Ground Beef and Cabbage Like You've Never Had Before

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Looking for an easy weeknight meal? This ground beef and cabbage skillet can be on your table in under 30 minutes. It combines savory ground beef with an array of flavorful vegetables to create a balanced meal.

A skillet filled with cooked ground meat, red bell peppers, leafy greens, and topped with sesame seeds, with a wooden spoon for stirring.

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Reasons to Love
Ingredients
Instructions
Variations
Tips
Serving suggestions
Storage
FAQs
Related Recipes

After a long day of work, the last thing I want to do is stand at the stove for an hour. This ground beef and cabbage skillet comes together start to finish in under 30 minutes just like my ground pork stir fry and black pepper chicken stir fry. It boosts with delicious flavor and is packed full of nutrition from the fragrant spices, the crunchy vegetables and savory meat.

In this recipe for ground beef and cabbage skillet, only a half a head of cabbage is used. That is no problem because I use the other half to make these tasty cabbage steaks. They go amazing with this lemon butter fish for another easy weeknight meal.

This ground beef and cabbage skillet is an excellent option to put in your meal rotation for those busy weeknights. With sports and other activities this time of year, it is a lifesaver that I am sure you will enjoy.

Reasons to Love

Nutritious and Healthy. This ground beef and cabbage skillet recipe is packed with essential vitamins and minerals making it a well-rounded meal. It is loaded with lots of delicious vegetables and fragrant spices to that will satisfy your taste buds.
Customizable Recipe. This skillet meal is easily adaptable to your preferences or what ingredients you have on hand. You can swap out the ground meat or use different vegetables if you desire.
Quick Meal. Needing a quick and easy meal for those busy weeknights? This ground beef and cabbage skillet is so perfect for those busy nights. It comes together in 20 minutes. It is also made in one pan making clean up a breeze.

Ingredients

Extra Virgin Olive Oil- A little is used to brown the ground beef. You can use whichever oil you have on hand.
Ground Beef- I used lean ground beef (90/10) for this recipe.
Fragrant Spices- Minced ginger, black pepper, garlic and onion powders are used. These spices really meddle well in this dish to add burst of flavor.
Brown Sugar- A little bit of sugar balances out the savory flavors.
Vegetables- Green cabbage, red bell pepper, carrots and green onions all thinly sliced.
Soy Sauce- Adds a delicious umami flavor to the stir fry.
Apple Cider Vinegar- Adds a tangy flavor in with the sweet and savory.
Sesame Seeds- For garnishing the dish before serving.

Scroll down to the recipe card for quantities used.

Instructions

Gather all prepped vegetables, spices, ground beef and your skillet to make this delicious dish. Follow the step-by-step instructions below.

A white frying pan filled with cooked ground beef sits on a light-colored, textured cloth on a wooden surface.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground beef to the skillet and cook until browned, breaking it apart with a spatula as it cooks, for 5 minutes.

A white skillet filled with cooked ground beef, topped with various seasonings, including a clump of minced garlic, ginger, and dry spices. The skillet is placed on a light-colored surface.

Stir in minced ginger, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and brown sugar. Cook for an additional 2 minutes.

A pan contains sautéed ground meat, shredded green cabbage, sliced red bell peppers, chopped green onions, and julienned carrots on a white textured surface.

Add sliced cabbage, red bell pepper, shredded carrots, and chopped green onions to the skillet. Stir-fry for 5-7 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender-crisp.

A skillet filled with a colorful stir-fry of chopped greens, red bell peppers, grated carrots, and ground meat on a textured white surface.

Stir-fry for 5-7 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender-crisp.

A skillet filled with cooked ground beef, sliced red bell peppers, shredded carrots, and chopped leafy greens sitting on a white surface.

In a small bowl, mix soy sauce and apple cider vinegar. Pour the sauce over the beef and vegetable mixture in the skillet. Stir well to coat everything evenly with the sauce. Cook for an additional 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally.

A skillet with a mix of ground meat, sliced red bell peppers, shredded carrots, and greens, topped with sesame seeds. A wooden spoon rests on the side of the skillet.

Remove the skillet from heat. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top for garnish.

Hint: To prevent overcooking the meat, you can remove it once browned and set it aside. Then, cook the cabbage in the same skillet with any remaining juices and flavors from the beef. This allows the cabbage to soak up the delicious meaty flavors, resulting in a more flavorful dish overall. Once the cabbage is tender, add the cooked ground beef back into the skillet and mix everything together before serving.

Variations

Change up the meat. Instead of ground beef, you can't go wrong with any other type of ground meat such as ground turkey, chicken or pork. This dish will still taste amazing.
Change up the vegetables. This is a great meal for a frig clean out so use the vegetables you have on hand. Some possible vegetable ideas are celery, mushrooms, broccoli, snow peas or jalapenos (if wanting more spice).
Add more spices. If you are looking for a spicer dish, add in cumin, chili pepper, smoked paprika or dash with red pepper flakes.
Try a different sauce. Coconut aminos is a great alternative to soy sauce for those wanting to be paleo or keto friendly. You can also add in or replace with rice vinegar for a tangier taste. Other options would be sweet chili sauce or Worcestershire sauce depending on the flavors you want to enjoy.

Try my Korean-inspired beef and broccoli for another tasty ground beef skillet dish with an Asian flare.

Tips

Top tip: Prep ingredients in advance. Slice the cabbage, peppers, onions and carrots before you start cooking. This makes the cooking process quicker, easier and smoother when you begin.

Use a large skillet pan or wok for this recipe. If your pan is too small, you'll have trouble stirring things up in the pan for even cooking.
Thinly slice the vegetables. This will help lend to a bite size crunch along with cutting down on cooking time.
Use lean ground beef. Lean ground beef has less fat and therefore will have less grease to drain. For this recipe, I'm using 90/10. It still does have some grease that needs to be drained but not as much as types with higher fat content.
Drain any excess fat. Ground beef can contain a lot of excess fat depending on the type you use. After browning, make sure to drain any excess from the skillet so the dish doesn't become greasy.
Brown the meat. Make sure the meat is browned before adding in the vegetables.
Cook vegetables until tender. This allows them to still have a bit of crunch to them. You don't want to overcook, or they will be soggy.
Season generously. This dish boost with tons of umami flavors. Season to your personal taste preference as you go.

A wooden spoon holds a portion of a stir-fry dish with ground meat, red bell peppers, and greens over a white bowl. A pan with the same dish is in the background.

Serving suggestions

This ground beef and cabbage skillet is a very satisfying dish on its own but pairs well with white rice, rice or soba noodles. These can be enjoyed as a side or mixed in with the skillet. However, I usually choose a low carb option like cauliflower rice.

The dish also serves well with a side of sweet potatoes or mashed potatoes for a very filling meal. If you are looking for a hearty meal with lots of vegetables, my broccoli salad goes perfectly with the skillet.

Storage

After the dish has cooled, place leftovers in an airtight container or resealable bag. Be sure to label the container or bag with the date so you know when it is stored. It can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days.

For longer storage, place in a freezer safe airtight container or freezer safe bag that is labeled with the date. It will freeze for up to 3 months. To thaw, place in the refrigerator overnight before reheating and serving.

FAQs

How do I prevent this beef and cabbage skillet from becoming too greasy?

Use lean ground beef for the recipe. Also, drain any excess grease from the skillet after browning the meat.

How can I keep the cabbage from making the meal too watery?

Cabbage is a very watery vegetable. Make sure to cook this skillet meal uncovered so the excess water will evaporate.

Can I make this dish keto friendly?

Yes, you could swap out the soy sauce and brown sugar. Instead, you can use coconut aminos and any keto-friendly sugar alternative, such as monk fruit or stevia.

A white bowl contains a stir-fry mix of ground meat, red bell peppers, greens, and vegetables on a beige cloth. A fork lies in the foreground.

Love cooking on the stovetop? Here are a few more skillet dishes you can try:

Aloo gobi masala is a delicious Indian style cauliflower and potato dish.
Chicken chop suey is American Chinese food at its finest.
Steak pizzaiola tops fried steak with an Italian style tomato sauce.
Cream cheese chicken smothers boneless breasts in a cream cheese sauce.
Garlic butter steak bites are tender pieces of beef seared in garlic and butter.