Ground Beef & Cabbage (Easy One-Pot Dinner)
This easy ground beef and cabbage recipe is a quick one-skillet dinner that’s simple, cozy and truly weeknight-easy. Made with lean ground beef, tender cabbage, and a lightly saucy tomato base, it comes together in about 30 minutes on the stovetop!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- 1 small yellow onion, small diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
- ½ cup low‑sodium beef broth
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- ½ head green cabbage, core removed and chopped into bite‑sized pieces (about 5-6 cups)
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Cook the Meat: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the ground beef and ½ teaspoon of the salt. Cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until browned and no longer pink, about 5 minutes.
- Add the onion and the remaining ¼ teaspoon of salt. Sauté for 3-4 minutes, until the onion softens. Stir in the garlic, smoked paprika, Italian seasoning, and tomato paste. Cook for another 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add the Liquids & Cabbage: Add the diced tomatoes, beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, and balsamic vinegar. Stir to combine.
- Add the chopped cabbage. Season with black pepper. Push the cabbage down so it’s mostly submerged in the sauce.
- Simmer Until Tender: Bring the mixture to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 8-12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cabbage is tender but still has some structure and the sauce has slightly thickened. Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt or pepper if needed.
- Optional Topping: Chopped fresh parsley, sour cream (highly recommended!), or hot sauce.
Notes
- Optional Topping: Chopped fresh parsley, sour cream (highly recommended!), and hot sauce.
- Cabbage: As much as I love a cabbage slaw mix for convenience, you really do need to chop the cabbage yourself for this recipe, as the finely chopped slaw just melts and turns into mush.
- Half a Cabbage: I know it’s annoying to only use half a cabbage for this recipe, but that’s what works best in terms of ratios. You can ask the produce person at your local grocery store to cut a cabbage in half for you though, and they are almost always happy to do it!
- Cook Time: For best results, avoid overcooking the cabbage. However, I’ve found that cabbage texture is personal preference, so if you like a bite, cook according to instructions, and if you like it truly soft, keep going until it reaches the desired consistency.
- Gluten-Free: Be sure to use a gf Worcestershire sauce.
- With Rice: Try my top-rated Beef, Cabbage & Rice Casserole!
Nutrition
Serving: 1 (of 4) | Calories: 257kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 70mg | Sodium: 725mg | Potassium: 962mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 540IU | Vitamin C: 49mg | Calcium: 108mg | Iron: 5mg
