Chinese Ground Beef Cabbage Stir-Fry (Printable View)

Quick stir-fry with ground beef, cabbage, and rich umami sauce. Low-carb, dairy-free, ready in 25 minutes.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Proteins

01 - 1 pound lean ground beef

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 small head green cabbage (about 1.5 pounds), cored and thinly sliced
03 - 3 green onions, sliced
04 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 1 inch piece fresh ginger, grated
06 - 1 medium carrot, julienned (optional)

→ Sauces and Seasonings

07 - 3 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
08 - 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
09 - 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
10 - 1 tablespoon sesame oil
11 - 1 teaspoon Sriracha or chili garlic sauce (optional)
12 - 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
13 - 1/2 teaspoon sugar or sweetener (optional)

→ Cooking Oil

14 - 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

# How To Make It:

01 - In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, oyster sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, Sriracha if using, white pepper, and sugar or sweetener. Set aside.
02 - Heat vegetable oil in a large wok or skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground beef and cook, breaking it up with a spatula, until browned and cooked through, approximately 4 to 5 minutes.
03 - Add minced garlic, grated ginger, and the white portions of sliced green onions. Stir-fry for 1 minute until fragrant.
04 - Add sliced cabbage and carrot if using. Stir-fry for 5 to 7 minutes until cabbage is tender yet retains a crisp texture.
05 - Pour prepared sauce over the mixture and toss thoroughly to coat all ingredients. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes until heated through and sauce is slightly reduced.
06 - Remove from heat and garnish with the green portions of green onions. Serve immediately while hot.

# Best Practices:

01 -
  • Everything cooks in one pan and youre done before your rice cooker even beeps.
  • The cabbage stays crisp and sweet, soaking up all that salty, gingery sauce without turning to mush.
  • Its one of those rare dishes that feels indulgent but keeps you light and energized.
  • You can double the batch and eat it cold from the fridge the next day without reheating.
02 -
  • Dont crowd the wok or the beef will steam instead of brown, so if you double the recipe, cook the beef in two batches.
  • Add the cabbage in handfuls if your pan is small, letting each batch wilt a bit before adding more.
  • Taste the sauce before you pour it in because some soy sauces are much saltier than others and you can always add more but cant take it back.
03 -
  • Let your wok or skillet get really hot before you add the oil so everything sears instead of steams.
  • Prep all your ingredients before you start cooking because once that beef hits the pan, everything moves fast.
  • If you like it saucier, double the sauce and toss in a handful of bean sprouts at the end to soak up the extra.
Go Back