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Stir-Fried Chicken with Cabbage

Photo: Aya Brackett

BY Mark Bittman

PUBLISHED February 1, 2025

Stir-frying is the quickest way to get a weeknight dinner on the table, since you use one pan for both meat and vegetables.

 

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Stir-Fried Chicken with Cabbage

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Makes 4 servings 1x

Time 20 minutes

Units Scale

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into bite-sized chunks and blotted dry
  • 1/2 cup cornstarch, rice flour, or all-purpose flour, or more as needed
  • 4 tablespoons good-quality vegetable oil
  • Salt and pepper
  • 2 tablespoons chopped garlic
  • 1 tablespoon chopped ginger
  • 2 cups shredded green cabbage
  • 1/2 cup chicken stock or water
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 scallion, green part only, chopped (optional)

Instructions

  1. Toss the chicken with cornstarch so that it is lightly dusted. Put 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet, preferably nonstick, over high heat. When the oil just begins to smoke, shake off any excess cornstarch and add the chicken in one layer. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
  2. Cook, undisturbed, until the chicken browns on one side, then toss and cook until almost done; smaller pieces will take 5 minutes, total, larger pieces about 10. Transfer to a plate. Turn off the heat and let the pan cool for a moment.
  3. Add the remaining oil to the pan and turn the heat to medium-high. Add the garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes. Once it’s fragrant, add the cabbage, let it cook for a moment, then add the chicken stock or water a tablespoon at a time.
  4. Return the chicken to the pan and stir to coat chicken and cabbage with the garlic ginger sauce. Turn off the heat and add soy sauce, continuing to coat the ingredients. Taste, adjust the seasoning and serve.

— Recipe from How to Cook Everything: Completely Revised Twentieth Anniversary Edition

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