This is the “real deal” Restaurant Style Chinese Broccoli with Oyster Sauce that you get at Chinese restaurants, most commonly at Yum Cha (Dim Sum). Despite what you may read in many blogs and recipe sites, it is not just plain oyster sauce dolloped on steamed greens! This takes minutes to make using my handy tip for steaming the greens in the microwave just using clingwrap.
Real “restaurant style” Chinese Broccoli with Oyster Sauce is NOT just oyster sauce (despite what you will read in many blogs and recipe sites claiming it is that simple). A sauce made with just oyster sauce will just taste of that – plain oyster sauce dolloped on greens. And if you’re happy with that, then there’s no need to read further because this recipe for real Restaurant Style Chinese Greens with Oyster Sauce has more than 1 ingredient in the sauce!
Restaurants typically use quite a bit of oil when serving this dish – you can usually see it pooled on the plate. I have significantly reduced the amount of oil used, and believe me, you won’t miss it at all. It is the sauce that is the star of this dish. You don’t need oil (well, not very much).
Firstly, I should qualify and say though the sauce is “real”, my method of steaming the Chinese broccoli (or any other leafy Chinese greens I use for this recipe, like bok choy) is not the restaurant way. Traditionally it is blanched or steamed (sometimes stir fried). But as I have an aversion to washing up (and no dishwasher…), I like to cook my greens the way my grandmother taught me – wrapped in cling wrap and steamed in the microwave. No pots, 2 minutes, and comes out perfectly every time!
You can cook one small bunch of Chinese broccoli, or half a large bunch (pictured) per bundle, and you can steam 2 bundles in the microwave at the same time – it takes around 30 seconds longer.
This recipe is a regular in my midweek meal rotation because it literally takes me 5 minutes to prepare, making it the perfect side to accompany any Asian dish. Pop it in your RecipeTin app so you have it on hand all the time!
- 1/2 large or 1 small bunch Chinese broccoli (gai lan/kai lan)
- 1/2 tsp corn flour / corn starch
- 2 tbsp water
- 2 tbsp oyster sauce
- 2 tsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp Chinese cooking wine (see notes)
- 1/2 tsp sesame oil
- 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil (or canola or peanut)
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1 clove minced garlic
- 1 tsp fresh ginger , minced or julienned
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Trim the ends of the Chinese broccoli, rinse under tap, shake off excess water than wrap in cling wrap.
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Microwave for 1 1/2 minutes - check if cooked but still firm. If it needs more cooking, do it in 30 second bursts. Once cooked, remove from cling wrap immediately, otherwise it will keep steaming. Be careful when unwrapping it as it is hot!
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Stack the Chinese broccoli together and cut into 4"/10cm lengths and stack on top of each other.
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Combine water and corn flour in small pot, mix to dissolve. Then add remaining ingredients, bring to boil on stove, boil for 30 seconds to allow to thicken, then remove from stove.
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Drizzle over Chinese broccoli and serve. Best served warm.
1. Chinese cooking wine can be substituted with sake or sherry.
2. In the photo the sauce is smooth because I strained it to remove the garlic and ginger. I only do this if I am cooking for guests!
3. Nutrition per serving.
I’ve used your recipe 3 times, and each time it gets better. Thank you for posting!
I’m so pleased to hear that Steve! Thank you for letting me know you enjoyed this! N x ❤️
Hi Nagi,
So happy to see this recipe! I used to live in Asia and Kai Lan is my favorite! But, I’ve never been able to duplicate it at home. And steaming my Kai Lan has often resulted in wimpy wilted leaves with tough under cooked stems. So I am going to try this out. As always, thank you for all of the GREAT recipes! I’ve made several and have many more to try!!
Hope you love it Beth!! 🙂 N x
yes it a beautiful sauce,and the microwave veg trick works perfectly
I tried this and it was absoloutely delicious! New fan of your website.
Thanks Kiki! N x
Hi Nagi great recipe…my son loves it…just a quick question on the quantity of kailan as bunch size is subjective…may be a specified weight would make things clear.Thanks.
Hi Sonu, thanks for the question! I will try to remember for next time I make this! N xx
Where do you put the corn flour??
Step 4 🙂
May i ask, what brand of oyster sauce and soy sauce you use. Do you use shaoxing wine, what brand. thank you
Hi My! I use all sorts of brands, I can’t remember the ones I get from the Asian store but from the supermarket, I often use Lee Kum Kee 🙂
Hi Nagi,
I noticed in your Nando’s Portuguese Chicken Burgers recipe that you mentioned that the marinade for the Chinese broccoli could also be used for chicken. Could you please tell me how I could do this for 1kg of chicken thigh fillets, I’m just unsure of what amount of the marinade to use and how long to marinade for before cooking?
P.S. I just love your website which has been a godsend for livening up the meals in our family (think we’d be up to using about 20 of your recipes)
Hi Daniel! I’m so confused – where was I talking about Chinese broccoli sauce in a Portuguese Chicken Burger recipe??? Am I losing it??? 🙂 N x
Sorry I should’ve been more clear. It was in the Nando’s Portuguese Chicken Burgers recipe when you were talking about the five recipes you created for super food ideas magazine; number 3: “Chinese Broccoli with Oyster Sauce and Marinated Chicken”.
Oh, gotcha! It was for a “double duty” feature, I remember now 🙂 So using this recipe, exclude the Chinese broccoli, cornflour and water. The remaining ingredients makes a great marinade, enough for around 250g/8oz of chicken, so scale it up for as much chicken as you want. Add sriracha or fresh or crushed chilli for heat if you want. Marinate overnight then cook on the stove or BBQ. It’s SO GOOD! So the way I did it was a “double duty” was to triple the base marinade recipe, use 1/3 for the Chinese broccoli sauce by adding cornflour and water and the remainder I used as marinade. 🙂
This is great Nagi . . I am also a bit obsessed with this dish . . . . I am just waiting for my backyard crop of gai lan to be ready for harvest and will be right onto this recipe . . many thanks xx
You have your own crop of Gai Lan?? Oh my….!
Thank you for this recipe. I had tried (unsuccessfully) 4 times to make a good sauce to go with Gai Lan. This was by far the best. All the other recipes were far, far too salty for my taste. However, I only added half the amount of oyster sauce, as I found it was a bit of a better balance for me. I’m not sure if its just my brand of oyster sauce that makes it so salty.
Also, your tip on microwaving the Gai Lan has saved me so much effort (I was using the boiling water method) and actually cooked it so much better.
Used your recipe 3 times already!
I’m so glad you like it Raina, thank you so much for coming back to let me know!!! N x
I can see I’m late to the party, but this recipe is outstanding. I have never had success with gai lan either steaming or pan sauteeing. Your method is both very clever and just perfect for the home cook. And the sauce is outstanding. I had tried adding the ginger and garlic, but the hint of sesame oil really elevates this dish.
Thanks so much.
WOO HOO! So glad you loved it Dvaid! Thanks so much for coming back to let me know! PS Late…to what party??? 😉 N x
I’ve made this delicious dish twice now – I was so happy to discover it’s exactly like the one I had when we had yum cha! It’s so easy, so tasty, so perfect! Thanks for another fabulous dish Nagi 🙂
I’m so glad you loved it!! And yes, it’s my yum cha copy-cat – I am obssessed with it, it’s the only veggies I have at yum cha!! 🙂
Loooooooove Chinese greens in oyster sauce. I never knew what I looked forward to most when I used to get them as a side dish at Hainanese Chicken Rice chains. I’d go for the roasted chicken and get some baby kai lan in oyster sauce. Heaven! Miss this combination of food! What brand of oyster sauce do you use? I use Lee Kum Kee Panda.
I use the same brand! And honestly, I think you are a mind reader – I’m making Hainanese Chicken on Wednesday…..if it works out, you’ll see it on here later this week. As for Hainanese Chicken Rice chains….HOW is it that it hasn’t made it here to Australia??!!