This easy ground chicken and cabbage stir fry recipe is a winner for busy weeknights.
Juicy and tender chicken is cooked with crisp veggies, creating a low-carb meal that's ready in under 30 minutes. It's a wholesome meal that's both tasty and budget-friendly.
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Ingredients For Ground Chicken and Cabbage
- Cabbage - for this recipe, you'll need to use just one regular green cabbage of any kind (younger is better). If using red cabbage, don't use too much, as it may dye the entire dish purple. You can also use a coleslaw mix for this.
- Chopped Onion - I like to add onion to many of my recipes, but this recipe is equally good without it. Feel free to skip it if you want to save some prep time.
- Tomato paste and sweet paprika - use a good quality tomato paste (in a tube). Thanks to sweet paprika, the stir fry doesn't feel bland.
- Lean Ground Chicken - I used ground chicken for a quick stir fry, but boneless, skinless chicken thighs or legs also work well. Dark chicken meat is an excellent option for this recipe as it adds moisture and tenderness to the dish. It infuses the cabbage with rich flavor and a satisfying amount of fat.
- Carrots are optional, but in our family, cabbage and carrots kind of go hand in hand. The flavor combo just works for us.
- Salt and black pepper - this dish needs a good amount of seasoning, especially salt. I add those a couple of times during cooking, first when frying the chicken and then for the cabbage seasoning. Add a little initially and increase once you follow the next steps. The amount of sodium also changes depending on which broth/stock you use.
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Substitutions
You can try variations like adding different vegetables or using different protein sources like tofu or shrimp.
You can also experiment with stir-fry sauces to change your chicken stir-fry flavor profile.
- Cabbage substitute: use (Chinese) napa cabbage for this stir fry.
- Veggies: swap the carrots for grated sweet potato or zucchini.
- Add cremini mushrooms or red bell pepper strips. Delicious!
How To Cut Cabbage For Stir Fry?
- Wash and prep: Rinse the cabbage under cold water to remove any dirt. Remove any damaged outer leaves.
- Halve the cabbage: Place it on a cutting board and cut it vertically from top to bottom to create two equal halves.
- Remove the core: Locate the tough core at the base of each cabbage half. Cut it out in a triangular wedge shape and discard.
- Slice or shred: Lay each cabbage half flat side down on the cutting board. Depending on your preference, slice the cabbage into thin strips or shred it using a knife or mandoline slicer.
- Adjust for bite size: If desired, further chop the strips or shreds into smaller, bite-sized pieces.
How To Make Ground Chicken and Cabbage Stir Fry
- Heat half of a tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Once the oil is hot, saute the chicken until almost cooked through. Season with salt and pepper, and set aside.
- Add more oil to the skillet. Reduce the heat to medium and saute onion until soft.
- Follow with cabbage, seasonings (I like adding more flavor using seasoned homemade celery salt), and tomato paste.
- Stir and mix a couple of times and pour in the broth.
- Cover with the lid and simmer for 20-25 minutes until cabbage is tender and flavorful. Return the chicken, and add rice and grated carrots.
- Stir to combine and simmer for another 5 minutes until all the ingredients are warmed. Enjoy as is or serve on top of rice or noodles.
- We like to serve this sauteed cabbage with fresh herbs (green onions, parsley, cilantro) and a dollop of sour cream or plain Greek yogurt.
PRO TIP: To make this cabbage stir fry extra indulgent, add about a tablespoon of salted butter once you remove it from the heat. Delicious!
What To Serve With Ground Chicken and Cabbage
Just like with our cabbage roll casserole, for an extra hearty meal, we like to serve this skillet with one or two of the following:
- Greek salad or healthy cucumber salad
- crusty bread
- glazed carrots
- cauliflower
- air fryer potatoes
- roasted asparagus
- Air fryer roasted Brussels sprouts
- or for an extra hearty meal creamy mashed potatoes or steamed potatoes
EXPERT TIP: For an extra flavor boost, consider adding low-sodium soy sauce, coconut aminos, or Worcestershire sauce towards the end of cooking.
However, I think the recipe is as delicious as it is with simple ingredients.
Freezing And Storing Leftovers
This recipe makes 2 main dish servings, but you can also stretch it out to 3 servings.
Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days. I use these glass meal prep containers to store leftovers - they keep everything fresh for days.
Reheat it low and slow on the stovetop with a little water or more chicken stock. Or microwave it for 2 minutes or so.
Can I Use Ground Chicken or Cooked Chicken?
Of course! I really enjoy the tender texture of ground chicken, but you can use diced chicken breast instead if you like.
The cooking time may vary and increase, check the patties for doneness with a kitchen thermometer (165 F).
Pre-cooked chicken works well as well. Use whatever you have for a quick lunch or snack.
How Long to Cook Ground Chicken?
Cook ground chicken until it reaches 155°F inside.
This usually takes about 3-4 minutes in a skillet on medium-high heat, but the exact time can change depending on how much chicken you're cooking and how thick it is.
Remove from the heat and allow to rest 5-10 minutes to keep the chicken nice and juicy.
The chicken should now reach a safe temperature of 165 F.
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Recipe Card
Ground Chicken And Cabbage Stir Fry (Ready in 30 Minutes!)
Ingredients
Method
- Heat half a tablespoon of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and saute once the oil is hot until it is almost cooked. Season with salt and black pepper. Set aside.
- Lower the heat to medium, add more oil and sauté the onion until soft. Then, add the cabbage, ssweet paprika and tomato paste. Stir well and pour in the stock. Cover with a lid and let the cabbage simmer for 20-25 minutes until it's soft and flavorful.3 cups shredded green cabbage, 1 teaspoon sweet paprika, 3 teaspoon tomato paste , ¾ cup chicken broth, 2 tablespoons yellow onion
- Return the chicken to the skillet and add rice and grated carrots. Stir everything together and let it simmer for another 5 minutes until all the ingredients are warmed through.½ cup carrot, ½ cup cooked brown rice
- We love to serve this sauteed cabbage with fresh herbs (green onions, parsley, cilantro) and a dollop of sour cream or plain greek yogurt.Parsley chopped
- PRO TIP: to make this cabbage stir fry extra indulgent, add about a tablespoon of salted butter once you remove it from the heat. Delicious!
Nutrition
Video
Notes
- How to reheat leftover chicken cabbage stir fry? To reheat leftover chicken cabbage, stir fry and place it in a large skillet over medium heat. Add a little chicken broth to prevent it from drying out and stir until heated through. You can also reheat it in the microwave using an airtight container.
- Can you use rotisserie chicken in a stir fry? Yes, you can. For a quick and easy meal, simply shred the cooked chicken and add it to the skillet following the instructions.
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!Note: Nutrition information is estimated and varies based on the products used.
Full Nutrition Disclaimer can be found here.
Chicken and Cabbage FAQ
To reheat leftover chicken cabbage stir fry, place it in a large skillet over medium heat.
Add a little chicken broth to prevent it from drying out and stir until heated through. You can also reheat it in the microwave using an airtight container.
Yes, chicken cabbage stir fry can be a low-carb meal, especially if you skip adding additional carbohydrates like rice or noodles. Perfect for a low-carb diet!
A basic chicken stir-fry recipe requires chicken, cabbage, carrots, onion, sweet paprika and other seasonings, and chicken broth.
For extra flavor, you can add soy sauce or coconut aminos.
Marinating chicken, especially chicken breast, can make it tastier. Mix soy sauce, garlic, and ginger, then let the chicken sit in it for at least 30 minutes.
It's easier to use ground chicken. Cook it until it's no longer pink, then mix it with other ingredients. Let it simmer in broth for 10 minutes to make it extra tender.
Absolutely! You can use chicken thighs or breasts for a more fulfilling option in your chicken cabbage stir fry.
Yes, you can create a low-carb version of the stir fry by omitting ingredients like noodles or rice and focusing on the chicken and cabbage base
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Liz
I made this tonight and my husband and I enjoyed it. I liked that the recipe is easy and not too time consuming. It’s a good way to get whole foods into your diet. I gave it four stars instead of five because I think it could use additional spices. The dish was a little bland. It probably would have more flavorful if I had topped it with some herbs but I didn’t have any. Thank you for the recipe.
Julia
Thank you for sharing this, our family doesn't use much salt, perhaps you need to add more and use very good quality ingredients.
Suzanne Sennett
We were so happy with how this turned out. I threw in mushrooms because I had them.
Julia
What a wonderful addition! I do it as well! Thanks Suzanne for commenting
Adriana Quintero
This was sooo delicious, thanks for an awesome recipe I added grated garlic and chili flakes, this dish rocks!!
Julia
Thank you Adriana! Easy, quick and delicious 🙂
MARCIA
I wish I would have done that. I found this recipe very very bland. I may need to toss it out.
Terry_Quinn
Saw the part about freezing and storing instructions, Julia. You say it reheats well, but do you think the cabbage gets too soggy? I’ve had some mishaps with reheated veggies before, and I’m trying to avoid a repeat. Cheers!
Samantha R.
Just tried the ground chicken and cabbage recipe last night - what a lifesaver, Julia! Between soccer practice and work, it's tough finding time to make a good meal. Love that it's ready in 30 minutes.
Julia
thank you Samantha!
Lisa
How much is the serving size on the nutrition facts?
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
Lisa, you can find the nutrition in the bottom of the recipe card. This is about 344 kcal (this is approximate, and will depend on the specific ingredients used). Serving size about 2 cups.
nita iddings
can you use long grain white rice?
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
yes, you can use any rice as long as it is cooked
Laila
This recipe looks good, but in looking at the nutritional value the carbs just don't add up. They seem very high. I looked up cooked brown rice, 1/2 cup and it's only 23 grams of carbs, so not sure why the final carb count is so high for this recipe of 49. Could you maybe clarify, please?
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
Interesting! I just re-did the calculation through my recipe application plugin and actually, I chose for the calculation the uncooked rice instead of the cooked brown rice. So here's the difference. With cooked rice, it is half less carbs, indeed. Thank you for noticing, Laila!
julia
A new way to enjoy cabbage. Cabbage is sauteed until softened in chicken stock, tomato paste and seasonings. It’ flavorful, soft but not overcooked as I like my cabbage a little crunchy.
AngieMT2
I made this recipe today, delicious! It’s perfect for a dreary weather wise day like today. Just wondering if it can be frozen?
Thanks for for posting this recipe
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
Thank you, Julia. You could freeze it but I'd recommend to do it up to 2 weeks or a month.