Stir Fry Ground Beef Cabbage Recipe Ready in 20 Minutes
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This ground beef and cabbage stir fry is the ultimate quick-prep, one-pan skillet dinner for busy weeknights! It’s the perfect combo of meat and vegetables, ready in 20 minutes or less. The best part? It’s dairy-free, low-carb, and budget-friendly too!
This ground beef cabbage recipe is a fridge-foraging meal that I’m always tempted to make often whenever I need a quick and easy dinner. And if I need to get more healthy veggies in our meals, flavorful dishes like this make things all the more interesting. It’s delicious on its own, but my kids love this when served over rice (which soaks up the yummy sauce) or as a side dish to other main meals.
With easy recipes like this Chinese-inspired stir fry cabbage, you can enjoy restaurant-style favorites in the comfort of your own home. Don’t worry about hidden sugars or junk ingredients, this is a healthy lunch or dinner for everyone!
Table of Contents (click to view)
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
I always find myself pulling out this ground beef cabbage recipe whenever I’m in a dinner rut and don’t have the energy to make anything complicated. It’s simple, fresh, and best of all, homemade! There’s absolutely no reason not to love this recipe.
- Family-friendly and kid-approved
- Basic kitchen equipment
- Easy-to-follow directions
- Simple ingredients: Calls for basic ingredients you may already have on hand, making the recipe a great meal prep option.
- Budget-friendly: Uses leftover ingredients and one of the world’s cheapest vegetables, so you know you’re doing your wallet (and body) a favor. It’s a win-win!
- Short prep and cooking time: Serve a delicious and satisfying weeknight meal in 20 minutes or less!
- Amazing flavors: A savory and satisfying blend of Asian-inspired flavors, with the tender and juicy ground beef complementing the subtle sweetness of cabbage and umami sauce.
- Minimal cleanup: The recipe comes together in a single skillet, keeping cleanup to the barest minimum.
If you love the ease and convenience of one-dish meals, I highly recommend building a cast iron cookware collection. This equipment is all-purpose, sturdy, and highly functional great for one-pan and one-pot recipes.
How to Make Stir Fry Ground Beef Cabbage Recipe
My family and I instantly fell in love with this delicious cabbage ground beef recipe. It takes under 20 minutes, is super nutritious, and is packed with flavors!
This stir fry meal is an excellent way for beginners to gain confidence in the kitchen, use up leftover ingredients, and get a budget-friendly meal on the table in record time. Cook the veggies, mix in the meat, and add sauce. Anyone can make it!
Scroll to the bottom of this post for a printable recipe card with a full list of ingredients, measurements, and step-by-step instructions to make this savory ground beef and cabbage one-pan recipe.
Ingredients You Need
Gather these 10 ingredients. You probably already have most of these in your kitchen!
- Lard: It’s dairy-free and pairs amazingly with cabbage; a combination that always makes a dish taste like Chinese takeout to me.
- Garlic: Isn’t everything better with garlic?
- Ginger: Fresh ginger root is best, but you can substitute it with 1 teaspoon of dried ginger powder.
- Cabbage: I used green cabbage here, but you can use any kind you like. Save time and use a pre-shredded coleslaw mix.
- Salt: I like salty, savory food and never miss a chance to use different types of culinary salt.
- Ground beef: A 75/25 ground beef blend is perfect for this recipe since it has a higher fat content that keeps the dish juicy and delicious. Buy ground beef in bulk to save money on your grocery bill! You can use 80/20 or 85/15 ground beef, too.
- Soy sauce: Make your own homemade keto soy sauce or use a store-bought option like tamari (gluten-free, organic soy), Bragg’s liquid aminos (gluten-free, non-GMO soy), or coconut aminos (gluten and soy-free) to add a classic Asian flavor.
- Sesame oil: Don’t leave out the sesame oil! It brings the whole meal together and adds the signature Chinese food taste.
- Raw apple cider vinegar: Apple cider vinegar gives a tangy kick with a slight sweetness to the whole recipe. Get “raw” vinegar with the “mother” in it for optimal health benefits, or make homemade apple cider vinegar yourself!
- Green onion: Finely chopped green onion makes the dish pop with color and adds a bit more flavor.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Follow step by step to make the perfect easy stir-fry ground beef cabbage recipe in 20 minutes or less!
1. Warm oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-low heat. Stir-fry garlic and ginger for 1 minute.
2. Add cabbage and salt; stir-fry until soft for 5-8 minutes.
3. Push cabbage to one side of the skillet. Increase the heat to medium-high and lightly brown the meat for 2 minutes. Mix cabbage and meat. Then continue cooking until the meat is done to your liking.
4. Reduce heat down to medium-low. Add soy sauce, sesame oil, and apple cider vinegar. Toss to combine.
5. Garnish with green onion. Serve warm.
Variations and Substitutions
Like any skillet meal, this ground beef and cabbage stir fry is easily adaptable to what you already have on hand. Feel free to substitute the meat or vegetables with your favorite ingredients or add-ins. Below are some suggestions:
- Meat: When it comes to protein,you can definitely make this recipe with other ground meat proteins. Swap ground beef for ground turkey, chicken, or even pork. Ground chicken is leaner than beef and pork, so you may want to add a bit of coconut oil while the meat cooks.
- Cabbage: While I prefer green cabbage, red cabbage will work just as fine. Just keep in mind that it has a slightly different taste, takes longer to cook, and could even give your meal a purple hue.
- Extra veggies: Apart from cabbage, you can also add shredded carrots, sliced mushrooms, red or green bell peppers, mushrooms, snap peas, and chopped broccoli or cauliflower into your stir fry.
- Spicy: Give it a kick by adding some red pepper flakes.
Expert Tips
- Taste and adjust! I always recommend tasting while cooking so you can get to know the dish and adjust the seasoning as you like best.
- Prepping the cabbage. Green cabbage can be pretty tough and dry, craving moisture and fat to taste delicious. When cooking this ground beef and cabbage recipe, save some of the meat’s fat and juice to add a rich flavor to the cabbage and improve its texture. Be extra careful not to overcook, though. You’ll want the cabbage tender but still have a little crunch!
How to Store This Recipe
Since there are 4 servings of ground beef and cabbage stir fry in this recipe, it’s usually an appropriate size for a family dinner. You may be able to stretch it out to 6 servings if you add a side like a quick and easy egg drop soup.
There are two options for storing leftovers: in the refrigerator or freezer. You can pack the remaining portion in an airtight container and store it in the fridge for 3-5 days. Alternatively, place the meat and vegetables in a freezer bag or container and freeze for up to 3 months.
Always be sure to label and date the container so you remember what it is!
As cabbages thaw, they tend to release liquid. You may notice the dish gets a bit watery after reheating it on the stovetop compared to the freshly cooked meal. It’s a slight difference that will not affect the recipe’s overall flavor.
What to Serve with Ground Beef Cabbage Recipe
My ground beef cabbage recipe is a delicious and satisfying meal on its own. You can keep it low-carb and serve over a bed of cauliflower rice, or pair it with rice or noodles for a larger family dinner.
This ground beef and cabbage stir fry also goes well with veggie noodles and cucumber salad. Cleanse the palate with green tea, unsweetened iced tea, or a glass of fresh lemonade. Or, you can finish with a soothing drink like a hot mug of homemade bone broth. The options are endless!
More Easy Ground Beef Recipes to Try
Ground beef is a staple I always have around! It’s so easy, versatile, and affordable.
Use my printable Meal Planner, follow these meal prep ideas, and plan for more ground beef recipes!
- Ground Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry
- Ground Beef Stir Fry
- Egg Roll in a Bowl
- Korean Ground Beef
- Philly Cheesesteak Casserole with Hamburger
If you make this cabbage ground beef recipe, please leave a review. I really appreciate each and every 5-star rating and review comment!
Ground Beef and Cabbage Stir Fry
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon lard or coconut oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 inch fresh ginger root peeled and grated
- 1 pound green cabbage or coleslaw mix
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 pound ground beef
- 2 tablespoons Keto Soy Sauce see notes
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon raw apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons green onion minced for garnish
Instructions
- Warm fat in a skillet over medium-low heat. Sauté garlic and ginger for 1 minute.1 tablespoon lard, 2 cloves garlic, 1 inch fresh ginger root
- Add cabbage and salt; stir fry until soft for about 5-8 minutes.1 pound green cabbage, ½ teaspoon salt
- Push cabbage to one side of the skillet. Increase the heat to medium-high and lightly brown the meat for 2 minutes. Mix all together and continue cooking until meat is done to your liking.1 pound ground beef
- Reduce heat back to medium. Whisk soy sauce, sesame oil, and apple cider vinegar in a bowl. Pour over meat and stir to combine.2 tablespoons Keto Soy Sauce, 1 tablespoon sesame oil, 1 teaspoon raw apple cider vinegar
- Garnish with green onion. Serve warm.2 tablespoons green onion
Notes
- Taste while cooking and adjust the seasoning according to your preference.
- Save some of the meat’s fat and juice to add a rich flavor to the cabbage and improve its texture while cooking. Don’t overcook; make sure it’s crisp-tender.
Nutrition & Macros
To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in a given recipe, please calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients and amounts used, using your preferred nutrition calculator. Under no circumstances shall the this website and the author be responsible for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on the given nutritional information.
awesome recipe! I didn’t have any soy sauce so decided to go with cheddar cheese and a bit of coconut cream instead. Turned out yum!
Great substitution! You can’t go wrong with cheese 🙂