Keto Beef and Cabbage Stir (Printable Version)
Tender beef and crisp cabbage stir fried with garlic, ginger, and a savory sauce.
# What You Need:
→ Beef
01 - 1 lb flank steak or sirloin, thinly sliced across the grain
→ Vegetables
02 - 1 small head green cabbage, cored and thinly sliced
03 - 1 medium carrot, julienned (optional, for color; omit for strict keto)
04 - 3 green onions, sliced
05 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
06 - 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
→ Sauce
07 - 3 tbsp soy sauce or tamari (for gluten-free)
08 - 1 tbsp sesame oil
09 - 1 tbsp rice vinegar
10 - 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
11 - 1/2 tsp chili flakes (optional)
12 - 1 tbsp erythritol or preferred keto sweetener (optional)
→ For Cooking
13 - 2 tbsp avocado oil or light olive oil
# How-To Steps:
01 - In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, black pepper, chili flakes, and sweetener if using. Set aside.
02 - Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large wok or skillet over high heat. Add sliced beef and stir-fry for 2–3 minutes until browned and just cooked through. Remove beef from pan and set aside.
03 - Add remaining oil to the pan. Add garlic, ginger, and the white parts of the green onions. Stir-fry for 30 seconds until fragrant.
04 - Add cabbage and carrot if using. Stir-fry for 3–5 minutes until cabbage is crisp-tender.
05 - Return beef to the pan, pour over the sauce, and toss together. Stir-fry for another 1–2 minutes until heated through and well combined.
06 - Garnish with green onion tops and serve hot.
# Helpful Tips:
01 -
- It's ready in 30 minutes, which means you can have a satisfying keto dinner on the table faster than takeout arrives.
- The sauce is bold and addictive without relying on sugar or refined carbs to get there.
- Leftovers taste even better the next day, and it freezes beautifully if you need a quick meal solution.
02 -
- Do not walk away from the wok once you've started cooking; stir-frying is fast and things can go from perfect to overdone in seconds.
- Slice your beef thinly and against the grain, or it will taste tough no matter what else you do right, and that ruins the whole dish.
- If your sauce looks thin, you can add a teaspoon of xanthan gum or arrowroot powder mixed with water to thicken it, but taste first because the beef releases liquid as it cooks.
03 -
- If your beef is sliced too thickly, it will cook unevenly and some pieces will be chewy while others are overcooked, so ask the butcher to slice it or do it yourself with a partially frozen piece of meat.
- Don't crowd the wok when you're cooking the beef; work in batches if needed because moisture is the enemy of a good sear and overcrowding creates steam instead of browning.