My smoky Chinese style stir fried napa cabbage is perfect when I crave takeout, but know I should probably just cook instead. I can’t get enough of the tender crunch of the cabbage and carrots served over rice. I kept the gooey sauce simple yet punchy – just like a Chinese restaurant. Make this in your kitchen in no more than 20 minutes from start to finish!
My Chinese stir fried napa cabbage recipe came to me on a night when I pretty much only had half a head of cabbage and a carrot floating around my otherwise empty vegetable bin. While that isn’t much to work with, I stood there staring at the fridge, thinking about how extraordinarily simple some of my favorite restaurant style Chinese veggie recipes are to make. So I decided to whip up some Jasmine rice and got to work on crafting a crunchy, homemade cabbage dish I’d be excited to tuck into if I got it from the takeout spot.
And the smoky, umami stir fried cabbage totally delivered! Sure, I may be biased, but I’d confidently say this is a restaurant quality dish. Added bonus: it has become one of my husband’s favorites – both to eat, and an easy stir fry he can make on the nights it’s his turn to cook.
Ingredients Needed
Scroll to the bottom of this page for the full recipe steps and measurements.
- Oil: Any neutral oil will actually work well in this Chinese cabbage recipe. I use vegetable or grapeseed oil.
- Garlic: Pungent and sweet. I always add it to the pan when I introduce the sauce – so my garlic doesn’t burn.
- Napa Cabbage: When cooked, this Chinese cabbage has a texture I think of as a mix between iceberg lettuce and braised celery. Look for bright green, slightly ruffled leaves at the tips – and veined, white stalks. I use about a pound of napa cabbage, sliced into bite sized pieces.
- Carrot: Just a small carrot will do. I slice into thin strips for added crunch and a vibrant pop of color.
- Oyster Sauce: Oyster sauce is actually the prominent flavor in my stir fry. It has the deep savory flavors of the sea – contrasted by a bit of sweetness around the edges.
- Soy Sauce: I use Japanese soy sauce for a hit of umami.
- Potato Starch or Cornstarch: Mixing cornstarch with a bit of water creates a slurry you can stir in near the end. I learned this commonly used trick to easily thicken any Chinese sauce decades ago, and I’ve done ever since. Potato starch works as well.
- Sesame Oil: I use toasted sesame oil at the end of the cooking process to introduce a rich, nutty essence. A little goes a long way!
- Salt and Ground White Pepper: White pepper has a hot, almost floral flavor – and is my favorite finishing touch.
Cooking Variations
While I think this napa cabbage stir fry is perfect as is, you can easily switch things up. I love having options.
- Make it spicy. Red chili flakes or chopped fresh green chilis would bring the heat.
- Play with garnishes. Chopped green onions could add a little crunch. And I love adding a few sesame seeds for nuttiness.
- Use a different stir fry sauce altogether. Make a total swap. Plug and play options include hoisin sauce and Szechuan sauce.
How To Make It
- Stir fry the veggies in a pan over high heat for around 4 minutes (or until tender crunchy).
- Add the sauce and garlic. Next, add your oyster sauce, soy sauce and minced garlic to the pan and cook for 1 minute.
- Stir in the slurry. Add the starch and water mixture and cook for an additional minute. The sauce will thicken up fairly quickly.
- Season and serve. Stir in the sesame oil and kill the heat. Finally, season with salt and ground white pepper before serving.
How To Make A Perfectly Gooey Sauce
For the best sauce texture, add the starch and water slurry slowly – and stir constantly. Just dumping it in and not stirring can cause the cornstarch to clump.
Storage and Reheating
Store leftover stir fry in the refrigerator (covered) for up to 2 days.
- While most stir fries can be stored longer, the cabbage will lose most of it’s crunch after the two day mark.
- Be sure to store the stir fry separate from any leftover rice.
Reheat in the microwave until piping hot. Revitalize leftovers with a dash of soy sauce and sesame oil if needed.
What to Serve With Stir Fried Napa Cabbage
Rice! Whether I serve this as a main or a side dish, I almost always serve Chinese stir fries with steamed Jasmine rice or fluffy Japanese rice. However, fried rice is also a solid move – and a great way to make it a composed meal. When I’m making a Chinese feast at my place, here are a few of my favorites:
Other stir fry recipes you might like: Stir fried bean sprouts with tofu and garlic chives, shrimp stir fry, honey ginger tofu stir fry, stir fried eggplant with seitan, moo goo gai pan, bok choy with garlic and oyster sauce.
Frequently Asked Questions
Napa cabbage in particular cooks fairly quickly – so you’re looking to get it in and out of the pan while retaining some of the tender crunch in the stems and leaves. Stir frying over high heat means the vegetables are cooking quickly in just a little bit of oil. If you cook at low heat, you’ll end up steaming the cabbage instead.
Mushy cabbage can stem from a couple common cooking mistakes. The first of which is simply cooking it too long. The second is putting it into the pan with excess water on the leaves. After rinsing the cabbage, pat the leaves dry with paper towels or a kitchen towel for best results.
From the outer leaves, its white veins, chunky core, and other leafy bits, all the parts of a napa cabbage are safe to eat.
Olive oil has a fairly low smoke point and quite a bit of natural, grassy flavor. This makes it a great oil to use in salads – and not a great oil for stir frying at high heat. For this recipe, use a neutral cooking oil like vegetable oil, avocado oil, grapeseed oil or peanut oil, etc.
Did you like this recipe? Are there changes you made that you would like to share? Share your tips and recommendations in the comments section below!
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Stir Fried Napa Cabbage (Chinese Restaurant Style)
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 2 1x
- Category: Main
- Method: Stir fry
- Cuisine: Chinese
Description
My smoky Chinese style stir fried napa cabbage always scratches that takeout itch. Ready in just 20 minutes from start to finish!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil or salad oil
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1/4 large napa cabbage (about 1 pound), sliced into bite size pieces
- 1 small carrot, sliced into strips
- 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon potato starch or cornstarch mixed with 6 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- Salt and ground white pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Stir fry the vegetables. Place a large skillet over high heat and wait 1 minute. When the pan is hot, add the oil and swirl it to coat the surface evenly. Add cabbage and carrots and stir fry for 4 minutes
- Add the garlic and sauce. Add oyster sauce, soy sauce and garlic – and cook for 1 minute
- Stir in the slurry. Next, add the potato starch and water mixture and cook for one minute, stirring until the sauce thickens.
- Season and serve. Add the sesame oil, stir well and turn the heat off. Season with salt and ground white pepper and serve.
Notes
You can keep leftovers of this napa cabbage stir fry covered in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 189
- Sugar: 1.6g
- Sodium: 751.5mg
- Fat: 14.1g
- Saturated Fat: 6.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 16.4g
- Fiber: 0.8g
- Protein: 3.7g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
Questions and Reviews
I just read about your smoky Chinese-style stir-fried napa cabbage, and it sounds like a fantastic takeout alternative! The tender crunch of the cabbage and carrots served over rice must be so satisfying. I love how you kept the gooey sauce simple yet punchy, capturing that authentic Chinese restaurant flavor. Being able to whip this up in 20 minutes or less is a huge bonus. This recipe is definitely going on my must-try list for quick and delicious home cooking!
Excellent recipe – superbly delicious and as good as any Chinese restaurant I have ever been to. And this coming from a Chinese food connoisseur.
Thank you so much! 🙂
This recipe is quick to prepare and is delicious! Chef’s Kiss!
This recipe was awesome! I followed it to a tee which I never do! I’m curious though, have you ever tried this recipe with a regular round cabbage?
This one is a keeper. The ingredients renders a delicious sauce that I paired with white Basmati rice. You can probably play with the spices and turn it into a curry. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Easy, fast and tasty.
Super simple and restaurant quality!
This was soooo tasty, very rich and elegant flavors. Maybe even better than takeout!!!
Thank you so much Julia! 🙂
This was the perfect way to use up my leftover Napa cabbage, and it really gave me restaurant takeout vibes!!! It was yummy and crunchy and sweet and gooey. I will definitely be making this a part of my regular repertoire.
Thank you Julia for the kind comment, I’m so happy you like the stir fry! 🙂
I used regular round young cabbage and it was great. Thanks
Made this tonight and wow is it ever delicious! I will be eating this a lot and experimenting with adding proteins and additional vegetables like water chestnuts and bamboo shoots. Thanks very much for sharing this recipe.
Thank you so much Ron! It’s one of my favorite stir fry recipes because it’s so easy to make and goes with everything 🙂
This recipe sounds incredible! I’ve been wanting to explore the different options when it comes to pickling. I can’t wait to try. Thank you for sharing!
I added chicken, straw mushrooms, and water chestnutS. I made this recipe times four. It is absolutely amazing! Better than the local Chinese restaurant. Thank you!
Thank you Donna! 🙂
I love to make potstickers, but never know what to do with the leftover napa cabbage. Now I know!! This recipe was simple and delicious. Now, I may be making potstickers with the leftovers from this recipe!
Wonderful Bonnie!
Added 1 chicken breast. 4 people eating it. No leftovers. Delicious!
This was easy and delicious! Next time I think I’ll add some chicken breast to make it a complete meal!
Thank you Lea! 🙂
so good! Loved this recipe! I added some tofu after the cabbage wilted down and it was delicious! Will be making this recipe again thanks!
The addition of tofu is a great idea Eve!