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Saucy bites of chicken are tossed with crispy tender bok choy and a diced jalapeno in this flavorful Chicken and Bok Choy Stir Fry.
Stir Fry Chicken and Bok Choy
When I saw this recipe in an issue of Everyday Food, I immediately added Bok Choy to my grocery list.
This was a hit with every member of the family. It’s amazing how a great sauce will make even my pickier eaters devour every bite on their plates.
There is almost no heat from the jalapeno in this recipe, it simply adds another layer of flavor to the dish. Feel free to increase the amount of jalapeno to your heart’s desire.
I often increase the jalapeno because my family enjoys spicy dishes and a bit of heat is a terrific addition to this recipe.
Bok choy is a mild slightly sweet Chinese cabbage. The soft green leaves and flavorful crunchy stems add a delicious texture and color to this dish.
Bok Choy and Chicken Stir Fry
Stir fries come together fairly quickly over medium-high heat in one skillet. With that being the case, I recommend prepping all of the ingredients before turning on the stove.
Prepare the sauce by whisking together the soy sauce, vinegar, and brown sugar. Set the sauce aside, next to the store.
Cut the chicken thighs into bite-sized pieces and toss them with the garlic, ginger, and cornstarch. Chop the bok choy and jalapeno so they are ready to add to the skillet.
Saute the chicken mixture in a large skillet. Cook it until lightly browned and the chicken is just barely cooked through. It does not need to be completely cooked as it will continue cooking as other ingredients get added.
The ginger and garlic will be super fragrant at this point and your kitchen will smell amazing.
Add the bok choy and jalapeno to the pan. Let them cook for about a minute.
The leaves of the bok choy will wilt and soften, but the stems will retain a slightly firm crispness, bringing a nice texture to the stir fry.
Pour in the soy sauce mixture and stir to coat the chicken and bok choy.
Over medium-high heat cook for a couple more minutes until the sauce has thickened and everything is nicely coated.
Stir Fry with Bok Choy and Chicken
Gather these ingredients to make Bok Choy and Chicken:
- boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts
- cornstarch
- bok choy
- jalapenos
- olive oil
- fresh ginger
- garlic cloves
- soy sauce
- rice vinegar
- brown sugar
If you’ve hung out with me for long, you already know how much I love a good stir-fry. From the Chicken and Bacon Stir Fry to Thai Steak and Green Bean Stir Fry, to Ginger Chicken and Broccoli and the classic Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry there are a whole lot of great stir fries you need to try.
Sweet and Spicy Pineapple Shrimp Stir Fry is a skillet full of sautéed shrimp tossed in a spicy barbecue sauce with sweet chunks of pineapple and red peppers.
Sweet and just a little bit spicy, this honey sriracha chicken stir fry is filled with bite-size sticky sweet chunks of chicken and tender-crisp peppers. The whole recipe comes together in under 20 minutes.
Chicken and Bok Choy Stir Fry
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts diced into ½" pieces
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 6 cups thinly sliced bok choy about 1 head
- 1-2 jalapenos seeded and minced, about 2-4 tablespoons
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger finely minced or sliced into very thin matchsticks
- 2 large garlic cloves minced
Sauce Ingredients
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, vinegar and brown sugar. Set aside. In a medium bowl, combine the chicken with the garlic, ginger, and cornstarch. Stir or toss to coat.
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, warm the oil and add the chicken mixture. Toss to coat and spread the pieces across the bottom of the skillet. Sear the pieces and turn as needed. Cook, stirring occasionally until lightly browned and barely cooked through, about 6-7 minutes.
- Add the bok choy and jalapeno and continue cooking, tossing with tongs or stirring constantly for about a minute, just until the bok choy is wilted. Add the soy sauce mixture and toss well to coat. Cook for about 2 minutes, just until the sauce thickens. Serve over rice if desired.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
{originally published 5/26/12 – recipe notes and photos updated 3/2/23}
recipe adapted from and with thanks to Everyday Food
Delicious! I did not have fresh ginger so used 1 tsp ground ginger and the flavor was perfect.
My sauce never thickened so I added cornstarch until it did. =)
I’m glad you enjoyed it and were able to make it work for you, Meg!
This dish is wonderful. I made it with bok choy, onions and red bell peppers. Is a new favorite!
I’m glad to hear that you loved the stir fry, Sharon. Enjoy!
This was off-the-meter delicious. I added a yellow bell pepper with the bok choy and jalapeños. And that was only because I had it in the fridge and wanted to use it. The recipe needs no improvement. Top that off with it being from-scratch and on the table within an hour of me gathering ingredients. One of the best recipes I’ve come across.
Glad to hear that you were able to make the recipe your own, Kevin. Happy cooking!
So, so delicious! I only had 2 baby bokchoy, so I added red and yellow bell, onion and baby Bella’s. I had to sub dried ginger (2t) and added 2 frozen tsp puréed cilantro to the chicken seasoning. Finally, I had no cornstarch on hand, so I swapped 2T plus 1t arrowroot powder and it was perfect! The chicken was so crazy tender! Thanks so much for the amazing recipe! Next time I’ll make it as written. Yum! Wish I could share a pic here!
You are welcome, Amanda. I’m glad you loved the stir fry. Happy cooking!
This recipe is fantastic!
I didn’t have Jalapeños, so I used Serrano peppers. Good if you like spicy
The minced garlic from a jar works fine!
I also substituted sweet cooking seasoning which looks a lot like rice vinegar.
I also sprinkled a handful of sliced almonds!
How much is a serving? I wish I had ÷ the entire recipe by 4, but I didn’t. It would be helpful to know. I will be making this again and again!
Glad to hear that the stir fry’s a hit, Becky. Serranos are delicious in a pinch.
I love this recipe, have made 3 times and added to weekly dinner rotation. Great recipe thank you
I’m so very happy to hear it, Kathy!
Such a quick, easy and delicious one pan meal! Even my kids loved it! Added red bell pepper, will definitely be making again!
YAY! I’m glad it was a hit, Alana.
I’m on a carb restricted diet. So i found this recipe and we tried it for dinner tonight! Excellent! Delicious! Quick to prepare! We’ll be making this recipe again!
I’m so glad you are enjoying the recipe!
I made this for 12 people. Everyone loved it. My son, Jordan, told me to make this chicken bok choy anytime. He’s 23 yrs old and just loved this meal.
I rate it a 5 *****!
I’m thrilled to hear it, Marcella.
Used a ton of baby bok choy. Added onions and sliced mushrooms. Did not have a jalapeno so I added red pepper flakes. Used less soy sauce due to sodium restrictions.
I did add cornstarch to the sauce for it to thicken up.
Put a bit of sesame oil on the top to serve.
Yummy! Would make again!
I’m thrilled that you like the stir fry so much!
I’ve made this recipe several times. It is super easy to make and never disappoints. I added onions the last time I made it and may try using mushrooms at some point too, but it is great as is. My husband loves it too.
I’m glad you’re enjoying the recipe, Julie!
Easy to cook but not much flavor. Did not thicken and thinking the starch would have worked better in the sauce.
That’s strange, Keith. Without being in your kitchen with you, it’s hard to guess what might have gone wrong. I typically use this method without any issues for most stir fries.
This was absolutely fantastic.
I’m so glad you love it!
Great recipe! Easy to put together and next time, I’m going to add, shrimp, water chestnuts.
Sounds great!
Really enjoyed it. We grilled the chicken first (slightly) and then put everything in the Wok as described in the recipe. Added a red pepper and the juice of a lime. Very yummy. Keeping this one.
I’m glad the stir fry was a hit!
My husband and I loved it. I used a new soy sauce which was really dark and strong, so made it a bit too salty, but that’s my fault. Added cilantro to it and served over rice. Fortunately I don’t salt my rice. I didn’t have jalapeños, but it’s super great with spicy chili paste on top, I just discovered this product 3 jars ago, and I will never fail to have it in the house, as my husband doesn’t do hot and spicy, but I love it.
I’m so glad you loved the stir fry!
This is so flavorful and light! My sauce never thickened. Thank you for sharing
I’m so glad you like it! While this isn’t a particularly thick sauce, it should have thickened slightly. Did you toss the chicken with cornstarch before you started cooking?
My family really enjoyed this recipe. We added mushroom and cut the jalapeño in half as the youngest doesn’t like super spicy. We also halved the sugar for taste preference.
I bet that was delicious!
This recipe rocks, thank you for the new addition weekly rotation!! I love that you add the corn starch (we used arrowroot) to the chicken and not the sauce. And chopped jalapeño (we used serrano) was the perfect amount of spice.
I’m thrilled it’s a favorite!
How delicious!! I didn’t have any jalapenos so added crushed chili flakes. Also added a few mushrooms as other reviews suggested. Will definitely make this again!
I’m so glad you like it!