BEEF AND CABBAGE STIR FRY

Here’s the story about how I made this recipe for Beef and Cabbage Stir Fry. A few weeks ago, I got an email from Angela touting the deliciousness of a dish called “Crack Slaw“. With such an interesting name, I had to check it out. It’s basically a quick stir fry made with cabbage and beef (or pork or turkey) that is so good that it’s supposed to be insanely addictive. Wouldn’t you know it, I saw two more recipes for this “crack slaw” on the same day that Angela emailed me! So, I took it as a sign from the blogging gods that this addictive beef and cabbage stir fry just had to make its way onto Budget Bytes.

I happened have a half pound of beef in my freezer leftover from my Baked Beef and Black Bean Tacos, so I used that as the meat component for the stir fry. Honestly, I think pork or even ground turkey would work just as well or better, and will most likely be less expensive than beef. You can use a whole pound of meat if you like extra protein, but I found that the half pound I had gave me just the right ratio of meat to cabbage.

I also added some shredded carrot and sliced green onion for color. There are so many other fun things you can put in your beef and cabbage stir fry, though, like sliced mushrooms, thinly sliced red bell pepper, water chestnuts, or even some snow peas. But hey, I like to keep it simple and even in this very basic form I would have to say that, yes, this stir fry is addictive! If you follow me on Instagram, you probably saw my empty post-photoshoot bowl (in my stories). It took me about 5 minutes to devour the bowl below. LOL

BEEF AND CABBAGE STIR FRY

This fast and easy Beef and Cabbage Stir Fry is a filling low carb dinner with big flavor and endless possibilities for customization.

INGREDIENTS

STIR FRY SAUCE

• 2 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
• 1 Tbsp sriracha*
• 1/2 Tbsp brown sugar

STIR FRY

• 1/2 head green cabbage
• 2 carrots
• 3 green onions
• 1/2 Tbsp neutral cooking oil
• 1/2 lb. lean ground beef 
• 2 cloves garlic 
• 1 Tbsp fresh grated ginger 
• Pinch of salt and pepper

GARNISHES (OPTIONAL)

• 1 Tbsp sesame seeds 
• 1 Tbsp sriracha 

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Prepare the stir fry sauce first. In a small bowl stir together the soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, sriracha, and brown sugar. Set the sauce aside.
2. Shred the vegetables so they are ready to go when you need them. Cut one small cabbage in half, remove the core, and then finely shred the leaves of one half the cabbage (4-6 cups once shredded, save the other half for another recipe). Peel two carrots, then use a cheese grater to shred them (1 cup shredded). Slice three green onions. Mince two cloves of garlic. Peel a knob of ginger using either a vegetable peeler or by scraping with the side of a spoon, then grate it using a small-holed cheese grater.
3. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot add the cooking oil, ground beef, garlic, ginger, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook the beef until browned (about five minutes).
4. Add the cabbage and carrots to the skillet and continue to stir and cook until the cabbage is slightly wilted (or fully wilted, if you prefer). Stir in the prepared sauce and the green onions. Top with a sprinkle of sesame seeds and a drizzle of sriracha, then serve.

RECIPE NOTES

* 1 Tbsp sriracha makes a medium-spicy stir fry. If you don’t like spicy, I’d start with 1 tsp. The sriracha adds flavor as well as heat, so I don’t suggest skipping it all together.

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