Grilled Baby Bok Choy with Chili Garlic Sauce

A flat-lay of fresh greens: bok choy, lettuces, carrots, beets and radishes

Serves: 4 as a side
Time: 5 minutes prep, 10 minutes cook

Ingredients

6 heads baby bok choy, and tatsoi if you have it, halved lengthwise
Toasted sesame oil
Salt and pepper
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp fresh grated ginger
2 cloves garlic
Sriracha, or a red chili paste such as sambal oelek, to taste
Toasted sesame seeds, to garnish

Method

Halve lengthwise and dress. Slice the bok choy and tatsoi in half through the root so each half holds together, and toss in toasted sesame oil, salt and pepper.
Char cut side down. Place cut side down on a hot grill for 2 to 4 minutes a side, until slightly charred and toasted. Remove and set cut side up on a serving plate.
Build the sauce in a hot pan. Add a little toasted sesame oil to a hot pan with the soy sauce, honey, ginger, garlic and chili paste. Cook and stir until combined and fragrant, 30 seconds to a minute.
Off the heat, over the top. Drizzle or brush the sauce over the grilled bok choy and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.

To make it a main rather than a side: add grilled tuna steaks, chicken thighs or spicy grilled shrimp.

Want your kitchen to receive a Michelin star? (optional steps to take it to the next level)

High-Heat Sear with Cold-Press Finishing. Brush the cut faces with a neutral, high-smoke-point oil (like avocado or grapeseed) mixed with a tiny drop of high-quality toasted sesame oil for the hot grill step. Save your unheated, highest-quality toasted sesame oil exclusively for the finishing sauce off the heat. (2 tbsp neutral oil, 1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil)
Emulsified Glaze with Fresh Acid & Umami. Instead of just warming soy, honey, and chili in a pan, bloom micro-planed garlic and ginger in warm sesame oil for 30 seconds, then whisk in white miso paste, soy sauce, honey, chili, and a splash of unseasoned rice vinegar or fresh yuzu/lime juice. Whisk vigorously to build a glossy, velvety glaze rather than a thin runny sauce. (1 tbsp sesame oil, 2 cloves garlic, 1 tbsp ginger, 1 tbsp white miso, 2 tbsp soy, 1 tbsp honey, 1 to 2 tsp chili paste, 1 tbsp rice vinegar or lime juice)
Texture and Contrast: Crunchy Garnish and Chili Oil Crisp. Garnish with toasted crushed peanuts or fried shallots, finely sliced chili threads (ito togarashi) or sliced red bird's eye chilies, and toasted black and white sesame seeds. (2 tbsp peanuts or shallots, 1 tsp each sesame seed)
Optional Creamy Sesame-Tahini Base. Whisk a spoonful of tahini (or toasted white sesame paste) with a dash of warm water, soy, and rice vinegar until smooth, and streak it across the plate before laying down the grilled bok choy. (2 tbsp tahini, 1 to 2 tbsp warm water, 1 tsp soy, 1 tsp rice vinegar)

Plating, for the ambitious home chef

Base: Swipe a thin arc of Sesame-Tahini Cream along the center of a wide flat plate.
Anchor: Lay the Char-Grilled Bok Choy Halves cut-side up across the sesame cream, staggered naturally.
Glaze: Spoon the glossy, warm Miso-Chili Garlic Glaze liberally down the center core of each half, allowing it to pool gently into the leaves.
Garnish: Top with Fried Shallots or Crushed Peanuts, Toasted Sesame Seeds, and a nest of Chili Threads.

Culinary Notes - (If you're like me, you like to learn "the why" behind things)

Smoke Point & Bitter Notes: Sesame oil breaks down quickly over direct grill flames, creating acrid, burnt-bitter notes. Using a clean neutral oil for the active grilling allows you to achieve a hard, glassy char on the sweet, dense core without scorching delicate aromatic oils.

Flavor Retention: Stirring pristine sesame oil into the warm sauce right before plating preserves its floral and nutty flavor.

Miso Umami: White miso adds fermented complexity and natural glutamates that bridge the charred brassica flavors with the sweet-spicy sauce.

Acid Balance: Fresh rice vinegar or citrus brightens the rich, salty-sweet glaze, cutting through the smoky bitterness of the charred leaves.

Emulsion Coating: A thicker, emulsified glaze coats every fold of the bok choy leaves without dripping straight through to the bottom of the plate.

Multi-Layered Texture: Bok choy offers tender leaves and a crisp-tender stem. Adding crunchy fried shallots or crushed nuts creates a distinct, satisfying textural crunch that turns a simple side dish into a memorable plate.

Color Pop: Deep red chili threads and vivid green charred brassica create high visual contrast on light ceramic plating.

Plating Structure: A creamy sesame base anchors the warm bok choy on the plate, ensuring every forkful catches a layer of rich, nutty creaminess underneath the sweet-spicy chili glaze.