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This ground beef and cabbage recipe has ribbons of golden sautéed cabbage with paprika and tender beef! It’s a low-effort, super simple, delicious pantry meal.
Try my Beef and Cabbage Stir Fry with Peanut Sauce or Dill Pickle Soup next.
Why you’ll love it
If you’re a regular reader around here, you’ll know that cabbage is in my DNA. I’ll never get tired of creating variations on sautéed cabbage. For Czech “peasant” food, it is unbelievably tasty when paired with paprika. Inexpensive ground beef makes it a complete meal!
This sautéed cabbage and ground beef recipe is similar to my popular Easy Chicken and Cabbage Stir Fry. We’ve got Italian herbs, plenty of garlic and onions, and not a whole lot else, making it the ideal no-fuss, homey dinner. It’s ready in about half an hour.
What you’ll need
- Ground beef – it’s the perfect complement to the buttery cabbage
- Butter – for pan frying
- Onion and garlic – tasty aromatics. I like sweet onions (e.g., Vidalia).
- Cabbage – we’re using green cabbage
- Paprika – a central European staple to add to cabbage! It infuses so much flavor.
- Italian seasoning – this blend of dried herbs comes in one jar
- Beef broth – it adds another layer of richness
Helpful tips
- A little patience goes a long way when sautéing cabbage. It’ll brown nicely; just give it some time and toss it every so often. Kitchen tongs are great for this! Be sure to get a good sear on the beef too for the best flavor.
- The scales in the produce section of the grocery store are your friend! Look for a cabbage that’s around 2 pounds.
How to make ground beef and cabbage
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
Brown the beef in a skillet, breaking it up as you go. Get a good sear on it. Transfer to a plate, and drain any excess fat. Add the butter and onions to the pan, and sauté for a few minutes. Add in the cabbage.
Cook to desired tenderness. Let everything brown for extra flavor. Stir in the garlic, paprika, and Italian seasoning. Pour in the broth, and return the beef. Toss and cook until heated through. Generously season with seasoning salt & pepper.
Tools for this recipe
Check out Natasha’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!
- A 12″ skillet is a great size for this recipe to comfortably toss everything with cooking tongs and room to spare.
- Break up the ground beef with a meat masher.
- Here’s my garlic press. No time-consuming chopping!
Substitutions and variations
- If you want to make this recipe reminiscent of “unstuffed” cabbage rolls, add in a can of diced tomatoes or Rotel. Try adding it at the same time as the beef broth.
- If you happen to have some Worcestershire sauce, a few dashes would make a great addition.
- Hot paprika, cayenne pepper, or some hot sauce will give this recipe a kick if that’s your thing!
What to serve with sauteed cabbage and beef
- It’s delicious by itself, but it’s also great over rice or my Quick and Easy Garlic Butter Noodles.
- I love to add a dollop of sour cream to my bowl! Some chopped fresh parsley adds a pop of color and freshness if you happen to have some as well.
- For a salad pairing, I like this Creamy Cucumber Salad.
Leftovers and storage
- You can store leftovers of this pan fried cabbage and beef for 3-4 days in the fridge.
- Reheat slowly over a low heat in a covered saucepan or in intervals in the microwave until warmed through.
- Freeze it for up to 3 months, but keep in mind the cabbage will soften up with time.
More recipes with cabbage
If you made this ground beef and cabbage stir fry, please leave a star rating and review in the comments below! You can also tag me on Instagram in your photos.
Ground Beef and Cabbage
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 1 medium green cabbage cored & chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 cup beef broth or more, to taste
- Seasoning salt & pepper to taste, see note
- Sour cream optional, for serving
Instructions
- Add the ground beef to a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook, breaking it up as you go along, until it's nicely browned (about 8-10 minutes).
- Transfer the beef to a paper towel lined plate. If there's a lot of excess fat left in the skillet, drain it.
- Add the butter and onions to the skillet 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. Don't rush this process – it adds a lot of flavor to the dish!
- Stir in the garlic, paprika, and Italian seasoning.
- Pour in the beef broth and add the cooked beef back in, and cook until it's heated through, stirring/tossing fairly often. This should only take a few minutes. If needed, add a splash more beef broth for moisture.
- Taste and season with seasoning salt & pepper as needed (there's a lot of cabbage so I use a fair amount of salt). Serve with a dollop or two of sour cream if desired.
Notes
- This is simple, old-fashioned comfort food using minimal ingredients. See the blog post for some more additions/variations and serving suggestions.
- Try smoked paprika or hot paprika if you want to change it up a bit!
- Aim for a cabbage that weighs about two pounds. By the time you discard the outer leaves and core it, you’ll have plenty of cabbage for this recipe.
- Lawry’s seasoning salt is my go-to!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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