🥬🥩 Quick, Healthy & Bursting with Umami!
This Ginger Beef & Cabbage Stir-Fry is a 20-minute wonder—tender ground beef, crisp veggies, and a savory-sweet sauce with a kick of ginger and red pepper flakes. Serve over rice for a balanced, satisfying meal!
🌟 Why You’ll Love This Recipe
✅ Ready in 20 mins – Faster than takeout!
✅ Budget-friendly – Uses affordable ingredients
✅ Meal-prep hero – Tastes great reheated
✅ Customizable – Swap proteins or veggies
📋 Ingredients
Main Components
- 450g (1 lb) lean ground beef
- ½ medium green cabbage, thinly sliced (~4 cups)
- 1 medium carrot, julienned
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
Aromatics
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
Sauce
- 2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes (adjust to taste)
Thickener
- 1 tsp cornstarch + 2 tbsp water
Garnish & Serving
- 2 green onions, sliced
- Cooked jasmine or brown rice
👨🍳 Step-by-Step Instructions
1️⃣ Cook the Beef
- Heat sesame oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add ground beef, breaking it apart, and cook until browned (5 mins). Drain excess fat.
2️⃣ Sauté Aromatics
- Add garlic + ginger, stir 1 min until fragrant.
3️⃣ Stir-Fry Veggies
- Toss in cabbage + carrots.
- Cook 4–5 mins, stirring often, until crisp-tender.
4️⃣ Add Sauce & Thicken
- Pour in soy sauce, rice vinegar, oyster sauce, and red pepper flakes. Mix well.
- Add cornstarch slurry, stir 1–2 mins until glossy.
5️⃣ Garnish & Serve
- Top with green onions and serve over steamed rice.
💡 Pro Tips
🔹 High heat = best sear and crisp veggies.
🔹 No oyster sauce? Substitute hoisin or extra soy sauce.
🔹 Extra crunch – Add bean sprouts or bell peppers.
🔹 Storage – Keeps 3 days in fridge or 3 months frozen.
🍽 Serving Suggestions
✨ Pair with:
- Kimchi for tangy heat
- Soft-boiled eggs for extra protein
- Sriracha mayo drizzle
🎉 Perfect for:
- Busy weeknights
- Low-carb diets (skip the rice)
- Lunchbox meals
🌿 Variations
- Turkey or chicken – Swap for ground beef
- Vegetarian – Use crumbled tofu + mushrooms
- Thai twist – Add 1 tbsp fish sauce + lime juice
📊 Nutrition (Per Serving, Without Rice)
Approximate values:
- Calories: 280 kcal
- Protein: 25g
- Carbs: 12g
- Fat: 14g
🍲 Final Thoughts
This Ginger Beef & Cabbage Stir-Fry is light yet satisfying, with layers of umami, spice, and freshness. It’s a versatile base for endless flavor twists!
Chef’s secret: For deeper flavor, marinate beef in 1 tbsp soy sauce + 1 tsp cornstarch for 10 mins before cooking.
Tag your creations #GingerBeefStirFry! 📸🌶️
Want it spicier? Add sliced fresh chili or Sichuan peppercorns! 🔥