If you need an easy way to use a lot of cabbage, try this super tasty cabbage and ground beef recipe. This quick dinner will make an excellent addition to your weekly rotation!
❤️ Why you'll love it
This easy meal uses just one pot, meaning clean-up is fast and easy. It's the perfect dish for busy weeknights, especially when you're short on time.
This cabbage stir fry recipe also requires minimal ingredients, which makes it budget-friendly. A handful of basic ingredients is all you need to create this mouth-watering recipe.
It is also a perfect choice for those on a keto diet but does not feel like diet food. Your whole family will not be able to get enough of it!
🧾 Ingredients Used
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You only need a few ingredients for this easy ground beef dish.
- Cabbage: I use one small cabbage for this recipe.
- Ground beef: I use lean ground beef, but you can use any ground meat of your choice.
- Vegetables: Diced tomatoes, onions, and garlic cloves. You can also use tomato sauce.
- Spices: Bouillon powder, cumin, cayenne pepper, smoked paprika, and salt.
🔪 How To Make This Recipe
This easy dinner recipe comes together very quickly.
- Place ground beef in a large pan or large cast-iron skillet on medium heat.
- Break up the ground beef with a wooden spoon, and cook till the meat is browned.
- Move the ground meat to one side and add the chopped onions and garlic.
- When it's done, pour in the diced tomatoes and the rest of the spices.
- Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes on medium-high heat.
- Taste for salt and adjust.
- Add the chopped cabbage, stir, and cook with the pot covered till the cabbage becomes soft.
🥫 Storing and Reheating
You can store this easy cabbage recipe in the refrigerator in an airtight container. It will remain fresh this way for up to five days.
You can also preserve it for longer if you want. Ensure you put the leftovers into a freezer-safe airtight container before freezing. It should keep for about two to three months.
To reheat frozen cabbage stir fry, defrost it by thawing it in the fridge overnight. Then warm it in a skillet on medium to high heat.
💭 Tips on making this recipe
- Throw in your favorite fresh herbs and spices for the lip-smacking taste you love.
- You can add a little olive oil if you don't have enough from the ground beef to saute the onions and garlic.
- If the stir fry is getting a little dry and the cabbage is not done yet, add about a quarter cup of beef broth or chicken broth.
- Add some soy sauce or coconut aminos for more complex flavor.
Recipe variations
- For a delicious variation, substitute ground beef with ground turkey, sausages, or chicken.
- You can add some of your favorite fresh veggies like green onions, bell pepper, or broccoli.
- Add some cheddar cheese or sour cream to make it even creamier!
🍽️ What can I eat this recipe with?
This delicious dish goes great with white rice or brown rice. For a low carb option, enjoy it with some shirataki noodles, cauliflower rice, or keto bread.
👩🍳 Frequently asked questions
Cabbage is so versatile; it goes with a host of different meats, from beef to chicken, turkey to pork, or lamb. Get creative and cook up the meat of your choice with some cabbage; you cannot go wrong.
You can season ground beef with salt, pepper, onions, and garlic. However, seasoning ground beef with salt too early might draw out the water from it, leaving it dry. Also, allow it to start to brown before adding salt, or it might prevent the meat from doing so.
Cabbage is a versatile vegetable, so there are so many ways to prepare it. You can cook it, eat it raw, and much more. Eat it riced, raw in a salad, or as a wrap.
📚 Related Recipes
Need more cabbage recipes? Check these out!
📖 Recipe
Cabbage and Ground Beef
Ingredients
- 1 small cabbage chopped
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 can diced tomatoes 15oz
- 1 cup onions chopped
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tablespoon bouillon powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Place ground beef in a large pan or large cast-iron skillet on medium heat.
- Break up the ground beef with a wooden spoon, and cook till the meat is browned.
- Move the ground meat to one side and add the chopped onions and garlic.
- When it's done, pour in the diced tomatoes and the rest of the spices.
- Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes on medium-high heat.
- Taste for salt and adjust.
- Add the chopped cabbage, stir, and cook with the pot covered till the cabbage becomes soft.
Notes
- Throw in your favorite fresh herbs and spices for the lip-smacking taste you love.
- You can add a little olive oil if you don't have enough from the ground beef to saute the onions and garlic.
- If the stir fry is getting a little dry and the cabbage is not done yet, add about a quarter cup of beef broth or chicken broth.
- Add some soy sauce or coconut aminos for more complex flavor.
Nutrition
Tayo Oredola is the founder of Low Carb Africa, where she shares healthy, low carb dishes with global flavors. She is passionate about teaching people how to cook drool-worthy dishes while losing weight and living their best lives. Tayo’s recipes have been featured on MSN, Women’s Health, Parade, Yahoo News, Pure Wow, Essence, and other online publications.
Love this recipe!! I use either hamburger or ground pork.
So glad you loved it, Penny! Using hamburger or ground pork sounds like a tasty twist!
Just made this for tonight's dinner and it was really yummy! My family also really loved it, will def be cooking this again. I used half the cayenne pepper(we got someone who can't handle spice) still turned out well and wasn't really that spicy so will use the full amount next time. Thank you for sharing your recipe!
So glad to hear it was a hit, Hannah!
Wow, this could not be easier to put together! And it is delicious! The first time I made it I had the ground beef, but the second time I only had mild Italian sausage! Both were very very good, my Italian husband loves both but prefers the Italian sausage! Whatever, I will be making this dish often!! Thanks!
Hi Susan, I'm thrilled to hear how well you all enjoyed this recipe! Swapping the ground beef with Italian sausage sounds like a delicious twist. Thanks for sharing your success with it!
This is excellent! I had the cabbage and I also used some leftover marinara I made. My flatmate loved it, too. 😋
Thank you!
So happy you and your flatmate loved it! Marinara sounds like a great addition.
Love this recipe!!! It’s now on my rotation.
So happy to hear that! Glad it's a new favorite. 😊
I invited my sister over for lunch and this is what I served. We are both foodies and we both loved it. I made the recipe as posted and did not add anything extra. The ease of preparation and the ingredients that are just sitting in your spices waiting to be used make this a keeper. A copy of the recipe went home with my sister, and I am sure she will share it with her daughter who has a family.
That's wonderful to hear, Wendy! So happy you both loved it and found it easy to prepare. Thanks for sharing the recipe with your sister and her family! 😊
Very good! We loved it!
Thank you, Linda!
Easy and delicious! I didn't have bouillon powder so subbed 2 TBSP nutritional yeast, some Italian seasoning, extra thyme along with the cumin and other spices called for.
Glad you enjoyed it, Annie!
Made this tonight , it was so good . We loved it , will be making again . Added a little Boursin onion and chive cheese to make a little creamy . Perfect !
Creamy and delicious! Thanks for the feedback, Jone!