Chinese Chicken Cabbage Stir Fry - marinated chicken stir fried with garlic, ginger, shiitake mushrooms, cabbage and more in a flavorful sauce!

Jump to:

• About the Chicken
• About the Cabbage
• About the Shiitake Mushrooms
• About the Soy Sauce
• How to cook Chicken Cabbage Stir Fry
• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Notes
• Recommended Products
• Did you like this recipe?
• Substitutions & Variations
• Pin for later!
• More delicious and easy recipes with cabbage!

About the Chicken

For this recipe I use chicken thighs (dark meat). However you could substitute with chicken breast (white meat) if you prefer. I get asked a lot about which one to use, and it really depends on preference and what kind of meal you're trying to accomplish.

Dark Meat / Chicken Thighs are a lot more tender, flavorful, and juicy because it has a higher fat content than white meat. It also doesn't dry out the way chicken breast can if you do not prepare it for the stir fry. So if you are new to stir frying chicken, it's easier to make this dish tasty. However, it is slightly higher in calories and fat.

White Meat / Chicken Breasts are more commonly used in the states than it is in Asian countries. It is more lean, and lower in calories and fat content, so it is the healthier choice. However, it can dry out and become tough if you accidentally over cook it.

Some tricks to make your white meat / chicken breast more tender is to make sure not to skip the marinade step. You want to marinade chicken breast for at least 30 minutes or up to over night. Another tip I can give you is to make sure that you slice it real thin - either in to thin slices or thin strips so that it cooks more evenly.

About the Cabbage

There are many types of cabbages, and I actually don't use regular green cabbage here so I wanted to mention the type of cabbage I use - Taiwanese cabbage. You can TOTALLY use normal green cabbage, though! I've done it myself.

Taiwanese cabbage has a flat round shape with lighter green leaves than green cabbage. It is also milder, sweeter, flavor than green cabbage. Taiwanese cabbage is also a lot more tender and crisp, whereas green cabbage is more firm. This is why I recommend Taiwanese cabbage for stir fries as it cooks a lot faster.

However, if you can't find any, as I mentioned you can totally just use green cabbage. I've done it before plenty of times. For both, you will want to stir fry until tender, and using the Taiwanese cabbage will just make it faster.

About the Shiitake Mushrooms

In this recipe I am using dried shiitake mushrooms. But you can use fresh shiitake mushrooms as well.

If you are also using dried shiitake mushrooms:

Soak the dried shiitake mushrooms in warm water for 15 minutes or until soften. Remove shiitake mushrooms and slice. Do not discard the water as we will add this to the broth. If using fresh shiitake mushrooms, just slice it (no need to soak).

About the Soy Sauce

For the marinade you will be using regular light soy sauce (if it doesn't say what type of soy sauce it's most likely light soy sauce, it's like the default.)

However, for the cooking soy sauce, I use Thick Soy Sauce, aka Soy Paste. Thick soy sauce is a lot thicker than your normal soy sauce. It has a richer, sweeter flavor, which is perfect for this dish.

If you can’t find any thick soy sauce, you can actually use regular soy sauce. However, since Thick soy sauce is more sweet, you are now missing a flavor, so I would recommend adding a bit of sugar or sweetener of your choice.

Or even more simple – Oyster sauce can often be used as a substitute because it is similar in texture and it is also salty and sweet at the same time.

By the way you can find these sauces, in your local Asian grocery store or even on amazon here:

Kimlan Soy Paste / Thick Soy Sauce

Lee Kum Kee Oyster Sauce

Wan Ja Shan Vegetarian Oyster Sauce (I actually prefer this to regular oyster sauce, it's made with mushrooms and adds another umami flavor)

How to cook Chicken Cabbage Stir Fry

First, gather your ingredients:

• 1 lb chicken thigh, cut in to bite sized pieces
• Marinade:
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar or rice wine
  • 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon cooking oil
• 5 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 1 tablespoon ginger, sliced thinly (optional)
• 6-8 shiitake mushrooms
• 1 cup cabbage, shredded
• 2 tablespoon soy paste (or oyster sauce)
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• 1 stalk green onions, chopped (optional)

With a knife, cut chicken in to bite size. In a mixing bowl, add the chicken marinade ingredients. Combine well and then set it aside to marinade for half hour. You can prep the other ingredients during this time if you haven't already.

In a cooking pan or wok, add cooking oil, and let it heat up on medium high. Add garlic, ginger and let it cook for about 1 minute. Then add chicken along with all the marinade sauce, and stir fry for about 3 minutes or until chicken is slightly browned, and remove chicken, garlic, and ginger from heat.

Add a little more cooking oil if your pan is too dry. Then, add cabbage and shiitake mushrooms, and stir fry for about a minute, and then add the water that was used to soak the shiitake mushrooms (or chicken broth or water if you used fresh mushrooms), and cover with a lid for about 2 minutes.

Uncover and stir fry until the cabbage has softened, and return chicken back in to pan and add thick soy sauce, brown sugar, salt to taste, and stir fry everything for about another 2-3 minutes or until chicken is cooked thoroughly.

Sprinkle with chopped green onions (optional) and mix well.

Remove from heat and serve!

Substitutions & Variations

Swap the Protein:

• Use sliced pork, beef, or even tofu instead of chicken.
• For a lighter option, try chicken breast instead of thighs.

Mushroom Options:

• Substitute shiitake mushrooms with cremini, oyster, or button mushrooms if needed.
• For extra umami, try mixing in a bit of dried mushroom powder if you're skipping shiitake.

Cabbage Alternatives:

• Napa cabbage, bok choy, or even thinly sliced Brussels sprouts work great here.
• You can also add julienned carrots or bean sprouts for more variety.

Sauce Swaps:

• Don’t have soy paste? Use oyster sauce, hoisin, or double the soy sauce.
• Add a splash of chili oil or sriracha if you want it spicy.

Make it a Meal:

• Serve over steamed jasmine rice, brown rice, or stir-fried noodles.
• Or make it low-carb with cauliflower rice or lettuce wraps.

Pin for later!

More delicious and easy recipes with cabbage!

• Or try this dish with pork! 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.
• 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.
• Looking for a veggie side dish? Try my Cabbage Stir Fry with Dried Shrimp! This is a classic home cooked dish, and the dried shrimp really adds an umami flavor to it all!
• 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.