Chinese stir-frying is one of my favorite cooking styles because it’s incredibly forgiving. This is precisely how this cabbage and chicken stir-fry came about a few days ago.

I made it with chicken breast, cabbage, some carrots, and a little leftover Chinese BBQ sauce (Char Siu sauce). That’s it. Nothing fancy, but the result was so tasty. That Char Siu BBQ sauce gave the chicken a deep, rich flavor, and the cabbage added the perfect crunch. It’s quick, comforting, and super easy to prepare..

Below is the recipe for how I prepare it. If you have odds and ends in the fridge, feel free to add them as the recipe is very flexible.

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Ingredients required for the chicken and cabbage stir-fry 

• Either chicken breast or chicken thighs are suitable for this recipe. I used chicken breast simply because it was what I had on hand. 
• The Chinese barbecue sauce is the leftover from the last time I made char siu. However, if you don’t have this sauce, you can marinate the chicken with a simple combination of salt, ground white pepper, sesame oil, oyster sauce, and a small amount of cornstarch. Alternatively, you can purchase the Char Siu Sauce at your favorite Asian grocery store.
• I used Chinese round cabbage, but you may also use Napa cabbage if that’s what you prefer.
• I also added carrots, cut into thin strips, and scallions (green onions), sliced into short sections. These contribute both flavour and colour to the dish. You could also consider adding red bell pepper and snow peas. You can also add red pepper flakes or dried chilies if you’d like to make it spicy.
• Lastly, I include some chopped fresh garlic and onions cut into small chunks.

How to prepare chicken and cabbage stir-fry step-by-step

• If you’re using chicken thigh meat, remove the bones and any bone fragments carefully. If you’re using chicken breast and the skin is still attached, remove it. Then slice the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Thin slices are ideal because they cook through more quickly during stir-frying.
• Marinate the chicken pieces in the barbecue sauce, along with salt and cornstarch, for at least 30 minutes to an hour.

• Remove the core and outer leaves of the cabbage, then cut the remaining leaves into pieces approximately 2 inches in size.
• Cut the carrots into thin strips, approximately 2 inches long. Slice the scallions into short sections, roughly half an inch in length. Also, prepare the chopped garlic and cut the onions into small chunks.

• Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok. Stir-fry the marinated chicken over medium heat until both sides are golden brown, then remove the chicken from the skillet. Stir-frying the chicken briefly over high heat will help ensure it stays tender.

• Use the remaining oil (add more if needed) to sauté the onion, followed by chopped garlic and carrot over low heat until fragrant. Then add the cabbage and stir-fry over medium-high heat until it becomes crisp-tender. If you have washed the cabbage, ensure it is thoroughly drained in a colander to prevent adding excess water to the pan. Season with salt, light soy sauce, and ground white pepper.

• Once the cabbage is cooked until crisp-tender, return the chicken to the pan and toss everything together. Add the scallions at the end of cooking. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. Dish out and serve the easy chicken cabbage stir-fry with white rice.

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Easy Chicken & Cabbage Stir-Fry with BBQ Sauce

Yield: 3 servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

This chicken and cabbage stir-fry came together with leftover BBQ sauce and a few basic ingredients. Perfect when you just want a quick home-cooked meal.

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Ingredients

• 450g (1 pound) chicken breast meat
• 2 tsp cornstarch
• 4 tbsp Char Siu sauce
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp ground white pepper
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1/2 medium-sized carrot
• 2 stalks scallions
• 450g (1 pound) cabbage (weight after cut)
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1 medium-sized onion

Instructions

1. Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Marinate the chicken pieces in the barbecue sauce, along with some salt and cornstarch, for at least 30 minutes to an hour. 
2. Remove the core of the cabbage and cut the leaves into pieces about two inches in size.
3. Cut the carrots into thin strips 2 inches long. Slice the scallions into short sections, roughly half an inch in length. Also, prepare the chopped garlic and cut the onions into small chunks.
4. Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok. Stir-fry the marinated chicken over medium heat until both sides are golden brown, then remove the chicken from the skillet. Add a little more oil if needed to sauté the onion, followed by chopped garlic and carrot over low heat until fragrant. Then add the cabbage and stir-fry over medium-high heat until it becomes crisp-tender. If you’ve washed the cabbage, ensure it is thoroughly drained in a colander to prevent adding excess water to the pan. 
5. Season with salt, light soy sauce, and ground white pepper.
6. Once the cabbage is cooked until crisp-tender, return the chicken to the pan and toss everything together. Add the scallions at the end of cooking. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. Serve immediately with white rice.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield: 3 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 358Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 135mgSodium: 1111mgCarbohydrates: 21gFiber: 5gSugar: 9gProtein: 53g

This data was provided and calculated by Nutritionix on 7/2/2025

Tips to make the best stir-fried cabbage with chicken

1. The key to getting this stir-fry right is to cook the chicken and cabbage separately. This is important because they require different cooking times.
2. Another crucial step is to marinate the chicken well to develop better flavour. In this recipe, I used my homemade barbecue sauce, but feel free to experiment with other marinades that suit your taste. As for the light soy sauce in the recipe, you can substitute it with Thai fish sauce, which pairs very well with cabbage.
3. You can also include other vegetables to enhance the dish’s flavor and appearance. Some good options include frozen vegetables, green beans, celery, or French beans.
4. Lastly, please substitute the chicken with pork or beef if you prefer, and the cooking method remains the same.

Other related stir-fried recipes you may be interested in

Below are some of my other chicken stir-fry and cabbage recipes that you will like:

• Cabbage Glass Noodles Stir-Fry with Spicy Sichuan Flavor
• Chinese cabbage soup with meatballs
• Cabbage Thoran recipe- an easy Indian stir-fry dish