This Chinese-style bok choy tofu stir-fry is packed with flavors, delicious, and incredibly filling. A quick and easy dish that is simple to prepare and ready in 30 minutes. Serve it with a side of rice to make a complete meal!
Not sure what to make for dinner? Give this bok choy tofu stir-fry a try! Although simple, this dish is surprisingly filling and satisfying to have.
It serves great as a side to accompany heartier mains like vegan egg fried rice or vegetable chow mei fun, but works well as a stand-alone dish too! I like serving mine on freshly steamed rice for a quick yet hearty dinner.
💚Why you will love this recipe
- Irresistibly delicious - This dish features crispy tofu and tender bok choy cooked in a rich stir-fry sauce that you leave you wanting for more!
- Healthier than takeout - Skip the Chinese takeout, and make this bok choy tofu stir-fry for dinner instead! It is significantly less greasy and heavy than takeout and is a great way to get in your daily dose of greens.
- Simple and quick to make - Minimal prepping required, and you can make this fantastic stir-fry in under 30 minutes.
- Incredibly versatile - You can serve it alongside rice or noodles or as a side dish to serve with other Asian mains.
🥬What you will need
📃Ingredients notes and substitutions
- Tofu - make sure to use extra-firm tofu that has been drained and pressed beforehand, either using a tofu press or stacking something heavy on top. I recommend checking out this post on how to press tofu if you are unsure how to do it.
- Bok choy - I am using baby bok choy here. You could use regular bok choy, but separate the leaves and cut them into 1-inch pieces instead of slicing them in half.
- Oyster sauce - Use vegetarian ones to keep this dish vegan.
- I am using Lee Kum Kee ones. Although it is labeled as '' stir-fry sauce'', it is essentially vegetarian oyster sauce and contains mushroom extracts.
- Feel free to substitute it with more soy sauce, but you might need less of it.
- Coconut sugar - feel free to use other granulated sweeteners like brown or cane sugar.
🔪How to make
Here is a quick rundown on the steps of making bok choy tofu stir-fry. As usual, the full recipe will be in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Start by coating your tofu in cornstarch. Add it to a heated cast iron skillet/non-stick pan and pan-fry until golden. Set aside.
Add some oil into the same pan, and saute ginger and garlic until fragrant.
Add bok choy and cook until tender, about 2-3 minutes.
Stir in tofu along with the stir-fry sauce, and toss to coat. It is now ready to be served!
✔Helpful tips
- Use a large cast-iron skillet/non-stick pan to make this recipe to avoid ingredients from leaping out of the pan. You could even use a non-stick wok if you have one.
- Use extra-firm or firm tofu for this recipe. Medium or silken tofu breaks apart easily, and are not suitable for stir-frying.
- You can choose to bake your tofu instead of pan-frying them. To do so, place them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper, and bake at 200C/400F for 25-30 minutes, or until they are lightly golden.
- I recommend adding chili flakes to this tofu bok choy stir-fry if you love spice. Alternatively, you could drizzle on some sriracha before serving.
- This dish is best served fresh, but you can refrigerate leftover for 2-3 days. You might have to add a splash of water when reheating it.
🍚How to serve
Rice - As mentioned above, this bok choy tofu stir-fry pairs beautifully with plain rice. You could also do broccoli or cauliflower rice. For a heartier meal, I recommend whipping up some sambal fried rice, vegan egg fried rice, or even tom yum fried rice to go with this dish.
Noodles - Serve this stir-fry over some cooked noodles, be it soba, ramen, wheat noodles, or rice noodles. If you are looking for something more flavorful, give this wonton noodles a try instead!
Soups - Especially Chinese soups like this clear spinach soup or napa cabbage soup.
Other main or sides - You could go all out and make a Chinese takeout-inspired feast! Egg rolls, Hunan tofu, sweet and sour chickpeas, and vegan chop suey are some of my personal favorites.
❔Commonly asked questions
Start by trimming the tough ends of bok choy.
If you are using baby or smaller bok choy, cutting them half lengthwise will be sufficient. However, if using regular bok choy, tear out individual leaves, and slice them into 1-inch pieces. They are now ready to be cooked!
Yes, bok choy stems are tender and crispy and can be enjoyed either raw or cooked.
🍽More vegan stir-fries
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📖 Recipe
Chinese Bok Choy Tofu Stir-fry
Equipment
- cast iron skillet or non-stick pan
Ingredients
For stir-fry sauce
- ½ tablespoon vegetarian oyster sauce or regular oyster sauce *
- ½ tablespoon shaoxing wine (Chinese cooking wine)
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce or tamari/shoyu (use gluten-free ones if needed)
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- ½ teaspoon coconut sugar or any other sweeteners
For pan-fried tofu
- 1 14 oz block extra-firm tofu drained, pressed, and cubed **
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch or tapioca/potato starch
- ½ teaspoon salt
For stir fry
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon minced ginger
- 6 baby bok choy halved lengthwise
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine together all seasonings needed to make the stir-fry sauce. Set aside for later use.
- In a zip-top bag, place in tofu cubes along with cornstarch and salt. Toss until tofu cubes are well coated.1 14 oz block extra-firm tofu, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, ½ teaspoon salt
- Heat up a tablespoon of oil in a large cast-iron skillet/non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Once heated, add tofu cubes in one layer.
- Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until most sides are golden and crispy. Remove from pan and set aside.
- Now, add another ½ tablespoon of oil into the same pan. Stir in ginger and garlic. Fry for a minute or so, or until they are fragrant.3 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon minced ginger
- Add bok choy in and saute until they are tender, about 2-3 minutes.6 baby bok choy
- Next, add tofu back to the pan along with the stir-fry sauce. Toss until the sauce is well distributed. Give it a taste, adding more seasonings, if needed.
Notes
- I am using Lee Kum Kee ones. Although it is labeled as '' stir-fry sauce'', it is essentially vegetarian oyster sauce and contains mushroom extracts.
- Feel free to substitute it with more soy sauce, but you might need less of it.
- You can choose to bake your tofu instead of pan-frying them. To do so, place them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper, and bake at 200C/400F for 25-30 minutes, or until they are lightly golden.
- I recommend adding chili flakes to this tofu bok choy stir-fry if you love spice. Alternatively, you could drizzle on some sriracha before serving.
- This dish is best served fresh, but you can refrigerate leftover for 2-3 days. You might have to add a splash of water when reheating it.
Nutrition
Nutrition info calculated is just a rough estimate and is provided as a courtesy. Bear in mind that value will vary based on variables like specific brand or type of product used. To obtain the most accurate representation, it is highly recommended that you calculate it on your own with the actual amount and type of ingredient used.
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