Name: Simple Chinese Broccoli With Garlic Oyster Sauce (Gai Lan Recipe)
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 1 bunch Gailan (Chinese broccoli); 6 cloves garlic ((minced)); 1.5 tbsp oyster sauce; 2 tbsp light soy sauce; 2.5 tsp sugar; 1 tbsp garlic oil; 1/2 tbsp sesame oil; 1/4 tsp pepper

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Try this healthy and simple Chinese Broccoli recipe (gai lan) with an easy garlic and oyster sauce drizzle. Ready to be plated within just 20 minutes!

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Kailan chinese broccoli with easy oyster sauce

Veggie Dinner Recipe

Whenever I go out to eat at a Chinese restaurant, it’s almost guaranteed for me to order gai lan as my veggie dish without fail. So as someone that tries to eat vegetables whenever eating rice, this is the perfect go-to recipe. And the thing is, I never get tired of it too!

This is a simple 20 minute recipe that would make a great addition for weeknight meals or whenever you need a side dish that you can quickly put together.

What Is Gai Lan?

For those who are unfamiliar with gai lan (can be spelled as “kailan” or “kai lan”), it’s also known as Chinese Broccoli or Chinese Kale. It has a firm, crunchy stem, and soft leaves, making it quite versatile to cook in different ways.

The sauce for this dish is super simple to whip up, using core ingredients such as oyster sauce, light soy sauce, and sesame oil. All of which I always keep stock in my kitchen. The delicious savory taste of the sauce becomes even more elevated as we pair it with the aromatic sautéed minced garlic.

I always buy gai lan from my local Asian grocery store. However, if you’d like another veggie option to cook with this sauce, you can use bok choy!

ingredients you’ll need

(For full ingredient measurements, please proceed to the recipe card below.)

Kailan aka Gailan (Chinese broccoli)
Garlic

Sauce

Oyster sauce
Light soy sauce
Sugar
Garlic oil
Sesame oil
Pepper

how to make Simple Chinese Broccoli with garlic oyster sauce

Cut the bottom part of the gai lan and slice the stems lengthwise.
Bring water to a boil and add gai lan. Blanch for 2-3 minutes.
Drain and place it under cool running water.
In a pan, fry minced garlic until lightly golden and turn off heat. Minced garlic burns easily so keep an eye on it.
Leave for another minute before draining it from the oil. Reserve some of the garlic oil for the sauce.
Mix sauce ingredients in a bowl.
Place gai lan on a serving plate and drizzle sauce over it. Garnish with the fried garlic and enjoy!

notes for Chinese Broccoli with Simple Garlic Oyster sauce (Gai Lan)

What can I substitute gai lan with?

If you can’t find gai lan, you can use bok choy instead.

Can I make this dish vegan?

Yes! Use a vegan oyster sauce instead to make it vegan.

What to serve gai lan with?

I mainly have gai lan as one of my side dishes to be eaten with white rice. But here are some other options for you to pair it up with:

more veggie recipes

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