Easy Bok Choy Recipe with Sesame and Garlic

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Quick and easy sautéed Baby Bok Choy with garlic and sesame seeds, made in less than 10 minutes. Serve this yummy side dish alongside your favorite protein!

Sesame Garlic Bok Choy is an Asian-inspired vegetable recipe that you can serve with Air Fryer Steak, Blackened Shrimp, and Air Fryer Miso Salmon. I’ve even served it with Air Fryer Chicken!

It’s easy to clean and cut, and comes together quickly!

cooked bok choy in a white bowl

Sesame Garlic Sauteed Bok Choy Recipe

If you’ve never had bok choy before, or have only ordered it at fancy restaurants, you might be feeling hesitant to cooking it at home. I get that!

It’s traditionally found in Asian style dishes, which I didn’t grow up eating at home, so I had to teach myself how to make certain foods (like this) that I love.

bok choy on a white cutting board with a knife

Cooking with miso paste was also something I had never even heard of since my parents never used it at home. I found that it was actually an easy ingredient to use in my recipes like these Miso Mushroom Bowls and even this Air Fryer Candied Bacon.

What is Baby Bok Choy?

Bok choy, also known as pak choi or pak choy, is a type of Chinese cabbage. It’s a cruciferous vegetable that has a green leafy top and a clustered bottom that looks similar to celery.

The entire plant is edible and can be eaten raw or cooked. I prefer it sautéed!

sliced bok choy on a white cutting board

What’s The Difference Between Bok Choy And Baby Bok Choy?

There isn’t much of a difference between the two other than baby bok choy is harvested earlier, producing smaller, more tender leaves. Bok choy can withstand longer cook times and works well in stir-frys.

cooked bok choy in a white bowl

Bok Choy Nutrition

This is an excellent option if you’re looking for a low-carb vegetable. Bok Choy is high in nutrients, too!

1 cup of raw bok choy only has 1.5 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, and 9 calories.

It’s also a good source of fiber, beta-carotene, and vitamins C, K, and A. This leafy green is also high in calcium and vitamin B6.

Why this is the Best Bok Choy Recipe

  • Quick and easy: this recipe takes less than 10 minutes to make from start to finish, making it perfect for busy weeknights.
  • Minimal ingredients: with just six simple ingredients, it’s both budget-friendly and easy to whip up on the fly.
  • Healthy and nutritious: Bok choy is packed with vitamins and minerals, low in carbs. This recipe preserves its nutritional value by keeping the cooking time minimal, ensuring you get the best of both taste and nutrients!

How to prepare Baby Bok Choy

There are several different ways to cut bok choy, all of which are not right or wrong. But in this post, I am sharing the way that I do it!

Like all vegetables, you’ll want to start by washing your bok choy. All you have to do is rinse it under some cold water and run your fingers over the stalks to scrub away any remaining dirt.

sliced bok choy, a hand, and a chef's knife

After you have washed the bok choy, use a sharp knife to slice it lengthwise down the center.

Sauteed Baby Bok Choy ingredients

This baby bok choy recipe is so simple, you’ll only need a few ingredients!

sliced bok choy on a white cutting board
  • 2 heads of baby bok choy
  • toasted sesame oil (you can also use olive oil)
  • garlic
  • shallot
  • soy sauce

If you enjoy a little kick, add some crushed red pepper flakes while the bok choy is cooking.

How to cook Baby Bok Choy

This is a simple one pan recipe that you can make super quick!

  1. Heat the pan. Heat the sesame oil in the pan on medium-high heat, then add the garlic and shallot. Cook until they become fragrant and the shallot begins to soften.
  2. Cook the bok choy. Add the bok choy to the pan, cut side down and let it sear for about 1.5 minutes, until the bottom begins to turn golden brown. Pour 1 tbsp of water and 1 tbsp of soy sauce into the pan, cover and cook for 2 minutes.
  3. Season the bok choy. Remove the bok choy from the pan, season with sesame seeds, salt and pepper.
bok choy on a black plate with white rice

Recipe Notes:

  • If you don’t have soy sauce, you can use 2 tbsps of water instead.
  • If you’re using red pepper flakes, add them to the pan with the garlic and shallot.

What to serve with this Easy Bok Choy Recipe

Lately, my favorite way to serve bok choy is alongside this Miso Glazed Chilean Sea Bass recipe. The flavors go SO well together and it’s really the perfect Asian-inspired dish!

Storing Sauteed Baby Bok Choy

Store your leftover bok choy in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

chilean sea bass on a black plate with white rice and bok chou

More Vegetable Recipes To Try

More Side Dish Recipes

WANT TO TRY THIS BABY BOK CHOY RECIPE?

PIN IT to your vegetable recipes, side dish recipes, or Asian recipes board to save it for later!
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baby bok choy pinterest long pin

Did you make this recipe? Post a photo on Instagram and tag me @JZEATS or #JZEATS so I can see! Leave a comment below and let me know what you think, too!

Tap stars to rate!
5 from 24 votes

Sauteed Bok Choy Recipe

Quick and easy sautéed Baby Bok Choy with garlic and sesame seeds, made in less than 10 minutes. Serve this yummy side dish alongside your favorite protein!
Prep Time2 minutes
Cook Time6 minutes
Total Time8 minutes
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Asian American
Servings: 2
Calories: 101
Author: Jordan

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Heat a large non-stick pan on medium-high heat with sesame oil. When hot, add the garlic and sliced shallot. Cook until fragrant (30-60 seconds).
  • Place the bok choy in the pan cut side down and let it cook undisturbed for about 1.5 minutes, until the bottom begins to turn golden brown.
  • Pour the water and soy sauce into the pan and cover immediately with a tight fitting lid. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 2 minutes. Transfer the bok choy to a serving dish and season with sesame seeds, salt and pepper.
If you tried this recipe, please leave a review letting me know how it was!

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 101kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 296mg | Potassium: 432mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Iron: 1mg
Nutrition information is approximate and was calculated using a recipe nutrition label generator.
Tried this recipe?I’d love to see your dish, mention @jzeats or tag #jzeats!
5 from 24 votes (6 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




28 Comments

  1. Love Bok Choy!
    This is the best example of ” The simplest is always the best”
    Thanks for sharing!

  2. 5 stars
    I loved this recipe and you’ve made a bok choy enthusiast out of me! I used baby bok choy. It was terrific and I should have made more. It cooked down a lot.

    1. Thank you Laura! So glad you enjoyed it.

  3. 5 stars
    Love this easy and flavorful way to cook bok choy

  4. 5 stars
    Super easy to make and delicious recipe! Loved every bite!

  5. 5 stars
    Love this healthy side so much! I just bought a costco bag of baby bok choy and needed a good recipe. Glad I found this. So easy and so delicious.

    1. I’m so glad you enjoyed!

  6. 5 stars
    I have taken a while to warm up to bok choy, but now I love it. This recipe was a total winner IMO! Thanks!

    1. It was the same for me! I can’t get enough of it now.

  7. 5 stars
    We love baby bok choy and this is so quick and simple. Love the garlic and the bit of a crunch from the sesame seeds! Such a quick and easy side.

  8. 5 stars
    This was really good! I used coconut amino instead of soy sauce and it was delicious 🙂

    1. We use coconut aminos too!

  9. 5 stars
    Thanks for this recipe. I had no idea how to cook Bok Choy and this was a hit.. I’ll be making it this way again.

    1. So glad you loved it!!

  10. Jacqueline Meldrum says:

    5 stars
    I’ve not cooked bok choy for years, I used to serve it in a noodle dish. I loved this, it is a simple but delicious side dish!

  11. 5 stars
    This really was so easy to make! I loved how healthy and tasty this dish turned out to be – it was the perfect side for our dinner tonight!

  12. Jeannette says:

    5 stars
    Sesame and garlic work like a dream with bok choy! I love how it only takes 10 minutes to prepare. Thanks for sharing such a great recipe!

  13. 5 stars
    This is such a wonderfully easy way to prepare bok choy. They are super delicious too.

  14. Denay DeGuzman says:

    5 stars
    I love this healthy baby bok choy recipe! It’s quick and easy to make, and tastes delicious!