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This chicken and cabbage stir fry recipe is easy, inexpensive, and ready in about half an hour! It has bites of tender chicken, and the onions and cabbage are soft and buttery.
Try my Cabbage Soup with Bacon and Potatoes or Beef and Cabbage Stir Fry next.
Why you’ll love it
Making chicken sautéed with cabbage is easy. You really don’t need much in the way of seasoning to make this recipe taste totally delicious. I used your standard mild paprika, some fresh garlic, and an onion along with salt & pepper. It’s a quick and affordable meal!
I based this chicken and cabbage recipe on my popular Sautéed Cabbage and Kielbasa Recipe. Since I grew up with plenty of Czech and central European food, it’s no wonder that I love cabbage. I’m always so surprised at just how flavorful fried cabbage is. It’s so good.
What you’ll need
- Chicken – we’re using boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into bite-sized pieces
- Olive oil and butter – for sautéing
- Onion – our kitchen likes sweet (Vidalia) onions best
- Cabbage – we use green cabbage here
- Garlic – if you’re a garlic lover, go ahead and use even more than I suggest
- Paprika – mild paprika is a classic ingredient in European dishes with so much flavor
Pro tips
- You don’t have to be super precise with measurements here. Aiming for a cabbage that weighs about 2 pounds (before removing the outer leaves and core) will work. I say a medium cabbage, but last time I made this, I bought half of a MASSIVE cabbage that I cut into half again, and that totaled about what you’d expect from a medium cabbage, so don’t worry about precisely measuring.
- Keep in mind there’s a lot of cabbage in here, so it’s important to add enough salt to draw out the flavors!
How to make chicken and cabbage stir fry
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
In a skillet, add the chicken to the olive oil. Season with salt & pepper, and sauté until it’s just done, then transfer to a plate. Sauté the onions in the butter for a few minutes. Add the cabbage and cook, tossing or stirring frequently, until it starts to get tender.
Stir in the garlic and paprika, and finish by adding the chicken back it into the pan and heating it through until it’s fully cooked. Give the stir fry a taste, and add extra salt & pepper as needed. I’m generous with the salt.
Tools for this recipe
Check out Natasha’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!
- It’s effortless to mince garlic with a garlic press since there is no chopping or peeling involved.
- Kitchen tongs make it easy to toss the cabbage as it cooks.
- An instant read thermometer ensures the chicken is 165F.
Substitutions and variations
- I don’t feel like this recipe needs anything else, but you could always swap the mild paprika for hot paprika or smoked paprika if you wish. If you want to add more paprika or garlic or whatever, go ahead. I suggest tasting and adjusting until it’s perfect for you!
- Want to make a vegetarian version of this dish? Try my Simple Sautéed Cabbage Recipe.
- You can always use chicken thighs if you prefer, but I find chicken breast is fine since we don’t overcook it. It remains juicy and tender.
- To make it next-level good, add in some crumbled Oven Cooked Bacon.
What to serve with chicken and cabbage
- It’s totally optional, but a dollop of sour cream adds a nice contrast and a little creaminess.
- As written, this is a low-carb chicken and cabbage recipe, but if that’s not your thing, pair it with something like rice to round out the meal.
- A side salad makes a great accompaniment too. Try spring mix with my Creamy Balsamic Dressing. Craving roasted veggies? Go for my Easy Roasted Green Beans or Easy Roasted Asparagus.
Leftovers and storage
- I actually quite enjoyed the leftovers too! The chicken was still tender, even after being microwaved the next day.
- Store in a covered container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- I don’t really recommend freezing this one since the texture of the cabbage may change, but you’re welcome to experiment.
If you give this cabbage and chicken stir fry a go, I’d love to hear from you in the comments below! Please leave a star rating and review. You can also find me on Instagram.
Easy Chicken and Cabbage Stir Fry
Ingredients
- 2 large chicken breasts cut into bite-size pieces
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 1 medium green cabbage cored & chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add the olive oil and chicken to a skillet. Sprinkle with salt & pepper. Turn the burner to medium-high heat and sauté for about 5-7 minutes (stirring fairly often), or until the chicken is just cooked through.
- Take the chicken out of the pan and set aside.
- Add the butter and onion to the pan and sauté for 3 minutes.
- Add the cabbage to the pan and cook for about 10-15 minutes uncovered, stirring fairly often, until the cabbage is nice and soft (or cooked to desired tenderness). The cabbage at the bottom of the pan will start to wilt after a few minutes and it will become easier to stir. The onions will also start to lightly brown and become more flavorful.
- Stir in the garlic and paprika.
- Add the chicken back in, and cook until it’s heated through, stirring fairly often. This should only take a few minutes.
- Taste and season with salt & pepper as needed (there’s a lot of cabbage so I used a fair amount of salt). Serve immediately.
Notes
- You can use smoked paprika or hot paprika if you prefer.
- You don’t need to be too precise, but aiming for a cabbage that weighs about two pounds will work for this recipe. By the time you discard the outer leaves and core it, you’ll have plenty of cabbage for this recipe.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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This recipe was originally published on October 26, 2018. It’s been updated with new photos and better instructions but is the same great recipe!
Very good!
Thanks so much!
This was very flavorful and healthy! I added celery when I cooked the onion and loved it.
Thanks for the recipe
You’re very welcome, Julie!
The recipe was so good!! I had to tweak it a little as I felt it was a little one note. I added Worcestershire sauce for some umami flavoring and more smoked paprika
Thanks, Taylor!
Hi Natasha! This sounds delish and so simple to make! I’m such a sucker for shortcuts and was wondering if l could substitute bagged coleslaw and if so , how much? Thanks!
Hi Cindy! You could try a 14 oz size package. 🙂 let me know how it goes!
This was absolutely delicious!
Such a simple dish but soooo much flavour. I will definitely be making this again.
Yay!! Thanks, Victoria!
Had a bag of coleslaw multicolored cabbage, onion, half chopped shallot, and a chicken breast on hand from earlier in the week. Was in the mood for peppered beef but searched for peppered chicken and cabbage and found your recipe. Added a nice sprinkle of House Seasonings (seasoning jar), a good bit of fresh ground pepper, and a splash of white wine (at the end). I can’t tell you how simple, incredibly delicious, and healthy this was. Tysm for sharing your recipe. Will def make it again.
Love that! Thanks, Andie!
I’m going to try this chicken and cabbage stir fry just wondering if I could add diced tomatoes
I’ve never tried that but I’d probably add them after browning the cabbage.
Hi Natasha, we really did enjoy your recipe,easy to make first time,can,t wait to try it again, thank you ..regards Norm&Carol xx
Hi Norm! I’m thrilled you two enjoyed it.
Absolutely delicious !👏👏👏👍
Thank you!!
Definitely a keeper! I added some leftover asparagus, and it was delicious!
Wonderful! Thank you!!