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–+ servings
Chicken and cabbage stir fry on a plate

Cabbage Stir Fry

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This quick, healthy cabbage stir fry features chicken or beef and thinly sliced cabbage cooked in a light and flavorful stir fry sauce. Easy and delicious!
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 12 minutes
Total: 27 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
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Ingredients
  

  • 5 cloves minced garlic about 1 1/2 tablespoons
  • 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
  • ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes if highly sensitive to spice, reduce to 1/4 teaspoon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
  • 4 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce divided, plus additional to taste
  • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 1 ½ tablespoons pure maple syrup
  • 1 small cabbage about 1 to 1 1/2 pounds
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil divided
  • 1 pound ground chicken lean ground beef, ground pork, or ground turkey
  • 2 cups shredded carrots about 10 ounces or 4 medium
  • 1 small bunch green onions finely chopped (about 6 small)
  • ½ cup fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems, chopped
  • Prepared brown rice or brown rice noodles for serving (optional—omit to make low carb; I love this stir fry on its own!)

Instructions
 

  • In a small bowl, combine the garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes and cloves. In a separate bowl, combine 2 tablespoons of the soy sauce, the rice vinegar, and the maple syrup. Keep both close by.
  • Cut the stem end off of the cabbage. Next, cut it in half from the top of the cabbage down through the stem. Place the flat, cut side against the surface of your cutting board, then each half into quarters (again, from the top down towards the stem). Turn each quarter crosswise, then cut into thin, 1/8-inch strips. Keep handy (I like to pile my cut cabbage into a bowl as I go).
    A head of cabbage being chopped on a cutting board
  • Heat a large, deep skillet, Dutch oven, or wok with a tight-fitting lid over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the oil. Once hot and shimmering, add the chicken. Cook, breaking up the meat. Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons soy sauce. Continue cooking until the meat is fully cooked through and any liquid that has collected in the pan has mostly cooked off, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate or bowl. Make sure you have the skillet lid handy.
    Ground chicken in a skillet
  • Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the skillet. Add the cabbage and carrots. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cabbage is just starting to wilt.
    Carrots and cabbage in a skillet
  • Add the soy sauce mixture and spice mixture. Cover the skillet and cook over high heat for one minute, until the cabbage is completely wilted but isn’t mushy.
    A skillet with cabbage and carrots
  • Uncover, and stir in the green onion, cilantro, and reserved chicken. Let cook 30 additional seconds. The cabbage should be crisp tender (if it’s not, cook it a bit longer). Serve hot with rice or noodles and an extra dash of soy sauce as desired.
    Cabbage stir fry in a skillet

Notes

  • TO STORE: Cabbage stir fry can be stored in an airtight storage container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. 
  • TO REHEAT: Gently rewarm stir fry in a large skillet or wok on the stovetop over medium-low heat. Add a splash of rice vinegar to perk the cabbage back up. 
  • TO FREEZE: Leftovers can be frozen in an airtight freezer-safe storage container for up to 3 months. The cabbage texture may change a bit, but the flavors will still be tasty.

Nutrition

Serving: 1(of 6)Calories: 235kcalCarbohydrates: 19gProtein: 17gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 65mgPotassium: 879mgFiber: 6gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 7535IUVitamin C: 61mgCalcium: 100mgIron: 2mg
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