Chicken, Bok Choy, and Mushroom Stir-fry: A Classic Combination

Name: Chicken, Bok Choy, and Mushroom Stir-fry: A Classic Combination
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Asian
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons soy sauce; 2 tablespoons rice wine vingar; 1 1/2 tablespoons sesame oil; 1 tablespoon oyster sauce; 2 tablespoons brown sugar and a bit of chile oil, or other source of heat (siracha, sambal, etc.); 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into strips; 2 T grated gingeroot; 3 cloves minced or pressed garlic; 4 tablespoons neutral oil; 1 medium head bok choy, with stems cut into cubes and leaves cut and kept separately; 8 ounce brown or white mushrooms, sliced; 1 bunch green onions, sliced crosswise; 1 red pepper, cut into strips or cubes; 2 teaspoons cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon water

gailannbrown701
Feb 14, 2024
4 min read

Updated: 23 hours ago

Tender, juicy chicken strips are stir-fried with bok choy, mushrooms, spring onions, and red peppers in a sesame-ginger-garlic sauce.

Plate of stir-fried chicken with mushrooms, peppers, onions, and greens on a colorful floral dish against a dark background — Chicken, Bok Choy, and Mushroom Stir-Fry.

Bok Choy and Mushrooms are a classic combination in Chinese cuisine. Adding white or brown mushrooms makes a delicious but affordable stir-fry.

This recipe is based on a classic I found in the New York Times cooking section. That recipe was good, but it was also a little on the bland side and included some expensive, hard-to-find mushrooms and other ingredients. This is a far better dish at a far lower price.

Plate of white rice beside stir-fried chicken with carrots, bok choy, mushrooms, and red peppers on a white dish. — Chicken, Bok Choy, and Mushroom Stir-Fry with Jasmine Rice.

The combination of bok choy and mushrooms is a classic in Chinese cuisine, but the mushrooms tend to be the type found only in Asian groceries and high-end supermarkets. You can use whatever mushroom you have and prefer, but this dish is great with plain white or brown (baby Bella) mushrooms from any supermarket. The Bok Choy is, alas, a necessity. There is no substitute there, but it is available everywhere now.

Bowls of sliced mushrooms, greens, chicken, red peppers, scallions, garlic, spices, and sauces arranged on a dark table. — Ingredients for Bok Choy and Mushroom Stir-Fry

The Chicken

For this dish, use skinless, boneless chicken thighs instead of breasts. They are much cheaper and tastier. Unlike chicken breasts, you don't need to tenderize or "velvet" chicken thighs. Just cut them into short strips and marinate them briefly for flavor.

I buy a pound of whole chicken thighs and remove the skin and bone myself.

In processing chicken thighs, you generally lose around one-fourth of a pound in bone and skin. So, either start with 1-pound whole chicken thighs or buy three-fourths of a pound if you prefer skinless, boneless thighs. Since these thighs are cut into strips or cubes, neat or professional bone removal is unnecessary. Save the bones and scraps and put your stock bag (a bag of bone, skin, and scraps of chicken used to make stock) in the freezer.

Bowls of raw marinated chicken and dark soy-garlic sauce on a dark wooden table, ready for cooking. — Marinade and Stir-Fry Sauce

Note: If this dish sounds good, but you prefer a shrimp stir-fry, please see:

https://www.inflationbites.com/post/shrimp-stir-fry-with-bok-choy-and-mushrooms

The Vegetables

Cut the Bok Choy stems crosswise into bite-sized pieces. Cut the leaf portion into larger pieces (it will wilt and cook down). Keep the stem and leaf portions separate.

Chopped leafy greens, onion, carrot, and peppers in a dark wok, ready to cook, with a fresh, vivid green look — Bok Choy cut into bite-sized pieces.

Slice the mushrooms and green onions. Cut the peppers into one-half-inch cubes. Arrange everything near the stove. Once the cooking process starts, stir-fry quickly.

Sliced red bell peppers and onions sizzling in a black wok, bright and glossy, with no visible text. — Onions and Peppers

The Sauce/Marinade

Mix the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, oyster sauce, and brown sugar. Finely grate the ginger and press the garlic. Mix one-half of the ginger and garlic into the sauce.

Overhead view of a glass bowl of dark soy-like sauce topped with chopped garlic and chili on a wooden table. — **Stir-Fry Sauce, with ginger and garlic.**

Pour half the sauce over the chicken strips and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Stir Frying

Heat the oil and add half the chicken strips. Shake the wok a little, but let the chicken sear undisturbed. As you see the chicken cooking around the edges, check whether it is beginning to brown. Once it is browning on one side, stir and turn it over. Cook until not quite done. Do not overcook the chicken to achieve browning. Remove the chicken to a plate and cook the other half.

Raw chicken thigh pieces sizzling in oil in a black wok, close-up with glossy, golden-brown edges and a hot cooking mood — Cook Chicken Thighs in Hot Oil.

Then, cook the mushrooms in the same pan without washing it—the mushrooms will deglaze the pan. When the mushrooms start to brown (the moisture is burned off, and only the oil remains), remove them to a dish and wash the wok, if necessary.

Sliced mushrooms sizzling in a dark wok, browned and steaming as they cook. — Deglaze the Wok by Cooking Mushrooms.

Heat more oil and stir-fry the bok choy stems, onions, peppers, and leaves.

Chopped green onions, onions, and red peppers sizzle in a wok, close-up of a colorful vegetable stir-fry. — Sizzling vegetables in the wok.

Add the chicken back to the wok along with the mushrooms, stir everything for a minute, and add the sauce.

Chicken and mixed vegetables stir-frying in a black wok, with mushrooms, carrots, and greens glistening in sauce — Stir-Fry ready for sauce.

If you like a thick sauce, add the cornstarch/water slurry at the very end.

Quickly remove from the wok — it will continue to cook if you leave it there. Serve with jasmine rice.

This Chicken, Bok Choy, and Mushroom Stir-Fry is an ideal weeknight recipe. It is delicious and nutritious, and you can make it affordably to stay on budget.

Instant Pot Jasmine Rice

I have made rice in my Instant Pot for years, and I have given away my rice cooker. Pressure cooking makes the most delicious rice, and it finishes in under 5 minutes.

Simply rinse a cup of jasmine rice until the water runs clear. Put it in the Instant Pot with a cup of water and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. (I always double this recipe to make fried rice later, or even triple or quadruple it. The rice is just as good.)

I set the Instant Pot for 3 minutes and let the steam escape naturally. It will stay warm while you finish the stir-fry. I have literally gotten a stir-fry finished in 15 minutes with this method. A great and healthy dinner. quick.

Variation: If you add some lime juice and zest before you cook the rice, and lime juice, zest, and a little butter afterward, you have lovely lime jasmine rice. A little upgrade to plain rice, but just as quick and inexpensive.

Plate of white rice with stir-fried chicken, mushrooms, onions, and red peppers in a glossy sauce — Chicken Stir-Fry with Bok Choy and Mushrooms

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