Seared Baby Bok Choy with Ginger Garlic Sauce

This seared baby bok choy recipe includes a sweet, sesame-ginger, garlic-soy sauce to drizzle on top! The seared bok choy is delicious enough on its own, but with that special sauce, it’s sensational! A perfect side dish that takes less than 30 minutes to make!

I LOVE baby bok choy. I can eat just this recipe all by itself for dinner, but I prefer it as a side dish to salmon or tilapia and rice. It’s also a great side dish to scallops, shrimp or a thick steak!

I also love bok choy as a dinner party side dish because I can slice it, make the sauce ahead of time, and simply sear it for 5-10 minutes before serving. In and out of the kitchen in no time!

Here’s the Process

• First, you’ll slice your vegetables.
• Then, you’ll sauté garlic, scallions and ginger.
• Next, you’ll make the tasty sauce.
• Then, sear the baby bok choy.
• And finally, drizzle it with the tasty sauce and serve.

How to Make Seared Baby Bok Choy with Ginger Garlic Sauce – Step by Step

1. Mince 4 cloves of garlic.

2. Grate 1½ tsp. fresh ginger.

3. Thinly slice 2 oz. of scallions from the bulb up to the green. Slice a few extra to sprinkle on bok choy when finished.

4. Slice 3 baby bok choy carefully in half. For larger ones, slice into quarters.

5. Add 1 tbsp. sesame oil to a sauté pan with grated ginger and sliced scallions. Sauté over MEDIUM heat for 2-3 minutes, until scallions look slightly brown. Then, add minced garlic. Mix into the oil, and allow to sauté for 2-3 more minutes, until garlic is perfectly brown.

6. Remove ginger, garlic and scallions from the pan, into a small mixing bowl. Add 1 tbsp. sesame oil, 2 tsp. rice wine vinegar, 2 tsp. honey, 2 tsp. soy sauce (or Bragg’s Liquid Aminos), ½ tsp. chili oil (optional), and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes. Mix and allow to sit while you sear the bok choy.

7. Add 2 tbsp. sesame oil to the pan, and place sliced baby bok choy cut-side down, making sure each one is coated in oil on the bottom, and not overlapping another. Place a splatter screen on top, or lid, lifted at the side so steam can escape. Turn heat to HIGH and sear for 5 minutes.

8. Turn off heat and allow the pan to simmer down for a minute. Remove the screen or lid, and flip each bok choy over.

9. Mix together 2 oz. water and 1 tbsp. soy sauce. Pour into the pan. Turn heat back to HIGH, cover with the screen or lid (making sure to lift so it can vent, and allow the bok choy too steam for 2-3 minutes, or until the water has evaporated.

10. Reduce heat, remove screen or lid, and make sure the leaves are nicely wilted and a little crispy. Remove bok choy from the pan, and drizzle each with your delicious sauce, sprinkle a few scallions and sesame seeds, and serve.

Common Questions

A Few Tips

1. Either use a pan with a lid or splatter screen.

The bok choy is going to sizzle and steam a bit. To keep your countertops clean (as well as your shirt), you might want to place a splatter screen on top of the pan, or place a lid on top that’s tilted to vent, allowing steam to escape.

2. Serve right after searing.

Bok choy can be served cold, but it starts to go a bit limp as it cools and isn’t really as appetizing cold as it is nice and hot off the pan, so serve immediately.

3. If you don’t have rice wine vinegar…

You can use white wine vinegar or even apple cider vinegar for the sauce. It will obviously taste different than intended, but it will still be tasty. Just don’t use balsamic vinegar.

Help Yourself to More Tasty Side Dish Inspiration!

And for more inspiration, follow me on INSTAGRAM @shekeepsalovelyhome, on PINTEREST and FACEBOOK! And if you ever make any of my tasty drinks or treats, take a picture and tag me. I want to see!

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