Cabbage Stir Fry

This easy skillet Cabbage Stir Fry is loaded with ground turkey, onions, cabbage, and carrots, drizzled with a six-ingredient salty, sweet Asian stir fry sauce. This healthy main dish comes together in less than 30 minutes and is always a huge hit. Or omit the protein, and it becomes a tasty side dish for chicken or fish. Make this tasty stir fry tonight, and get ready for the compliments.

Cabbage Stir Fry

You are going to love this easy dish. In less than 30 minutes, you can have a hearty meal on the table full of healthy ingredients. If you like this tasty recipe and are a cabbage lover, you must try my braised cabbage, cabbage salad, and cabbage casserole.

How to make Cabbage Stir Fry

First, whisk together the soy sauce, rice wine, rice vinegar, mirin, red pepper flakes, and sesame oil in a small bowl. Set the bowl aside for a few minutes.

Then, in a large skillet or wok, heat a little vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add the ground turkey and cook it, breaking up the meat as it cooks. When the ground turkey is cooked through, add the garlic and ginger and cook for a minute while stirring. Move the cooked turkey mixture to a plate and cover it to keep it from drying out.

Then, add a bit of vegetable oil to the skillet. Add the onion and cook for 2 minutes. Add the cabbage and carrots and continue cooking until the veggies are almost crisp-tender. Add the cooked turkey mixture back to the skillet. Drizzle with the stir-fry sauce and cook for 1-2 minutes over medium heat. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds or sliced green onions and serve.

Recipe Tips for the Best Stir Fry Cabbage

• Mirin is sweetened sake and can be found in the Asian food section of some grocery stores. Substitutions for the mirin include 2 tablespoons of sherry mixed with 2 teaspoons of granulated sugar. You could also substitute maple syrup.
• Ground chicken, ground beef, ground pork, or shrimp are other proteins that can be substituted for ground turkey.
• Green cabbage is readily available, but you can also use savoy cabbage, Chinese cabbage, also known as Napa cabbage or bok choy. Just cut it into thin strips.
• Other vegetables to add are broccoli, zucchini, mushrooms, red bell pepper, or even water chestnuts. 
• Ginger paste works just as well as fresh ginger, and once opened, it lasts about 1 month stored in the fridge.
• If you have Chinese Five Spice in your cabinet, add a little to taste. It is full of flavor from Chinese cinnamon and cloves. I love it.
• This recipe is best served promptly while the veggies are still crisp-tender.
• If you don’t mind the carbs, it is delicious served over brown rice or Chinese noodles.
• If you like the cabbage more tender, cover the skillet with a lid and let it steam for a few minutes.

What to serve with Cabbage Stir Fry

• Appetizers – coconut shrimp, classic egg rolls, bacon-wrapped water chestnuts, or gyoza.
• Rice – brown rice, white rice, or cauliflower rice to keep this keto-friendly
• Noodles – any Chinese noodles like soba, brown rice noodles, ramen noodles or zucchini noodles to keep the dish low carb.

Storage and Reheat

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave at reduced power or on the stovetop over low heat.

I do not recommend freezing this dish as the texture of the cabbage will change, and it will no longer be crisp tender.

More stir-fry recipes to try!

Cabbage Stir Fry

A quick and healthy Cabbage Stir Fry Recipe made with ground turkey or ground chicken, onions, cabbage, carrots, ginger, and garlic, all in a sweet and savory sauce.

5 from 20 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: dinner

Cuisine: Asian American

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 318kcal

Author: Beth Pierce

Ingredients

Stir Fry Sauce

• ¼ cup low sodium soy sauce
• ¼ cup rice wine
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons mirin see notes
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• ½ teaspoon sesame oil

Cabbage Stir Fry

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 lb. ground turkey or ground chicken
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1 tablespoon grated ginger or ginger paste
• 1 medium onion
• 4 medium carrots peeled and shredded
• 1 small head of green cabbage thinly shredded
• Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
• 2 green onions thinly sliced

Instructions

• In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, rice wine, rice vinegar, mirin, red pepper flakes, and sesame oil. Set the bowl aside for a few minutes.
• In a large skillet or pan, heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add the ground turkey and cook, breaking up the meat as it cooks. When the ground turkey is cooked through, add the garlic and ginger and stir to combine.  Cook for 1 minute while stirring continuously. Move the cooked turkey mixture to a plate and cover it to keep it from drying out.
• Heat the remaining tablespoon of vegetable oil in the skillet. Add the onion and cook for 2 minutes. Add the cabbage and carrots and continue cooking until the veggies are almost crisp-tender, stirring often.  Add the cooked turkey mixture back to the skillet. Drizzle with the stir fry sauce and cook for another 1-2 minutes while stirring. Season with kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste. Top with green onions and serve.

Notes

• Mirin is sweetened sake and can be found in the Asian food section of some grocery stores. Substitutions for the mirin include 2 tablespoons of sherry mixed with 2 teaspoons of granulated sugar. You could also substitute maple syrup.
• Ground chicken, ground beef, ground pork, or shrimp are other proteins that can be substituted for the ground turkey.
• Green cabbage is so readily available but you can use savoy cabbage, Chinese cabbage also known as Napa cabbage, or bok choy. Just cut it into thin strips.
• Other vegetables to consider adding are broccoli, zucchini, mushrooms, red bell pepper, or even water chestnuts. 
• Ginger paste works just as well as fresh ginger, and once opened, it lasts about 1 month stored in the fridge.
• If you have Chinese Five Spice in your spice cabinet, add a little to taste. It is full of flavor from Chinese cinnamon and cloves. I love it.
• This recipe is best served promptly while the veggies are still crisp-tender.
• If you don’t mind the carbs, it is delicious served over brown rice or Chinese noodles.
• If you like the cabbage more tender, cover the skillet with a lid and let it steam for a couple of minutes.

Nutrition

Calories: 318kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 62mg | Sodium: 786mg | Potassium: 1040mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 10539IU | Vitamin C: 91mg | Calcium: 135mg | Iron: 3mg

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