Keto Beefy Cabbage Stir Fry That’ll Keep You Coming Back for More

Some nights you don’t want to cook. You’re staring at your fridge, waiting for something to jump out and make dinner for you. But when you’re trying to stick to low-carb or keto eating, you don’t have the luxury of just grabbing a slice of toast or tossing frozen fries in the oven.

This Keto Beefy Cabbage Stir Fry? It’s fast, it’s cheap, and it’s the kind of dish you could throw together with one eye open. Ground beef, cabbage, garlic, a splash of soy sauce—and bam, dinner’s done. It’s the kind of meal that doesn’t look like much, but once you taste it, you’re like “Okay, I’m making this again tomorrow.”

And maybe the day after.

Why This Recipe is Just Great For Keto

No fluff. No fake fancy. Just good food.

This is one of those “clean out your fridge” kind of meals. Got some cabbage rolling around in the crisper drawer, a half-used onion, some lonely garlic cloves, maybe even a carrot if you’re feeling wild? Perfect.

Add some ground beef—doesn’t matter if it’s fresh or frozen—and you’ve got a full dinner in under 30 minutes. Keto-friendly, no sugar bombs hiding anywhere, and it actually fills you up.

It’s also weirdly cozy. Like the kind of thing your grandma might’ve made if she was trying to cut carbs and didn’t care about Instagram likes.

What You’ll Need

Let’s not complicate it. Here’s your simple grocery list:

• 1 lb ground beef (80/20 works great, but lean is fine too)
• 1 small head of green cabbage (or about 6–7 cups chopped)
• 1 small onion (yellow or white, thinly sliced)
• 3–4 garlic cloves (minced)
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce (or coconut aminos if going strict keto)
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil (for flavor)
• Salt and pepper (to taste)
• Optional: crushed red pepper flakes, chopped green onions, sesame seeds, a splash of rice vinegar

And that’s pretty much it. Nothing you can’t find at a regular grocery store.

Step-by-Step: How to Make Keto Beefy Cabbage Stir Fry

1) Brown the Beef

Grab a large skillet or wok. Toss in your ground beef and start cooking it over medium-high heat. Break it up with a spatula as it cooks. Let it brown fully—don’t rush this part. The crispy bits of beef that stick to the bottom? That’s flavor.

Drain the excess fat if you’ve got a lot of it in the pan. You want enough left to cook the veggies, but not so much it turns soupy.

2) Add the Onion and Garlic

Once the beef is browned, add the sliced onion and minced garlic. Stir it around and let everything cook for about 3–4 minutes. The onions should soften a bit and the garlic will start smelling real good.

Don’t let the garlic burn. Keep it moving if your pan’s too hot.

3) Toss in the Cabbage

Here’s where it starts looking like a lot. Cabbage always seems like too much at first—but it wilts down fast.

Throw it all in. If your pan is overflowing, add it in batches and let each batch shrink a little before adding more.

Keep stirring every minute or so, and let it cook down for around 7–10 minutes. You want the cabbage to get tender but still have a little bite. Soggy cabbage? No thanks.

4) Season It

Time for flavor.

Drizzle in the soy sauce and sesame oil. Add salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes if you like heat.

Stir it all together and let it cook for another 2–3 minutes. Taste it. You might want more soy sauce, or maybe a pinch of salt. Trust your mouth.

5) Serve Hot

That’s it. Spoon it into a bowl, top with green onions or sesame seeds if you’re fancy, and eat it while it’s still hot and steamy.

What Makes This Recipe Keto?

Let’s break it down quick for anyone counting carbs or just trying to stay on the wagon:

• Cabbage is low in carbs but high in fiber, so it fills you up without messing with your macros.
• Ground beef has zero carbs and all the fat and protein you want.
• Soy sauce has a few carbs, but not enough to kick you out of ketosis unless you drink it by the cup (don’t).
• No sugar, no starchy sauces, no cornstarch, no noodles.

One serving usually hits around 6–7 net carbs, depending on your portion and what extras you toss in.

Can You Meal Prep It?

Absolutely. This dish is a meal prep dream.

Make a big batch on Sunday, throw it in containers, and you’ve got lunch or dinner ready to roll all week.

It reheats like a champ—microwave or stovetop, no weird texture changes. In fact, it might even taste better the next day after all the flavors soak in.

Some folks even eat it cold. (Okay, I’ve done that at 2am. No shame.)

Ideas to Mix It Up

Look, you don’t have to follow the recipe like it’s carved in stone. This thing is meant to be played with. Here’s a few ways to keep it interesting:

• Add eggs: Scramble a couple of eggs into the pan before you add cabbage. Turns it into a fried rice–style thing.
• Try ground turkey or pork: Not into beef? Swap it. Works just as well.
• Throw in mushrooms, bell peppers, or zucchini: Whatever’s dying in the veggie drawer can probably go in here.
• Add a squeeze of lime: Sounds weird? Try it once. The acidity cuts the richness and makes it pop.
• Top with sriracha or chili crisp: Instant upgrade.

This dish doesn’t need much babysitting. Just taste as you go and make it how you like it.

What If You Don’t Have Cabbage?

Okay, weirdly enough, some stores run out. Or maybe you just can’t stand cabbage. You’ve got options:

• Broccoli slaw: It cooks fast and has a similar crunch.
• Kale or spinach: Not quite the same texture, but it works.
• Shredded Brussels sprouts: They behave kinda like cabbage, but with a nuttier flavor.
• Cauliflower rice: Totally different vibe, but it’ll still soak up the sauce.

Honestly, cabbage is dirt cheap and lasts forever, but if it’s a no-go for you, don’t toss the whole recipe.

Story Time: This Was My Broke Weeknight Staple

I started making this dish when I was broke and living in a shoebox apartment. I had exactly $20 to get me through three dinners. Bought a pound of beef, a head of cabbage, and a few garlic cloves. That was it.

I wasn’t trying to be healthy. I was just trying to not eat instant noodles again.

But here’s the thing: it hit. I didn’t feel like I was “missing out” on anything. It was warm, filling, savory—exactly what I wanted at the end of the day. And once I found out it fit into a keto diet too? Bonus.

I still make it. Even now when I’ve got a stocked kitchen and a little more cash, this stir fry sneaks into my weekly meal plan more than I’d admit.

How to Store It

If you’ve got leftovers (unlikely), throw them in an airtight container. Stick it in the fridge and it’ll stay good for about 3–4 days.

Reheat in the microwave or a skillet. If it looks a little dry, just splash in a tiny bit of water or soy sauce when heating.

Don’t freeze it. The cabbage turns to mush and loses all texture.

Make It Your Go-To Dinner

There’s something almost… comforting about having one recipe you can make in your sleep. No measuring, no timers, just muscle memory and instinct.

This Keto Beefy Cabbage Stir Fry is that recipe. It doesn’t need expensive ingredients. It won’t have you washing 10 dishes. It doesn’t care if you swap one thing out for another.

It’s not a showstopper, but it is the thing you’ll keep going back to. Because it’s easy. It’s tasty. It works.

And sometimes? That’s all you need.

Bonus Tip: Double Up the Sauce

If you’re a “saucy” person—go ahead and double the soy sauce and sesame oil. Add a splash of vinegar or a tiny bit of keto-friendly sweetener like monk fruit or erythritol if you want something closer to a stir fry sauce you’d get at a restaurant.

Want it thicker? Toss in a pinch of xanthan gum. It’ll cling to the meat and cabbage just right.

Conclusion

You don’t need a six-page recipe or gourmet ingredients to eat well on keto. You just need a skillet, a handful of basics, and a few minutes.

This Keto Beefy Cabbage Stir Fry is the answer when you’re tired, hungry, and two seconds away from ordering takeout. Make it once, and you’ll know why it’s the one people come back to again and again.

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