This Seared Bok Choy recipe is the perfect flavorful side dish. Simple to make in under 10 minutes, full of Asian-inspired flavors, and deliciously tender.

Seared bok choy on a white platter and topped with black sesame seeds and sliced scallions. There is a striped gray napkin under the platter

Every dinner needs a delicious and easy vegetable side. Through my many years of cooking and recipe developing, I have absolutely found some truly fun side dishes that make dinners flavorful and veggie-loaded (try the Tex-Mex Roasted Cabbage Steaks, trust me), I always seem to finding more. And sometimes the simplest ones are the most delicious…like this recipe for seared bok choy.

Bok choy (also referred to as Chinese cabbage) is a slightly sweet, slightly bitter, beautifully tender veggie that you might have had in a stir-fry or soup. However, bok choy is a delightfully delicious veggie all on its own and makes for the most amazing and flavorful side when seared. The searing process brings out the veggie’s natural flavors and gives bok choy a tender, yet slightly crisp texture. Paired with an easy (yet flavorful) vinaigrette and some sesame seeds, this easy bok choy recipe feels like something you might order at a restaurant but is easy enough to make at home on any weeknight. And since bok choy is incredibly nutrient-dense and full of vitamins, this side dish is as healthy as it is tasty.

Bonus: this recipe is entirely plant based, dairy-free, easily gluten free, vegetarian, and just magical. My 11-year-old daughter also reports that she feels like your kids will like it as much as she does, so let us also call it family-friendly.

Ingredients for seared bok choy ona table in small bowls.

How to make seared bok choy: step-by-step

A person cutting baby bok choy in half lengthwise on a wooden cutting board.
Cut your baby bok choy in half length-wise.
Halved baby bok choy on a wooden cutting board
Ingredients for sesame vinaigrette in a small glass bowl. There is a whisk next to the bowl.
In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, add the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, honey, and garlic powder.
Ingredients for sesame vinaigrette in a small glass bowl being whisked together.
Whisk together.
Halved bok choy in an oiled skillet, cut-side down. A person is using tongs to place one of the bok choy halves in the pan.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bok choy in one layer cut side down. Cook until browned, 1 to 2 minutes….
Halved seared bok choy in a skillet. A person is using tongs to flip over the middle piece.
….then flip over and cook on the other side for a minute. The bok choy is cooked when the leaves are wilted and the bulb part is tender but still crisp. You may have to do this in 2 or 3 batches, depending on the size of your pan. Do not crowd your bok choy.
A person pouring sesame vinaigrette over seared bok choy in a skillet.
Once all the bok choy is browned and softened, add it all back to the pan and turn off the heat. Pour the vinaigrette over the cooked bok choy and stir to coat.
Seared bok choy in a skillet topped with sesame seeds.
Sprinkle with the sesame seeds and scallions, if using. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Suggested Adaptions

  • If you don’t have rice vinegar, you can use white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar.
  • No baby bok choy? You can use larger bok choy, just cut them in quarters so that they cook in the directed time.

What to serve this recipe with

Other flavorful veggie sides to make

Did you try this bok choy recipe and now you’re hungry for more? 

Sign up so that my newsletter is delivered straight to your inbox. And be sure to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all kinds of veggie-loaded living ideas!

Seared bok choy on a white platter and topped with black sesame seeds and sliced scallions. There is a striped gray napkin under the platter
5 from 3 votes

Seared Bok Choy with Sesame Vinaigrette

Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 6 minutes
Cuisine: Asian
Course: Side Dish
Author: Taesha Butler
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Leave a Review

Ingredients
 

  • 3 Tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce, or tamari, or coconut aminos
  • 1 teaspoon rice vinegar*
  • 1½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil
  • 2 teaspoons honey, or maple syrup, or cane sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 Tablespoon avocado oil, or vegetable oil
  • 1 pound baby bok choy, halved, large bok choy, quartered
  • 1 Tablespoon sesame seeds
  • ¼ cup sliced scallions, optional

Instructions
 

  • In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, add the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, honey, and garlic powder. Whisk to combine.
  • Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bok choy in one layer cut side down. Cook until browned, 1 to 2 minutes, then flip over and cook on the other side for a minute. The bok choy is cooked when the leaves are wilted and the bulb part is tender but still crisp. You may have to do this in 2 or 3 batches, depending on the size of your pan. Do not overcrowd you pan, as the bok choy won't cook evenly.
  • Once all the bok choy is browned and softened, add it all back to the pan and turn off the heat.
  •  Pour the vinaigrette over the cooked bok choy and stir to coat.
  • Transfer the bok choy to a serving platter or bowl then sprinkle with the sesame seeds and scallions, if using. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes

*If you don’t have rice vinegar, you can use white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar.
Calories: 91kcal, Carbohydrates: 7g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 6g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Sodium: 507mg, Potassium: 73mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 5109IU, Vitamin C: 52mg, Calcium: 153mg, Iron: 1mg