One-Pot Ground Beef and Cabbage recipe with mushrooms, bell pepper, onion, and more! A simple, easy low-carb dinner recipe ideal for any busy weeknight.
If there’s one ingredient that never ceases to impress, it’s cabbage.
My Ground Beef and Cabbage Soup, Crock Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage, and my Caramelized Cabbage and Bacon have been well-loved reader favorites ever since I shared them.
The fact that cabbage adds a great deal of volume to a meal makes it miraculously satisfying while keeping it carb-conscious.
If you tried my Unstuffed Cabbage Bowls and my Ground Turkey Egg Roll Bowls, you already know where this is going.
We’re cooking up a load of vegetables with some tasty protein, it’ll take us about 30 minutes of cooking time, and we’re going to feel just so full and satisfied!
This easy one-pot meal involves 9 simple ingredients, is versatile, and is easy to throw together after work on busy weeknights.
Let’s discuss the wholesome ingredients. The full list of ingredients can be found at any grocery store!
Ingredients for Ground Beef and Cabbage:
Avocado Oil: A high temperature cooking oil that is ideal for situations like this where we cook over high heat.
Lean Ground Beef: Our protein of choice here! Ground beef is high in protein, is a great source of B vitamins and iron, and is of course delicious. I use 90% ground beef to keep the dish lower in fat, but you can use beef with a higher fat content if you’d like.
Onion, Garlic, Mushrooms, Bell Pepper: The veggies of choice here! Onion and garlic provide that iconic familiar flavor and the mushrooms and bell pepper add earthiness and a little sweetness.
Cabbage: The star of the show here! One head of cabbage adds tremendous volume to the meal to keep the dish filling yet lower in carbohydrates. Red cabbage works too.
Liquid Aminos: Adding umami flavor to the dish, liquid aminos brings richness and saltiness. Be sure to add sea salt only after adding the liquid aminos and after you’ve tasted the dish, as you may not need much additional salt.
If you’re soy-free, or want to keep the recipe paleo or whole30, use coconut aminos instead of liquid aminos
Dried Oregano, Sea Salt, Black Pepper: A little seasoning! Dried oregano brings a little herbal undertone and sea salt enhances all of the flavors in the meal. Add sea salt to your personal taste.
Recipe Customizations:
- Use coleslaw mix instead of chopping a whole head of cabbage to save time.
- Swap out the ground beef for ground chicken or ground pork.
- For a little spice, add red pepper flakes.
- Mix and match your favorite veggies, sauces and spices to make this versatile recipe your own. Broccoli, cauliflower, teriyaki sauce, pesto sauce, etc. are great options.
Let’s make this easy meal!
How to Make One-Pot Ground Beef and Cabbage:
Heat the avocado oil in a large thick-bottomed pot (I use my Dutch oven) or a large skillet with a deep lip over medium heat and add the chopped onion. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until the onion has softened, about 5 to 8 minutes.
Scoot the onions off to the side and place the ground beef in the center of the pot. Allow it to brown for 3 to 4 minutes before using a spatula to break it into small pieces.
Stir in the garlic, dried oregano, mushrooms, red bell pepper, sea salt and liquid aminos (or soy sauce) until well-combined.
Add the chopped cabbage to the pot, then cover it with a lid and cook for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the cabbage has softened, stirring every few minutes.
Remove the lid and continue cooking until much of the liquid has evaporated off and the cabbage reaches your desired level of doneness.
Serve in bowls over brown rice, white rice, or cauliflower rice for a complete meal. Toss in come chopped green onions if you enjoy them.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
This easy ground beef recipe makes the perfect easy lunch the next day, making it ideal for meal prep.
All things considered, we’re left with a 30-minute dinner recipe that is low-carb (keto friendly), paleo, and whole30.
If you love easy dinner recipes like this one, also try my 30-Minute Paleo Hunan Chicken, Easy One-Pot Jambalaya, and my 30-Minute Teriyaki Beef and Zucchini.
One-Pot Ground Beef and Cabbage
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp avocado oil or ghee
- 1 yellow onion finely chopped
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 1 lb ground beef
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 8 ounces mushrooms chopped
- 1 small red bell pepper chopped
- ½ tsp sea salt to taste
- 2 Tbsp liquid aminos or soy sauce
- 1 medium-sized head green cabbage thinly sliced
- 2 Tbsp fresh parsley optional
Instructions
- Heat the avocado oil in a large thick-bottomed pot (I use my Dutch oven) over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until the onion has softened, about 5 to 8 minutes.
- Scoot the onions off to the side and place the ground beef in the center of the pot. Allow it to brown for 3 to 4 minutes before using a spatula to break it into small pieces.
- Stir in the garlic, dried oregano, mushrooms, red bell pepper, sea salt and liquid aminos (or soy sauce) until well-combined.
- Add the chopped cabbage to the pot, then cover it with a lid and cook for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the cabbage has softened, stirring every few minutes.
- Remove the lid and continue cooking until much of the liquid has evaporated off and the cabbage reaches your desired level of doneness, about 8 to 10 minutes.
- Serve in bowls and enjoy!
Hi, this looks amazing. Can’t wait to try. Does it freeze well? Thanks!
Hi Susan! I haven’t tested it myself, but I’m betting you would need to add some form of sauce in order for it to freeze well. Teriyaki sauce, tomato sauce (similar to this recipe: https://www.theroastedroot.net/unstuffed-cabbage-bowls-keto-paleo-whole30/), etc are good options. Without the sauce, I think the dish will become freezer burned rather quickly. Let me know if you try it with the addition of sauce!
I don’t understand why you and a lot of recipe content providers don’t tell us the temperature you are using for the steps. Am I doing the onions on high, medium, low? If you say 3 to 4 minutes it doesn’t mean much if you were cooking on high and I was cooking on low? Thanks.
Hi Bill! My apologies for the confusion. I edited the recipe to reflect that it should be medium-high heat 🙂 Hope you enjoy!
Hi! The recipe card calls for a yellow onion, but your picture shows a red onion. Which one is preferred?
Hi Chelsi! I personally don’t have a preference between the two (hence the red onion in mine), but I think most people would prefer the sweeter flavor of the yellow onion over the bite of the red. Hope that helps! xo
An absolutely delicious recipe! I’ve been looking at this recipe for a while and decided today was the day and I’m glad I did . Super easy to make and delicious and you can’t beat that. Every recipe of yours I’ve made have all been wonderful. Added it to my Favorites and I’ll be making this again for sure . Thanks for sharing your recipe with us.
Thanks so much for the sweet note, Greg! I’m happy you enjoyed this recipe and all the other ones you’ve tried! I appreciate the kind words and feedback! xo