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This quick skillet meal contains the flavors you’ll find in stuffed cabbage but it’s so much easier to make! Ground beef (or turkey), crushed tomatoes, cabbage, and lots of seasoning sauté together for a satisfying dinner!
Okay so this is one of those meals that maybe doesn’t look the prettiest. I know, I know. But you’re just going to have to trust me that this Unstuffed Cabbage Skillet tastes incredible. It has big bold flavor that more than makes up for its unsexy appearance.
And talk about E A S Y. Everything cooks together in a single skillet (which always gets all the praise hands from me).
The finished dish is truly a complete meal. Sure, you can serve it with a veggie side or over rice (traditional or cauliflower) but you don’t need to.
How to chop and shred cabbage
For this recipe you can either chop your cabbage into squares (pictured) or shred it into thin ribbons. Here’s how you do both so take your pick!
- Remove any tattered outer leaves.
- Cut the cabbage in half or in quarters.
- Carefully cut out the core and discard.
- Place the cabbage (halved or quartered) so flat side is touching the cutting board. To shred, complete step 5. To chop, skip step 5 and jump to step 6.
- If you want to shred your cabbage: Slice into shreds that are about about 1/8 to 1/4 inch wide.
- If you want to chop your cabbage into small squares: Slice into shreds that are about 1 inch wide. Chop shreds into thirds or fourths (depending on how long your shreds are) to create smaller square pieces that are about 1 x 1. That’s it!
More recipes like this:
Easy Sausage & Cabbage Skillet
Beef & Veggie Bowls with Comeback Sauce
Skillet Chicken & Brussels Sprouts
Ground Turkey & Potato Skillet
Unstuffed Cabbage Skillet
Ingredients
- 1 lb lean ground beef, You can sub ground turkey.
- 2 tsp garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp olive or avocado oil
- 1 small head of cabbage, chopped or shredded
- 28 oz canned crushed tomatoes, Fire-roasted if available.
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 3/4 tsp paprika
- 3/4 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Add your ground beef (or turkey) to a skillet on the stovetop. Use your spatula to crumble the beef. Cook on medium high, stirring occasionally, until beef is almost completely browned. Then add the minced garlic. Stir. Sauté for another minute or until garlic is golden in color and beef is cooked through. If your beef isn’t very lean you may want to drain the grease. Remove beef and garlic from skillet and set aside.
- Add oil to skillet. Add shredded cabbage and let cook, stirring occasionally, until cabbage is close to tender, about 10 minutes. You should see browning on some of the cabbage.
- Reduce heat to medium. Add cooked beef and canned crushed tomatoes back to skillet and stir until combined with cabbage. Season with salt, pepper, oregano, paprika, onion powder, and crushed red pepper flakes. Simmer for 5 to 8 minutes or until everything is warmed and cabbage is tender. Taste and adjust seasoning if desired. (I like to add a little more salt and paprika for bigger flavor.)
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This tastes exactly like stuffed cabbage that my Mom use to make. Â Easy for sure. Â Not my favorite but appreciate that dinner is done. Â Your sausage and cabbage is still my favorite when I have extra cabbage to use.Â
Made this last night and added mushrooms. It was so good. Will be making it again soon.
Very yummy and healthy! I used Old Bay seasoning  instead of the others you listed to mix it up. We loved it and it works for my detox!Â
I made 4 of Christina’s recipes last weekend for meals throughout the week. Upon taking just a taste of the finished meal, I thought the cabbage was over cooked and the dish needed more of it.  BUT when I came back for a full bowl the following day it was 🥰 PERFECT! I wouldn’t change a thing. It was a hit with my husband too. We mix some of this in with your Whole 30 Chili because that was a bit too 🔥 for us.  I’ll be making this dish on the regular.  You’ve made eating Whole 30 a TREAT for my husband and I. Thanks!Â
This is delish and SO easy. I live a recipe where you don’t even have to chop an onion. I didn’t remove my beef, just threw in the cabbage and it turned out just fine.
Loved this recipe! My seven year old ate two helpings!Â
So happy to hear that! Thank you!