Grilled Baby Bok Choy is a one minute wonder ~ a quick stint on a searing hot grill turns an under-appreciated veggie into a rock star !
This delicious side requires no planning ahead, no cooking skill, hardly any time, and it plays well with all kinds of meals.
Throw it on the backyard Weber or your stove top grill pan — it takes just a minute, literally! These grilled baby bok choy remind me that so often the healthiest way to eat is also the dead simplest. Fresh bok choy is full vitamins, calcium, potassium, folate, lutein, beta-carotene, amino acids and fiber. By quick grilling it this way you retain all that good stuff, as well as the crunch and pretty green color. And the bonus is that the charring adds gorgeous flavor.
Bok choy is a cruciferous vegetable in the cabbage family. Did you know that bok choy (aka Chinese cabbage) is second only to watercress in nutrient density? I think we all get the idea that we should be eating more of these little guys, but it’s sometimes a challenge to figure out what to do with them.
I highly recommend this quick grilling method — you don’t have to bother with fussy sauces or stir frying, and you can treat it as a side dish or a warm salad.
Like all delicate greens, these will wilt quickly, so keep them refrigerated until you’re ready to grill. While my grill pan heats up, I slice my baby bok choy in half lengthwise. Trim the stem end but keep it intact so the bok choy stays together as it grills.
I brush on a light coat of olive oil or, if I have it on hand, toasted sesame oil, before placing them face down on the hot grill.
Whether you are cooking on the stove or your backyard grill these will only take a minute or two on each side. They’ll develop char marks, and the ribs will soften and sweeten a bit, while the leaves will wild and start to glisten. You’ll want to serve these right away with a drizzle of soy sauce or toasted sesame oil.
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Grilled Bok Choy
Equipment
- grill pan
Ingredients
- 4 baby bok choy, halved lengthwise
- 2 Tbsp olive oil or toasted sesame oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- a splash of soy sauce, optional
Instructions
- Preheat your grill pan over medium-high heat
- Brush the cut sides of bok choy with oil and season with salt and pepper
- Place cut side down on the hot grill pan
- Grill for 1-2 minutes until nicely charred
- Flip and grill another 1-2 minutes until tender but still crisp
- Finish with a splash of soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, and sesame seeds if you like.
Nutrition
I’m a big Bok Choy fan, Sue and I think it is very under used. I love how simple and quick this is to make – my favorite kind of recipe! Another good green is Chinese broccoli – called gai lan. Have you tried it? It’s peppery and makes a great side dish too.
Hey Geraldine, no I haven’t tried Chinese broccoli, I wonder if it’s anything like broccolini? Nope, I just googled it, I’ll have to look out for it, our farmers markets here have just about everything.
I love throwing everything on the grill, and this is the perfect side for those nights!
Last summer I had grilled romaine and was absolutely in love. Since I love bok choy anyway this has to be in my near future. Maybe tonight with a lovely piece of rare tuna. Gorgeous photos.
I agree, grilled romaine was my first intro to grilled greens ~ and yes, tuna would be perfect with this bok choy 🙂
I LOVE bok choy, so I will definitely be trying this one, especially now that grilling season has arrived 🙂
We love baby bok choy and I just happen to have some in the crisper for a side dish this week! These are so pretty and I bet the little bit of char is amazing. Thanks for this beautiful inspiration!
Totally awesome way to handle baby bok choy! Love this veg and just braised some a few nights ago with amber ale, soy sauce and garlic. I love the honey sesame glaze!
Thanks Milena! I discovered grilled greens last summer and I’m looking forward to lots of experimenting this season.
Delicious! I love bok choy, but never had them grilled..now I am really intrigued how they taste like..
Grilling or charring almost anything brings out such great flavor, hope you try this Angie 🙂