Stir fried Shanghai bok choy is a traditional Asian vegetable dish. It makes a quick and easy side dish to more meaty mains like my Ginger Beef, or Air Fryer Chicken Meatballs. The Shanghai bok choy is stir fried until tender and then finished with a silky and mild ginger garlic sauce. Nutritious and delicious!

Close up shot of vibrant green cooked Shanghai bok choy organized in the same direction on an elongated white serving platter. They are all covered in a translucent sauce with small chunks of ginger dispersed throughout.

Surprisingly, bok choy falls into the Chinese cabbage category, even though it doesn't look or tastes like cabbage to me. The leaves are soft and almost peppery and the bottom of the stalks have a refreshing crunch almost like celery. Bok choy comes in many varieties, but here in Vancouver, the most common ones I see are the white-stemmed type with dark, crinkly green tops, simply labeled 'bok choy,' and the smooth-leaved, uniformly light green variety known as Shanghai bok choy. I prefer the baby bok choy and baby Shanghai bok choy as they are smaller but this recipe also works with the larger versions. If you do buy the larger bok choy, it helps to chop them up to get more uniform cooking. In terms of taste I find the two to be very similar, maybe the Shanghai bok choy is slightly milder.

Equipment Needed

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You don't need any fancy equipment to make Shanghai bok choy, a large frypan will do.

Ingredients

A full list of ingredients with their measurements can be found in the recipe card at the bottom.

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The star of the show is the Shanghai Bok Choy. If you can't find this leafy green at your grocer, you could replace with regular bok choy (white stalks with dark green crinkly leaves), or even gai lan which is a sort of Asian broccoli.

Overhead shot of two different types of bok choy. On the left is a white stalked version with dark green crinkly leaves. Above it is a label calling it Bok Choy. On the right is a lighter green colored smooth leafed bok choy with a label above calling it Shanghai Bok Choy.

Ginger and garlic add great flavor and an aromatic touch to this dish. I chose to use garlic powder, but you can use fresh garlic which tastes just as good, but the sauce gets lumpy looking with a lot of fresh ginger and garlic in it.

Sesame oil brings a toasty nutty aroma adding depth to the greens. I like using toasted sesame oil as it has a stronger flavor.

I usually cook with light soy sauce, but you can use regular soy sauce if you have that on hand. If you want, after cooking you can always add a sprinkle of salt if you don't find the sauce salty enough.

Cornstarch is used as a thickening agent, producing the silky smooth sauce. Not too thick, not too thin.

Vegetable oil is used for stir frying the bok choy at the beginning.

Chinese cooking wine and oyster sauce add depth and complexity to the sauce's flavor profile.

How to Make Shanghai Bok Choy for Your Next Side Dish

Cut the baby bok choy in half vertically. If using the larger bok choy versions, I slice the vegetable into chunks horizontally including the leaves. Place in a colander and run under cold water to rinse clean. Give the colander a shake, but don't worry about removing all the water. The leftover water will produce steam which helps cook the bok choy. Set the colander filled with baby Shanghai bok choy aside.

Next, make the sauce in a small bowl. Use a small whisk or fork to combine the cornstarch and light soy sauce. Stir together until no lumps are present. Add in the rest of the sauce ingredients and stir to combine. Set the bowl aside.

overhead shot of a small white bowl containing the sauce used to make Shanghai bok choy. The sauce is a light brown and has a little bit of oil floating on the top.

Heat a large frypan or wok over medium high heat. Add the vegetable oil and fresh ginger and stir fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the cleaned bok choy and stir-fry it, flipping it in the hot oil until fully coated. Keep cooking until the stalks have softened a bit and the leaves have wilted, about a minute or two. You can add a tablespoon of water as necessary to keep the bok choy steaming as long as you aren't making a puddle of water in the pan.

Overhead shot of a black frypan filled with vibrant green shanghai bok choys all stir fried until soft. Near the top right is a small white bowl with a brown sauce which will be added next, and in the top left corner are tongs which have been used to toss the Shanghai bok choy while cooking.

Once the bok choy stalks have softened somewhat, pour in the sauce and continue cooking and coating the greens with the sauce, until the sauce becomes thicker and translucent, usually takes less than a minute. You can test the sauce, and if necessary sprinkle a little salt on to taste.

Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Overhead shot of cooked Shanghai bok choy served on a white platter. Garlic and ginger are poking into the picture from the top.

Notes

Different soy sauces have different levels of saltiness. You can sprinkle some salt on at the end if you feel it needs it.
I have used garlic powder in this recipe but it could be replaced by 2 cloves of fresh garlic. I found that all the fresh ginger and fresh garlic made for a chunky sauce, but still delicious.
When cooking the Shanghai bok choy, you can add a little water to help it steam if it needs it, just don't add too much as you don't want a puddle of water at the bottom of your fry pan or your sauce won't thicken up enough. Maybe a tablespoon of water at a time if needed.

FAQs

What should I serve alongside my Shanghai Bok Choy? This is a great side dish to other Asian meaty dishes like my Ginger Beef, or Air fryer Chicken meatballs (which have an Asian inspired sauce). But it's not limited to just Asian mains, it also complements Air Fryer Frozen Shrimp, and a variety of chicken, pork, beef, or fish dishes.

How should I store leftover Shanghai Bok Choy? Leftovers can be stored in an air tight container in the fridge for a couple of days. You can reheat in the microwave for about 30 seconds. Add 20 second bursts if you need a little more heat.

Shanghai Bok Choy

Leanne Neill

Stir fried Shanghai bok choy is a traditional Asian vegetable dish. The Shanghai bok choy is stir fried until tender and then finished with a silky and mild ginger garlic sauce. Nutritious and delicious!

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Prep Time 8

Cook Time 5

Total Time 13

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Chinese

Servings 4 people

Ingredients

Sauce

1 ½ teaspoons Light soy sauce
1 teaspoon Cornstarch
¼ cup Water
2 teaspoons Chinese cooking wine
1 teaspoon Oyster Sauce
1 teaspoon Sesame oil Toasted version if you can find it
½ teaspoon Garlic powder
Salt to taste Optional

Stir Fry

1 lb Shanghai bok choy baby version preferred
2 tablespoons Vegetable oil
1 tablespoon Ginger finely minced

Instructions

Cut the baby bok choy in half vertically. If using the larger bok choy versions, I slice the vegetable into chunks horizontally including the leaves. Rinse in colander under cold running water then set aside.
Make the sauce in a small bowl. Use a small whisk or fork to combine the cornstarch and light soy sauce. Stir together until no lumps are present. Add in the rest of the sauce ingredients and stir to combine. Set the bowl aside.
Heat a large frypan or wok over medium high heat. Add the vegetable oil and fresh ginger and stir fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add in the cleaned bok choy and stir fry by flipping the bok choy in the hot oil until it is all fully coated. Keep cooking until the stalks have softened a bit, about a minute or two.
Once the bok choy stalks have softened somewhat, pour in the sauce and continue cooking and coating the greens with the sauce, until the sauce becomes thicker and translucent, usually takes less than a minute. You can test the sauce, and if necessary sprinkle a little salt on to taste.
Serve and enjoy!

Notes

1. Different soy sauces have different levels of saltiness. You can sprinkle some salt on at the end if you feel it needs it.
2. I have used garlic powder in this recipe but it could be replaced by 2 cloves of fresh garlic. I found that all the fresh ginger and fresh garlic made for a chunky sauce, but still delicious.
3. When cooking the Shanghai bok choy, you can add a little water to help it steam if it needs it, just don't add too much as you don't want a puddle of water at the bottom of your fry pan or your sauce won't thicken up enough. Maybe a tablespoon of water at a time if needed.

Keyword Shanghai bok choy, Shanghai bok choy recipe

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