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Bok Choy Chicken – This easy bok choy stir-fry recipe with chicken and ginger in a light Chinese brown sauce is one of my go-to meals for a healthy, delicious dish. It’s packed with flavor, but light enough for any day of the week.
Bok Choy And Chicken
Bok choy is a healthy Chinese cabbage with mild, bitter white stems and crisp green leaves. There are so many ways to cook it, like garlic bok choy, for example.
If you’ve ever been to a Chinese restaurant, you’ve probably noticed that they usually offer a few options for vegetable stir-fries—plain, garlic, or with oyster sauce. You pick your veggie, and then decide how you want it cooked.
Adding protein like chicken, shrimp, or pork to vegetables is a pretty common thing. This Bok choy chicken recipe is a perfect example—it’s basically a stir-fry with tender chicken and crisp bok choy, all coated in a delicious sauce. Check out my video guide and tips below to make this recipe perfect every time!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Ingredients For Bok Choy Chicken
- Chicken breast – If you prefer, you can definitely use chicken thighs instead!
- Bok choy
- Ginger
- Oil
For marinade:
- Cornstarch
- Sauce
Ingredients For Bok Choy Chicken Sauce
- Oyster sauce
- Sesame oil
- Sugar
- Water
- White pepper
- Wine – I used Shaoxing wine, but if you don’t have it, Chinese rice wine or dry sherry works just as well.
Please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for full details on each ingredient.
Bok Choy Recipe Variations
I love the combo of bok choy and chicken, but the great thing about this recipe is you can switch things up with different ingredients! Here are some ideas:
- Shrimp: If you’re in the mood for seafood, swap in shrimp! It pairs perfectly with baby bok choy—check out my recipe for Baby Bok Choy with Shrimp!
- Mushroom: If you’re a fan of earthy flavors, try adding mushrooms. My Garlic Mushroom Bok Choy recipe is a great option.
- More vegetables: Feel free to add more veggies like napa cabbage, regular cabbage, carrots, or any other green leafy vegetables you like to boost both the nutrients and color.
- Tofu: For a plant-based version, tofu is a perfect substitute. It’ll soak up all the delicious flavors and make the dish hearty!
How To Make Bok Choy Chicken
First, toss the chicken with the marinade ingredients and let it sit for about 10 minutes. While that’s happening, mix up all the sauce ingredients in a small bowl—just give it a good stir to combine everything!
Now, grab your bok choy and chop it up into bite-sized pieces.
Heat up about half a tablespoon of oil in your wok until it’s nice and hot. Toss in the chicken and stir-fry it quickly until the chicken turns opaque or white on the outside. Once that’s done, dish it out and set it aside. This step helps lock in the juices, making the chicken super tender and smooth!
Heat up the rest of the oil in the wok until it’s nice and hot. Toss in the ginger and stir-fry it until it starts to smell amazing. Then, throw the chicken back in and give it a few quick stirs. Add in the bok choy and mix everything together so it’s all coated and well combined.
Pour the sauce into the wok and keep stir-frying until the bok choy is cooked but still has that nice crunch. You don’t want to overcook it, so just keep an eye on it.
Once it’s all cooked, just plate it up and serve right away with some fluffy steamed white rice. You’re ready to enjoy!
Secrets To Perfect Crisp Bok Choy
When it comes to cooking vegetables, there are two key things to remember:
- Don’t overcook your veggies! Bok choy should stay crisp and crunchy, not soggy. It’s all about keeping that texture.
- Aim for a vibrant green color when cooking. If it turns purple, you’ve overcooked it. The stems and leaves should have a nice glossy shine to them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, after rinsing with cold water to remove the dirt trapped inside the stems and leaves, you can eat the vegetables. It’s completely safe.
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s list of 41 powerhouse fruits and vegetables, it ranks number 2 under the label “Chinese cabbage.” It’s a superfood loaded with vitamin C, anti-oxidants such as Sulforaphane and Carotenoids.
If you’re not using oyster sauce, you can go for a vegetarian oyster sauce (made from mushrooms). It doesn’t need to be added, but it definitely helps bring out the best in the dish.
This recipe is only 267 calories per serving.
What To Serve With Bok Choy Chicken
This meal is best served with other main dishes (such as Braised Pork Belly (Dong Po Rou)). For a wholesome Chinese meal and easy weeknight dinner, I recommend the following recipes.
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Other Recipes You Might Like
Bok Choy Chicken
Ingredients
- 6 oz (170g) boneless and skinless chicken breast, cut into thin pieces
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 8 oz (230g) bok choy, sliced into pieces
- 1 inch (2.5cm) ginger, peeled and sliced into pieces
Marinade:
- 1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch
Sauce:
- 1/2 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
- 3 dashes white pepper
- 1 teaspoon Shaoxing wine, or Chinese rice wine
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
Instructions
- Marinate the chicken with the ingredients in marinade for 10 minutes. Combine all the ingredients in the Sauce in a small bowl, stir to blend well.
- Cut the bok choy into pieces.
- Heat 1/2 tablespoon oil in a wok until the oil becomes hot. Add the chicken and quickly stir-fry until the surface of the chicken turn opaque or white. Dish out and set aside. This step seals in the juice in the chicken, so the texture is tender and velvety smooth.
- Heat up the remaining oil in the wok until hot. Add the ginger into the wok and stir-fry until aromatic. Add the chicken back into the wok and do a few quick stirs. Add in the bok choy and stir to combine well.
- Transfer the sauce into the wok and continue to stir-fry until the bok choy is cooked but remain crisp. Do not overcook.
- Dish out and serve immediately with steamed white rice.
Video
Notes
- Don’t overcook your veggies! Bok choy should stay crisp and crunchy, not soggy. It’s all about keeping that texture.
- Aim for a vibrant green color when cooking. If it turns purple, you’ve overcooked it. The stems and leaves should have a nice glossy shine to them.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
What other vegetables can I add to the bok Choy to make this dish more vegetable forward?
You can add napa cabbage, cabbage, carrots, or just about any green leafy vegetables you like!