Chinese Ground Beef Cabbage Stir-Fry (Printer-Friendly)

Quick stir-fry with tender beef, crisp cabbage, and savory umami sauce—ready in just 25 minutes.

# What You Need:

→ Proteins

01 - 1 pound lean ground beef

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 small head green cabbage (approximately 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 for gluten-free
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 of choice, optional

→ Oils

14 - 1 tablespoon vegetable oil such as canola or peanut oil

# How to Cook:

01 - In a small bowl, combine 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 white portions of green onions to the beef. 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 its crispness.
05 - Pour the prepared sauce over the mixture and toss thoroughly to coat. Cook for 1 to 2 additional minutes until heated through and sauce is slightly reduced.
06 - Remove from heat and garnish with green portions of green onions. Serve immediately while hot.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It turns humble cabbage into something you actually crave, sweet and savory with a little char.
  • The whole thing comes together faster than ordering takeout, and you only dirty one pan.
  • It reheats beautifully, so leftovers taste just as good the next day for lunch.
02 -
  • Do not crowd the wok or the beef will steam instead of brown, which means no caramelized bits and less flavor.
  • Slice the cabbage as thin as you can manage, thick chunks take forever to cook and end up unevenly tender.
03 -
  • Let the wok get screaming hot before you add the oil, that is how you get the smoky wok hei flavor at home.
  • Prep everything before you start cooking, stir-fries move fast and there is no time to chop garlic mid-recipe.
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