Ground Beef and Cabbage Stir Fry

Craving something quick, flavorful, and just a little spicy? This ground beef and cabbage stir fry comes together in minutes—with crisp vegetables, savory beef, and a subtle heat that keeps you coming back for more.

Ground Beef and Cabbage

These two are a food match made in heaven. They come together to create simple, yet satisfying dishes that are perfect for busy weeknight dinners. Served on its own or with a side of rice, my boys devour this stir fry gladly.

This dish features some of my favorite vegetables and flavors. Think of it as a simplified egg roll in a bowl, but with ground beef and extra vegetables. And with none of the time and effort spent rolling individual eggrolls and then frying them.

Want to save this recipe?

Enter your email and we’ll send it to you – plus new recipes sent daily!

Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

Email *

URL Permalink Post

Save

Ground Beef and Cabbage Stir Fry

Stir fry recipes are some of my favorites, both for their awesome flavors and textures and for the ease of preparation. Prep the ingredients before you start cooking the ground beef, everything comes together quickly after that.

You can slice, chop, or dice the bell peppers however you like! I usually slice them into thin strips (like matchsticks) because they look great and cook quickly—that’s what you’ll see in the photos. If you’d rather chop or dice them, that works too—just allow an extra minute or two of cooking time. Bigger pieces will give you a stronger bell pepper flavor in each bite.

Cabbage and Ground Beef Recipes

If you’ve been around for a while, then you’ll already know that I love recipes with cabbage and ground beef. You see them paired in these Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls, which are a total game changer.

We also love this Ground Beef Cabbage Soup; it’s a delicious twist on traditional cabbage rolls, packed full of those beloved flavors in a warm, comforting bowl. It’s great as is, or with one of these Cheesy Drop Biscuits to soak up every last drop!

SaveSaved Pin Print

5 from 2 votes

Ground Beef and Cabbage

Mary Younkin

This ground beef and cabbage stir fry comes together in minutes—with crisp vegetables, savory beef, and a subtle heat that keeps you coming back for more.

Prep Time: 5 minutes mins

Cook Time: 20 minutes mins

Total Time: 25 minutes mins

Servings: 6

Save this recipe!

Get this sent to your inbox, plus get new recipes from us every week!

Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

Email *

Email Hero Post

Save

Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1½ pounds ground beef
• ▢ 1 medium yellow onion chopped into ½-inch pieces, about 1 cup
• ▢ 4 cloves garlic minced
• ▢ 2 large carrots shredded, about 1 cup
• ▢ 2 red, yellow, or orange bell peppers sliced into matchsticks, about 2 cups worth
• ▢ ½ large head of cabbage shredded thin and chopped, about 6 cups

Sauce Ingredients

• ▢ ¼ cup low sodium soy sauce
• ▢ 1 tablespoons chili paste or Sriracha hot sauce
• ▢ 1 teaspoon cornstarch

Instructions 

• In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook and crumble the ground beef. Add the onion and garlic and continue cooking and stirring for about 3 minutes until softened and fragrant.
• While the beef and onion are cooking, whisk together the soy sauce, chili paste, and cornstarch in a small glass or bowl. Set aside.
• Add the carrots and bell peppers and continue cooking for an additional 2 minutes. Pour in the sauce and stir to mix throughout.
• Stir in the cabbage and reduce the heat to medium. Cover with a lid for about 3 minutes, until it begins to soften. Uncover and continue cooking uncovered for an additional minute or two, as needed, until the sauce has mostly been absorbed and the cabbage is tender-crisp.

Notes

Feel free to chop or slice the bell peppers however you like best. I love the look and texture of matchstick vegetables in stir-fry recipes. So, that’s my preference.

If you prefer a standard chop, that will work as well, just add a minute or two to the cooking time. There will also be a more distinct pepper flavor to the dish with the larger pieces.

Nutrition

Calories: 256 kcal | Carbohydrates: 12 g | Protein: 26 g | Fat: 12 g | Saturated Fat: 5 g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5 g | Trans Fat: 1 g | Cholesterol: 74 mg | Sodium: 487 mg | Potassium: 714 mg | Fiber: 4 g | Sugar: 6 g | Vitamin A: 4713 IU | Vitamin C: 80 mg | Calcium: 63 mg | Iron: 3 mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Did you make this? Leave a comment below!

{originally published 5/10/23 – recipe notes and photos updated 6/10/25}