Chicken Cabbage Stir-Fry (Printable)

Tender chicken and crisp cabbage tossed in a savory umami sauce, ready in 30 minutes for busy weeknights.

# What You Need:

→ Protein

01 - 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast or thighs, thinly sliced

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 small head green cabbage (about 1.3 lbs), cored and thinly sliced
03 - 1 medium carrot, julienned
04 - 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
05 - 3 green onions, sliced

→ Sauce

06 - 3 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
07 - 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
08 - 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
09 - 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
10 - 2 teaspoons sesame oil
11 - 2 teaspoons cornstarch
12 - 2 tablespoons water
13 - 1 teaspoon sugar

→ Aromatics & Cooking

14 - 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
15 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
16 - 1 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated

# Steps:

01 - In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, cornstarch, water, and sugar. Set aside.
02 - Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook for 4 to 5 minutes until cooked through and golden. Remove chicken from the pan and set aside.
03 - Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the pan. Sauté garlic and ginger for 30 seconds until fragrant.
04 - Add cabbage, carrot, and bell pepper. Stir-fry for 3 to 4 minutes until vegetables are crisp-tender.
05 - Return the cooked chicken to the pan. Pour in the prepared sauce and toss everything together. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until the sauce thickens and evenly coats the chicken and vegetables.
06 - Stir in green onions. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Serve hot, optionally with steamed rice or noodles.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It transforms humble cabbage into something addictive with just the right balance of savory, sweet, and umami.
  • The whole dish cooks in under 30 minutes without any tricky techniques or hard-to-find ingredients.
  • Leftovers taste even better the next day when the flavors have had time to soak in.
02 -
  • Slice the chicken as thinly as possible so it cooks fast and stays tender, thick pieces will take too long and dry out before the vegetables are done.
  • Do not skip whisking the cornstarch into the sauce before adding it to the pan, or you will end up with clumps instead of a smooth, glossy finish.
  • Keep the heat high enough to sear and stir-fry properly, but watch the garlic and ginger closely because they can burn in seconds and turn bitter.
03 -
  • Prep all your ingredients before you start cooking because once the pan gets hot, everything moves fast and there is no time to chop mid-stir-fry.
  • Use a wok if you have one, the high, sloped sides make tossing and stirring so much easier without flinging food all over the stove.
  • Taste the sauce before you pour it in and adjust the balance to your liking, some soy sauces are saltier than others and a little tweaking now saves the dish later.
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