This super simple cabbage recipe only requires 5 ingredients – cabbage, garlic, salt, white pepper and oil. The trick to making this stir fried cabbage taste amazing is the dry frying technique!
The Best Bits
- Super Easy.
- Very quick (less than 10 mins!)
- Budget friendly.
- Requires few ingredients.
Why I Love This Recipe
This recipe reminds me of sitting in a smokey Izakaya in Japan, sipping on a draft beer and munching on addictively crunchy pieces of salty cabbage. Cabbages are in season for most of the year and also makes for a budget friendly side dish which goes with pretty much anything.
How to Cook Stir Fried Cabbage
Tips on how to stir fry cabbage.
- Dry fry the Cabbage.
Dry-frying Cabbage will help bring out the natural sweetness of the vegetable. It also helps with getting those slightly caramelised charred pieces.
- Choose the Right Cabbage.
Try find the freshest cabbage you can. There are many different varieties of cabbage, the classic Green Cabbage is my favourite but other cabbages work too. Store in the fridge to keep it extra fresh.
- Don’t Overcook.
Keeping the cabbage crunchy means it keeps its fresh cabbage flavour. It also adds texture to your meal and who doesn’t love a bit of crunch.
- Don’t Overcrowd the Pan.
Putting loads of cabbage in the hot pan will cool it down quicker which means less of those caramelised pieces. If possible, cook larger batches separately.
- Wash the cabbage in advance.
If the cabbage is dirty, wash it in advance. You want the cabbage to be dry when you fry it. This is so that the only water that’s in the dish is the water that comes out of the cabbage. This ensures maximum cabbage flavour!
- Cook the harder parts of the cabbage first, then add in the leafier parts.
This ensures you have an evenly cooked stir fry, no soggy leafy greens or undercooked harder parts.
Frequently Asked Questions
I think a 2-3 minute fry (maximum) on high heat is the best technique to bring out the natural sweetness of a cabbage. Fry the cabbage until the leaves start wilting slightly and turn a vibrant green colour.
Yes! You could add bacon, sausages, minced meat, anything you like. Stir fried cabbage with bacon is a real treat.
Soy sauce and sesame oil work really well in this dish. 20 seconds before the cabbage is cooked, drizzle in the soy sauce and a touch of sesame oil. These ingredients go in right at the end to stop them from burning.
There are a few different ways to cut cabbage but for stir fry I think chunky triangular shaped pieces are the best. Take your 1/4 cabbage and divide it into three pieces lengthways then chop off triangular chunks.
Stir Fried Cabbage
Ingredients
- 1/2 Green Cabbage
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 1/4 tsp White Pepper
- 1 clove Garlic
- 1 tsp Neutral Oil
Instructions
- Chop the cabbage into bite-sized pieces.
- Finely slice the garlic.
- Get the pan hot enough so that the cabbage will sizzle when you add it in.
- Add the thicker pieces of cabbage to the pan and season with the salt and pepper.
- Roughly every 20 seconds give the cabbage a stir. Letting the cabbage sit still helps build up the caramelisation. About two minutes in, add the leafier parts of the cabbage. Continue until the cabbage is cooked.
- Transfer the stir fried cabbage onto a plate once it's finished cooking.
- Add the oil to the hot pan and the sliced garlic cloves to infuse the oil. Fry until the garlic starts turning a golden brown.
- Once your garlic is done, turn off the heat and add in the cabbage. Mix to combine the garlic oil and cabbage.
- Serve and enjoy!
Want more Side Dishes?
Check out some of my other side dish recipes:
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