This beef and cabbage skillet stretches ground beef into four hearty portions with thinly sliced cabbage. Soy sauce and garlic keep the ingredient list short, and everything cooks in one deep skillet.
Tips for beef and cabbage skillet
Use a deep skillet, not a shallow frying pan. Six hundred grams of raw cabbage looks bulky but softens as it cooks. Slice it thinly and keep all the beef juices for this version.
High Protein Beef and Cabbage Skillet
Equipment
- 1 Deep 12-inch skillet with lid (about 5-quart capacity)
- 1 spatula
- 1 knife and cutting board
- 1 scale
- 1 thermometer
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lb raw 90% lean ground beef about 1 1/2 pounds
- 8 1/2 cups green cabbage core removed, thinly sliced; raw edible weight
- 2 cups carrots scrubbed or peeled, coarsely grated
- 1 cup peeled onion diced
- 4 cloves peeled garlic minced, about 4 cloves
- 2 Tbsp regular soy sauce 2 tablespoons
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup water 1/2 cup; plus plain water only if needed
Instructions
- Heat a deep 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef without extra oil and break it into small crumbles. Cook for about 7–9 minutes, stirring, until no raw clumps remain and the beef reaches at least 160°F (71°C). Do not drain the rendered fat; it is included in this estimate.
- Reduce the heat to medium. Add the onion and grated carrots to the beef and juices. Cook for about 4 minutes, stirring. Add garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.
- Add the cabbage in two or three handfuls, stirring each into the pan as it begins to wilt. Add the soy sauce, pepper and 1/2 cup water. Stir from the bottom to loosen browned bits.
- Cover and cook over medium-low heat for about 8–10 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the cabbage is tender enough for you. Uncover for the final 1–2 minutes if there is too much liquid. If the pan dries before the cabbage softens, add a splash of plain water.
- Stir well and divide all the beef, vegetables and pan juices into four equal portions. The nutrition covers the skillet only; rice, noodles and toppings would be separate additions.
Notes
Storage and meal prep
Refrigerate in shallow containers at 40°F or below within 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F. Use within 3–4 days. Reheat covered to 165°F, stirring and adding a splash of water if needed. Freeze a trial portion for up to 2 months as an untested quality plan; thaw in the refrigerator. Cabbage will be softer after storage.
Ingredient notes and swaps
A different beef lean percentage changes fat and calories. Draining the beef also changes this baseline and cannot be modeled by guessing how much fat was removed. A plain cabbage-and-carrot slaw mix may save chopping, but match its weights and ingredients first. Low-sodium soy sauce or tamari needs its own label calculation. Rice and noodles are optional sides, not included.
About the nutrition
Nutrition is estimated from the listed amounts and documented reference foods. Brands, portions and ingredient swaps can change the numbers. This recipe has not been kitchen tested.