Chicken and Cabbage Stir Fry

This Chicken Cabbage Stir Fry with thinly sliced chicken breast, shredded cabbage, and a savory, sweet, and spicy stir fry sauce is exactly what you need for a quick and easy weeknight meal. 

I know what you might be thinking: cabbage and chicken? Together? Why not sausage or pork? I'm telling you, cabbage gets a bad rap. It's way more versatile than you might think. So crunchy, cooks up fast, and healthy too!

I was inspired to make this simply because I had some coleslaw mix in my fridge that was going to go bad, I also had chicken thawed, and you know what? I was just craving a chicken stir-fry!

Can't get much easier than everything staring you in the face when you open the fridge. Add to that a simple, healthy sauce made from honey, coconut, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, and a few other magical ingredients and I had this meal in the bag!

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How do you make a Chicken and Cabbage Stir Fry?

Can you toss food together in a skillet? Then you can make this dish!

First, mix together the soy sauce, sesame oil, Sriracha, and honey to make the sauce. Set that aside.

Next, heat the coconut oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and season the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. Don't put too much salt on the chicken as the soy sauce is already pretty salty. And you can't take salt out once it's in there.

Add the chicken to the skillet and for 2-3 minutes or until it begins to brown. Stir the chicken around and cook for another 2-3 minutes to cook it all the way through. Set the chicken aside.

Add back to the same pan the cabbage, green onions, garlic, and ginger. Cook these veggies and spices for 5-7 minutes or until the cabbage is just tender.

Finally, add the chicken to the veggie mixture then the sauce. Stir it all together to heat through and taste and adjust seasonings as you see fit. Garnish with sesame seeds and more green onion and cilantro if you like.

What are the benefits of eating cabbage?

First off, cabbage is packed full of fiber, which can keep you feeling fuller longer and keep your digestive tract healthy. Cabbage is also high in vitamins K, A, and C, as well as folate, potassium, magnesium, and folate. It is also a great anti-inflammatory and is loaded with antioxidants.

How do you cook cabbage without losing nutrients?

The best way to cook cabbage without losing any of its aforementioned nutrients is to cook it lightly, sauteing it for just a few minutes so that it cooks a little but doesn't completely break down. I call this "tender-crisp."

How can I customize this dish?

• Swap out the chicken for thin-sliced pork or even chicken or pork sausage if you prefer. You could also use ground chicken or turkey too.
• If you don't want to use or don't have coconut oil, you can use another neutral oil like vegetable or grapeseed.
• You can cut up some red and/or green cabbage yourself to add to this dish instead of buying the pre-packaged slaw. Add in carrot matchsticks too if you like.
• On that note, you can really add in any other veggies that you like. I find that broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms, and snow peas are always welcome additions to any stir fries.
• You can use red or yellow onion instead of green onion if you have that on hand. Shallots will also work.
• For more heat, add a teaspoon or two of red pepper flakes to the sauce.

Can I freeze this Chicken and Cabbage Stir Fry?

Unfortunately, I think cabbage doesn’t fair well in the freezer. When you thaw it back out — it gets mushy. Instead, make this dish without the cabbage, then do a quick steam of the slaw when you're ready to eat the rest of the thawed, warmed chicken stir fry and sauce. Toss the cooked cabbage in with the rest of the stir fry and dig in!

What do you serve with stir-fries?

• I like to serve my stir-fries over brown, white, or even whole grain rice.
• Another option is to serve this over a cup of quinoa or other whole grain.
• Sometimes I'll top leftover low-carb or high-fiber pasta with the stir fry. Let that sauce get in all the nooks and crannies — yum!
• Cauliflower rice, zoodles, and spaghetti squash are all great low-carb options that make a great base for stir-fries.