How to Cook Bok Choy (Sautéed, Steamed, and Grilled)

What part of bok choy do you eat? How do you prepare it? Your questions, answered

3 Recipe Ratings | Success Stories

Co-authored by Ed Kuoha

Last Updated: March 9, 2023 References Approved

Ingredients

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What part of bok choy do you eat?

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Making Sautéed Bok Choy With Garlic and Ginger

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Making Steamed Bok Choy Salad

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Making Grilled Bok Choy

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Video

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Expert Q&A

Bok choy is a tasty and nutritious leafy green vegetable that can be cooked and eaten in a variety of mouthwatering ways. If you're not used to cooking with it, though, this magical little cabbage might look a bit puzzling. How do you even begin to prepare it? To help you out, we've included 3 classic ways to cook bok choy, plus some tips on what parts of the plant are safe to eat.

Ingredients

Sautéed Bok Choy

1 ½ pounds (7 cups) bok choy
1 ½ tablespoons (22.5 ml) cooking oil
1-2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon (5 g) fresh ginger, grated
3 tablespoons (45 ml) vegetable broth
1/2 teaspoon (3 ml) sesame oil

Steamed Bok Choy

1 ½ pounds (7 cups) baby bok choy
2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil
3 teaspoons (15 g) fresh ginger, grated
2 cloves garlic, grated
2 teaspoons (10 g) sugar
2 teaspoons (12 ml) sesame oil
2 tablespoons (30 ml) soy sauce
1 tablespoon (15 ml) lemon juice
1 tablespoon (15 g) toasted sesame seeds

Grilled Bok Choy

1 ½ pounds (7 cups) baby bok choy
3 tablespoons (42 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
3 tablespoons (45 g) white or yellow miso paste
2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil
1 tablespoon (15 ml) lemon juice
Pinch of kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Section 1 of 4:

What part of bok choy do you eat?

You can eat both the leaves and the stalks. Part of what makes bok choy so popular and versatile is that the entire vegetable is edible. You can incorporate both the leaves and stalks into whatever dish you're preparing, or use one or the other.^{[1]
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Section 2 of 4:

Making Sautéed Bok Choy With Garlic and Ginger

1
Prepare the bok choy. You can use any kind of bok choy you like for this recipe, including baby, mature, or Shanghai bok choy. To prepare the bok choy:^{[2]
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- Cut off the very end of the stem that’s keeping the leaves together.
- Separate the bok choy, but leave the center leaf bulb intact.
- Wash the leaves and stems by running them under cold water. Make sure you rub the bottom of the stem well to remove dirt from around where the roots were. Pat dry with a clean towel.
- If you aren't using baby bok choy, cut the leaves off the stems, keeping the two pieces separate. Cut the leaves and stems into one-inch (2.5-cm) chunks.
- Baby bok choy is already bite-sized and has more tender stems, so it doesn’t have to be cut up.
2
Mince the garlic and (optional) ginger. Peel the skin off the cloves of garlic and the fresh ginger. With a sharp knife, carefully mince the garlic and ginger together.
- You can also use a microplane grater or garlic press to mince these two ingredients.
- To peel garlic more easily, shake the cloves in a tin can for 10 seconds to loosen the skin.^{[3]
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3
Cook the garlic and ginger. Heat a wok or sauté pan over medium–high heat and add your cooking oil. Add the garlic and ginger and cook until they become fragrant and turn a light golden brown, about two minutes.
- Don’t cook the ginger and garlic for too long, because the garlic will burn quickly and become bitter.^{[4]
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- The best oils for this dish are peanut, vegetable, or canola.^{[5]
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4
Add the bok choy. Start by cooking the stems first if you're working with Shanghai or mature bok choy. Cook them for one to two minutes, until the stems start to become translucent.^{[6]
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- Add the leaves and toss the bok choy in the oil for 15 seconds.
5
Pour in the vegetable broth. Then cover the bok choy with a lid and cook it for one minute. Remove the pan from the heat after that time and remove the lid.
- Instead of vegetable broth, you can also use beef or chicken broth, water, white wine, or rice wine vinegar.
6
Season and serve. You can season the bok choy with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes, to taste.^{[7]
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Expert Source

Ed Kuoha
Chef
Expert Interview. 9 November 2021.}Toss the bok choy to coat it with the seasoning, then transfer it to a large serving platter.^{[8]
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- This recipe makes enough to serve about four people.

Section 3 of 4:

Making Steamed Bok Choy Salad

1
Steam the bok choy. Run the bok choy under cold water to wash off dirt. You can cut the baby bok choy in half lengthwise, if you wish, but you can also leave it whole. Steam the bok choy for about six minutes, or until the base is tender and can easily be pierced with a fork or knife.^{[9]
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Research source} There are many ways you can steam greens, including:
- With an electric steamer. Fill the bottom with water as recommended by the manufacturer. Replace the steamer basket, then put in the bok choy. Put the lid on and turn the machine on.
- With a saucepan and steamer insert. Fill a saucepan with an inch (2.5 cm) of water. Place the metal steamer insert into the bottom of the pan. If the water comes up through the holes in the steamer bottom, pour some out. Bring the water to a boil, then place the steamer basket full of bok choy into the bottom and put the lid back on.^{[10]
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2
Mince and cook the garlic and ginger. Peel the garlic and ginger. Then mince them using a sharp knife, garlic press, or microplane grater.
- Heat the oil over medium heat in a small frying pan. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for one minute.^{[11]
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  Research source} Remove the pan from the heat.
3
Mix the dressing together. In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar, sesame oil, soy sauce, and lemon juice. When the ingredients are combined, whisk them into the garlic and ginger mixture.
4
Toss the salad and serve with sesame seeds. Remove the bok choy from the steamer and transfer it to a large bowl. Pour the dressing over top, and toss to coat the bok choy.
- Sprinkle the toasted sesame seeds onto the bok choy. Divide the salad into four portions and serve.

Section 4 of 4:

Making Grilled Bok Choy

1
Heat the grill and make the miso butter. You can use an electric grill, charcoal grill, or barbecue. Heat it on medium–high heat.
- To make the miso butter, simply mix the miso and butter together in a small bowl with a fork.
- You can also use margarine or coconut oil as an alternative to the butter.
2
Prepare the bok choy. Cut the leaves off the stems of the bok choy. Cut the stems in half lengthwise. Wash the stems and leaves under cold running water, and then pat them dry with a towel.
- Cut the leaves into long strips and set them aside in a heat-proof bowl.
- Use a butter knife to coat the bok choy stems with the miso butter.^{[12]
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3
Grill the bok choy stems. Place the bok choy stems cut-side down on the grill and close the lid. Cook for about five minutes, then use tongs or a metal spatula to flip them over.
- Cook for another five or six minutes, until both sides are golden brown, tender, and slightly crispy.
4
Wilt the leaves. Drizzle oil and lemon juice over the bok choy leaves and toss to coat. Remove the stems from the grill and place them on top of the leaves.
- Let the grilled bok choy sit on the leaves for a few moments before serving. This will wilt the leaves and make them tender and warm.
5
Season with salt and pepper before serving. Add salt and pepper to taste, then divide the grilled bok choy into four servings.^{[13]
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6
Finished.

Expert Q&A

Question

What can I add to bok choy?

Ed Kuoha
Chef
Ed Kuoha is a Chef and the Owner of Kuoha Culinary based in Aiea, Hawaii. He has more than 20 years of experience in various culinary kitchens and settings such as Morimoto Waikiki, where he received hands-on training from Iron Chef Morimoto. Chef Ed specializes in small catering events and private chef requests. He holds an Associate’s degree from The Culinary Institute of the Pacific at Kapiolani Community College.

Ed Kuoha

Chef

Expert Answer

Since bok choy has a lot of water content, you want seasonings with impact. So, go heavy with salt, pepper, oyster sauce and a little bit of garlic.
Question

Is it okay to blanch bok choy for a stir-fry?

wikiHow Staff Editor
Staff Answer
This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

wikiHow Staff Editor

Staff Answer

Yes, bok choy can be blanched. To blanch bok choy, bring a saucepan of water to the boil and add the cleaned bok choy. Cook for no more than 2 minutes, then remove and drain the water. The blanched bok choy can be rested on paper towel to drain, then use it as needed. Just take to not overcook it after blanching, it doesn’t need more than a quick last-minute heat in the stir-fry or it’ll lose its vibrancy and texture.
Question

Can bok choy be microwaved?

wikiHow Staff Editor
Staff Answer
This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

wikiHow Staff Editor

Staff Answer

Yes, you can microwave bok choy. To do so, prepare it by cleaning it first, then cut it into halves. Set the halves down side by side into a microwave-safe dish. Place a couple of tablespoons of water into the dish. Put the dish into the microwave and microwave for 3 to 5 minutes. Halfway through, stir or turn gently. Remove and serve immediately.