Cabbage Stir Fry with Dried Shrimp is an easy and tasty way to cook cabbage! The dried shrimp adds a delicious flavor along with the garlic making it a yummy and healthy veggie side dish.
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About the Ingredients
Here's some extra info / tips for this dish you might find helpful:
Taiwanese Cabbage
For this dish, we usually use Taiwanese cabbage aka flat cabbage. However, if you can't find any, you can use regular cabbage.
The Taiwanese cabbage or flat cabbage has a large flat head. In comparison to regular green cabbage, Taiwanese cabbage is more sweet and tender. This is the type of cabbage most often used in Asian cuisine.

To learn more about Chinese vegetables - check out my Different Types of Chinese Vegetables post!
Dried Shrimp
Dried shrimp (aka 蝦米) are sun dried shrimps that have been preserved and used in many Asian cuisines. It adds a umami flavor to the dish. We always have a jar (or 2) of dried shrimp in the house, as there are different types too!
If you don’t have any, you can buy them from any Asian supermarkets. You can also find some on amazon, and if all else fails, you could really skip them and just cook cabbage with the smashed garlic to bring additional delicousness to this cabbage recipe.
How to make cabbage stir fry?
First gather your ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon dried shrimp
- 1 pound shredded cabbage
- Salt, to taste
- Optional: 2 tablespoons water or chicken broth
Instructions
Prepare the Cabbage: Shred the cabbage by cutting it into thin, long pieces.
Cook the Dried Shrimp: Heat the oil in a large frying pan or wok over medium-high heat. Add the dried shrimp and cook for about 1 minute, or until they turn slightly browned and fragrant. Be careful not to burn them. You should start to smell a savory shrimp aroma.

Add Garlic: Add the garlic to the pan and cook for about 30 seconds until fragrant.
Stir-fry the Cabbage: Add the shredded cabbage to the hot oil in the pan. Stir-fry for about 1 minute.


Cover and Steam: Add water or chicken broth, and cover the pan and let the cabbage steam for another minute.
Continue Stir-frying: Uncover the pan and continue to stir-fry for another 5 minutes, or until the cabbage becomes translucent and softened to your desired tenderness.

Remove from heat and serve!



Cabbage Stir Fry with Dried Shrimp

Traditional cooking style of Chinese Cabbage Stir Fry with Dried Shrimp - super easy and flavorful side dish to make for lunch or dinner.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon dried shrimp
- 1 pound shredded cabbage
- Salt, to taste
- Optional: 2 tablespoons water or chicken broth
Instructions
- Prep the Cabbage: Shred the cabbage into bite size.
- Cook the Shrimp: Heat the oil in a large frying pan or wok over medium-high heat. Add the dried shrimp and stir-fry for about 1 minute, or until they are slightly browned and aromatic. Be careful not to let them burn.
- Add Garlic: Toss in the chopped garlic and stir for about 30 seconds, just until fragrant.
- Stir-Fry the Cabbage: Add the shredded cabbage to the pan and stir-fry for about 1 minute to coat everything in the flavorful oil.
- Steam: Add a splash of water or chicken broth, cover the pan, and let the cabbage steam for about 1 minute.
- Finish Cooking: Remove the lid and continue stir-frying for another 5 minutes, or until the cabbage is translucent and softened to your liking.
- Serve: Season with salt to taste and serve immediately!
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 104Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 11mgSodium: 206mgCarbohydrates: 9gFiber: 3gSugar: 4gProtein: 3g
The nutrition information for this recipe is an approximate total per serving. Please double check the nutrition information for your exact ingredients and brands for more precise nutrition information.
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More Delicious and Easy Cabbage Recipes!
- Add some protein to it! This Pork Stir Fry with Cabbage is a hearty and flavorful dish packed with tender pork slices and crisp cabbage, perfect for a satisfying weeknight meal.
- Or try it with chicken! This Chicken Cabbage Stir Fry is comforting, nutritious, and perfect with a bowl of hot rice. Also, I like to add shiitake mushrooms for an extra yummy flavor!
- You can also stir fry Shrimp with Cabbage! Light, savory, and full of garlicky goodness, this shrimp and cabbage combo is quick to whip up and big on flavor.
- Or try another type of cabbage - Napa Cabbage stir fry with Shiitake Mushrooms! This veggie side dish features earthy shiitake mushrooms and tender napa cabbage in a savory sauce.
jennifer
Tuesday 2nd of June 2020
I've never tried dried shrimp before -- now I need to! This sounds like a great "pantry" meal when not much in the produce bin (other than cabbage, lol)
Keto Recipes
Saturday 24th of March 2018
Thank you for sharing this delicious recipe!
Angela @ ketogenic
Friday 26th of January 2018
Simple yet looks delicious and is easy to prepare. Will definitely try this.
pthere
Sunday 21st of May 2017
I found out about cooking with dried shrimp a few years back when my wife and I went to a Asian cooking fair. And to be honest with you the simpler the recipe the better the shrimps are. I have found that the dried shrimps bring out a wnderful taste in the cabbage.
Jennifer
Friday 17th of February 2017
So you eat the shrimp with the shells?
Tina T
Sunday 19th of February 2017
Yep! It's the same crunchiness/softness thru out the whole shrimp :)