Cabbage Fried Rice

The crunch of tender crisp cabbage adds wonderful texture to this Cabbage Fried Rice. It’s a simple one-dish meal that comes together in minutes – feel free to keep it vegetarian or add some sausage for the meat lovers.

Cabbage Fried Rice

So, let me tell you, I usually know what to expect when making a recipe. But, I was pleasantly surprised by how this rice and cabbage dish turned out. The cabbage adds a lot of great flavor and texture to the dish.

I’ve made a lot of different fried rice recipes over the years. It’s pretty much my favorite way to use up day-old rice. Why use leftover rice? Well, for the best results with fried rice, you have to use white rice that is cooked and COLD.

The rice for this recipe needs to be completely chilled so that it can be easily broken apart into individual grains without any clumping or sticking. I suggest making the rice a day or two (even as much as 4-5 days) before you need it.

The key to great fried rice is using rice that is as dry as possible so that the results won’t be mushy or soft.

This cabbage fried rice is fabulously versatile. You can use a recipe like this to use up leftover veggies like carrots and bell peppers. Or, you can swap the sausage for beef, pork, or chicken. And, I’m just going to say it–bacon.

A cabbage rice stir-fry may be something that you’ve already tried. I found it very close to one of my favorite breakfast meals of all time, a hearty breakfast hash with cabbage and sausage.

Even if your childhood dinners with cabbage were like mine, and are better left unspoken, this is the kind of recipe that will win you back to team cabbage. Try it and see!

Rice and Cabbage

You’ll need the following ingredients to make this recipe:

• light-flavored olive oil
• head of cabbage (green)
• yellow onion
• kosher salt and black pepper
• cooked rice (cold)
• eggs
• low-sodium soy sauce
• sesame oil
• green onions (or scallions)

Cabbage Rice

Start by warming a tablespoon of oil in a wok or large skillet with deep sides over medium-high heat. Then, add the chopped cabbage and the onion and toss to coat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add about 2 tablespoons of water and cover with lid. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook covered for 3 minutes.

Uncover, stir, and continue cooking over high heat for 1-2 minutes more, while stirring frequently, until the vegetables soften and the cabbage edges begin to brown. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

Warm a tablespoon of oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Swirl the oil to coat the surface of the pan. Pour the eggs into the pan and tilt as needed to spread across the skillet.

Let the eggs cook for 2-3 minutes and then flip. Cook one more minute. Slide the egg out of the skillet onto a cutting board and allow it to cool. Cut into ½-inch wide strips and then cut into small pieces. Set the eggs aside.

Return the skillet used for the vegetables to the stove. Then, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to the pan and set the heat to medium-high. Add the cold rice and stir to coat.

Continue cooking, while stirring frequently, for about 2 minutes until the rice begins to crisp a bit. Add the soy sauce and sesame oil. Stir well, to distribute the sauce throughout the rice.

Cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently until the rice is heated through. Then, add the cooked vegetables and the eggs to the skillet with the rice and continue cooking for an additional minute until everything has warmed through.

Taste and adjust the salt and pepper, as desired. Stir in the green onions to the cabbage and rice before serving.

Recipe Suggestions

Looking for more fried rice ideas? Ground Beef Fried Rice is both savory and slightly sweet with a subtle touch of heat. Best of all, this is a dinner anyone can make in under 20 minutes!

Shrimp and Sausage Fried Rice has officially been added to the list of our favorite dinners. This easy recipe is a “two thumbs up,” kid-approved, hearty-as-can-be skillet meal; perfect for a quick and easy weeknight dinner! 

Vegetable Fried Rice is filled with so many great flavors and textures, from crunchy sweet corn to tender-crisp broccoli, green beans, zucchini, and more.

The best stir fries are salty, savory, sweet, and a little bit spicy. This Ground Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry nails all those things. And, Cabbage Stir Fry with Chicken is a delicious way to get dinner on the table fast.

This Sweet and Spicy Chicken Stir Fry is a favorite for my ever-hungry crew. This stir fry uses seasonal fresh vegetables for a quick to prepare meal.

Cabbage Fried Rice

4.50 from 2 votes

The crunch of tender crisp cabbage adds wonderful texture to this Cabbage Fried Rice. It's a simple one-dish meal that comes together in minutes – feel free to keep it vegetarian or add some sausage for the meat lovers.

Pin Print Review

Prep Time: 10 minutes mins

Cook Time: 15 minutes mins

Total Time: 25 minutes mins

Servings: 6

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Ingredients 

• ▢ 4 tablespoons light-flavored olive oil divided
• ▢ ½ large head of green cabbage sliced thin and roughly chopped into 1-inch strips, about 8 cups worth
• ▢ 1 medium yellow onion chopped into ¼-inch pieces, about 1 cup worth
• ▢ ½ teaspoon kosher salt divided, adjust to taste
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper adjust to taste
• ▢ 4 cups COLD cooked rice
• ▢ 3 eggs beaten
• ▢ ¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce
• ▢ 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• ▢ 2 tablespoons green onions sliced thin
• ▢ OPTIONAL cooked meat of your choice: kielbasa, bacon, chicken, or ground beef

Instructions

• Warm a tablespoon of oil in a large deep-sided skillet over medium-high heat. Add the cabbage and the onion. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Add about 2 tablespoons of water and cover with lid. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook covered for 3 minutes.
• Uncover, stir, and continue cooking over high heat for 1-2 minutes more, while stirring frequently, until the vegetables soften and the cabbage edges begin to brown. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
• Warm a tablespoon of oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Swirl the oil to coat the surface of the pan. Pour the eggs into the pan and tilt as needed to spread across the skillet. Let the eggs cook for 2-3 minutes and then flip. Cook one more minute. Slide the egg out of the skillet onto a cutting board and allow it to cool. Cut into ½-inch wide strips and then cut into small pieces.
• Return the skillet used for the vegetables to the stove. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to the pan and set the heat to medium-high. Add the cold rice and stir to coat. Continue cooking, while stirring frequently, for about 2 minutes until the rice begins to crisp a bit.
• Add the soy sauce and sesame oil. Stir well, to distribute the sauce throughout the rice. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently until the rice is heated through.
• Add the cooked vegetables, the eggs, and optional meat if desired, to the skillet with the rice and continue cooking for an additional minute until everything has warmed through. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper, as desired. Stir in the green onions before serving.

Notes

The rice for this recipe needs to be completely chilled so that it can be easily broken apart into individual grains without any clumping or sticking.

I suggest making the rice a day or two (even as much as 4-5 days) before you want to use it. The key to great fried rice is using rice that is as dry as possible so that the resulting fried rice won’t be mushy or soft.

Nutrition

Calories: 308kcal · Carbohydrates: 37g · Protein: 8g · Fat: 14g · Saturated Fat: 2g · Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g · Monounsaturated Fat: 9g · Trans Fat: 0.01g · Cholesterol: 82mg · Sodium: 628mg · Potassium: 300mg · Fiber: 3g · Sugar: 4g · Vitamin A: 241IU · Vitamin C: 39mg · Calcium: 71mg · Iron: 1mg

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