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Get It NowEver have those tired days when you don’t feel like cooking? It may come as a surprise coming from a food blogger, but I do, too! That’s when this cabbage stir fry recipe comes to the rescue. It’s a classic, easy-to-make dish bursting with savory flavors, juicy chicken, and vibrant veggies. This delicious, nutritious, and easy dinner is a lifesaver on those hectic evenings!
Why You’ll Love My Cabbage Stir Fry Recipe
- Sweet and savory combo – With the perfect mix of savory spices and a dash of honey, I created an Asian-inspired mouthwatering dish that combines the best of both.
- Tender cabbage, juicy chicken – I love the texture of a good stir fry… it’s one of the first things I learned to cook! This one has the perfect combo of juicy chicken and tender, caramelized cabbage and veggies.
- Simple ingredients – With just 10 common ingredients (plus salt and pepper), you can whip up a delicious stir fry in no time. Plus, it’s a complete meal more filling than plain sauteed cabbage.
- Easy one pan meal – This dish needs very little prep time and takes only 15 minutes to cook! It’s just as easy as my regular chicken stir fry. If you need something more filling, add a side of rice and you’re done.
- Healthy, nutritious, and family-friendly – We’ve got a great balance of satisfying protein and fiber, plus it’s gluten-free. Even my kids have come to like it!
Ingredients & Substitutions
This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for stir fried cabbage, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.
Cabbage Stir Fry:
- Cabbage – Obviously the star of a cabbage stir fry! You’ll need about 8-10 cups of chopped or shredded cabbage, which is about one medium head. You can also take a shortcut and use packaged coleslaw mix, like I do for my egg roll in a bowl recipe.
- Chicken – I add boneless skinless chicken breast to my stir fry cabbage recipe to make it a one-pan meal. Cut the chicken into 1-inch pieces. You can also use boneless skinless chicken thighs, diced pork, or even ground turkey instead, or just skip the protein to serve the cabbage as a side dish.
- Other Veggies – You’ll need onion, bell pepper (I prefer a red bell pepper), and carrots. Feel free to throw in other veggies you like, such as broccoli, snap peas, mushrooms, or baby corn. Just make sure you cut them up into similarly sized pieces to ensure even cooking.
- Olive Oil – This is the oil I use most often, but sometimes I make this with avocado oil.
- Garlic – I recommend fresh garlic for the best flavor, but a tablespoon of jarred minced garlic works in a pinch.
- Fresh Ginger – Again, fresh minced ginger tastes best, but you could use 1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger instead.
- Coconut Aminos – This is my go-to soy sauce substitute. Low sodium soy sauce or tamari also work if one of those fits your lifestyle.
- Honey – I’ve been making this cabbage stir fry recipe for years and never added honey, but recently I tried it and it was even better! It brings out the sweetness in the cabbage even more. I’ve listed this as an optional ingredient now, so you decide. Regular honey works, but I like to use my natural sugar free honey instead.
- Sea Salt & Black Pepper
VARIATION: Add heat or tang!
If you’re looking for a spicy kick, consider adding Sriracha or a pinch of red pepper flakes to the sauce. For a tangier taste, add a splash of rice vinegar.
Optional Garnishes:
- Toasted Sesame Oil – Adds a rich, nutty flavor that perfectly enhances the dish. This oil is not heat-safe, so you’ll only want to add it at the end. Don’t stir fry with it!
- Green Onions – Adds a fresh, mild crunch and a pop of color.
- Sesame Seeds – Sprinkling sesame seeds on top of the chicken cabbage stir fry gives it a nice crunch and adds a tasty nutty flavor.
How To Make Cabbage Stir Fry
This section shows step-by-step photos together with the instructions, to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.
- Season the chicken. Pat the chicken pieces dry. In a large bowl, season them evenly with sea salt and black pepper.
- Cook the chicken. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet, braiser pan, or wok over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and sear, stirring occasionally, until just golden brown and cooked through. Then, transfer to a plate and cover to keep warm.
- Saute the garlic and ginger. Reduce the heat to medium, add more olive oil to the pan, and then sauté the garlic and ginger until fragrant.
- Saute the veggies. Add the onions and bell peppers. Cook until the onions are translucent and starting to brown, the peppers are soft.
- Add the cabbage, carrots, and sauce. If using the optional honey, whisk together the coconut aminos and honey in a small bowl first. Increase the heat and add the cabbage, carrots, and honey aminos mixture (or just the coconut aminos if not using honey). Season with ground ginger (if you didn’t use fresh in step above), salt, and pepper. Stir fry cabbage until it’s tender and liquid reduces.
- Combine and garnish. Return the chicken to the pan and heat through if needed. Remove from heat. Stir in toasted sesame oil. Garnish your cabbage stir fry with green onions and sesame seeds if you like!
Recipe Tips
- Prep your ingredients ahead of time. Before you start cooking, make sure to prep all your ingredients ahead of time. Chop your cabbage, dice your chicken, and have your sauce ready to go. This way, you can breeze through the cooking process without risking overcooking. It moves fast!
- Use a pan with tall sides. Fresh cabbage takes up a lot of space before it cooks down, so a regular skillet will leave you with a mess on your stovetop. I love my enameled cast iron braiser pan for this (shown above) — it’s large, heats up well, and looks beautiful going right to the table. You can also use a Dutch oven or a wok.
- Make sure your pan is hot before adding the chicken. This will give you that perfect sear. To find out if it’s hot enough, sprinkle water onto the pan. If it sizzles and evaporates quickly, it’s ready!
Storage Instructions
- Store: Keep any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator, where they’ll stay fresh for 3-4 days.
- Meal prep: You can chop the vegetables and chicken, and mix the sauce ingredients in advance, storing them separately in the fridge until ready to stir fry.
- Reheat: Gently warm chicken and cabbage stir fry in a skillet over medium heat, until heated through, stirring occasionally. I also like to eat leftovers for lunch, and the microwave works just fine in a rush.
- Freeze: Store in a freezer bag or freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
More Easy Stir Fry Recipes
If you loved this cabbage stir fry recipe, check out these easy stir fries for quick meals:
Cabbage Stir Fry (15 Minutes!)
This 15-minute cabbage stir fry recipe with chicken makes a healthy, quick and easy dinner. It's so flavorful, yet uses simple ingredients.
Ingredients
Tap underlined ingredients to see where to get them.
Cabbage Stir Fry:
Optional Garnishes:
Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.
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Pat the chicken pieces dry with paper towels. In a large bowl or on a cutting board, season them evenly with 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt and 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper.
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Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large cast iron skillet with tall sides, a Dutch oven, or a wok, over medium-high heat. Add the chicken. Sear for 4-6 minutes, stirring occasionally but not constantly (to allow browning), until the chicken is just golden brown and cooked through. Transfer to a plate and cover to keep warm.
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Reduce heat to medium. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan. Add the garlic and ginger (if using fresh), and saute for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant.
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Add the onions and bell peppers. Cook for 5-7 minutes, until the onions are translucent and starting to brown, and the peppers are soft.
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If using the optional honey, whisk together the coconut aminos and honey in a small bowl.
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Increase heat to medium-high. Add the shredded cabbage, carrots, and coconut aminos mixture (or only coconut aminos if not using honey). Season with ground ginger (only if you didn’t use fresh in step 3 above), and the remaining salt and pepper. Stir fry for 3-5 minutes, until the cabbage is tender and any excess liquid simmers away. (You can increase heat to high if needed to facilitate this.)
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Add the chicken back to the pan. If it’s not warm enough, cook for 1-2 minutes until warm.
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Remove from heat. Stir in the toasted sesame oil, if using. Garnish with green onions and sesame seeds if desired.
Did You Like It?
Leave a rating to help other readers, or get the recipe sent to your inbox.
Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 1/2 cups
Nutrition info does not include optional ingredients.
Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see our nutrition policy.
© Copyright Maya Krampf for Wholesome Yum. Please DO NOT SCREENSHOT OR COPY/PASTE recipes to social media or websites. We’d LOVE for you to share a link with photo instead. 🙂
49 Comments
Beth
1Omg, this was amazing made it for dinner tonight. My husband was like ‘don’t mess with my chicken and cabbage I like them how you usually cook them.’ Well he ate a big plate and said he would eat again
Rennae
1Loved this recipe and so did my husband. I used ground chicken and browned it first, then removed and followed the rest of the directions, adding the chicken back in with the red pepper. At the end I squeezed juice of half a lime over it all, (carbs?) then some sesame seeds. Great flavor!!
Joy
0I made this dish for dinner tonight and we loved it. Very flavorful and lots of veggies which is always a hit. Thanks for the recipe.
Andrea
0I’m always looking for healthy new dinner recipes to try and this one was a big hit with my family! It was super quick to make and had fantastic flavor.
Ali L
0YES!! We loved this.I added more fresh ginger and it was divine (we LOVE ginger!!)
Sha
0This is such a hearty and delicious dinner recipe! It’s packed with flavors, so easy and quick!
Kathy H
0Fixed this with left over rotisserie chicken, so I followed directions for the veggies and added cut up chicken with the sauce. It was so delicious and a great way to use chicken, other than a chicken salad!!
Carl
0Good, but a little spicy from the ginger. I’ll use a little less next time. Adding peanut butter helped.
Diane
0Very easy to follow recipe. I didn’t have Coconut amino so I used a ginger soy sauce I have it came out great!
Dorothy
0I made this for the first time tonight and I will be making it often! It’s delicious, and so easy!
Bob Malzacher
0What section of a supermarket would you find coconut aminos?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Bob, It should be close to the soy sauce.
Lois
0I like the fact that its low carb and you can use up extra vegetables from your fridge! I love lots of Cabbage to fill me up and the Aminos give it a great taste! Thanks for posting. May add a little water to the mix.
Ron
0You would find them in the same are find that you’d find soy sauce.
Lindsay
0My whole family loved it!
Lori
0Fantastic recipe! Couple of adjustments to use what we had on hand. About 1.5 T fresh ginger instead of ground. One medium carrot is cut into matchsticks instead of red pepper. Green onions instead of chives. Added 1 T garlic chili paste for some heat and drizzled 2 tsp sesame oil at the end for added flavor. Husband and son both raved! Will make it again and try with red pepper next time! Thank you – so quick and easy!
Debbie
0I used rotisserie chicken and put it in toward the end, as you suggested. Delish!! Thank you for this awesome, quick recipe!!
Charlette
0Hello how much is a serving size is it 1 cup or 2?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Charlette, This recipe makes 4 servings. Please portion as such so the nutrition is accurate.
Dena L Marger
0No video.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Dena, The video is located in the recipe card. If you cannot see it, you may need to turn off your browser’s ‘reader mode’ so you can view it. I hope this helps!
Judy
0This was really good! We gave it a 10! Love having a fast dinner. Hubby chopped up the Vegetables while I worked on taxes. So I just had to assemble.
Thanks for having the scaling feature on your recipe. I defrosted 1.5 pounds of chicken breast in the pack. So we have enough for 2 dinners!
I didn’t have chives, so I added the green part of green onions. My hubby suggested nuts on top, so we added sliced almonds.
I am going to have a FaceTime with a good friend tomorrow, while I open your cookbook. It’s still in the packing box; delivered yesterday. It will be fun to do it together!!!
Catherine
0Hi, can the leftovers be frozen for another time? Thank you, love these recipes
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Catherine, I wouldn’t freeze this recipe. The cabbage will not come out well after freezing and reheating.
Terri
0Hello everyone!!! I’m new to healthy cooking and I came across this delicious looking recipe. Can anyone tell me what coconut aminos actually is and if I can substitute something else in its place if I am unable to find it?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Terri, You can get coconut aminos by taping on it on the recipe card. That shows what it is as well.
John Pron
0I added some mushrooms and some broccoli florets, it came out awesome. I love your web site and all your recipes Maya. You rock! I started my Keto diet three weeks ago and have already dropped twelve pounds. I’m very happy to have found your site, you make it very easy. Thanks!
Marion Albares
0I have tried and really enjoyed the zucchini boats! Thank you for this dish!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I am so happy to hear that, Marion!
Ashley
0Could I use some shredded chicken that is already cooked and just skip the first part of cooking the chicken or will it end up too dry?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Ashley, Yes, you can. If you have chicken already cooked, you can add it closer to the end, just enough to heat through.
Maxine fish
0Just made this for tea absolutely gorgeous I’ve made it with cabbage rice using the rest of the coconut milk, definitely one for my saved recipes.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I am so happy you liked it, Maxine!
Vera
0Made it tonight for the first time and everybody thought it was delicious! I used fresh ginger with the garlic…yum. Thank you so much for such a great dish.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you so much, Vera! I’m so glad you and your family/friends enjoyed it.
Martha Barrow
0Delicious and easy.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Martha!
Lorey
0Could you use liquid aminos instead of coconut?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Lorey, Yes, you can!
Sandra
0I made this for lunch today, and it was DELICIOUS! Thanks for sharing. I was searching for low carb foods and this was my choice for today!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Sandra!
Rosemary
0What is the amount of 1 serving?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Rosemary, The volume of a serving would depend on how tightly you pack it and even how much you let the cabbage cook down. The serving size is just 1/4 of the recipe. If you divide the pan into four sections, it’s one of those.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Rosemary, A serving is 1/4 of the entire recipe. So if you divide the pan into four sections, a serving is one of those.
Melissa Griffiths
0Cheers to a quick and easy meal! Love it!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Melissa!
Mary H.
0Can I replace the coconut aminos for regular Braggs aminos, or even GF soy sauce? Is there a difference in how much I should use? THANK YOU!!!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Mary, Yes, you can! Either one of those should work the same way and you can use the same amount.
Helene Dsouza
0Love cabbage stir fry, I make it frequently at home. With chicken it must taste even better!