homemade Wonton Soup
- Easy Vegetable Egg Rolls
- Sweet and Sour Tofu
- Sichuan Smacked Cucumber With Chili Oil
For a smokier, more hawker-style version, try my Quick Bok Choy Stir Fry.
Did you enjoy this recipe? Are there changes you made that you would like to share? Share your tips and recommendations in the comments section below!
PrintBok Choy With Garlic and Oyster Sauce
A simple stir fried bok choy recipe with oyster sauce and garlic. The perfect Chinese-style side dish ready in just 10 minutes.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 2 1x
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: Chinese
- Diet: Pescatarian
Ingredients
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil such as vegetable oil or canola oil
- 16 ounces baby bok choy, halved lengthwise, or regular bok choy, cut into 2 to 3 inch pieces
- 1 1/2 tablespoons oyster sauce or vegetarian oyster sauce
- 1 teaspoon Shaoxing wine or dry sherry
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- Ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the bok choy and blanch for 45 seconds to 1 minute, until the color brightens. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking. Drain well and set aside.
- In a pan over high heat, add oil and garlic and cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute, until fragrant.
- Add the bok choy, oyster sauce, Shaoxing wine, soy sauce, and black pepper. Toss for about 1 minute, until the bok choy is hot and coated in sauce.
- Turn the heat off, transfer to a plate and serve immediately.
Notes
This dish tastes best fresh out of the pan. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, but the bok choy will soften and release water as it sits. Reheat briefly in the microwave or in a hot pan with a little oil.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 139
- Sugar: 0.2g
- Sodium: 440mg
- Fat: 7.1g
- Saturated Fat: 0.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 4.1g
- Fiber: 2.4g
- Protein: 3.5g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
Frequently Asked Questions
No, but I recommend it for this recipe. Blanching the bok choy for about 45 seconds gives it a bright green color and a tender-crisp texture. You can skip this step and stir fry the bok choy directly in the pan, but it may take a little longer to cook and the color may not be as vibrant. Check out my post on How to Cook Bok Choy for more details.
Yes. Regular bok choy works well, but it should be cut into 2 to 3 inch pieces so the stems and leaves cook evenly. Baby bok choy is more tender and less stringy, which is why I prefer it for this recipe.
The bok choy may not have been drained well enough after blanching. Make sure to drain it very well before adding it to the pan. Overcooking can also make bok choy release more water, so keep both the blanching and stir frying steps short.
Yes. Mushrooms, minced ginger, dried chilies, sesame oil, or spicy chili crisp, are all delicious additions. If adding mushrooms, cook them before adding the bok choy so they have time to brown and release their liquid.
I made it with apple cider vinegar as we didn’t realize we were out of shaoxing wine
Still turned out great!
Marsanna, that’s good to know, I’m so glad it turned out yummy!
Delicious! Will definitely make again and again.
Great recipe! One request for those that print – Please change the color of the ‘did you try this recipe’ box. It consumes a lot of ink when printing 1/3 of a page in dark color.
Couldn’t find the right recipe for baby bok Choy since I wanted a nice side to go with our furikake salmon. Daughter looked up a recipe and found this one I didn’t have shaoxing wine and just substituted it with mirin and even added some crunchy garlic in chili oil… It was amazing! The whole family loved it as it was a perfect compliment to the salmon❤️
Thank you so much Alicia! 🙂
Delicious. I will make it again.
As always, Another winner! Picked up some baby Bok Choy at our farmers market this morning and headed to your recipes for ideas. it was absolutely wonderful, thank you, will be making this one again.
Thank you so much Karen, you put a big smile on my face this morning! 🙂
Probably don’t need to add this for experienced cooks but the recipe instructions should include “cut bok choy into 3 inch pieces.” Especially when using regular, not baby bok choy. Again, obvious for many but also not so obvious also for many.
My go to recipe for bok choy. Thank you so much. It’s amazing even as a main dish on top of sticky white rice. YUM!
Thank you Danielle! 🙂
Thank you … very fast dinner. We made this with Portobello Mushrooms. I doubled everything. Skipped the wine.
Tastes really good. Easy recipe to use up leftover bokchoy.
Easy and Excellent!
This turned out great! I had some ginger that I needed to use so shredded and added! Great recipe!
I love this recipe! I added a drizzle of sesame seed oil for flavor at the end, and used low sodium soy sauce. It really was restaurant- style! 🙂
This was fantastic! Bok choy never turns out quite right for me but following this recipe did the trick. Is there any way to cook the bok choy to make it less stringy?
That’s a great question Kimiko! I found that cooking it for a shorter time helps with the texture. I also prefer using baby bok choy over regular bok choy since it is less stringy 🙂
What a great easy recipe. I look forward to adding this to my rotation of healthy lunches and dinners. Now just to figure out the protein part…
Making your own dishes is the way to go!! Our option for eating out was all but ripped away when my husband was diagnosed with Celiac Disease (gluten intolerance), you’d be surprised how common cross-contamination really is! This looks like such a simple and easy dish, but I can totally tell it’s packed full of flavor. I’ve been on a serious Asian kick lately, so much husband won’t be surprised to see this on the table, haha! Thanks for sharing <3
Hi Savannah, I also prefer cooking my own food than eating out. I notice I gain weight fairly quickly if I eat out a few times a week – makes you question how much fat, sugar and other bad foods they put in there!
I have to say your Bok Choy recipe is what I would call yummy yummy. Plus it is so quick and easy to make. This is my first time in your site and I just can not wait to see what recipes you put up with next. Regards PT.
Yes making your own dishes are less expensive that take out, always! and you may even have left over for another meal. I have a request could you suggest other oils beside canola oil which is not a healthy choice of oils to use in any recipe.
I would consider adding everything to a wok as well why blanch the bok choy first? One step to many.
Always fun and exciting recipes here. Thank you!
Jeff
Hi Jeff, I suggest canola oil because it is one of the healthiest oils (certified organic). You can read more about it here: http://www.eatingwell.com/nutrition_health/nutrition_news_information/how_healthy_is_canola_oil_really If you are only using a little oil, I would also suggest basic good quality extra virgin olive oil since the taste isn’t too strong 🙂
Blanching is to give the bok choy a nice color – you can definitely skip this step if you don’t mind the color being less vibrant!