Table of Contents
Why you’ll love this stir-fry recipe:
Toasted sesame oil, garlic and fresh ginger makes this dish so aromatic and flavorful. Lots of fresh flavors and textures are going in this quick and easy dinner dish, not to mention all the nutrition from the veggies.
Coleslaw mix is our secret shortcut to speed up the prep on a busy weeknight.
And since it only takes about 25 minutes, this quick and easy stir-fry is a winner of all the weeknight meals.
One Skillet Cabbage Stir Fry
Key Ingredients:
- Coleslaw mix– I’m using super thin angel hair coleslaw mix. It looks so beautiful and cooks in minutes! You can use any kind of coleslaw here though. Have you tried broccoli slaw? I think it’d be fantastic here as well.
- Shrimp– As we all know, shrimp doesn’t take long to cook, and takes on flavors beautifully in very little time. That’s precisely why I love incorporating shrimp into my busy weeknight dinner. I used large peeled and deveined shrimp with tails on (you can remove the tails if you prefer). The size of shrimp is usually defined by how many shrimp per pound. In my case, I used 31-40 shrimp per pound. If you’re using smaller shrimp, it’ll take even less time to cook, and opposite with larger ones, they’ll take a minute or two longer. Whatever size you use, don’t overcook those beautiful shrimp though, or they’ll turn into chewy tough rubber.
- Toasted sesame oil– This is another secret weapon for a quick punch of flavor. When it comes to sesame oil, a little bit goes a long way.
- Freshly grated ginger– It’s important to use fresh ginger here for the biggest punch of flavor. Freshly grated ginger is potent, which is exactly what we need, and it makes a big difference. It’s so easy to peel and grate it on a zester. In a pinch, use ginger paste from a tube.
How to make this recipe:
1. Cook the shrimp
- Heat 2 tablespoons of sesame oil in large skillet over medium high heat. Stir in ginger and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add shrimp and cook until they are opaque and pink, 2-3 minutes. Remove the shrimp onto a plate.
2. Stir fry the vegetables
- Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of sesame oil.
- Add minced scallion whites, coleslaw mix, bell pepper strips. Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently. Season with salt.
- Stir in soy sauce, adjust the amount to your taste.
3. Combine everything
- Add shrimp, cilantro and toss to combine.
- Sprinkle sesame seeds and scallion greens. Serve with wontons strips, if desired.
What to serve with this cabbage stir-fry?
- Hot steamed rice – A bowl of rice pairs beautifully with this quick stir-fry making it even more filling dish.
- Wonton strips– Crunchy crispy wonton strips add nice texture to the dish. If you can’t find ready to use wonton strips at the salad section, you can easily make it yourself. Simply cut fresh wonton wraps into thin strips and fry them in a little bit of vegetable oil until golden brown, takes about couple minutes!
- Black and white sesame seeds– You may easily overlook the nutty flavor and light crunch of these tiny little seeds, but they’re quite nutritious addition to the dish. Again, totally optional!
Time Saving Tips:
- Use a. bag of coleslaw mix. It looks so beautiful and cooks in minutes. No need to wash and cut a cabbage!
- Use a tube of grated ginger and garlic.
- Put a pot of white rice before starting the stir fry, so you can serve the stir fry with it.
Other Weeknight Dinners under 30 Minutes:
One Skillet Shrimp and Cabbage Stir-Fry
Seriously quick and easy shrimp and cabbage stir-fry, infused with aromatic garlic, ginger and sesame oil, comes together in less than 30 min!
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons toasted sesame oil divided
- 3 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 lb large shrimp 31-40 shrimp per pound, Note 1
- 6 scallions sliced
- ½ red bell pepper thinly sliced
- 1 (16oz) bag coleslaw mix Note 2
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1-2 tablespoons soy sauce
- ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
For serving (optional):
- Steamed rice
- Wonton strips
- Sesame seeds
Instructions
- Heat 2 tablespoons of sesame oil in large skillet over medium high heat.
- Stir in ginger and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add shrimp and cook until they are opaque and pink, 2-3 minutes.
- Remove the shrimp onto a plate.
- Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of sesame oil.
- Add minced scallion whites, coleslaw mix, bell pepper strips. Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently. Season with salt.
- Stir in soy sauce, adjust the amount to your taste.
- Add shrimp, cilantro and toss to combine.
- Sprinkle sesame seeds and scallion greens. Serve with wontons strips, if desired.
Notes
Note 1: I used large peeled and deveined shrimp with tails on (you can remove the tails if you prefer). The size of shrimp is usually defined by how many shrimp per pound. In my case, I used 31-40 shrimp per pound. If you’re using smaller shrimp, it’ll take even less time to cook, and opposite with larger ones, they’ll take a minute or two longer.
Note 2: I’m using super thin angel hair coleslaw mix. It looks so beautiful and cooks in minutes! You can use any kind of coleslaw here though. Have you tried broccoli slaw? I think it’d be fantastic here as well.
Nutrition
Serving: 1servingCalories: 233kcalCarbohydrates: 10.3gProtein: 25.1gFat: 11.1gCholesterol: 182.5mgSodium: 558.1mgSugar: 5.1g
* Disclaimer: All nutrition information are estimates only. Read full nutrition disclosure.
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Reader's Reviews
Barbara Kidney says
So easy so tasty thank you for a wonderful combination, had some coleslaw needed to use asap. Will be using this recipe frequently.
Shinee says
Yay, so happy you tried and loved this recipe. Thank you so much for your feedback, Barbara!
SHANDA JUSTICE says
My teenage (age 17) is a hard one to cook for, especially getting her to eat veggies. and this was a banger. Left overs even better. This will be added to our family busy mom meals. thank you
Shinee says
Aww, so happy you tried and loved the recipe, Shanda!! Thank you so much for sharing your feedback!!
lcrooke says
Easy and Delish! I used combo of coconut oil and sesame oil. Did not have red bells, but that was fine. It could have used a bit more “sauce” we added a bit of extra soy sauce and sriracha in the bowl and served over soba noodles. Will definitely make again. Was easy weeknight recipe!
Shinee says
Oh my, I love the idea to serve it with soba noodles!! So happy you loved the recipe. Thank you for your feedback!
Maddie says
So good. So simple. Cooked brown rice to make it a little hardier, streamed some Siracha on top. Delicious
Shinee says
So happy you tried and love the recipe, Maddie! Thank you for sharing your feedback and how you served it! Love it!
Barbara Bozon says
This was excellent. I want to call it “Deconstructed Shrimp and Cabbage Egg Roll with ginger, garlic and toasted sesame oil.” It was easy: fun to make and delicious. Wish I could have posted the photos. Really enjoyed your recipe. Thank you so much for it! Looking forward to your other recipes.
Shinee says
Yay, I’m so happy you tried and loved this recipe. Thank you so much for your feedback!
Helen says
Shrimp Cabbage stir fry turned out very yummy …
I made few additions … I added a tablespoon of Chili sauce
( Siracha ) & 2 tablespoons of chopped garlic instead of 1
Also I added 1 full green & red pepper & juice of half a lime
Thanks for the tasty recipe 😊
Shinee says
Thanks so for your feedback and sharing your tweaks, Helen. Glad you enjoyed it!
Evelyn Iannuzzi says
We just finished eating it and it was yummy!
Shinee says
Awesome. So glad you enjoyed the recipe. Thank you for your feedback, Evelyn!
Dawn says
This was sooooo easy and delicious! I did use 1/2 sesame oil and 1/2 coconut oil which made it even better (in my opinion). Comes together quick on a busy week night.
Shinee says
Yay, I’m so happy you tried and loved this recipe, Dawn. Thank you for sharing your feedback!