Oven Roasted Bok Choy with Garlic

Name: Oven Roasted Bok Choy
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 1 1/2 lbs baby bok choy (washed); 6 cloves garlic (minced); 2 tablespoons olive oil (or sesame oil); 3 tablespoons soy sauce (low-sodium); 1/2 teaspoon sea salt (or to taste); 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or to taste); 1/3 teaspoon ground black pepper; 1/2 teaspoon sesame seeds (optional)

Recipe Print

Oven-Roasted Bok Choy is one of the easiest recipes you can make with simple ingredients in just 20 minutes! Anytime I want a wholesome, nutritious, and delicious side dish for my Asian-inspired meals, I make this light and flavorful recipe. It never fails me, and my family loves it!

A plate of oven roasted bok choy with sesame seeds.

The bok choy always turns tender, with crisp edges, and full of rich garlicky flavor. It goes perfectly with my sticky honey garlic beef or crispy orange chicken. What I love most about this recipe, is how truly effortless it is, without skimping on flavor. It’s definitely a healthy side dish that doesn’t taste boring or bland.

Why you will love this recipe
What you will need
How to make
Expert tip
Recipe variations and add-ins:
Serving suggestions:
How to store leftovers:
Frequently asked questions
More delicious side dishes:

This is a dish I feel good about feeding my family. Who knew bok choy could taste so good? I love sharing recipes that provide my readers with important information on how to make healthy foods taste incredible. This tasty side dish pairs well with a variety of dishes, from roasted and grilled meats to stir-fries, rice bowls, and noodles. It’s proof that vegetables can be exciting, and once you try this recipe, I’m sure it will become a staple in your kitchen too.

Why you will love this recipe

Fast and easy: Ready in 20 minutes with just a few easy steps, its the ideal side dish that can be made on a busy weeknight.
Just a few ingredients: All you need is bok choy, garlic, soy sauce, red pepper flakes, and sesame seeds.
It’s inexpensive: You can make this whole dish for under $10!
Fresh ingredients: Since you make it yourself, you know what’s in it. This side dish is hearty and healthy.

What you will need

Baby bok choy – Soaked in water, washed, and ends chopped off.
Garlic – Four cloves of garlic, freshly minced, gives your bok choy a savory and robust flavor.
Soy sauce – is the main flavor besides the garlic. It gives the bok choy its salty, umami flavor with just a touch of sweetness.
Seasoning – I ketp it simple by adding salt, pepper and just a bit of red pepper flakes for some heat.
Sesame seeds – This is optional, but I find that toasted sesame seeds give this dish a crunchy and nutty flavor and texture that adds something special.
Olive oil or seseame oil – I recommend using the finest extra-virgin olive oil, or sesame oil for a deeper flavor.

Rw bok choy with garlic on a baking sheet.

How to make

Soak your bok choy: Before starting, I let the bok choy soak in cold water for 10-15 minutes.
Prep: In the meantime, I preheat the oven to 400°F and place the rack in the middle position. I also line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside.
Rinse: Next, I remove the bok choy from the water and rinse them. If any part of the stem needs to be removed due to excess dirt that cannot be washed, I discard it. I usually have to remove about a half-inch. I also remove wilted or damaged leaves.
Now, I rinse and pat them dry, then lay them flat on the prepared baking sheet. I drizzle them with oil and then sprinkle on the salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Then, I add the minced garlic and toss to coat evenly.
Roast: I roast the bok choy for 10 minutes. Flip them over and roast for another 6 to 8 minutes, or until the leaves are crispy and starting to brown. Serve immediately.

Expert tip

How to choose the best bok choy

First, it is sometimes called pak choy or pok choi. Baby bok choy is smaller, measuring about 3 to 6 inches long. Fresh ones will have dark green flat leaves with white stems. Avoid brown spots, cracks, dry stems, or yellowing. Shanghai bok choy is a light-green vegetable with a green stem, sold in various sizes. It should be clean, moist, and have no blemishes or yellowing.

Stay away from bok choy that is dry or cracked, has wilted or browning leaves, or any with holes or tears in them. The stems should be firm and sturdy, with no signs of damage or rotting. If it smells like anything other than fresh produce or grass, don’t buy it. Also, if you see tiny brown spots on the stem, it is past its prime.

More tips to consider

Be sure to soak your bok choy in cold water for about 10 minutes before cutting it in half lengthwise and rinsing it again.
After rinsing, spread the leaves out and pick off any dead or discolored ones.
Remove about a half inch of the stem from the bottom where the tough dirt is.
Seasoning is the key to this dish. Bok choy has a relatively mild taste, so you need to add flavor.
Go easy on the salt. You do not want the only flavor you taste to be salt.
Use a high-quality olive oil for cooking. The better the oil, the better the taste.
Roasting a large batch of bok choy helps prevent overcooking.

Recipe variations and add-ins:

Sesame oil: For a bolder taste, use dark sesame oil instead of olive oil. It gives the bok choy a brown hue with a deep sesame flavor.
Spicy bok choy: Make this a spicy Chinese dish by tossing the baby bok choy in 1/2 cup of Szechuan sauce.
Add Chinese herbs and spices: I also like to add Chinese herbs and spices, such as ginger, star anise, 5-spice powder, cloves, and cassia.
Ranch-flavored bok choy: This ranch seasoning can turn this veggie into a ranch-flavored side dish.
Battered bok choy: Dip it in egg and panko before roasting for a crispy battered bok choy.

Serving suggestions:

This makes a beautiful side dish to accompany this juicy Asian steak meal. Another way to enjoy oven-roasted bok choy is with a bowl of instant pot orange chicken and white rice. I also make it almost all the time when I serve cashew chicken, mongolian chicken, or garlic sesame chicken.

It can also be served as an appetizer with avocado egg rolls, dumplings, sushi, wings, and potstickers. To keep it interesting, I like to add it to toss in different Chinese sauces, like General Tso’s sauce or Teriyaki sauce.

How to store leftovers:

Refrigerate: You can store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days in an airtight container. Keep it mind that it will not stay crispy.
Freezing: Freezing is not recommended after cooking.

Overhead shot of roasted bok choy with garlic and sesame seeds on a white plate.

Frequently asked questions

What does bok choy taste like?

If you’ve never had bok choy and are wondering what it tastes like, you should try it. It is called Chinese white cabbage for a reason. The mild and grassy-tasting vegetable tastes similar to cabbage, with crisp, juicy, and crunchy leaves. Depending on the variety, when it is harvested, and how you cook it, some may be slightly sweet, while others may be spicy, like pepper or mustard. Baby bok choy is similar to lettuce and is often used for salads. This recipe is baked with garlic and has a savory, umami flavor.

Should I soak bok choy before cooking it?

Yes, it’s essential to soak it before cooking. The main reason is to clean it. Even if you buy organic bok choy, like I do, you need to remove all the dirt and bugs from your veggies before preparing them. I soak my bok choy in cold water before cutting off the bottom, and then rinse them again to scrub off any residual dirt. Then, before I start the prepping process, I cut them lengthwise and rinse them one more time to be safe.

Do I have to cut off the bottom of bok choy?

One of the best things about this delicious vegetable is that you can eat the whole thing. None of it needs to be wasted. You can even eat the leaves and the white part of the stem. That being said, you should remove the bottom half-inch of the stem because dirt tends to accumulate there, and it’s almost impossible to remove it all. Then, place it on a cutting board and lay it flat, separating the leaves. Remove any that are discolored or wilted.

More delicious side dishes:

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