Hoisin Glazed Baby Bok Choy Recipe
This is a quick and easy but flavor-packed side dish. Hoisin sauce lends a rich, sweet-and-salty flavor and creates an irresistible glaze for baby bok choy (if you’re gluten-free like me, use a gluten-free hoisin). Serve the bok choy alongside this Miso-Glazed Salmon, Seared Ahi Tuna, Sushi Rice, Stir-Fries or any of your favorite Asian-inspired dishes.
Servings: 4 -6 people
Equipment
- 12-inch skillet
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon neutral vegetable oil, such as grapeseed or safflower
- 3 heads baby bok choy (about 1 pound total), halved lengthwise
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- ⅓ cup water, plus more as needed
- ¼ cup hoisin sauce
For serving (optional)
- Toasted sesame seeds
- Gochugaru or red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Heat the vegetable oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Nestle the bok choy halves in the skillet, cut sides down (it’s okay if they come up the sides of the skillet—they will cook down). Season with salt and pepper. Cook until browned on the bottom, rearranging them as needed, about 2-4 minutes.
- Flip the bok choy over, season with more salt and pepper, and cook 2-3 minutes on the other side. Add the water and hoisin sauce. Cook, stirring and flipping the bok choy occasionally, until it’s tender and coated in the glaze, about 3-4 minutes longer (if the bok choy halves are on the larger side you might need to add another splash or two of water and cook a bit longer).
- Transfer the bok choy to a platter and drizzle any glaze from the pan over top. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and gochugaru, if you'd like.
Notes
Tips:
- Store-bought hoisin sauce creates an easy, irresistible glaze for bok choy. If you’re gluten-free like me, use a gluten-free hoisin.
- You’ll need a 12-inch skillet to cook the baby bok choy (if you don't have a skillet large enough, cook it in batches). The bok choy halves will shrink down as they cook (it’s okay if they extend over the edges of the pan at first).
- Tongs make it easy to flip the bok choy.
- You can garnish the sautéed bok choy with toasted sesame seeds for a nutty flavor and a sprinkle of gochugaru (or any chile flakes) for heat, but both are optional.
- You can use this same method for cooking regular bok choy. Cut one large head crosswise into 1-inch ribbons. Sauté the ribbons in the vegetable oil. Once the leaves start to soften and turn brown, add the hoisin sauce and water. Cook until crisp-tender.