Chicken Napa Cabbage Stir Fry
Chicken cabbage stir fry is a Chinese comfort food ideal for the colder months! Perfectly seasoned velvet chicken and napa cabbage are tossed in a hot wok with garlic, ginger, scallions, and umami-rich shitake mushrooms in this gluten-free and low-carb one-pot meal.
I love napa cabbage because it’s sweet, juicy, and tender
By Exeter Produce
Aug 27, 2025Prep Time
20Cook Time
20Servings
6Nutritional Info
H
ow to cut napa cabbage for stir fry
When preparing Napa cabbage for a stir fry, you’ll want to start by removing any damaged outer leaves. Cut the cabbage in half lengthwise, then into quarters. Remove the tough core from each quarter.
For stir fry, make a cut to separate the white stems from the yellow leafy parts. Because the stems are thicker (denser) than the leaves, dice the stems a little smaller than the leaves.
Cut the stems into about 1.5 to a little less than 2-inch sections; cut the leaves into 2-inch sections. This way, when you stir fry the cabbage it will cook evenly in a shorter amount of time. You can apply the same method to Savoy cabbage.
Tip: If you use green cabbage to substitute napa cabbage, slice it crosswise into thin strips, about 1/4-inch wide. The strips should be bite-sized.
Ingredients
For the chicken:
▢1.25 lb chicken breast
▢1 tbsp coconut aminos
▢1.5 tsp tapioca starch or potato starch, or cornstarch
▢½ tsp baking soda
▢¼ tsp coarse sea salt plus more for stir fry
▢2 tbsp olive oil
▢⅛ tsp white pepper or black pepper, optional
Vegetables and aromatics:
▢0.8 oz garlic cloves finely minced, about 6 lage cloves
▢0.3 oz ginger julienned, about 1.5 tbsp
▢3 bulb scallions sliced and separate white and green parts
▢6 oz fresh shiitake mushrooms sliced
▢1.5 lbs. Napa cabbage diced to 2-inch sections and separate stems from the leaves
▢2 -2.5 tbsp avocado oil
▢0.5 tbsp chicken broth
▢Drizzlle Toasted sesame oil
For the stir fry sauce:
▢2 tbsp coconut aminos see notes if using soy sauce
▢2 tsp aged balsamic vinegar
▢1 tsp toasted sesame oil
▢1 tsp tapioca starch
▢0.5 tbsp Chinese rice wine or Michu, optional
Method
Hold your knife at a 45-degree angle and slice the chicken against the grain into thin pieces (about ⅛”). In a medium bowl, combine the chicken with ingredients from coconut aminos to pepper, if using. Set it aside in the fridge to marinate for 15 minutes.
Prepare the garlic, ginger, and white scallion parts in one small plate. Slice the shiitake and set aside green scallion parts for garnish. Combine the sauce ingredients from coconut aminos to Chinese rice wine, if using.
Preheat a large saute pan or wok over medium heat until it feels pretty hot, add 1 tbsp oil and swirl it around the skillet. Add the chicken, turn heat up to medium-high, and quickly spread out the chicken into a single layer. Pan fry them without disturbing until they are golden brown color, about 2-3 mins. Then use a spatula with a firm tip to flip and sear the flip side, about 1-2 mins. The chicken should be cooked through and golden brown on the outside. Transfer them out and set aside.
Use the same pan, add 1 tbsp oil. Saute the garlic, ginger, and white parts of scallions with a pinch of salt over medium-heat until fragrant, 15 seconds.
Turn heat up to medium-high, add cabbage stems. Season with 2 pinches of salt and keep stir-frying until the stems turn slightly softer, about 2 minutes. If it feels dry, add another half tablespoon of oil.
Add leafy parts of the cabbage, shiitake, and a dash of broth to lightly deglaze the skillet. Lightly toss the veggies then lower the heat to medium and cover with a lid. Cook until the cabbage turns softer but not mushy, about 3 mins.
Uncover and turn heat up to medium-high, add chicken and give the stir-fry sauce another mix before adding it to the skillet. Toss everything together for 1 minute and turn off the heat.
Transfer to a large serving plate. Garnish with green scallion parts and drizzle with sesame oil. Serve hot or at room temperature.
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Located in Southwestern Ontario, Exeter Produce is a grower and packer with over six decades of food handling experience.
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