I get SO MANY awesome ideas from the wonderfully creative minds of my readers. You offer so much inspiration, expertise, and ideas, which makes blogging so much fun. :) One reader shared with me recently that she put a southwest spin on my classic Beef and Cabbage Stir Fry. I was so in love with that idea that I had to try it myself. I’m happy to report that this Southwest Beef and Cabbage Stir Fry is a tasty way to change things up if and when you get tired of Asian flavors. It’s just as easy and delicious as the original… ‘cept different. ;)
And I regret to say that I can’t find the original comment where the idea for a Southwest Beef and Cabbage Stir Fry was shared with me (was it on Facebook? Instagram? An email? I can’t find it!) to thank you personally here, so if you’re reading this, THANK YOU.
Keep it Simple or Jazz it Up!
I kept this Southwest Beef and Cabbage Stir Fry very simple to make the preparation easy, but you could go a little further and add things like sliced black olives or even some crispy tortilla strips. I think thin little crunchy tortilla strips would be an amazing texture addition to this stir fry (add after cooking). A few thinly sliced fresh jalapeños would also be amazing on top for those of you who like things spicy (hi, me!). You can really go crazy with this one and top it with just about anything that you like on tacos or taco salad.
But Dont’ Make Southwest Beef and Cabbage Stir Fry Without These…
The two things that I think wouldn’t skip, though, are the taco sauce and green onions. That tangy taco sauce really brightens the flavors and adds another dimension that takes the dish up about ten levels. You can sub your favorite hot sauce if you don’t have taco sauce, as long as it has a vinegar base.
Southwest Beef and Cabbage Stir Fry
Servings 4Ingredients
- 1/2 head green cabbage, shredded (about 5 cups) ($0.85)
- 1 Tbsp cooking oil ($0.04)
- 1/2 lb ground beef ($1.99)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced ($0.16)
- 1 Tbsp chili powder* ($0.30)
- 1/2 tsp cumin ($0.05)
- Salt to taste ($0.05)
- 10 oz can diced tomatoes with green chiles** ($0.99)
- 1 cup frozen corn kernels ($0.44)
- 2 green onions, sliced ($0.21)
- Taco sauce or hot sauce to taste ($0.60)
Instructions
- Remove any damaged outer leaves from the cabbage and give it a good rinse. Remove the core, then finely shred the leaves. Set the shredded cabbage aside.
- Add the cooking oil, ground beef, minced garlic, chili powder, cumin, and a pinch of salt to a large skillet. Cook over medium heat, breaking up the beef as you go, until the beef is fully browned. If using a higher fat content beef, drain the excess fat from the skillet.
- Drain most of the liquid from the diced tomatoes, then add them to the skillet along with the frozen corn kernels. Sauté over medium heat until the corn is heated through and most of the liquid on the bottom of the skillet has evaporated. Taste the mixture and add more salt as needed.
- Add the shredded cabbage and sauté for just a couple minutes more, or until the cabbage just becomes slightly wilted. Top with sliced green onions and a drizzle of taco sauce or hot sauce, then serve.
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Notes
Nutrition
Cabbage is really becoming one of my favorite versatile ingredients!
How to Make Southwest Beef and Cabbage Stir Fry – Step by Step Photos
Begin by finely shredding 1/2 head of green cabbage, or about 5 cups once shredded. If needed, you can use bagged pre-shredded cabbage.
Add 1 Tbsp cooking oil, 1/2 lb. ground beef, 2 cloves of garlic (minced), 1 Tbsp chili powder, 1/2 tsp cumin, and a pinch of salt to a large skillet. Sauté over medium heat until the beef is fully browned. If you’re using a high fat content beef, drain the excess fat away before the next step.
Add one cup frozen corn kernels and a drained 10oz. can of diced tomatoes with chiles.
I used a generic brand of diced tomatoes with chiles, but this is basically Rotel tomatoes. If you can’t find something similar, you can use a small can of petite diced tomatoes and a small can of diced green chiles.
Sauté the ingredients in the skillet for a few minutes, or until the corn is heated through and most of the liquid in the bottom of the skillet has evaporated (it’s okay for there to be a bit of saucy moisture, just not puddles of liquid). Taste the mixture and adjust the salt. You’ll want it to be slightly on the salty side so that it doesn’t get too bland once all the cabbage is added.
Finally, add the shredded cabbage and sauté for just a couple minutes more (still over medium), or just until the cabbage begins to wilt. You want the raw edge taken off the cabbage, but for it to retain a little crunch.
Sprinkle a couple of fresh sliced green onions over top, then drizzle with taco sauce or your favorite hot sauce. You want a sauce that is nice and tangy. I’ll admit the store bought one I used left a little to be desired, so now I have to come up with a recipe for homemade taco sauce! :D
And that’s it! Southwest Beef and Cabbage Stir Fry is on the table!
Thanks for all the great recipe ideas. I wanted to share one as a thank-you. I live alone and always need another recipe to use cabbage, and 30 count yellow corn tortillas were on sale for $0.99 this week. So:
Corn tortilla, warmed on a cast-iron skillet
Finely shredded green cabbage
Ground pork fried with garlic and onions
Home made chipotle mayo (2 Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce blended with 1/2 cup mayonnaise).
You can put add spices to the pork but the chipotle mayo will probably drown it out.
Yum! Thanks for this easy weeknight recipe. As usual, we are much bigger eaters than you–this was 2-1/2 servings for us. Not a complaint.
Made this one last night for my family. Everyone LOVED it. My 7 year old son cleared his plate. I was in complete shock, he will NEVER clear his plate with my cooking. Since I have been following your blog that has all changed. Thank You so much! Keep the great recipes coming. :-)
Beth , how do I make this vegetarian?
You could probably replace the beef with black beans. :)
I used a crumbled block of tempeh instead of the beef and it was delicious!
Can’t wait to try this one! Your beef and cabbage stir fry has become a favorite at our house, and this one looks like a fun twist:)
I made it last night and it was delicious! Another easy, yummy meal for my gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free daughter. Thanks!
Yum! The beef and cabbage stir fry has made it into almost weekly rotation so will definitely have to try this version.
Anybody can chime in and tell me how well something like this would freeze? Never tried Cabbage re-heated from frozen but this looks like it would be great for Meal-Prepping
I think it just depends on how important texture is to you. If you freeze this one and reheat it, the cabbage will get very soft. I prefer a partially cooked cabbage for this dish so that it still has some crispness. I do reheat the refrigerated leftovers and it’s still great (slightly softer), but freezing further softens vegetables because the ice crystals puncture and break down the cell walls of the vegetables.
Oooh! I’ve got a half a head of cabbage in the fridge right now. I’ll probably do black beans in place of the beef and maybe add some onions to toast the spices with.
I’ve never bought taco sauce before, I’ll have to look for that.
Thanks for another great recipe!
I made this last night and it was a success! My fiance enjoyed it as well.
I chopped up a medium yellow onion and put that in the skillet with the oil and spices. I added about 1 tsp of Adobo Seasoning and about 1/2 tsp smoked paprika.
I used one can of rinsed and drained black beans in place of the beef and added that with the tomatoes and corn.
For sauce, I actually made some of the sauce from your cumin lime slaw and that worked really well with this. It also tasted great with some ranch drizzled on top. We crumbled tortilla chips over it for more crunch.
This sounds great! I have to make it as is and then if I like that, I might try a vegan version for my son.
This sounds awesome, can’t wait to try it. A healthy southwesty addition would be a small can of rinsed and drained black beans. Too me that would add to the presentation and the flavo
Yum!!!!!!!!!!
This looks like an instant hit.
Quick, simple, everything easy available; who could ask for more ? Thank you !
I love adding asian flavors to various dishes to “mix things up”. Weeknight dinners can get boring so easily, and often I fall into the trap of eating out because I can’t think of anything to cook at home. Thanks for sharing this idea/inspiration!