Chinese Broccoli in Oyster Sauce

Chinese Broccoli with Oyster Sauce (蠔油芥藍) is an easy Chinese vegetable side dish made with crisp-tender gai lan and a savory garlic oyster sauce. It comes together in about 15 minutes and pairs well with rice, noodles, or your favorite Chinese main dish.

Jump to:

• What is Chinese Broccoli
• Oyster Sauce
• Two Easy Ways to Make the Oyster Sauce
• How to Cook Chinese Broccoli in Oyster Sauce (Step by Step)
• Storage & Reheating
• FAQ
• Chinese Broccoli with Oyster Sauce Recipe
• Pin for later!

This recipe includes two easy sauce options: a quick sesame oyster sauce that you simply mix and drizzle over the vegetables, or a warm garlic oyster sauce with a mellower garlic flavor. Both are simple, flavorful, and delicious!

What is Chinese Broccoli

Chinese Broccoli is also known as Chinese Kale! In Chinese, there's also several dialects or spellings - so it's also known as Gai-Lan, Jie-Lan, and Kai-Lan too.

Whatever it is called, it's a very delicious leafy green veggie and pretty common in Chinese food.

Fun fact! Broccolini is actually a hybrid between broccoli and gai lan.

Oyster Sauce

Oyster sauce is actually literally made by cooking oysters! It's usually made from oyster extracts, sugar, salt and cornstarch. If you think that's gross because you hate the taste of seafood, for some reason, the fishy seafood taste isn't actually... noticeable. I legit grew up not realizing that oyster sauce even had seafood in it. The flavor of oyster sauce is sweet and savory.

I used to get Oyster sauce and Hoisin sauce mixed up all the time, but basically Hoisin sauce is mainly made with soybeans and Oyster sauce is actually made of oysters. In flavor, Hoisin is sweeter, and though oyster is a little sweet it is not as sweet as hoisin sauce.

Some of my fave dishes to make with Oyster sauce is this Beef and Onion Stir Fry, and Shiitake Mushrooms Stir Fry with peppers!

By the way, if you can't find yourself any oyster sauce, you can sub it by mixing soy sauce and hoisin sauce at a 1:1 ratio.

Plant Based Oyster Sauce

If you eat a plant based diet, you're in luck, there are plant based oyster sauces! They are made with mushrooms instead of Oyster sauce. And this sauce is actually very tasty. I normally don't prefer the plant based version of things that aren't normally plant based, but this is the exception! I actually prefer the mushroom oyster sauce to the normal one!

On Amazon:

L.k.k Panda Brand Oyster Sauce

Lee Kum Kee Premium Oyster Flavored Sauce

Kikkoman Oyster Flavored Sauce

Vegetarian Mushroom Oyster Sauce (Vegan/Vegetarian)

Two Easy Ways to Make the Oyster Sauce

I've made this dish two slightly different ways, and both are delicious!

Quick Sesame Oyster Sauce: For the version pictured on the blue plate, I simply mixed the minced garlic, oyster sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil, and optional pinch of sugar together, then drizzled the sauce over the freshly blanched Chinese broccoli. This method is extra quick and has a stronger garlic and sesame flavor.

Warm Garlic Oyster Sauce: For the original version pictured on the white plate, I briefly sautéed the garlic in neutral cooking oil before stirring in the oyster sauce, soy sauce, and optional sugar. Heating the garlic gives it a softer, mellower flavor and makes the sauce especially fragrant.

Choose whichever method sounds best to you or simply use whichever type of oil you already have!

How to Cook Chinese Broccoli in Oyster Sauce (Step by Step)

First, gather your ingredients:

• 1 pound Chinese broccoli (gai lan)
• Water, for blanching
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon neutral cooking oil, for blanching

For the Quick Sesame Oyster Sauce

• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• Pinch of sugar, optional
• 1-2 teaspoons hot water, if needed

Prepare the Chinese broccoli:
Wash the gai lan thoroughly and trim off the tough ends. If the stems are especially thick, peel away some of the tough outer layer or slice them lengthwise so they cook evenly.

Prepare the blanching water:
Bring a large pot or wok of water to a boil. Add the salt and neutral cooking oil. The oil helps the Chinese broccoli stay glossy and bright green.

Blanch the Chinese broccoli:
Add the gai lan to the boiling water, placing the thicker stems in first. Blanch for 2-3 minutes, or until the stems are crisp-tender and the leaves are bright green.

Be careful not to overcook it! The stems should still have a little bite.

Make the Quick Sesame Oyster Sauce:

While the Chinese broccoli is blanching, combine the minced garlic, oyster sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil, and optional pinch of sugar in a small bowl.

Mix until well combined. If the sauce seems too thick to drizzle, stir in 1-2 teaspoons of hot water.

Drain and Serve:

Remove the Chinese broccoli from the water and drain it well. Arrange it on a serving plate, drizzle the sesame oyster sauce evenly over the top, and serve immediately!

Optional: Make the Original Warm Garlic Sauce

If you prefer a mellower garlic flavor, you can make the original warm sauce instead.

Replace the sesame oil with 1 tablespoon of neutral cooking oil. Heat the oil in a small pan over medium heat, then sauté the minced garlic for 30 seconds to 1 minute, until fragrant.

Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the oyster sauce, soy sauce, and optional pinch of sugar. Add 1-2 teaspoons of hot water if needed, then drizzle the warm sauce over the blanched Chinese broccoli.

Storage & Reheating

Chinese broccoli with oyster sauce is really best enjoyed fresh - the gai lan stays crisp-tender right after cooking and the sauce is at its best when it's just been made.

That said, if you have leftovers:

Storage:
Let the gai lan cool completely before storing. Place in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 2 days.

Reheating:

• Stovetop: Warm over medium-low heat with a small splash of water, stirring gently until heated through. This is the best method to preserve the texture.
• Microwave: Heat in 20-30 second intervals until warmed through. The gai lan may soften a little more but will still taste great.

A few things to keep in mind:

• The gai lan will soften more as it sits, so don't expect it to be as crisp as when it was freshly made.
• Store the sauce and gai lan together - the oyster sauce actually soaks into the stems a little more overnight which is still really delicious.
• I wouldn't recommend freezing this dish as the texture of the gai lan doesn't hold up well after freezing.

FAQ

Can I make this ahead?
Yes! You can blanch the Chinese broccoli a few hours in advance and store it plain in the fridge. When ready to serve, just reheat briefly and drizzle with the garlic oyster sauce for best texture.

Can I use other sauces instead of oyster sauce?
Definitely. A sesame soy garlic sauce is another classic pairing, or you can use vegetarian mushroom oyster sauce if you prefer a plant-based version.

What if I can't find Chinese broccoli?
You can substitute with broccolini or regular broccoli. The flavor and texture are slightly different, but they work well with oyster sauce.

Is this dish vegetarian?
Traditional oyster sauce contains oyster extract, but you can easily make this vegetarian or vegan by swapping in mushroom-based oyster sauce.

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