Roasted Bok Choy

By
Jennifer Perillo
Jennifer Perillo
Jennifer Perillo
Jennifer Perillo is an experienced recipe developer, cookbook author, and blogger behind In Jennie's Kitchen.
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Updated on 08/5/24
Tested by
Danielle Centoni
Danielle Centoni
Tested by Danielle Centoni

Danielle is a James Beard Award-winning food writer and editor based in Portland, Oregon.

Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 8 mins
Total: 18 mins
Servings: 2 servings

From the same family as broccoli and cauliflower, bok choy is a variety of cabbage, but it is different in shape than the cabbages used to make slaws and salads. The tender leafy greens at the top are a stark contrast to the thick stalks, providing a balance of taste and texture. You can use it raw in salads, add it to stir-fries, grill it, or roast it. For our recipe, we use baby bok choy, smaller in size and very tender, but if all you can find is regular bok choy, the result will be equally flavorful, although it might need a couple of extra minutes in the oven as the stalks are tougher.

Roasted Bok Choy sliced in halves and sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds on a white platter

The Spruce Eats / Haley Hazell

Bok choy is packed with nutrition including good amounts of folate, betacarotene, vitamin C and K, calcium, and magnesium. But what makes bok choy a nutritional powerhouse is the presence of selenium, a mineral not usually found in fruits and vegetables. Selenium helps detoxify your body and has anti-inflammatory components.

For this easy and tasty roasted bok choy, you only need a few ingredients and 8 minutes in a very hot oven. While it’s roasting, a homemade Asian-inspired vinaigrette comes together quickly with sesame oil, soy sauce, red wine vinegar, pepper, and a touch of sugar. You can swap in maple syrup for a refined sugar-free option and use tamari in place of soy sauce to keep it gluten-free. Once it comes out of the oven, the dressing is drizzled over the top. Beautiful as a side dish, it can also be the base of a healthy lunch just topped with the protein of your choice.

Roasted bok choy complements any meat recipe well, and it's delicious when paired with steamed rice as the rice will soak up the marvelous vinaigrette. Serve our bok choy with any type of firm fish, shrimp, or scallops. Use it to accompany roasted chicken, steaks, or pulled pork. For a vegan meal, serve it with grilled tofu, tempeh, or seitan. An open-faced sandwich with bok choy is also a wonderful lunch. Simply choose the bread of your liking, top it with the roasted bok choy, and add a few shaves of fresh Parmesan or any other hard cheese of your liking.

Tips for Making Roasted Bok Choy Recipe

The stalks of bok choy are prone to grit, much like leeks, so be sure to clean bok choy thoroughly before cooking. The simplest way to prep bok choy is to cut it in half lengthwise and submerge it in cold water for a few minutes. This will soften the dirt and allow you to remove it easily. Drain the water, check for dirt between the stalks, and run each half of the bok choy under cold water. Gently shake and place on a clean kitchen towel or paper towel.

What You'll Need to Make This Roasted Bok Choy Recipe
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A Rimmed Baking Sheet
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A Sharp Chef's Knife
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A Good Whisk

"This recipe is great to keep in mind when you need a quick and healthy veggie side dish. Roasting brings out the juiciness in the stems of baby bok choy and makes the leaves deliciously crispy. The simple sauce is perfectly balanced between savory saltiness, acid and sweetness, making it the perfect accompaniment." —Danielle Centoni

A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

  • 12 ounces baby bok choy, cleaned and cut in half lengthwise

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

  • Ground black pepper, to taste

  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil

  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce

  • 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar

  • 1 teaspoon sugar (or maple syrup)

  • 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for making roasted bok choy gathered

    The Spruce Eats / Haley Hazell

  2. Preheat the oven to 400 F. Place 12 ounces baby bok choy (cleaned and cut in half lengthwise) on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil and a few grinds of pepper.

    Bok choy sliced in halves and seasoned with olive oil and black pepper on a rimmed baking sheet

    The Spruce Eats / Haley Hazell

  3. Bake until stalks are tender, 6 to 8 minutes.

    Baked bok choy, its ends frizzled, on a baking sheet

    The Spruce Eats / Haley Hazell

  4. In a small bowl, combine 1 teaspoon sesame oil, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar, and 1 teaspoon sugar. Whisk to blend.

    Small white bowl with sesame oil, soy sauce, vinegar, and sugar

    The Spruce Eats / Haley Hazell

  5. Put bok choy on a platter or serving dish, spoon dressing over, and sprinkle toasted sesame seeds on top. Serve immediately.

    Roasted Bok Choy on a platter along with dipping sauce

    The Spruce Eats / Haley Hazell

Feeling Adventurous? Try This:

Try these flavorful variations and experiment with your own versions:

  • Make it nutty - Replace the sesame seeds with roasted cashews, pistachios, or peanuts.
  • Try another oil - Swap the olive oil for avocado oil.
  • Add carrots - Shave two big carrots lengthwise and 1 pint of sliced mushrooms and add them to the pan to cook with the bok choy for more veggie variety.
  • Add more umami - Replace the soy sauce with oyster sauce.
  • Try other flavors - Use mirin or sherry instead of red wine vinegar.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
183 Calories
17g Fat
7g Carbs
4g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 2
Amount per serving
Calories 183
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 17g 21%
Saturated Fat 2g 12%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 497mg 22%
Total Carbohydrate 7g 2%
Dietary Fiber 2g 8%
Total Sugars 4g
Protein 4g
Vitamin C 44mg 221%
Calcium 180mg 14%
Iron 2mg 13%
Potassium 691mg 15%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)
Article Sources
The Spruce Eats uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
    • Rayman, Margaret P. Selenium and human health. Lancet (London, England) vol. 379,9822 (2012): 1256-68. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(11)61452-9