Quick and budget-friendly dinner, full of vibrant flavour
Looking for the best way to cook cabbage without bloating? You’re in the right place.
This easy stir-fry recipe with red cabbage is a total weeknight winner. It’s fast, flexible, and full of flavour—plus it won’t leave you feeling heavy or uncomfortable like some cabbage dishes.
Whether you’re trying to eat more veggies, stay low-carb, or need a budget-friendly dinner that doesn’t feel boring, this red cabbage stir-fry has you covered. It’s crunchy, colourful, and customisable with whatever you’ve got in your fridge.
Let’s get cooking.
Why You’ll Love This Red Cabbage Stir-Fry
We often underestimate the power and versatility of cabbage, thinking it’s just a boring side dish. But what if I told you it can be the star of your plate?
Red or white, cabbage can do much more than you think. And yes, if you boil or stew it, it might make you bloated. But stir-fry it? Totally different story.
- ✅ Naturally low-carb and high-fibre
- ✅ Uses affordable ingredients you already have
- ✅ Gluten-free option with tamari
- ✅ Great for meal prep or quick weekday dinners
- ✅ No bloating like with boiled cabbage
This quick red cabbage stir-fry is light on the stomach, easy to digest, and seriously delicious. Plus, it’s low-carb, high-fibre, and budget-friendly.
It’s also perfect for using up any vegetables in your fridge. Below, I’ll list a few suggestions—but feel free to get creative!
Choose Your Veggies: Build Your Stir-Fry
Don’t be overwhelmed—this isn’t a shopping list, it’s a mix-and-match guide.
Pick what you already have in the fridge or pantry and build your own version of this low-carb stir-fry.
Vegetable ideas:
- White cabbage
- Red cabbage
- Savoy cabbage
- Kale
- Swiss chard
- Chinese cabbage
- Courgette
- Beansprouts
- Sweet potatoes
- Broccolini
- Bok Choy
- Mushrooms
- Carrots
- Bell pepper
- Magnetout or snow peas
- Baby corn
- Edamame
- Green beans
- Spring onion
- Chives
and many more…
My Go-To Red Cabbage Stir-Fry
This red cabbage stir-fry actually came from a happy accident. I had chicken sizzling in the pan and realised no frozen stir-fry veg mix was left. All I had was a head of red cabbage, a courgette, and a lonely pepper. The result? One of the best low-carb stir-fry recipes I’ve made..
The red cabbage brings colour and crunch, the sauce ties it all together, and you can scale the spice and sweetness how you like it.
What You’ll Need
Staple ingredients for flavour:
- Sesame oil
- Chinese five-spice
- Tamari soy sauce
- Oyster or Fish sauce or both
- Vegetable stock
- Fresh ginger (or powdered)
- Garlic cloves
- Erythritol or honey (optional)
- Chillies, fresh or dry, for extra spiciness (optional)
NOTE:
✅ Want to keep it vegetarian? Skip the meat or use tofu.
✅ Prefer meat instead? Add prawns, chicken or beef if you like.
If you use raw prawns, add them just 5 minutes before the end of cooking, but pre-cooked prawns need just 2-3 minutes at high heat.
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How to make this red cabbage stir-fry
1./ Prep your ingredients: Cut chicken (if using) into strips. Slice red cabbage, peppers, mushrooms, and onion. Grate garlic and ginger. Spiralise or thinly slice courgette.
No spiraliser? Even if you don’t have a spiraliser for the courgette, you can grate or slice it with a vegetable peeler instead of making zoodles.
2./ Cook the protein: Heat sesame oil in a large pan or wok. Add chicken and five-spice. Stir-fry over high heat for 2–3 minutes, until lightly golden.
3./ Add aromatics: Toss in grated garlic and ginger. Cook for another minute, still on high heat.
NOTE:
While ginger can be sometimes tricky to grate, always use the fresh one rather than powder, as it gives great flavour to your stir-fry.
As for garlic, I would rather grate it than mince it.
4./ Add the veg: Add red cabbage, courgette, peppers, and onion. Stir-fry for 3–5 minutes. If it sticks, add a splash of vegetable stock.
5./ Sauce it: Add mushrooms, tamari, and oyster/fish sauce. Stir and taste, adjust with stock or a touch of erythritol/honey if needed. Keep on high heat for a few more minutes.
6./ Optional: Add fibre-rich noodles, if you’re short on veg or want a bigger meal, stir in my Easy High-Fibre Pasta. It’s quick to make and adds texture and protein without extra carbs.
7./ Serve and garnish: Divide onto plates. Top with chopped spring onions or chives for a fresh finish.
Final Thoughts
This red cabbage stir-fry proves cabbage doesn’t have to be boring or cause bloat. It’s the best way to cook cabbage when you want something vibrant, easy, and digestion-friendly.
Make it once, and you’ll want to keep it in your weeknight rotation. It’s an authentic budget-friendly dinner without skimping on flavour or nutrients.
Looking for more easy, flavour-packed meals?
Don’t miss these related recipes, which are perfect for quick cooking, healthy ingredients, and bold taste.
🍴 Made This Recipe?
✍️ Leave a comment below and tell me how your red cabbage stir-fry turned out! Did you add a twist or try it with noodles?
⭐️ Don’t forget to rate the recipe—it helps others find this low-carb favourite!
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EASY RED CABBAGE STIR-FRY: 1 RECIPE, MANY VARIATIONS
Cooking Tools
- Wok or large frying pan
- Knife
- Wood spoon
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp Sesame oil
- 300 g Sliced chicken thighs
- 1/2 tsp Chinese five-spice
- 1/2 medium Red cabbage
- 2 Yellow or orange bell pepper
- 1 medium Onion
- 300 g Mushrooms
- 1 medium Courgette - spiralized or sliced
- 1-2 tbsp Tamari soy sauce - (low carb soy sauce)
- 1 tsp Ginger - fresh
- 2 Garlic cloves
- some Chillies fresh or dry - if you like your dish hot
- 1 tsp Oyster sauce - or Fish sauce
- 1/4 cup Vegetable stock - (use as needed)
- 1 tsp Erythritol - or honey (optional)
- 1 tbsp Spring onion - or chives (optional)
- EASY HIGH-FIBRE PASTA (NOODLES) - optional, not included in nutrition calculate
Instructions
- Cut the chicken across the grain into stripes.
- Slice all the vegetables.
- Spiralize or cut into shin tripes courgette.1 medium Courgette
- Heat the oil in the pan.2 tbsp Sesame oil
- Add chicken and Chinese 5 spices and stir fry for 2-3 min.300 g Sliced chicken thighs, 1/2 tsp Chinese five-spice
- Add sliced vegetables, ginger and garlic. Keep stirring on the high heat for 5 minutes. Add a bit of vegetable stock if it's sticking to the bottom.1/2 medium Red cabbage, 2 Yellow or orange bell pepper, 1 medium Onion, 1 tsp Ginger, 2 Garlic cloves, 1 medium Courgette
- Add chilies if usingsome Chillies fresh or dry
- Add mushrooms and tamari soy sauce, oyster and fish sauce, stir fry for 2-3min. Add more vegetable stockpot and erythritol if needed.1-2 tbsp Tamari soy sauce, 1 tsp Oyster sauce , 1 tsp Erythritol, 1/4 cup Vegetable stock
- Add high-fibre pasta noodles if you use. (see the article) otherwise omit this step.
- Divide stir-fry between the plates and sprinkle with seeds or peanuts1 tbsp Spring onion
Nutrition
Nutritional facts in this recipe are only informative. The calculation might slightly vary, depending on the exact ingredients you use. For accuracy, enter your specific ingredients into a nutrition calculator like MyFitnessPal or Calorieking.
To calculate net carb use this method:
Carbohydrates – Fiber – Sugar alcohols = Net carb
Beyond the Recipe…
There’s more than recipes here: personal stories, favourite spots, and a few food myths I’ve challenged.
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