Instant Pot Bok Choy

cooked bock choy in a white bowl top view

Bok Choy is an Asian superfood, packed with nutrients like vitamin A and C, fiber, minerals and proteins.

It is also low in calories, so it’s the perfect veggie for health-conscious people watching their caloric intake.

cooked bock choy in a white bowl top view

Its bitter but delicate taste combines very well with the sweetness of soy sauce, making this Instant Pot Bok Choy a delicious Chinese-style side dish.

This recipe brings out the natural taste of the bok choy. If you are looking for more taste and spices, you can make this Air Fryer Bok Choy recipe.

Is this Recipe Vegan?

Yes! This Instant Pot soy glazed bok choy recipe is vegetarian and vegan friendly.

bock-choy-on-a-cutting-board

Is it Gluten Free?

This recipe is not gluten free since soy sauce contains gluten. Use tamari instead of soy sauce to make this pressure cooker recipe gluten free!

What Does Bok Choy Taste Like?

Bok choy is part of the cabbage family, so it’s often compared to cabbage in terms of taste and texture. It’s pretty mild but has a slightly bitter flavor. Bok choy is one of my favorite vegetables. I love the difference in taste and texture between green leaves and the white stalk. The whole plant is edible and all of it is delicious too!

Do I Need to Use Fresh Ginger?

I highly recommend using fresh ginger in this recipe. It’s incredibly aromatic and adds a lot of flavor to this simple dish with a short list of ingredients. Fresh ginger lasts for a few weeks in the refrigerator or about 6 months in the freezer.

So even if you only need a small amount for this recipe, it’s still worth buying! You can also grate ginger right from frozen making it super convenient. If you can’t find fresh ginger, you can substitute ½ teaspoon of dried ginger.

Ginger paste or pre-minced ginger is also a good option. It’s easier to use than grating fresh ginger, although it’s not quite as aromatic and often contains added preservatives and sweeteners. No matter which form you go with, don’t skip on the ginger! Ginger has a ton of amazing health benefits, including alleviating nausea, lowering blood sugar, and lessening risk of heart disease.

How Do I Prep Bok Choy?

For this recipe and for most other recipes that call for baby bok choy, I would trim the outer leaves and just a little of the root, then slice in half the long way. Bok choy is commonly sold in two varieties—baby bok choy and regular or mature bok choy.

You could use either for this recipe. I prefer baby bok choy if it’s available to you, since it’s a little more tender and less bitter. While baby bok choy is typically about 6 inches in size, a large head of bok choy can weigh up to 2-3 lb! If using large bok choy, I would cut it into quarters lengthwise. It will wilt a lot while cooking making it more manageable to eat.

How to serve bock choy?

This Instant Pot bok choy recipe is the perfect side dish to many Asian-inspired meals on the website, including Orange Chicken and Cashew Chicken.

In fact, it's one of the best side dishes for orange chicken in my opinion. 

If you’re looking for a lighter vegetarian meal, this recipe is perfect served over jasmine rice or a bowl of udon noodles.

Instant Pot Healthy Recipes 

Instant Pot Kale

Instant Pot Zucchini

Instant Pot Edamame

Instant Pot Artichokes

Instant Pot Butternut Squash

More healthy recipes

cooked bock choy in a white bowl top view

Instant Pot Bok Choy

A simple and easy side dish for your Chinese main course meals. You can easily cook Bok Choy in your Instant Pot and it comes out tender and packed with great Asian flavors.
4.80 from 49 votes
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Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Chinese
Keyword: bok choy, cornstarch, peanut, Soy Glazed Bok Choy
Prep Time: 3 minutes
Cook Time: 6 minutes
Total Time: 9 minutes
Servings: 6
Author: Corrie

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  • 1 lb bok choy
  • ½ cup water
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • 1 cm grated ginger root optional
  • 3 tablespoon soy sauce for serving

Instructions

  • Pour sesame oil into your Instant Pot, then add garlic and ginger.
  • Press “Sauté” and cook for 1 minute.
  • Add bok choy leaves.
  • Pour water into your Instant Pot, then cook at high pressure for 3 minutes.
  • Once done, do a quick pressure release.
  • Serve with soy sauce and enjoy 🙂

Nutrition

Calories: 37kcal Carbohydrates: 2g Protein: 2g Fat: 2g Saturated Fat: 1g Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g Monounsaturated Fat: 1g Sodium: 553mg Potassium: 212mg Fiber: 1g Sugar: 1g Vitamin A: 3378IU Vitamin C: 34mg Calcium: 83mg Iron: 1mg

Notes

If you like, you can mix together the  soy sauce with the rice vinegar to get a perfect dipping-sauce!
Tried this Recipe?Mention @corriecooksblog or tag #corriecooks!

12 thoughts on “Instant Pot Bok Choy

  1. I think I should like this recipe. Next time I will definitely make with baby bok choy which I usually use. I used regular bok choy this time because the price was a good deal at the famers' market yesterday. If you use regular bok choy, be ready to use sugar. cinnamon, or whatever you prefer to reduce the bitterness. Otherwise, it cooked perfectly with regards to timing and flavors.

    1. Thank you for your comment, regular boy choy is a lot more bitter than baby bok choy, but I like both. That's good to know! Hope you try it again soon.

  2. 5 mins seemed long to me. Did 3 mins, came out ok. Next time I think I'll just bring it up to pressure then release steam as I do with other veggies that come out perfect that way!

    1. I just realized why mine was overdone... I used 2 lbs of bok choy, so it took longer to reach cooking temperature, which resulted in a longer cooking time.

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