Cabbage Fried Rice

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Easy Cabbage Fried Rice makes a delicious low carb side dish that tastes just like your favorite Chinese takeout.

131 CAL 13g CARBS 6g FAT 5g PROTEIN 1
13 Comments

Cabbage rice with all the traditional flavors of Chinese fried rice will be your new favorite healthy side dish. It comes together in less than 20 minutes, is full of veggies, and satisfies any craving for takeout.

Personally, I love cauliflower rice and especially cauliflower fried rice, but recently after hearing a friend boldly state that she couldn't eat one more bite of cauliflower anything (she has been Paleo for 2 years), I set out to create another veggie version of her favorite fried rice.

Putting our heads together we considered carrots, jicama, celeriac, and squash; but finally decided on cabbage since it’s something that is easy to prepare, affordable, and is a constant in Asian recipes.

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From there we simply threw together the typical fried rice ingredients - soy sauce, sesame oil, green onions, garlic, and ginger to make a delicious side dish.

To save time, we just used bagged shredded cabbage but if you want things more rice like you can pulse the cabbage in a food processor. 

The other great thing about this recipe is that you can easily adapt it to make your favorite fried rice variations. Add chicken, pork, shrimp, or tofu to add protein and flavor. You can also try out different veggies, make it spicy or not, or go with our family's favorite option - a few slices of bacon!

Cabbage rice that is fried with carrots, onions, garlic, ginger, and soy sauce on a plate.

How do you make cabbage rice in the food processor?

Start by removing the outer leaves of the cabbage and washing away any debris. Then cut the cabbage into quarters and carefully cut out the core of the cabbage. Roughly chop the cabbage into larger pieces. Add the cabbage to the food processor and pulse until it forms small, rice-like pieces. Make sure not to overcrowd the food processor and make it in batches if needed. When the food processor is overcrowded, some pieces will remain large and some will get over-processed and form a paste.

Recipe Ideas and Tips

This recipe is a great blueprint for making all different varieties of cabbage fried rice and cabbage rice. Here are some ideas:

  • Add protein: Like all good fried rice, this recipe works with many different protein options. Popular choices include chicken, pork, shrimp, or tofu. You could also try ground turkey or ground turkey sausage. Tow other favorites include turkey bacon or diced lean ham. For a vegetable option that adds extra protein, consider using edamame. 
  • Make it spicy: Mix some Sriacha or sambal olek into the soy sauce for a spicy fried rice. You could also saute a jalapeno or serrano peppers with the vegetables. 
  • Make it Whole30 or Gluten-Free:  For a Whole30 or gluten-free option, swap in coconut aminos for the soy sauce.
  • Add extra veggies: You can add almost any vegetables to the recipe. Traditional options would include frozen peas and carrots. You could also add bean sprouts, sugar snap peas, edamame, green beans, bell peppers, or broccoli.
  • Bulk it up: If you are eating low carb, you can bulk up this recipe with some cooked rice or quinoa. Just add some extra garlic, ginger, and soy sauce to ensure the whole dish is full of flavor.
  • Make it egg-less: If you don't like eggs in your fried rice, you can easily leave them out.

What to serve with cabbage fried rice?

If I am eating fried rice, I am most likely in the mood for Chinese. For an easy option, make some grilled chicken or pork in teriyaki sauce or consider a full Chinese meal with one of the recipes below.

Cabbage fried rice with eggs, carrots, scallions, garlic, and ginger on a plate with cilantro.

How long does this last in the fridge? Can it be frozen?

This recipe will last 4-5 days in the fridge in an airtight container. It can be reheated in a pan or in the microwave. You can also freeze this recipe, just leave out the eggs. Then reheat in a skillet with a touch of oil or in the microwave.

Can I use coleslaw mix?

The best shortcut for making this recipe is to use the bagged coleslaw mix that's sold in the produce section. Personally, we make our cabbage rice with the shredded cabbage, but if you prefer a more rice-like dish, you can chop the bagged mix to create smaller pieces.  You can also add the coleslaw mix to the food processor to create smaller pieces.

This recipe was updated to include new photos, a video, and recipe ideas.

The Recipe
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Cabbage Fried Rice

131 CAL 13g CARBS 6g FAT 5g PROTEIN 1
PREP TIME: 5 Min
COOK TIME: 15 Min
TOTAL TIME: 20 Min
13 Comments
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Ingredients

US METRICS
  • 4 cups cole slaw mix (shredded cabbage salad mix)
  • 2 tsp. vegetable oil, divided
  • 1 tsp. sesame oil
  • 2 eggs
  • 4 scallions, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp. ginger, minced
  • 3 tbsp. soy sauce (GF if needed, coconut aminos for Whole30®)

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Instructions

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1

Heat your pan over medium high heat. Whisk together the eggs and season with salt and pepper. Add half the vegetable oil to the pan. Add the eggs and cook until just scrambled. Remove from pan and set aside.

2

Add the remaining vegetable oil and sesame oil to the hot pan. Add the scallions, cabbage, carrot, garlic, ginger, and any other veggies you like. Cook for 5-7 minutes until they just begin to soften.

3

Add the soy sauce and egg. Stir together and cook for 1 more minute.

Nutritional Facts
Serving Size: 1 cup
Amount Per Serving
Calories 131
Calories from Fat 53
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 6g
9%
Saturated Fat 1g
6%
Monounsaturated Fat 0g
0%
Polyunsaturated Fat 0g
0%
Cholesterol 93mg
31%
Sodium 753mg
33%
Total Carbohydrate 13g
4%
Dietary Fiber 5g
18%
Sugars 7g
Protein 5g

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

The Nutritional Values provided are estimates only and may vary based on the preparation method.

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About the author Meet Kristen McCaffrey
Hi, I’m the cookbook author, recipe developer, and food enthusiast behind Slender Kitchen. I am obsessed with making healthy food that is easy to prepare and absolutely delicious. Meal planning is my secret weapon and I hope I can make meal time easier for you with our tried and tested recipes and foolproof meal plans. Learn More
13 Comments
On Cabbage Fried Rice
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Kathy Shelby
February 20, 2024 - 13:03
Add a Rating:
4
I loved the recipe. I am all about quick and easy...This recipe fit the bill for that. I used diced ham in mine. I heated up some store-bought egg rolls and we were eating in 30 minutes. That's what I'm talking about!
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Victoria
March 27, 2023 - 15:30
I used the recipe as a base to start from. I didn’t have coleslaw mix. I had some cabbage and carrot. Followed the recipe but added a little hoisin sauce and Chili garlic sauce. A few smoked sausages. So good. It’s the kind of recipe you can play with and add whatever you like.
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March 28, 2023 - 16:29
Love the idea of adding smoked sausage to this dish! Yum!
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Patty
March 14, 2023 - 15:20
Wheres the rice???
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March 28, 2023 - 16:29
So this is meant to be a lower-carb alternative to rice, but it tastes great with 1-2 cups of cooked rice folded in.
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Inta
May 25, 2022 - 18:03
How much rice do you use in this recipe? I don’t see it as an ingredient.
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June 3, 2022 - 09:37
This recipe actually uses cabbage as a substitute for rice. If you want to include rice, add 1-2 cups cooked and cooled white or brown rice. Then just use some extra soy sauce to make sure the whole dish has flavor.
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Mel
March 27, 2022 - 16:44
Where’s the…rice?
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March 28, 2022 - 16:46
The cabbage is meant to replace the rice in this recipe but you could add in some cooked rice as well! Just add some extra seasoning.
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SDR
March 14, 2022 - 12:57
Why is this recipe called Cabbage Fried Rice when there is no rice in this recipe ?
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March 28, 2022 - 16:46
The cabbage serves as the rice in this recipe! If you prefer with actual rice as well, you can add 2 cups of cooked rice and just add some extra soy sauce, garlic, and giner.
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March 28, 2022 - 16:46
The cabbage serves as the rice in this recipe! If you prefer with actual rice as well, you can add 2 cups of cooked rice and just add some extra soy sauce, garlic, and giner.
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Amanda Counts
June 21, 2018 - 15:59
Add a Rating:
5
Loved this! I'm also not a fan of cauliflower rice, so this is a welcome alternative. I've made this twice to go with the Mongolian Beef.
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