Roasted Baby Bok Choy

Asian side dishes have levelled up! Roasted baby bok choy is simultaneously crunchy and tender, with a flavour-packed marinade of nutty sesame, sweet sugarcane syrup, fresh chillies, garlic, and salty soy.

If there’s something you should know about British people, it’s this: We love roasting vegetables. Granted, it’s usually British vegetables like roasted tenderstem broccoli or roasted potatoes with broccoli — but don’t put it past us to roast Asian vegetables like baby bok choy, too!

Typically, bok choy is either mixed into stir-fries (like my bok choy noodle stir-fry), kept raw and crunchy in salads, or turned into melt-in-the-mouth, buttery, and positively silky greens with braised bok choy.

But don’t sleep on this simple cooking technique. It completely transforms the Chinese vegetable, amplifying the intensely complex flavours.

It’s the only way you can really caramelise baby bok choy. The edges of the leaves get beautifully charred, while the inside stays sweet, fresh, and tender. It retains its crunch, but yields under a fork.

And I might be British, but I know mouth-watering, crowd-pleasing flavour intimately.

There’s no way on Earth I’d dare to roast these greens plain. No — you’ll rub them with a marinade that’s crammed with classic flavours: the natural umami of soy, nutty sesame, peppery ginger, robust piquant lime, sharp garlic, and moreish fire of red chillies.

What are you waiting for? Let’s cook!

🥬 Ingredients You’ll Need for Roasted Baby Bok Choy

Of course, it should go without saying that you’ll need baby bok choy, our star ingredient. La pièce de résistance. The golden girl.

Bok choy (also known as pak choi, pak choy, or bok choi) is a leafy green variety of Chinese cabbage. It’s milder and sweeter than standard cabbage, with crunchy white (or green) stalks and delicate leaves.

You can read more about types of bok choy (and what it is) in my bok choy noodle recipe.

As for the other ingredients — they’re background players that elevate our humble bok choy.

You’ll need a combination of sauces and aromatics; most should be staples in a kitchen well-versed in Asian recipes, although a trip to your local Asian store or my Amazon storefront should sort you out if you’re lacking in any components.

• Toasted sesame oil carries a divinely nutty aroma through the whole dish.
• Neutral oil helps to get those caramelised edges that bring so much flavour.
• Light soy sauce brings all the umami saltiness you’ll need.
• Dark soy sauce is complex, with a deep, dark colour; intense savouriness; and a subtle sweetness with the depth of caramel.
• Rice vinegar adds just a hint of tanginess to the palette.
• Golden syrup balances the savoury, sour flavours with a touch of sweetness. I’ve used golden syrup to make the recipe vegan; you can substitute it for honey, maple syrup, or agave nectar.
• Garlic is punchy, sharp, and slightly peppery. It pairs fantastically with greens, and baby bok choy is no exception.
• Ginger brings a peppery warmth to the bok choy.
• Thai chilli offers a clean, fruity, and fiercely fiery heat.
• Lime lifts and brightens the roasted baby bok choy. The rice vinegar only serves to balance the dish while roasting; lime brings citrusy flavours back to the limelight.

I also like to top this dish with spring onions (scallions) — an essential garnish for most Asian dishes — and a sprinkling of toasted sesame seeds.

Adapting this Recipe for Allergies and Dietary Preferences

My recipe for roasted baby bok choy is 100% vegan, vegetarian, dairy-free, nut-free, and alcohol-free.

To make it gluten-free, you’ll have to replace both types of soy sauce, which contain wheat. Trade light soy sauce for a pinch of salt, and dark soy sauce for tamari — a Japanese condiment that can replace dark soy 1:1.

To make roasted baby bok choy soy-free, use coconut aminos instead of either soy sauce or tamari. While the swap will undoubtedly change the flavour, this recipe can take it!

🔄 Substitutions and Fun Variations

If you don’t have baby bok choy, you can just as easily make this dish with regular bok choy. However, on account of baby bok choy being harvested earlier, it’s milder, sweeter, and more tender than regular bok choy.

If you don’t have rice vinegar, you can use other varieties of vinegar, such as apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar. Both of these are stronger, so use less. If you’d prefer, you can also just use fresh lime juice — we’re already using it as a finishing touch, after all.

I’m just a teeny tiny obsessed with spicy food (hence my massive collection of curry recipes). This roasted baby bok choy is firmly in the “medium” one chilli spice rating, but you can easily adjust the spicing to fit your preference.

• If you have a lower spice tolerance, use milder fresh chillies (like shishito or Fresno), de-seed your chilli (instantly takes it down a notch), or leave them out entirely. You can add a pinch of ground white pepper for a hint of warm spice instead.
• If you want to turn it up a level, double the amount of chilli peppers.
• Cooking for a mixed bunch? De-seed the chillies from the recipe and serve the dish with a side of chilli sauce for people to add to their own plates.

As mentioned earlier, if you can’t find golden syrup in your country (I’ve recently learnt it’s a distinctly British ingredient), you can use honey (non-vegan), maple syrup, or agave nectar. Golden syrup is less saccharine than these options, so add just a touch less.

🧑‍🍳 How to Make Roasted Baby Bok Choy (Step-by-Step Photos)

This is a 30-minute-and-under recipe that’s as easy as it sounds: brush bok choy with a delicious sauce, pop it in the oven, and roast.

If you’re a visual learner, take a look at these step-by-step photos (complete with written steps) straight from my kitchen:

⭐ Tips to Make Your Roasted Baby Bok Choy a Success

Like leeks, bok choy’s layers of crunchy stalks and tender leaves can hold a LOT of grit and dirt. Luckily, this batch was pristine — I’ve generally had better luck buying good quality bok choy from Asian stores, although supermarkets here do stock Shanghai pak choy.

As a result, it’s always a good idea to thoroughly wash the vegetable, especially between the layers!

Plus, patting the baby bok choy dry will help the stalks develop a lovely crisp in the oven and stop you from accidentally diluting the sauce.

Finally, if you’re worried about burning the delicate leaves, cover them with foil for the first 5 minutes, then remove the foil. This allows the more robust stalks to tenderise but also imbues a little texture near the end of cooking — giving you the best of both worlds!

🥡 Storing Roasted Baby Bok Choy

Fridge: Cool, transfer to an airtight container, then refrigerate for 3-4 days.

Reheating: For once, I’m going to recommend reheating this dish in the microwave! It’s more energy efficient than the oven and has less risk of overcooking.

I don’t recommend freezing roasted baby bok choy. Unfortunately, bok choy is one of those vegetables that doesn’t retain its texture when frozen/defrosted.

🍜 My Serving Suggestions for Roasted Baby Bok Choy

Roasted baby bok choy is decidedly a side dish. Side dishes all need a good leading lady by their side: I choose noodles or fried rice.

You’ve got plenty of choice here: quick & easy plain chow mein noodles (great for a larger spread), Canadian takeout classic honey garlic noodles (fantastic main character vibes), or a glass noodle stir-fry (lighter, maybe for lunch?), to name but a few.

Rice options include my chilli garlic fried rice (another side, but really bulks out a meal), or for fusion food that’s definitely a full meal, Thai basil fried rice (complete with tofu).

It’s also scrumptious alongside richer options like massaman tofu curry, vegan katsu curry, chilli paneer, or tofu in creamy satay sauce. Any saucy Asian main dish (with either protein or vegetables) pairs well here; roasted baby bok choy is bound to taste fantastic with anything!

And has that magic ability to make anything you serve it with taste even better 😉

Finally, sometimes I like to go all-out and make a larger East-Asian-leaning spread. In that case, you’re going to need a salad (cucumber salad or carrot salad are winners) and some crispy snacks or starters, like tofu potstickers, crispy vegan wontons, or salt and pepper beancurd.

If you like the sound of any of these pairings, please give them a go!