Chicken Cabbage Stir-Fry (Print Version)

Juicy chicken and crisp cabbage in a savory, umami-rich sauce. Quick weeknight dinner ready in 30 minutes.

# 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 for gluten-free
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 and Cooking

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

# How To Make It:

01 - In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, cornstarch, water, and sugar until combined. 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 Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together in less time than it takes to order takeout, and you probably have most of the ingredients already.
  • The cabbage stays crisp and sweet, soaking up all that salty, garlicky sauce without turning mushy.
  • You can swap the chicken for shrimp, tofu, or even leftover rotisserie chicken and it still works perfectly.
  • It reheats beautifully the next day, sometimes even better once the flavors have melded overnight.
02 -
  • Don't crowd the pan when you cook the chicken or it will steam instead of sear, and you'll lose that golden color and flavor.
  • Mix the cornstarch into the sauce before you add it to the pan, or it will clump up and leave you with gummy spots instead of a smooth glaze.
  • Taste the sauce before you pour it in, some brands of soy and hoisin are saltier than others and you might want to add a splash more vinegar or water.
03 -
  • Prep all your vegetables and mix your sauce before you turn on the heat, because once you start cooking, everything moves fast and there's no time to stop and chop.
  • Use the highest heat your stove can handle without smoking, that's what gives you the slightly charred edges and deep flavor that make stir-fry taste like stir-fry.
  • If your skillet isn't big enough, cook the vegetables in two batches so they actually fry instead of steam, then combine everything at the end.
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