Alright, friend, let me tell you—if you've ever found yourself staring into your fridge, wondering what the heck to do with half a cabbage and a lonely pack of ground beef, welcome to my Tuesday evening last week. This low-carb beef and cabbage stir-fry is my not-so-secret weapon for “what’s for dinner?” panic attacks. Actually, it’s saved me more times than I’d like to admit. And if you’re thinking “stir-fry again?”, yeah, but trust me, this one’s got a rhythm all its own.
Why You’ll Dig This Beef & Cabbage Stir-Fry
I make this when I want dinner to basically cook itself and still feel like I made an effort (without the mountain of dishes). My family goes a bit bonkers for it because it’s warm, hearty, and you can tweak the spices until even the picky eaters can’t complain. Sometimes I’m lazy and just throw the cabbage in without even bothering to shred it neatly—no one’s noticed so far. Oh, and if someone says they don’t like cabbage, try this—my mate Pete swore he hated it, but went back for seconds. So, that’s something.
What You’ll Need (and What I Swap In a Pinch)
- 450g (1 lb) ground beef – sometimes I go with ground turkey, but beef’s got the flavor I like. My grandma swore by the fattier stuff, but any will do.
- Half a medium green cabbage, shredded—about 4 cups? I eyeball it. Red cabbage works too, especially if that’s closer to wilting in your crisper.
- 1 medium onion, thinly sliced—white or yellow, honestly, whatever’s at hand.
- 2 cloves garlic, minced. OK, sometimes I cheat and use that garlic in a tube. No shame.
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce (or coconut aminos if going full low-carb—never tasted a difference myself)
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil (toasted makes it taste fancy, but regular’s fine; just don’t use olive oil here—trust me, it gets weird)
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger. But if I can’t be bothered, a lil’ shake of ground ginger works too.
- ½ teaspoon black pepper (or more if you like a bit of a tickle)
- Optional: ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (for heat—sometimes I forget, other times I overshoot; adventure!)
- 1 carrot, julienned or grated (I’ll swap this for a handful of bean sprouts if it’s what I’ve got—no one minds)
- 2 spring onions, sliced, for topping. Or skip them. Or use chives—the world won’t end.
- Sesame seeds, to finish—sometimes I forget these, but they make it look like you tried.
How I Pull This Together
- First, get a big skillet or wok on the heat—medium-high is your friend here. Add the ground beef, break it up with a wooden spoon. Cook until it’s lost most of its pink, about 5 minutes. (This is when I usually get distracted and forget to stir, so don’t let it stick.)
- Toss in the sliced onions and garlic, cook until soft and a bit see-through—maybe 2-3 minutes. You’ll smell when the garlic’s doing its thing.
- Now add the shredded cabbage and carrot (or whatever you grabbed), plus the ginger. Don’t worry if it looks like the pan’s about to overflow—cabbage always cooks down, promise.
- Drizzle over the soy sauce (or whatever you’re using) and sesame oil. Add the black pepper and, if you’re feeling fiery, those red pepper flakes. Stir everything around, and let it cook down for 4-5 minutes. I sneak a taste here, adjust salt and pepper (and sometimes more soy if I’m feeling saucy).
- When cabbage is wilted but not mushy—think “still got a bite”—take it off the heat. Toss in the spring onions and sesame seeds. Give it one more stir. And that’s it.
Stuff I Wish I Knew Earlier (a.k.a. Notes)
- If you use super lean beef, like 90%, sometimes it sticks, so I add a splash of oil at the beginning. Learned that the hard way!
- If you want more sauce, just splash in a bit of water or a spoonful more soy—easy fix.
- Honestly, I think the leftovers (when there are any) taste better the next day. Something about the flavors blending (or maybe just wishful thinking).
Here’s Some Ways I’ve Mixed It Up
- Once, I swapped the beef for leftover roast pork. Not bad at all. Chicken works, too.
- Tried adding cauliflower rice once. It just got lost—no one noticed (might’ve been my dodgy execution).
- If you want it a bit saucier and tangy, try a splash of rice vinegar or even a squeeze of lime on top. Good stuff.
Don’t Have a Big Wok? No Drama – Use What You've Got
I said skillet or wok at the start, but honestly, I’ve used a big old soup pot before. It worked, though it wasn’t winning any beauty contests. Just don’t crowd your pan too much or you’ll steam instead of fry, but if it happens, it’s still totally edible.
Keepin’ It Fresh: Storing This Stir-Fry
It’ll keep in the fridge up to 3 days in a container, though—truth time—it never lasts more than a day in my house (teenagers!). I’ve even eaten it cold; actually, not bad at all.
How I Like to Serve It
I put a big scoop over steamed cauliflower rice if I’m feeling good, or straight into a bowl if I’m not fussed. My sister loves it with a poached egg on top (good idea, actually). Sometimes, I just eat it standing by the stove. Don’t judge!
Oops, Don’t Rush This Bit (A Lesson In Patience)
Once, I tried cooking the cabbage on super high heat to speed things up; ended up with burned bits and half-raw chunks. Just take a few extra minutes—worth it, trust me.
Real Questions Folks Have Asked Me
- Is it really low-carb with carrots in there? Yeah, for most folks, a bit of carrot won’t tip you over—if you’re stricter, just leave it out. No hard feelings.
- Can I use ground chicken? Sure can. It’s a bit milder, so up the ginger and garlic a little, in my opinion.
- Why is my cabbage watery? Eh, it happens. Next time, fry at a higher heat and don’t panic. Or, honestly, just drain off the extra liquid, it won’t hurt anything.
- What if I don’t have soy sauce? Use tamari, coconut aminos, or (I did this once) a splash of Worcestershire. Came out decent, not the same but tasty.
And there you go. Quick, unfussy, and honestly, just what you need when your day’s been a bit of a dog's breakfast. Go forth and fry! (And if you add weird stuff, let me know how it turns out; I love a good kitchen experiment, even if it’s a bit dodgy the first time.)
Ingredients
- 450g (1 lb) ground beef – sometimes I go with ground turkey, but beef’s got the flavor I like. My grandma swore by the fattier stuff, but any will do.
- Half a medium green cabbage, shredded—about 4 cups? I eyeball it. Red cabbage works too, especially if that’s closer to wilting in your crisper.
- 1 medium onion, thinly sliced—white or yellow, honestly, whatever’s at hand.
- 2 cloves garlic, minced. OK, sometimes I cheat and use that garlic in a tube. No shame.
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce (or coconut aminos if going full low-carb—never tasted a difference myself)
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil (toasted makes it taste fancy, but regular’s fine; just don’t use olive oil here—trust me, it gets weird)
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger. But if I can’t be bothered, a lil’ shake of ground ginger works too.
- ½ teaspoon black pepper (or more if you like a bit of a tickle)
- Optional: ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (for heat—sometimes I forget, other times I overshoot; adventure!)
- 1 carrot, julienned or grated (I’ll swap this for a handful of bean sprouts if it’s what I’ve got—no one minds)
- 2 spring onions, sliced, for topping. Or skip them. Or use chives—the world won’t end.
- Sesame seeds, to finish—sometimes I forget these, but they make it look like you tried.
Instructions
-
1First, get a big skillet or wok on the heat—medium-high is your friend here. Add the ground beef, break it up with a wooden spoon. Cook until it’s lost most of its pink, about 5 minutes. (This is when I usually get distracted and forget to stir, so don’t let it stick.)
-
2Toss in the sliced onions and garlic, cook until soft and a bit see-through—maybe 2-3 minutes. You’ll smell when the garlic’s doing its thing.
-
3Now add the shredded cabbage and carrot (or whatever you grabbed), plus the ginger. Don’t worry if it looks like the pan’s about to overflow—cabbage always cooks down, promise.
-
4Drizzle over the soy sauce (or whatever you’re using) and sesame oil. Add the black pepper and, if you’re feeling fiery, those red pepper flakes. Stir everything around, and let it cook down for 4-5 minutes. I sneak a taste here, adjust salt and pepper (and sometimes more soy if I’m feeling saucy).
-
5When cabbage is wilted but not mushy—think “still got a bite”—take it off the heat. Toss in the spring onions and sesame seeds. Give it one more stir. And that’s it.
Approximate Information for One Serving
Nutrition Disclaimers
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
Did you make this recipe?
Please consider Pinning it!