This Spicy Stir-Fried Swiss Chard has just enough heat to get your attention and this is fun for a new way to cook healthy Swiss Chard!

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Spicy Stir-Fried Swiss Chard finished dish on serving plate

I started growing swiss chard in my garden when a friend told me how you could cut the chard leaves and the plant would produce new ones over and over. That sounded good to me, and for several years now I’ve made tasty dishes using these easy-to-grow greens. This year I’ve neglected the swiss chard recipes, but I think I’m making up for it with this Spicy Stir-Fried Swiss Chard. This could easily become my favorite way to cook Swiss Chard, it was that good.

I found a recipe for Asian-Style Chard in From Asparagus to Zucchini, A Guide to Cooking Farm-Fresh Seasonal Produce (affiliate link) but when Jake and I started to cook this we decided to spice it up quite a bit. I also used a lot less Hoisin Sauce, since it’s high in sugar, and added a few other tastes to the sauce. Besides the great flavor, one thing I loved about this recipe was that is uses both the stems and the leaves of the chard, cooking the stems a few minutes before the leaves are added to the wok. If you have Swiss chard in your garden or CSA box, Jake and I both give this recipe two thumbs up! 

What ingredients do you need for this recipe?

What makes this recipe spicy?

Chili Garlic Sauce image of bottle

Several people on the Kalyn’s Kitchen Facebook Page had raved about this spicy Chili Garlic Sauce (affiliate link), so that’s what we used to add a little heat to the dish, but I think Sriracha Sauce (affiliate link) or other types of Asian hot sauce would also work.

Want More Ideas for Swiss Chard?

Check out my Salute to Swiss Chard for more Swiss Chard ideas!

Spicy Stir-Fried Swiss Chard process shots collage

How to Make Spicy Stir-Fried Swiss Chard:

(Scroll down for complete recipe with nutritional information.)

  1.  Chop the chard stems and leaves separately and wash if needed. Then heat the oil to medium-high and cook the stems about 2 minutes. (We used a wok, but you can use a large frying pan.)
  2. Have one tablespoon of finely minced garlic ready to go.
  3. Mix together soy sauce or Gluten-Free Soy Sauce (affiliate link), Hoisin sauce or Gluten-Free Hoisin Sauce (affiliate link), Chili Garlic Sauce (affiliate link), and Golden Monkfruit Sweetener (affiliate link) or sweetener of your choice to make the sauce. (I used to use a teaspoon of Black Bean Garlic Sauce in this, but when that got hard to find I just replaced it with soy sauce and didn’t notice much difference. But if you have some replace one teaspoon soy sauce with the Black Bean Garlic Sauce.)
  4. Add the garlic and chard leaves to the wok or frying pan and continue to cook, turning leaves over several times.
  5. Cook about 3 minutes, or until the leaves have all wilted down like this.
  6. Then add the sauce and cook until chard is tender, about 2-3 minutes longer. Serve hot.

Spicy Stir-Fried Swiss Chard square image

More Tasty Ways to Use Swiss Chard:

Baked Swiss Chard Stems with Parmesan 
Spaghetti with Garlic, Chard, and Pecorino Romano Cheese 
Spaghetti Squash and Chard Gratin
Swiss Chard Casserole

Spicy Stir-Fried Swiss Chard finished dish on serving plate
Yield: Makes 4 servings

Spicy Stir-Fried Swiss Chard

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 8 minutes
Total Time 23 minutes

This Spicy Stir-Fried Swiss Chard has just enough heat to get your attention.

Ingredients

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb. swiss chard, stems and leaves chopped separately
  • 1 T peanut oil (see notes)
  • 1 T minced garlic

Sauce Ingredients:

  • 2 T soy sauce (gluten-free if needed)
  • 1 tsp. Hoisin sauce (gluten-free if needed)
  • 2 tsp. Chili Garlic Sauce (start with 1 tsp. and taste to see if you want more heat)
  • 1 T Golden Monkfruit Sweetener (see notes)

Instructions

  1. Cut stems away from swiss chard leaves, folding over the leaf to cut some of the larger part of the stem (ribs) that run through the leaves.
  2. Cut stems/ribs into short pieces.
  3. Pile the leaves up in a stack and slice about 1 inch thick; then turn the cutting board and cut the slices the other way, repeating until the chard is all chopped.
  4. Wash in a salad spinner if needed and spin dry.
  5. Mince enough garlic to make 1 tablespoon.
  6. Mix together the soy sauce or Gluten-Free Soy Sauce (affiliate link), Hoisin sauce or Gluten-Free Hoisin Sauce (affiliate link), Chili Garlic Sauce (affiliate link), and Golden Monkfruit Sweetener (affiliate link) or sweetener of your choice to make the sauce.
  7. Turn the heat under the wok (or large frying pan) to medium high, add the oil and heat until the oil is slightly shimmering.
  8. Add the chard stems and stir-fry about 2 minutes.
  9. Add the leaves and minced garlic and stir-fry for about 3 minutes more, turning leaves over several times until all the chard has wilted.
  10. Add the sauce and stir to combine it with the chard, then cook 2-3 minutes more, or until the chard is tender and all coated with sauce.
  11. Serve hot.

Notes

Use any neutral-flavored vegetable oil of your choice. I love Golden Monkfruit Sweetener (affiliate link) but use any sweetener of your choice.

This recipe adapted from From Asparagus to Zucchini, A Guide to Cooking Farm-Fresh Seasonal Produce. (affiliate link)

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 66Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 711mgCarbohydrates: 7gFiber: 3gSugar: 2gProtein: 3g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.

Did you make this recipe?

Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating (under the PRINT button in the recipe) or share a photo of your results on Instagram! THANKS!

Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
Chard is a very nutritious low-carb vegetable, and everything about this Spicy Stir-Fried Swiss Chard would be approved for all phases of the original South Beach Diet, and most other types of low-carb eating plans, but be sure to look for Asian condiments with the lowest possible amounts of sugar because they can vary widely.

Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Stir-Fry Recipes to find more recipes like this one. Use the Diet Type Index to find more recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to Follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.

Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This recipe was first posted in 2011. It was updated with more information in 2021.

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