Chinese Ground Beef Cabbage Stir-Fry (Printable Version)

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

# What You Need:

→ Proteins

01 - 1 lb lean ground beef

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 small head green cabbage, 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

→ Sauces and Seasonings

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

→ Oils

14 - 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

# How to Make It:

01 - In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, oyster sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, Sriracha, white pepper, and sugar. 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 fully cooked, approximately 4 to 5 minutes.
03 - Add minced garlic, grated ginger, and the white portion of green onions. Stir-fry for 1 minute until fragrant.
04 - Add sliced cabbage and julienned carrot. Stir-fry for 5 to 7 minutes until cabbage is tender yet maintains its crispness.
05 - Pour prepared sauce over the mixture and toss to coat thoroughly. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes until heated through and sauce reduces slightly.
06 - Remove from heat and garnish with the green portion of green onions. Serve immediately while hot.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It takes less time than ordering takeout and tastes better than anything that arrives in a bag.
  • The cabbage gets this perfect sweet-crisp texture that soaks up all the savory sauce without turning mushy.
  • You probably already have most of these ingredients sitting in your pantry right now.
  • It reheats beautifully, so lunch the next day is already handled.
02 -
  • Don't overcrowd the pan—if your skillet isn't big enough, cook the beef in batches or the meat will steam instead of brown.
  • Prep everything before you turn on the heat because stir-frying happens fast and there's no time to chop garlic mid-recipe.
  • If your cabbage releases too much water, crank up the heat for the last minute to evaporate it and concentrate the flavors.
03 -
  • Use the highest heat your stove can handle without smoking—stir-frying is all about that quick, intense heat that locks in flavor.
  • Slice your cabbage as thin as you can; it cooks faster and soaks up more sauce that way.
  • If you want a thicker sauce, mix half a teaspoon of cornstarch with a tablespoon of water and stir it in at the very end.
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