Ground Beef and Cabbage

5 portions
20 min

This Ground Beef and Cabbage is an easy budget-friendly one-pot ground beef cabbage recipe that is loaded with flavor. It is a quick dinner that is gluten-free and also dairy-free.


From start to finish, you can have this healthy quick, and easy meal ready in under 30 minutes!

If you have a ton of cabbage and don't know what to do with it this is the recipe for you. It is an easy lunch or dinner recipe that will save you a lot of time on those busy weeknights.

Ground Beef and Fried Cabbage

This recipe has been inspired by the classical Ukrainian/Russian dish named Lenivie Golubci or Golubtsi (unstuffed cabbage rolls) that my mom has made quite often when I was growing up.

Until today, I love to make this easy and super budget-friendly meal, but I like to add more spices or change the beef to chicken or turkey.


There is a skip-to-recipe button in the top left corner along with a clickable table of contents list (just below) that will quickly take you to the part you are more interested in. Enjoy!


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If you love beef recipes you should definitely try these readers' favorite recipes: Beef Enchilada Casserole, Old Fashioned Hamburger Casserole, and Slow Cooker Massaman Beef Curry.

Ground Beef and Fried Cabbage
Why It's Yummy


  • Healthy - My favorite thing about this ground beef and cabbage is that it’s made 100% from scratch so you know every ingredient that goes into the pan. For a healthier option always go for lean meat.


  • Customizable - Make this fried cabbage with beef or without for a healthy and quick side dish. Or simply swap beef for chicken, turkey that will also taste amazing in this recipe.


  • If you're like me, a true die hard fan of cabbage, I highly recommend makign these cababge recipes next: Napa Cabbage And Mushrooms Stir Fry, Healthy Purple Cabbage Salad With Almonds, Cabbage and Cucumber Salad With Dill, Salmon Salad With Cabbage.


What meat goes with cabbage?


Cabbage is a nutritious vegetable that is so versatile and goes well with everything from pork and beef to lamb, chicken, and other poultry.

Cabbage is for sure a great vegetable for you that should be included in everyone's weekly menu.

Do you like cabbage? What is your favorite way to eat it? Please leave a comment down below with your answer, I'd love to hear from you!


What To Serve With Fried Cabbage?


Fried cabbage is an incredible dish for any occasion, holidays, Christmas, or weeknight dinner.

There are a ton of options you can serve your cabbage dish with. Whether you make it with or without beef both varieties will go well with:


  • Any main dish options such as chicken, salmon, turkey, pork chops, pork tenderloin, ground beef, ground sausage or kielbasa, or fried chicken drumsticks.


  • Sandwiches and wraps such as burgers, patties, vegetarian patties, and corn fritters.


  • Slow Cooker Bbq Ribs


  • Pumpkin Soup


  • A variety of side dishes such as mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, green beans, cauliflower, dinner rolls, brussels sprouts, and salads.


Is cabbage good for you?


If you want to improve your digestive health, fiber-rich cabbage is the way to go.

This crunchy vegetable is full of gut-friendly insoluble fiber, that helps to keep the digestive system working like a clock! I love how incredibly healthy this veggie is.

If you haven't included cabbage in your menu yet then this Ground Beef and Cabbage Recipe is perfect way to start!


Ingredients for Ground Beef and Cabbage


  • 1 lb Ground beef
  • ½ of a medium cabbage, chopped
  • 1 medium carrot, grated or julienned
  • 3 tablespoon tomato paste or sauce if paste not available
  • ½ cup Vegetable or beef stock
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 ½ teaspoon paprika (regular or smoked)
  • 1 medium to large onion
  • 2-3 tablespoon Vegetable oil for cooking
Ground Beef and Fried Cabbage
How to make Ground Beef and Cabbage recipe?


Start with beef - in a medium or large skillet heat up a little bit of oil over medium heat. When the skillet is warm, add ground beef, salt, and pepper to taste and cook until golden brown. Set aside.

Ground Beef and Fried Cabbage

In the same skillet add onion and cook until translucent. Follow with grated carrot and cook until the carrot becomes soft.

Ground Beef and Fried Cabbage

Add tomato sauce/paste and veggie stock or a bouillon cube mixed in water and give it a good stir. Let the carrots and onions simmer for 2-3 minutes.

Ground Beef and Fried Cabbage

Follow with cabbage, add salt, pepper, and paprika. Stir well to combine all the ingredients and let simmer under a closed lid (stirring occasionally) until cabbage becomes soft.

Return the cooked beef, stir, garnish with fresh herbs like parsley or chives and serve while hot.

Serve warm with a dollop of sour cream or plain yogurt! Yum!


Readers Feedback


What The Yummy Bowl fans are saying across different platforms:


I won’t confess to how many times I have made these now 😅but I will say they also work great using thin stir-fried beef strips, and even without any meat or chicken they are still as addictive. Have added Thai basil one time as well and bamboo shoots another time. I bet Tofu would be delicious with it too. It’s so versatile. Can’t thank you enough! It’s our new favorite 😍 Eden, Pinterest


Ground Beef and cabbage variations


  • Add rice. Actually, my mom's original recipe for this has also rice in it. If you want to make it an even more hearty and cozy meal cook ½ cup (uncooked) rice while you're cooking the beef and cabbage. When rice is cooked through, mix it in in the cabbage skillet along with the ground beef.


  • Meats. As I mentioned earlier, you can add other meats like lamb, turkey, chicken (ground or cut into strips), bacon, beef, or chicken sausage slices.


  • Sauces. Instead of tomato sauce add taco sauce or BBQ sauce to the cabbage or when cooking the ground beef in the beginning. This way the meat will become even juicier.


  • Asian flavors. Swap tomato sauce for Soy sauce or coconut aminos to make it a Beef and Cabbage Stir Fry.


  • Add some spice! Chili flakes, chili powder, or tabasco will all work great in this Beef and Cabbage recipe if you are a lover of some heat in your food!


I hope you enjoy this Ground Beef and Fried Cabbage and please let me know if you've prepared this or planning to!

Ground Beef and Fried Cabbage
Easy Beef Recipes


At the Yummy Bowl you'll find more than one beef recipe, especially these popular beef recipes such as Easy Dinner Party Taco Board, Beef Enchilada Casserole, Pork and Beef Meatballs, Shredded Beef Chimichangas and more.

And the best part is that they are very easy to make (like most of my recipes!) and all, are suitable for a total beginner.

Just here for the cabbage? I got you covered. You will love how easy these cabbage recipes are to make:

Cabbage and Cucumber Salad With Dill

Salmon Salad With Cabbage (Grill or Oven)

Napa Cabbage Stir Fry with Mushrooms (Vegan)

Healthy Purple Cabbage Salad With Almonds


You'll find very easy and trending Beef recipes below:

Slow Cooker Massaman Beef Curry

Pork and Beef Meatballs With Tomato Sauce

Beef Enchilada Casserole

Instant Pot Vegetable Beef Soup Recipe

Shredded Beef Chimichangas

Slow Cooker Pulled Beef

Easy Steak Fajita Tacos


Thank you so much for reading and I hope this Ground Beef and Cabbage Recipe will become your new weeknight favorite.

Julia

Recipe details
  • 5  portions
  • Prep time: 5 Minutes Cook time: 15 Minutes Total time: 20 min
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Ingredients

  • 1 lb lean ground beef
  • 1/2 of a medium cabbage chopped
  • 1 medium carrot grated or julienned
  • 3 tablespoon tomato sauce or paste
  • 1/2 cup Vegetable or beef stock
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon paprika regular or smoked
  • 1 medium to large onion
  • 2-3 tablespoon Vegetable oil for cooking
Instructions

Start with beef - in a medium or large skillet heat up a little bit of oil over medium heat. When the skillet is warm, add ground beef, salt, and pepper to taste and cook until golden brown. Set aside.
In the same skillet add onion and cook until translucent. Follow with grated carrot and cook until the carrot becomes soft.
Add tomato sauce/paste and veggie stock or a bouillon cube mixed in water and give it a good stir. Let the carrots and onions simmer for 2-3 minutes.
Follow with cabbage, add salt, pepper, and paprika. Stir well to combine all the ingredients and let simmer under a closed lid (stirring occasionally) until cabbage becomes soft.
Return the cooked beef, stir, garnish with fresh herbs like parsley or chives and serve while hot.
Enjoy!
The Yummy Bowl
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Comments
  • Tre29141188 Tre29141188 on Jun 14, 2023

    This IS a healthy recipe. Use extra virgin olive oil and it's even healthier. Many oils are GMO or have been heated many times or adulterated with transfats and not labelled. Buy EVOO that is actually from Italy. Put in fridge. If it hardens slightly it is the Best. To pour oil just leave on counter for a little while til it runs smoothly to fill your oil decanter in the spice rack. Then back to fridge to keep longer.

  • Sandra Sandra on Jul 02, 2023

    I make something exactly like this, except without the carrot, for the record, I have Russian ancestry among other things. No one has ever taught me to make this dish. I just love it, and I knew how to make it by myself just knowing how- it’s so yummy !

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