Easy stir fried pak choi is a simple vegetable side dish that can be prepared, cooked and on the table in 10 minutes. This easy vegetable side dish makes a great accompaniment to any main dish, but works equally well with a bowl of steamed rice.
This easy 10 minute cook is one I love to eat so features regularly on my family meal plans. I spent a lot of time living and working in China many years ago, therefore I cook a lot of Chinese inspired dishes, the ones I enjoyed most while living there.
However pak choi is not to everyone's taste! Indeed my own family is divided right down the middle on this particular dish. However, my youngest and I would put it as one of our favourite vegetable sides.
All the better that it can be on the table in minutes, now what's not to love about a dish like that?
I've flavored this 10 minute pak choi with garlic, spring onions and chilli, along with toasted sesame oil for depth of flavor and soy sauce for seasoning. If you are not keen on chilli, either cut back and only add half the amount, or remove it altogether.
How to cook pak choi?
- Wash the pak choi and cut it in half length-ways, and prepare the remaining vegetables.
- Heat the sunflower oil in a large wok or frying pan and place the pak choi in the wok.
- Place the white root in first, and if possible leave the green leaves hanging over the side of the wok, as they take less time to cook. Cook the pak choi for 5 minutes.
- One the white part has coloured and softened a little, push the leaves into the wok. Now add the chilli, garlic and spring onions to the wok and stir fry for a further minute.
- Now add the light soy sauce and sesame oil to the wok, stir to coat the vegetables, and serve immediately.
Recipe ingredients & substitutions
- PAK CHOI (ALSO KNOW AS PAK CHOY OR BOK CHOI): I allow 1 pak choi per person, and cut it in half, lengthways.
- OIL: I use sunflower oil for stir-frying the pak choi, the sesame oil for flavoring the dish just before serving. Do not be tempted to cook in sesame oil, it has too low a burn temperature making it a great flavoring, but unsuitable for cooking with.
- AROMATICS: I flavor the pak choi with red finger chilli, garlic and sliced spring onions. If you don't like chilli heat, leave it out.
- SOY SAUCE: I use light soy sauce to flavor and season the pak choi.
Recipe hints & tips
- This recipe can be easily doubled up if feeding a crowd, allow one whole pak choi per person.
- Pak choi is best served hot straight from the wok, do not be tempted to reheat or the vegetable will become soggy.
- Scatter over some toasted sesame seeds just before serving for added crunch.
Serving suggestion
I love to serve stir fry bok choy banquet style, alongside other Chinese dishes. Try them with these great tasting recipes:
- Stir-fried Broccoli with Garlic
- Easy Vegetable Stir Fry
- Beef Stir-fry with Black Bean Sauce
- Pork & Peanut Stir-fry
- Stir-fried Chicken & Cashew Nuts
- Easy Egg Fried Rice
FAQs
Yes, you can eat the entire vegetable, nothing goes to waste.
If stir frying whole as I have done here, just wash it and cut it in half, leaving the base intact to hold the leaves together.
If adding to a stir fry with other vegetables, I suggesting chopping the leaves and stem separately. Then add the stem to cook for a little longer, only adding the leaves for the remaining few minutes of the cook as they take less time and just need to wilt (similar to spinach).
Pak choy needs to be cooked quickly at a high temperature to retain its crispness and stop it becoming soggy. I recommend blanching, steaming, or stir frying pak choy.
I cook the stem of pac choi for 5 minutes, no longer. I try and leave the leaves outside the wok, and only cook them for the final minute of cooking.
As with any stir fried vegetable dish, it is best served hot, straight from the wok. This is a tender leafy vegetable and the leaves will start to wilt and become soggy if not eaten straight away. I don't recommend reheating this dish either, as the pak choy will become soggy and overcooked.
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Additional recipe suggestions:
If you like this recipe then try some of my other great tasting roasted vegetable sides:
- Easy Stir Fry Broccoli
- Easy Oven Roasted Asparagus
- Quick Roasted Tomatoes with Balsamic Vinegar
- Honey Roasted Root Vegetables
If you love an easy veggie side dish have a read of my 12 Best Vegetable Side Dishes post.
Easy Stir Fried Pak Choi
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon sunflower oil
- 2 pak choi (cut in half, lengthways)
- 1 red finger chilli (sliced)
- 1 clove garlic (crushed)
- 3 spring onions (sliced)
- 2 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
Instructions
- Wash the pak choi and cut it in half length-ways, and prepare the remaining vegetables.
- Heat the sunflower oil in a large wok or frying pan and place the pak choi in the wok. Place the white root in first, and if possible leave the green leaves hanging over the side of the wok, as they take less time to cook. Cook the pak choi for 5 minutes.
- One the white part has coloured and softened a little, push the leaves into the wok. Now add the chilli, garlic and spring onions to the wok and stir fry for a further minute.
- Now add the light soy sauce and sesame oil to the wok, stir to coat the vegetables, and serve immediately.
• Please note that the nutrition information provided above is approximate and meant as a guideline only •
Veronica says
This is one of my favourite veggies. I normally just slice it into a stirfry, but I'm definitely going to try it this way now.
Lesley says
Veronica, me too, my youngest daughter and I love this side, easily one of our favourite veggies. I make this any time I'm cooking stirfry. Lesley
Eb Gargano | Easy Peasy Foodie says
I love this! I make something very similar at home. My hubby loves it - my kids are less keen! Eb x
Lesley says
Hi Eb, it’s a split in my house too. It’s a firm favourite with me and bizarrely enough my youngest who’s really fussy. However my husband and eldest daughter just don’t get it. I could eat this dish daily! Lesley x
Jacqui Bellefontaine | Recipes Made Easy says
love this recipe, simple and tasty. Thank you for linking to #CookBlogShare
Michelle says
Thanks Jacqui, one of my favourites.