This beef and cabbage stir-fry is a weeknight hero. It’s an easy recipe when you just need something good and simple.
It’s exactly what it sounds like: thinly sliced beef stir-fried with cabbage and carrots, all coated in a simple soy-based sauce.
No need for fancy vegetables here. Just cabbage and carrots. They’re cheap and available in practically in all grocery stores.
This recipe uses baking soda to tenderize the beef. It’s the same technique that Chinese restaurants called “velveting” that gives takeout dishes that soft, silky texture.
Just everyday ingredients, and it all comes together in about 20 minutes. Serve the finished stir fry with rice or noodles for a complete and balanced meal.
What You will Need
- Beef: Since we’re tenderizing the meat with baking soda, you can use more economical and tougher cuts of beef, such as chuck, round, sirloin, and roast. You can also use beef cuts labeled for stews, as long as you slice them thinly against the grain and marinate with baking soda a little bit longer.
- Cabbage and Carrot: Cabbage adds crunch while carrot adds a subtle sweetness when cooked. There are many substitutes, such as Napa cabbage, bell pepper, or zucchini. Simply use what you have.
- Green onions: Use both the white and green parts. Slice thinly and keep them separated. The white parts get cooked and used as an aromatic, the green parts are for garnish.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic is best. Our main aromatic of choice for that wonderful stir fry aroma.
- Neutral Oil: I’m using vegetable oil but feel free to substitute with canola, avocado, or grapeseed oil. You can also use lard or tallow for more meaty flavor.
- Beef marinade: A mixture of baking soda, ground black pepper, sugar, salt, water, egg white, and cornstarch. If you want to use a whole egg, that’s fine too for more protein. This quick marinade tenderizes the meat and helps it stay juicy when stir-fried.
- Dark stir fry sauce: A mixture of light soy sauce, dark soy sauce (mainly for the dark color), water, a bit of sugar for balance, and cornstarch as the thickening agent.
How to Make It
Step 1: Prepare the beef
In a bowl, mix sliced beef with baking soda, sugar, salt, water, egg white, and cornstarch. Let it sit while you prep everything else.
Step 2: Make the sauce
In a small bowl, stir together water, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar, and cornstarch. Set aside.
Step 3: Cook the beef
Heat a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat with oil. Add the marinated beef in a single layer and pan fry until it’s about 50% done — just starting to brown but still pink in spots.
Step 4: Add aromatics and veggies
Add the garlic, the white parts of the green onions, and the sliced carrot. Stir-fry for about 2 minutes to let the carrot soften slightly.
Step 5: Add cabbage and sauce
Stir in the cabbage and pour in the sauce. Keep everything moving in the pan for another 2–3 minutes until the cabbage wilts and the sauce thickens.
Step 6: Finish
Turn off the heat, garnish with the green parts of the green onions, and serve with rice or noodles for a complete meal.
Pro-Tips
- Slice the beef thinly and against the grain. If you’re having trouble slicing it, pop it in the freezer for 15–20 minutes to firm it up.
- Use high heat when stir-frying. You want everything to cook quickly to keep the veggies crisp-tender.
Storage & Reheating
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat, warm it in a pan over medium heat with a splash of water, if needed, to loosen the sauce and keep the beef from drying out. The microwave works too.
Beef Marinade
Stir Fry Sauce
Vegetables & Stir Frying Ingredients
- Prepare the beef: In a bowl, mix sliced beef (10 oz) with baking soda (⅛ tsp), sugar (¼ tsp), salt (½ tsp), water (¼ cup), egg white (1), and cornstarch (3 tbsps).
- Make the dark stir fry sauce: In a small bowl, stir together water (⅓ cup), light soy sauce (2 tbsps), dark soy sauce (2 tbsps), sugar (1 tsp), and cornstarch (2 tbsps) until starch is dissolved. Set aside.
- Cook the beef: Heat a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat with oil (3 tbsps). Add the marinated beef in a single layer and pan fry until it’s about 50% done — just starting to brown but still pink in spots.
- Add aromatics and veggies: Add garlic (1 tbsp), whites of green onions (from 2 stalks), and sliced carrot (4 oz). Stir-fry for about 2 minutes to let the carrot soften slightly.
- Add cabbage and sauce: Stir in the cabbage (1 lb) and pour in the stir fry sauce. Toss everything together for another 2–3 minutes until the cabbage wilts and the sauce thickens.
- Finish: Turn off the heat, garnish with the remaining green parts of the green onions, and serve with rice or noodles for a complete meal.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Category: side dish
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: Asian, Vietnamese, Chinese