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baby bok choy stir fry with red rice on plate
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Easy Chinese Bok Choy Stir Fry (with a secret touch)

Bok choy stir-fried with garlic is no secret.  However, the addition of a couple of simple ingredients will make your bok choy taste so much better more like it's served in Chinese restaurants.
Course Side Dish
Cuisine Chinese
Diet Gluten Free, Low Fat, Low Lactose
Keyword healthy side dish
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 2
Calories 99kcal
Author Agile Test Kitchen

Equipment

  • 1 pot that can hold 3 qt of food such as a 12" flat bottomed wok

Ingredients

  • 1 lb bok choy, baby or regular this is about 3 qt of loosely packed baby bok choy leaves or 2 qt chopped bok choy
  • 1 Tb oil
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic this is about 2 garlic cloves
  • ¼ teaspoon salt or ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ⅛ teaspoon sugar
  • ½ teaspoon chicken or vegetable bouillon concentrate, dissolved in 2 Tb hot water such as Better than Bouillion

Instructions

  • Cut off the root end of the baby bok choy. Some of the outer leaves should separate.
    The inside core should be cut in half or further separated into individual leaves until you have about a 1" thick core. This will ensure even cooking. 
    If using regular bok choy, trim off the root end and cut into 2-3" sections.
  • Wash the bok choy and spin dry in a salad spinner. See Note 1, if you do not want to spin dry.
  • Put the garlic and oil in a pan over medium heat. (Starting with a cold pan keeps the garlic from burning.) When the garlic starts to sizzle, give it a stir, and add the remaining ingredients (salt, sugar, and dissolved bouillon).
  • Increase the heat to medium high, and toss the bok choy to distribute all the ingredients.
  • Cover the pan for 2-3 minutes to help the bok choy heat up more quickly. (If you don't have a cover, it will just take a little longer).
  • When the pan starts to steam, uncover and continue cooking while stirring for 2-4 minutes until the bok choy is tender. The skin should turn translucent but still holds some shape.

Notes

This recipe will make large helpings for 2 people or smaller tastes for 4 people.
Since a 12" pan will hold about 1 pound of bok choy, make another batch for more servings, rather than doubling the batch and cooking it all in one pan at the same time. 
  1. If you don't want to spin dry the bok choy, thicken the excess liquid in the pan after the bok choy is cooked with a slurry of 1-2 teaspoon of cornstarch mixed with an equal amount of water.
    • Stir in 2 teaspoon of the slurry to start, while the pan is still on medium to medium high heat. It should thicken right away.
    • Add more of the slurry if more thickening is needed. Too much cornstarch slurry results in a very gloppy sauce rather than a slightly thickened, shiny one. 
  2. Spin dry the bok choy, if you don't want it to be so watery and have more a wok seared flavor. 
  3. Try this recipe with any number of Asian greens: yu choy, gailan (Chinese broccoli), napa cabbage, or pea shoots. It also works well with kale, swiss chard, broccoli, and green cabbage.
  4. Cook the bok choy to your desired doneness. For me this is crisp tender, where the bok choy still has some soft crunch when I bite in. Others prefer it completely soft and tender, as I've seen it traditionally served in China. 

Nutrition

Calories: 99kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Sodium: 648mg | Potassium: 578mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 10133IU | Vitamin C: 103mg | Calcium: 241mg | Iron: 2mg