Thai Chicken Cabbage Stir Fry
Easy 20-minute chicken and cabbage skillet with ground chicken, coleslaw mix, carrots, and the most delicious peanut sauce.
It’s such a good weeknight meal to serve with 4-Ingredient Roasted Garlic Green Beans.
Jump to:
- Easy Chicken and Cabbage Stir Fry is a One Pan Dream!
- Chicken Cabbage Stir Fry Ingredients
- How to Make this Chicken and Cabbage Recipe
- Chicken and Cabbage Recipe Additions
- Tips for Making this Chicken Cabbage Recipe
- How to Serve Chicken Cabbage Stir Fry
- How to Store Chicken and Cabbage
- Video: How to Make Thai Chicken and Cabbage Skillet
- More Easy Chicken Recipes
- Cabbage Chicken (Chicken and Cabbage Stir Fry Recipe)
Easy Chicken and Cabbage Stir Fry is a One Pan Dream!
One bite of this Thai chicken and cabbage recipe, and you’ll never go back to Thai takeout again! An oldie but a goodie, this recipe has been on the site for years and remains one of the most popular recipes with a five-star rating and countless raving reviews.
They’re well deserved, too. Not only is this dish crisp and satisfying but it’s also packed with sweet and savory flavor. Plus, it’s easy to customize by adding more spice, swapping the protein, or using up any veggies you have on hand.
Not to mention all the ingredients combine in one pan, meaning prep time is minimal and cleanup is quick. And from start to finish, you can have the dish on the table in just 30 minutes. It’s perfect for busy weeknights and makes for excellent meal prep!
Serve it on its own topped with cilantro and hot chili sauce. Or, pair it with a refreshing cucumber salad for a balanced meal. No matter what, it always leaves your guests asking for more.
Chicken Cabbage Stir Fry Ingredients
- Ground chicken
- coleslaw cabbage mix
- carrots
- green onions
- cilantro
For the peanut sauce:
- peanut butter
- soy sauce
- garlic
- honey
- ginger
- rice vinegar
- sesame oil
- neutral oil for cooking
How to Make this Chicken and Cabbage Recipe
Step 1: Make the Sauce – whisk together all the sauce ingredients and set aside.
Tip: Save time on prep and make the peanut sauce up to 3 days in advance. Keep refrigerated until ready to use.
Step 2: Cook the Chicken – in a large non-stick skillet, heat some of the oil, about 1 tablespoon, and add the ground chicken. Cook until no longer pink while breaking up with a spoon. Remove to a bowl. Drain juices from the pan and wipe clean.
Step 3: Cook the Coleslaw – add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to the skillet and when hot, add the coleslaw mix and carrots. Cook until the cabbage is tender-crisp, about 3-4 minutes or so, while stirring constantly.
Step 4: Combine – add the chicken and sauce to the skillet. Season to taste, with salt and pepper. Cook until everything is heated through. Stir in green onions and cilantro.
Serve topped with more cilantro, hot chili sauce, and fresh lime juice.
Leftovers: Leftover chicken with cabbage will keep refrigerated for up to 3-4 days in an airtight container.
Chicken and Cabbage Recipe Additions
- Bell peppers
- Edamame
- Kale
- Red cabbage
- Peanuts or cashews – as a topping
Also, you can swap out a bag of coleslaw mix for a small head of cabbage and a carrot.
Tips for Making this Chicken Cabbage Recipe
- Stir the cabbage and carrots constantly to prevent them from sticking to the bottom of the skillet or burning.
- Season generously, making sure to add enough salt to bring out the flavors of the dish.
- If using a whole cabbage instead of a coleslaw mix, slice it in half through its core. Then, place the cut-side down on a cutting board, and slice the pieces as thinly as possible around the core.
- Reduce the heat if needed to prevent the skillet from becoming too hot and burning the cabbage.
- Cook the cabbage in batches if needed, allowing enough room to spread it out in an even layer in the skillet.
How to Serve Chicken Cabbage Stir Fry
To serve the chicken and cabbage, we love cilantro, hot chili sauce, and lime juice as a topping. But you can also add a light drizzle of reserved peanut sauce and more green onions.
What to Serve with Chicken and Cabbage Stir Fry
This chicken and cabbage skillet pairs well with roasted vegetables or a fresh side salad. Here are a few options:
How to Store Chicken and Cabbage
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. I don’t recommend freezing this recipe as it will become mushy and wilted once thawed!
Reheat your chicken and cabbage in the microwave for 1-2 minutes. Or, warm it in a skillet over low heat on the stove, stirring frequently.
Video: How to Make Thai Chicken and Cabbage Skillet
More Easy Chicken Recipes
If you try our Thai Chicken and Cabbage Recipe, please leave us a star rating and a comment letting us know how you liked the recipe.
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Cabbage Chicken (Chicken and Cabbage Stir Fry Recipe)
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 20 min
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
- Category: Main
- Method: Stir-fry
- Cuisine: Thai
Description
Easy 20-minute chicken and cabbage skillet with ground chicken, coleslaw mix, carrots, and the most delicious peanut sauce.
Ingredients
- 3 Tbsp. neutral oil, such as avocado oil, divided
- 1 lb. ground chicken
- 16 oz. coleslaw cabbage mix
- 2 medium carrots, grated
- 2–3 green onions, sliced
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro, plus more for serving
- Kosher salt and fresh black pepper
- Hot chili sauce, for serving
Sauce
- 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1/4 cup soy sauce (use tamari for gluten free)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 Tbsp. honey
- 1 Tbsp. freshly grated ginger
- 1 Tbsp. rice vinegar
- 1 tsp. sesame oil
Instructions
- Whisk together the sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside.
- In a large non-stick skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat. When hot, add ground chicken and cook until no longer pink, breaking up the meat with a spoon. Transfer to a bowl with a slotted spoon. Drain juices from pan and wipe clean.
- Add remaining 2 tablespoons of oil. When hot, add coleslaw mix and carrots and cook until tender-crisp, stirring constantly, about 3-4 minutes. If veggies begin to burn, reduce the heat. The goal here is to get the cabbage tender-crisp.
- Add chicken and sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook for few minutes until heated through.
- Stir in green onions and cilantro. Serve topped with more cilantro and hot chili sauce. I also like to add a squeeze of fresh lime juice.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 309
- Sugar: 12.1 g
- Sodium: 415.1 mg
- Fat: 19.6 g
- Carbohydrates: 19.1 g
- Protein: 17.8 g
- Cholesterol: 64.2 mg
Hi! I'm Katya -- a former corporate paralegal turned full-time recipe developer and blogger behind Little Broken. Here you'll find family-friendly and seasonal recipes made from real ingredients.
Peanut butter, soy sauce, garlic, honey, ginger, rice vinegar, and sesame oil will make your recipe amazing. Thanks.
Made this tonight for a fussy “i-dont-like-fancy” husband. Served it with a side of wonton soup. He was over the moon. SO yummy and easy. WOW.
That’s so great Lori! Thank you for your feedback.
Easy and delish! Made with sun butter and tamari rather than peanut butter and soy sauce. Will def make again!
I made this with ground turkey and had to use onion powder instead of green onion. It turned out great. My family is going to love it!
Hi Katya 🙂
My husband and I are big fans of cabbage and ground chicken. So, I’m looking forward to trying your recipe. My question is can I substitute basil or another herb for the cilantro (we’re not fans of cilantro)?
Thank you and take care…
Hi: Yes, you can definitely substitute basil for cilantro! I hope you enjoy it.
Fabulous fast meal! The sauce is delicious. I used a head of cabbage, carrrots and added a little bell pepper to use up. I’m excited for the left overs for lunch. Will add to my meal rotation!
Delicious and so easy! I added the suggested red bell pepper and also Calabrian chili peppers for heat. The squeeze of lime at the end gives it a great pop. Wow, so good!! I will make this again and again. Thanks
kids loved it! added red pepper flakes to the chicken. and 2 tablespoons of honey extra to sauce to cut the peanut butter (kids don’t care for p.b. as much) added bean sprouts, kale, and peanuts.
I found this recipe because I had a lot of cabbage to use up. So it took me a little longer because I had to grate all the cabbage on a mandolin but so tasty! Served it with the Vietnamese cucumber salad from the link above also super tasty. Note that I cut way back on the oil by using a big non stick skillet. Instead of the 4 Tbs of oil I thoroughly coated with a mist of grape seed oil and we didn’t miss the fat at all. Plenty from the peanut butter
I love this recipe, I’ve used PB2 instead of peanut butter and added other veggies. I have to say though that the is no way I’m my world that this is 6 servings unless it’s a side dish
This is excellent and will be on my regular meal rotation! My only substitution was diced rotisserie chicken for the ground chicken since I had the other on hand. Loved this meal!
This is SOOOO good! WW points = 6. Love this!!
Quick, easy, great flavors
Does this freeze well?
It should freeze well.
I loved this dish, it was easy and checks all of the healthy boxes! Ingredients were items I had handy in my kitchen. I doubled the recipe for leftovers and topped with crushed peanuts for the crunch!
My husband and I love this no trip for take out meal.
Sweet/ salty… very authentic taste. Thanks!
Picky perfectionist recipe analyst right here and honestly – I loved this and it has perfect ratios. I added a teaspoon of chili oil but its balanced and vibrant without any tinkering!
This was delicious!! I doubled the sauce just to have extra. I also added one more Tbsp of honey. I will for sure make this again soon! Might even try it with shrimp! Thank you for sharing!
Thank you! I’m so glad you enjoyed it.
Delicious! Couldn’t find ground chicken so made it with ground turkey. This was easy and quick. It will definitely be a go to meal from now on.