Chinese Broccoli (Gai Lan) with Oyster Sauce is a popular Chinese veggie dish consisting of… you guessed it – Chinese Broccoli and oyster sauce!

Commonly consumed at dim sum, it serves as a clean and delicious punch of health and nutrients during a meal usually loaded with more indulgent eats, like Cheung Fun and Sesame Balls.

The best part about Chinese Broccoli with Oyster Sauce is that you can very easily make it at home. So easily in fact that writing out this recipe felt a bit silly… but hey, some of the best dishes in Chinese cuisine are simple, and this recipe is proof.

So, keep scrolling for our basic Chinese Broccoli (Gai Lan) with Oyster Sauce recipe. It’ll give you all the Gai-dance you need to nail dish every time.

Ingredients for Our Chinese Broccoli (Gai Lan) with Oyster Sauce Recipe

• 350g Chinese Broccoli (Gai Lan)
• 1.5L water
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp oil
• (optional) 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 2 tbsp oyster sauce

Tips for Nailing This Chinese Broccoli (Gai Lan) with Oyster Sauce Recipe

While this Chinese Broccoli with Oyster Sauce recipe is super simple to prepare, there are certain tips and tricks you should keep in mind to ensure you get perfect results. Here are some tips for you:

Pick fresh gai lan, and prep it well

When a dish is as simple as this one, one of the most important things you can do is get high quality ingredients. For this recipe, having fresh Gai Lan is important!

This means looking for Gai Lan that is green all over (not yellow), with dark green leaves and a fresh green stem. Finding the perfect Gai Lan is an art honed over years of experience, but overall, you should be hunting for something that looks and feels “fresh”, with withered leaves and yellowing flowers being a big no-no.

Luckily, even if your Chinese broccoli is not-so-fresh, there’s ways to liven it up! For one, during the prep stage make sure you remove and trim any dead leaves, along with any tough bits of the stem. While it takes a bit of effort, peeling off any tough skin on your Gai Lan stems is another important step.

Mix your oyster sauce with additional ingredients, as per your preference

The perfect Chinese Broccoli with Oyster Sauce recipe is of course a matter of taste and preference. Some restaurants go for a REALLY saucy and liquidy result, while others go for a thicker sauce/drizzle. Our recipe below prioritizes convenience, and therefore leans more towards the latter by simply using oyster sauce on its own.

If you prefer a saucier, more liquidy result however, then you might want to add the extra step of heating your oyster sauce in a pan with some soy sauce, sugar, water, and a cornstarch slurry to get it to your desired consistency. If you’re feeling fancy and are wanting extra flavour, some sauteed garlic would also be a nice addition.

Depending on how your local Chinese restaurant cooks it, this extra step might yield a more similar dish to what you typically order. If you are looking for something dead simple, easy, and still delicious though, then sticking with our basic recipe below will be just fine.

Oil and baking soda help you achieve that glossy, fresh finish

This method of cooking Chinese Broccoli with Oyster Sauce involves blanching (i.e. boiling the Gai Lan and then running it under cold water).

Boiled vegetables can often look a little… worse for wear after time, but the key to keeping the Gai Lan’s gorgeous green color and glossy aesthetic is by adding some oil and baking soda into the water before you boil.

If you don’t want to add baking soda, then you can just stick with oil and salt.

Make this dish vegan and gluten-free by using an oyster sauce substitute

If you’re cooking for someone with dietary preferences or restrictions that don’t allow for the consumption of typical oyster sauce, then you can simply sub in this mushroom oyster sauce instead.

It’s both vegan and gluten-free, plus it can be used as a direct replacement for regular oyster sauce, making it a no-fuss substitute.

Step by Step Instructions for Our Chinese Broccoli (Gai Lan) with Oyster Sauce Recipe

This tasty dish is easy to whip together for a satisfying dinner. Here are the step by step instructions!

To prep your gai lan, trim and remove any dead leaves, along with any tough skin that might be present on older stalks. Trim them to (more or less) an equal length, about 5”.

Bring a pot of 1.5L of water to boil.

Add 1 tsp salt, and 1 tsp oil.

If using, add 1/4 tsp baking soda at this time as well.

Add your Chinese Broccoli (Gai Lan) and let it boil for about 1 minute, until done to your desired tenderness. NOTE: This may take less time if you’re using baking soda as that will make the veggies tenderize quicker.

Drain your Chinese broccoli, run in under cold water, and place it on plate.

Drizzle with 2 tbsp of oyster sauce (or more if desired) and serve.

We Hope You Enjoy Our Chinese Broccoli (Gai Lan) with Oyster Sauce Recipe!

Let us know in the comments if you have any questions, or be sure to let us know if you’ve tested the recipe out. We’re always looking to improve our recipes and make sure they taste great for everyone.