Sautéed Bok Choy with Ginger and Garlic
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Sautéed bok choy is an easy to make and flavorful side dish that will go well with all of your Asian-inspired dinners. It's a 5-ingredient recipe that is made in under 10 minutes. You'll love it!
Complete the meal with our soy sauce chicken or our slow baked Asian salmon. And if you love quick and easy sides, also try our garlic butter sugar snap peas recipe.
Sautéed bok choy is a very simple recipe. After you make it the first time, you'll likely not have to look at the recipe again. It'll become one of those back pocket recipes you reach for whenever you need an Asian side dish.
What makes this recipe special is that we cook the cut side of the bok choy until it's gorgeously dark brown, which gives it so much flavor.
We add some ginger and garlic to the mix then finish it off with a little soy sauce.
The result is a simple and delicious side dish.
What is the difference between bok choy and baby bok choy?
Baby bok choy is simply bok choy that has been harvested early. It's smaller and a little more tender than its full grown version.
In the pictures, you see baby bok choy. But both work well in this recipe.
How to saute bok choy
Sautéing bok choy is very easy! Here's what you're going to do:
- Sear the bok choy (cut side down!) until it looks nice and dark like it is in the pictures. This gives it so much delicious flavor.
- Push the bok choy to the side of the pan and quickly cook the garlic and ginger.
- Now flip the bok choy over, drizzle some soy sauce (or coco aminos) over the top, and let it cook for another minute or two.
That's it! In just 10 minutes you've made a delicious side dish!
Sauteed bok choy variations
While we love the recipe exactly as written, it's one that's easy to switch up. Keep it fresh and new by trying these variations:
- Sesame – Drizzle a little sesame oil over the bok choy at the end of cooking.
- Citrus – A squeeze of lime juice is nice.
- Spicy – add a teaspoon (or two!) of chili garlic sauce when you cook the ginger and garlic.
What to serve with sauteed bok choy
This is a versatile recipe that goes well with many different mains. Here are a few of our favorites:
Also, check out this great post to learn how to cut bok choy!
Sautéed Bok Choy Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon cooking oil
- 1 ½ lb bok choy (cut in half lengthwise (baby bok choy works great))
- 1 tablespoon ginger (finely minced)
- 2 cloves garlic (finely minced)
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce (or coco aminos)
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon of the cooking oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the bok choy cut side down. Let it cook undisturbed for 4 minutes, or until it is golden.1 ½ lb bok choy, 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon cooking oil
- Turn the bok choy pieces over and pile them on one side of the pan. Add the remaining teaspoon of oil, ginger, and garlic to the pan and let them cook for 1 minute.1 tablespoon ginger, 2 cloves garlic
- Gently mix the bok choy with the ginger and garlic then make sure that they're cut side up. Drizzle the soy sauce over top and let them cook for 2 minutes more. NOTE: if you like your bok choy well-cooked, add a tablespoon of water to the pan and cover it with a lid to steam the bok choy for an additional 2 minutes.1 tablespoon soy sauce
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
For more inspiration, check out all of our side dish recipes!
