10 Minute Cabbage Stir Fry

This easy 10 Minute Cabbage Stir Fry makes a tasty side dish for any Asian inspired meal. Serve it alongside Healthy Mongolian Beef or Kung Pao Chicken for a takeout inspired meal at home.

Believe it or not, one of the most requested items around here is quick easy side dishes, and today I have one will you love. This stir fry cabbage is a breeze to make and is packed with tons of flavor from a homemade stir-fry sauce.

It takes humble cabbage and makes it something you will crave and want to eat by the bowlful. Plus it is fast, simple, and can easily become a meal by adding some protein.

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There are two things that make this stir-fried cabbage a winning dish in my opinion - the sauce and the texture of the cabbage. Let's start with the sauce. It is made with soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, Sriracha, and a touch of black pepper. This makes it savory and spicy. If you like things sweet as well - consider adding some brown sugar or honey.

Then there is the cabbage. It's really important not to overcook the cabbage and stop cooking it as soon as it is tender-crisp. You want it to have some crunch and bite. No soggy, sad cabbage here. 

Lastly, since everyone is looking to save time and money, I recommend using a packaged coleslaw mix for this recipe. Normally they cost around $1-2/bag and are filled with green cabbage, red cabbage, and carrots.

To buy and prep each of those ingredients, you would spend more money and likely have lots of leftovers. It's such a great timesaver. 

Turn this into Crack Slaw with Ground Turkey or Beef

If you haven't heard of crack slaw, last year it was one of the most popular recipes around in the Paleo, Keto, Low Carb, and healthy eating space. There are tons of variations, but most were made with a combination of coleslaw mix and ground beef, turkey, pork, or turkey sausage. This recipe can easily be converted into a crack slaw recipe with just a few changes. 

• Choose a protein: Crack slaw can be made with basically any ground meat - beef, turkey, chicken, pork, or sausage. Personally, I love using turkey sausage since it adds some extra flavor. However, the lowest calorie or point option will usually be a 99% lean ground turkey or chicken.  
• Amount: Next you want to decide how much protein you want to use.  For four servings, you can use a half pound of meat if you want a more veggie heavy cabbage stir fry or up to a pound of meat if you want a more meat heavy dish. For low carb/Keto folks who aren't serving this with anything else, I would recommend more meat. If you are serving this with some rice or noodles, you can probably get away with just using half a pound.
• Sauce: Since we are adding meat, we will need some extra sauce for the dish.  To make things easy, just double the sauce. 
• Cooking method: Start by browning the protein until it is cooked through. Drain off any fat from cooking. Then add the cabbage and cook until just wilted. Add the sauce and cook for 1 more minute.

Main Dishes to Serve with Cabbage Stir Fry

There are so many different ways to serve this Cabbage Stir Fry and it is also a great recipe to have on hand for meal prep. Here are some of my favorite options.

• Make a takeout feast at home by serving this with General Tso's Pork, Sesame Beef, or Spicy Hoisin Chicken.
• Make it a bowl: Cook up some of your favorite grains - rice, quinoa, barley, soba noodles. Then choose a protein like chicken, beef, pork, or seafood. Usually, I use rotisserie chicken or even lean chicken sausage. Then add the stir-fried cabbage and any other veggies you like. Sometimes I will throw in some edamame or leftover cooked vegetables.
• Taco Topping: If you love Asian style tacos, this tender crisp stir-fried cabbage makes a great taco topping where you would usually use a slaw.

Is this Stir Fried Cabbage Healthy?

Curious about the health benefits of cabbage? Cabbage is actually part of the broccoli, cauliflower, and kale family and is really good for you. Here are some of the reasons to add more cabbage to your diet.

• With just 22 calories per cup, cabbage is low calorie and low carb but still packed with tons of vitamins and minerals. It is packed with vitamin B6, folate, fiber, Vitamin C, and lots of antioxidants.
• Cabbage has been shown to reduce inflammation.
• Since it is high in fiber, cabbage supports digestive health and increases the presence of beneficial gut bacteria.
• Cabbage is a great source of Vitamin K and delivers 85% of the daily recommended intake.