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Healthy Pork and Cabbage Stir-Fry

Healthy and easy ground pork and cabbage stir-fry in a Whole30 and Paleo compliant stir-fry sauce.  Comes together quickly, all in one skillet for a delicious weeknight dinner the whole family will love.

Close up of pork and cabbage on plate.

We started off the new year with a much needed reset, hence our second round of Whole30.  We felt so good that we extended it another month and now we continue to be a little more mindful of what we're eating.

Stir-fry on plate with cauliflower rice.

My husband loves cabbage, me too, so I threw together this ground pork and cabbage dish one night and we ended up loving it.  I think I've been making it weekly ever since.  It's so easy and needs just a few ingredients I usually have on hand.

INGREDIENTS

Here's what you'll need:

Ingredients collage photo.

  • Aromatics  garlic and onion.
  • Ground pork  or ground beef, I like either one, my husband prefers it with pork.  You can even use ground turkey or chicken.
  • Green cabbage  roughly cut, half of a head is usually plenty.
  • Simple Whole30 stir-fry sauce  with coconut aminos, sesame oil, rice vinegar, ginger and almond butter.

HOW TO MAKE  PORK AND CABBAGE STIR FRY

Cgopped cabbage with sauce in background.Three photo process collage, cooking aromatics and ground pork.

  1. Chop the cabbage and make the sauce, set aside.
  2. Sauté the onions and garlic, add the ground pork and brown and break up until cooked through.
  3. Add the cabbage, stir and cook until crisp-tender.
  4. Pour in the sauce, stir to combine and cook a few more minutes. Done!

Two photo process collage, adding cabbage and sauce to skillet.

Close up of stir-fry in skillet.

RECIPE NOTES AND TIPS

  • You can use ground beef instead of ground pork and I do not drain after browning, I don't think you need to, there's not much fat in either and the meat juices are too good to discard.  Ground turkey or chicken will work, too, but will be much milder in taste.
  • Stir fry the cabbage to your liking  as tender as you like, I go for crisp-tender with a little crunch to it.
  • Garnish with sliced green onions and/or chopped cilantro  if you have it, it's a nice finishing touch.

Close up of pork cabbage stir-fry in bowl.

I wanted to share this pork and cabbage stir-fry because it's so delicious and you don't have to be doing a Whole30 to enjoy it.  And it checks the box for quick and easy, it really has become a weekly favorite in our kitchen.  xxo- Kelly🍴🐦

Pork cabbage stir-fry plated with cauliflower rice.

You might also like this braised cabbage and potato side dish, also Whole30 compliant.

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Close up of stir-fry in skillet.

Pork and Cabbage Stir-Fry

Healthy and easy ground pork and cabbage stir-fry in a Whole30 and Paleo compliant stir-fry sauce. 
4.84 from 6 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Asian American
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 450kcal

Ingredients

Stir-Fry Sauce

  • ¼ cup coconut aminos
  • 2 teaspoons sesame oil
  • 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons almond butter
  • 2 teaspoons ginger paste comes in a tube
  • 1 tablespoon hot sauce

Pork and Cabbage

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • ½ onion, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 pound ground pork or ground beef
  • ½ small green cabbage, chopped about 4 to 6 cups
  • Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper

Instructions

  • Whisk the sauce ingredients together in a bowl and set aside.
  • Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium high heat. Add onion and a pinch of salt, cook until starting to soften, about 3 or 4 minutes. Add garlic, cook and stir about 30 seconds until fragrant.
  • Add ground pork and stir and brown, breaking up with a wooden spoon until no longer pink, about 5 minutes or so.
  • Toss in all of the chopped cabbage and a sprinkle of salt. Cook and stir until combined and then stir frequently until cabbage is crisp tender, about 8 minutes or so.
  • Lower heat to medium and stir in the sauce, cook and stir another 2 to 4 minutes. Taste for seasonings and adjust for salt, pepper and/or hot sauce.

Recipe Notes

  • Recipe works equally well with ground beef.
  • Ginger paste comes in a tube, usually in spice aisle or refrigerated in the produce section.
  • I eyeball the cabbage amount, usually a half head of cabbage is plenty.
  • If desired, garnish with green onions and cilantro and serve with cauliflower rice.

Nutrition

Calories: 450kcal Carbohydrates: 13g Protein: 23g Fat: 34g Saturated Fat: 10g Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g Monounsaturated Fat: 17g Cholesterol: 82mg Sodium: 511mg Potassium: 612mg Fiber: 4g Sugar: 5g Vitamin A: 125IU Vitamin C: 46mg Calcium: 97mg Iron: 2mg
Did you make this recipe? Please comment, rate it and share! And mention me on Instagram @thehungrybluebird or tag #thehungrybluebird so I can see!

 

 

Recipe Rating




Marcia

Sunday 12th of February 2023

I threw this together with some cooked cabbage and ground beef I already had and the sauce really pulled it together! I think this sauce would be amazing with any meat-veg combo. I'm definitely adding it to my repertoire!

Linnea

Thursday 19th of January 2023

My husband and I enjoyed it. I had to substitute dried spices for the fresh ones and it worked well. And I used peanut butter for the almond butter, but it still turned out well. Thanks for aharing!

Rhonda

Sunday 6th of November 2022

I'm on a very low saturated fat diet, but this recipe is tantalizing! How much sacrifice in taste do you think there would be if I substituted ground turkey for pork or beef? Obviously it wouldn't be as rich tasting, but would it ruin the flavor?

Rhonda

Sunday 6th of November 2022

@Kelly, Yay! Thanks so much for taking the time to reply!

Kelly

Sunday 6th of November 2022

Hi Rhonda, I think you could definitely use ground turkey in this recipe and have tasty results.

Jenny

Wednesday 30th of March 2022

Terrific recipe very economica ii added a few stir fry recipes to bulk it up a bit highly recommend

Meathead

Thursday 18th of March 2021

It's healthy, easy, and incredibly delicious. One of my all-time favorites!