If you like a quick side dish with minimal cleanup, you will definitely enjoy cooking bok choy in an air fryer. It is healthy, simple, and delicious.
You only need 3 main ingredients: bok choy, oyster sauce, and garlic cloves. Toss them in the air fryer basket and you are done in 15 minutes!
- What Is Bok Choy?
- Why Air Fryer Is Better For Bok Choy
- How To Store And Reheat Bok Choy
- Tips And Alternatives For Air Fryer Bok Choy Recipe
- What You Need To Make Air Fryer Bok Choy
- Steps To Make Air Fryer Bok Choy
What Is Bok Choy?
Bok choy is also known as pak choi or pok choi. It is a versatile Chinese cabbage that can be eaten raw, stir-fried, roasted, or combined with soup and noodles. This vegetable has green leaves and a bulbous base.
The taste is slightly bitter and similar to spinach, while the texture is crunchy and juicy. It also has a subtle cabbage-like flavor and a slightly nutty taste. You can use mature bok choy or baby bok choy for this recipe.
Baby bok choy is typically 3 to 6 inches in length and has some sweetness to it. Whether using baby bok choy or the regular one, you get the same health benefits from both. It is packed with vitamins and antioxidants and is a superfood that improves digestion, reduces inflammation, promotes a healthy heart, and enhances bone strength.
Why Air Fryer Is Better For Bok Choy
Let me tell you why an air fryer is a game changer. Yes, I know what you’re thinking. Why spend money on a new kitchen appliance when you already have the traditional stove and pan to cook bok choy?
Well, a few things make an air fryer superior to a stovetop. If you still need some convincing, here’s why you need an air fryer to cook bok choy and other dishes:
- Minimal to no cleanup: You don’t have to clean a spatula, pot, or pan. When you use foil or parchment paper to line the air fryer basket, it lessens the amount of cleaning needed. All you have to do is throw out the foil or parchment paper when done and still have a clean basket. If there is grease or spills, it is usually kept in parchment paper. In case the sides of the basket have oil splatter, you can simply wipe it off or wash it easily.
- Faster cooking time: An air fryer can cut the cooking time in half! Thus, giving you more time to rest and enjoy the food. It uses convection heating that still gives you that juicy and moist consistency with a crunchy exterior.
- Less hassle: You don’t have to stir continuously, keep watch for burning, or mix all the time. Just mix all the ingredients together and pop them in the air fryer basket. Cook it according to your desired time and temperature. That’s it! It’s convenient and uncomplicated.
- Little to no oil: Thanks to air fryers, you can have fried foods without needing oil. Although some dishes require spraying some oil to get that golden and crunchy exterior, it is still far less oil than traditional pan or deep frying.
- Versatile and adjustable: Air fryers can cook almost any type of dish, from deep-fried to stir-fried. Plus, you can adjust the minutes and temperature to cook the dish. Keep in mind not all air fryers have the same setting or build, so you may have to adjust the time and temperature according to your discretion. After cooking bok choy in the air fryer, try cooking other air-fried dishes such as a crispy and juicy Air Fryer Pork Belly or a sweet and savory Air Fryer Char Siu Pork.
How To Store And Reheat Bok Choy
Food is best enjoyed while hot and freshly cooked. However, having leftovers is unavoidable. For leftover bok choy, you can keep it in the fridge for up to three days in an airtight container.
It’s important to keep it covered and sealed to avoid drying and absorbing odors from other foods in the fridge. Reheat the leftovers in an air fryer at 360°F or 180°C for a few minutes. Using a microwave is also a great option to reheat bok choy, but it may result in soggy leaves.
Tips And Alternatives For Air Fryer Bok Choy Recipe
There are a few ways to get the best bok choy air fryer taste and texture. From cooking techniques to ingredient alternatives, these play a key role in the recipe’s outcome.
Check out my tips and alternatives below before starting with the steps to cook this recipe.
- Pick the freshest bok choy: Choose either mature or baby bok choy as both work well with this recipe. When picking out bok choy, pick out the ones with fresh green leaves and firm white stems. Avoid bok choy leaves that are yellow or dry and brown or stale stems.
- Prepare the bok choy: As with any vegetable, always clean the bok choy with water before cooking it. All dirt and soil should be removed. Before seasoning and cooking bok choy, make sure it is dry to have a crunchy texture. Cooking wet vegetables tends to become soggy because of the absorbed moisture from the water.
- Garlic substitute: Substitute 1 clove of garlic with 1/8 tsp of garlic powder or 1/4 tsp of granulated garlic. In case you don’t have garlic, you can just cook bok choy without it. In this case, the garlicky flavor will be lost and the bok choy will only taste salty. So, I highly recommend adding garlic for the extra kick of flavor.
- Oyster sauce substitute: Oyster sauce is thick and syrupy. It adds salty and briny flavors to bok choy. If you don’t have oyster sauce, fish sauce, hoisin sauce, or “oyster” flavored sauce can be substituted for oyster sauce.
- Use parchment paper or foil:Although lining the basket is optional, I highly recommend lining it with parchment paper or foil. In this way, it lessens the cleanup time. Plus, you don’t have to worry about ingredients hardening in the basket, which are typically hard to remove and clean. Use a square or round-shaped parchment paper made for air fryer baskets. For kitchen foil, shape it according to the shape of your basket to ensure the spills or stains are kept inside. You can also use ready-made aluminum food containers, either square or round shape.
- Oil suggestions: Use any cooking oil you have in your pantry. I like to use avocado or olive oil for any fried or baked dishes. For an extra nutty flavor, sesame oil is also a perfect choice that is commonly used for stir-fried dishes.
- Optional ingredients: As a finishing touch, sprinkle some sesame seeds when the dish is done cooking. Sesame seeds add a decorative touch and a nice nutty flavor with a crisp texture. If you want to spice it up with a bit of heat, sprinkle red chili flakes or peppers all over the bok choy.
What You Need To Make Air Fryer Bok Choy
The ingredients are simple and easy to buy from a grocery store. It’s just a matter of getting the freshest bok choy and parchment paper or foil for fast cleanup. Gather these items to get started with the recipe:
Kitchen Items
- Air fryer
- Parchment paper or foil for lining the air fryer basket
Ingredients
- 1 tsp oil
- 5 garlic cloves (roughly chopped)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp oyster sauce
Steps To Make Air Fryer Bok Choy
The recipe entails preparing the bok choy for air frying and flipping it halfway through cooking time. You don’t need to do a lot of time-consuming chopping since the garlic cloves can be added as is without the skin or roughly chopped. Watch me cook bok choy in an air fryer with my tutorial videos on Tiktok or Instagram.
Prepare the bok choy by cutting the root end and washing all leaves with water. Pat dry the bok choy before placing them in an air fryer basket lined with parchment paper or foil.
Then, add 1 tsp oil, 5 garlic cloves, 1 tsp salt, and 1 tsp oyster sauce.
Mix the ingredients evenly by massaging them gently with the bok choy.
Once the ingredients are well mixed, air fry for 15 minutes at 160°C (320°F). Halfway through cooking, flip the bok choy to cook the other side. After 15 minutes, the bok choy is done! Serve while hot and fresh.
The Easiest Air Fryer Bok Choy Recipe
Equipment
- Air fryer
- Parchment paper or foil for lining the air fryer basket
Ingredients
- 1 tsp oil
- 5 garlic cloves roughly chopped
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp oyster sauce
Instructions
- Prepare the bok choy by cutting the root end and washing all leaves with water.
- Pat dry the bok choy before placing them in an air fryer basket lined with parchment paper or foil.
- Then, add 1 tsp oil, 5 garlic cloves, 1 tsp salt, and 1 tsp oyster sauce.
- Mix the ingredients evenly by massaging them gently with the bok choy.
- Once the ingredients are well mixed, air fry for 15 minutes at 160°C (320°F).
- Halfway through cooking, flip the bok choy to cook the other side.
- After 15 minutes, the bok choy is done! Serve while hot and fresh.
