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Spicy Sichuan Cabbage stir fry is an easy and quick Chinese recipe that takes only 10 minutes to make. This cabbage recipe is delicious and satisfying with a spicy and sour taste.
Spicy Sichuan Cabbage Recipe
Many people love cabbage recipes. Today, I am sharing a special Chinese cabbage recipe with you: Spicy Sichuan Cabbage. This is one of the most popular Sichuan recipes, other than Szechuan beef, Sichuan cold noodles and bang bang chicken.
Which cabbage should you use for this spicy cabbage recipe?
Cabbage is a common vegetable in China but there are many different types available in the market. The round, white or green cabbage is what we use for spicy Sichuan cabbage stir fry recipe. The Chinese name is 包心菜 bao xin cai or 高丽菜 gao li cai. It tastes refreshing and crisp after a quick stir-fry.
Sichuan dishes are famous for their intense flavors: spicy, sour, numbing and savory. It’s easy to make this cabbage recipe; a quick stir-fry with minced garlic, a few chili peppers, soy sauce, sugar, and vinegar makes the best and authentic cabbage dish for your dinner.
Ingredients
- Cabbage
- Garlic
- Fresh chili peppers
- Dried chili peppers
- Salt
- Sugar
- Soy sauce
- Vinegar
- Oyster sauce
- Oil for cooking
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients.
How To Cook Chinese Sichuan Cabbage
First, pull off the cabbage leaves and tear them into small pieces. Rinse the leaves under running water and drain the excess water with a colander.
Heat the wok or frying pan with oil, stir-fry the minced garlic with chili peppers until aromatic. Add the cabbage and quickly stir-fry it with the remaining ingredients for 2 to 3 minutes. Turn off the heat, and serve it immediately.
Cooking Tips
To make spicy Sichuan cabbage, you must heat the oil in a pan or wok before stir-frying the vegetable. The higher the pan’s temperature, the faster you will cook the dish so the cabbage remains crisp.
Stir fry the minced garlic and chili pepper until golden brown before adding the cabbage to make the dish more aromatic.
Frequently Asked Questions
To make the best spicy Sichuan cabbage, you need to stir fry it for 2 to 3 minutes on high heat. DO NOT OVERCOOK.
Yes, many Chinese restaurants serve a cold spicy cabbage salad as an appetizer, which tastes refreshing and crunchy. To make a spicy, sweet, and sour cabbage salad, you can marinate the raw cabbage with a sauce mixture of sugar, vinegar, chili pepper, sesame oil, and water.
This dish is 217 calories per serving.
What To Serve With Spicy Sichuan Cabbage
Serve this dish with steamed rice or Chinese noodles. For a wholesome meal and easy weeknight dinner, I recommend the following recipes.
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Other Vegetable Recipes You Might Like
Spicy Sichuan Cabbage
Ingredients
- 14 oz (400 grams) half medium cabbage, rinsed and drained
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 fresh chili peppers, chopped
- 3 dried chili peppers, cut into halves
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon vinegar
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
Instructions
- Remove the cabbage leaves and tear them into small pieces. Soak the cabbage in water for 1 minute, then rinse both sides under running water. Drain the cabbage in a colander.
- Heat a frying pan or wok over high heat. Add oil and wait until it's hot, then add the garlic and chopped chili peppers. Stir-fry until golden brown.
- Add the cabbage and quickly stir-fry for a few seconds. Then add the salt, sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, and oyster sauce. Continue stir-frying the cabbage for 2 to 3 minutes, then turn off the heat. Transfer to a plate and serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Is there a recipe for the cold spicy cabbage you mention?
I’m sorry, but I don’t have that recipe yet.
Dear Bee, the recipe is so delicious. Thank you. Why do you have to soak the cabage shreds in water?
Hi Anne. The first part of the recipe refers to the cleaning of the cabbage before cooking.
what kind of chilis do you use? i notice in a lot of your recipes you say chilis but don’t specify which ones. is there one that you prefer over all others? or is it depending on the region the food is from?
It depends on the region you are in. Just use red chilies available, it really doesn’t matter. Just don’t use Thai chilies or bird’s eye chilies as they are too spicy.
I think I might try it and make it even faster by using a bagged coleslaw mix. It seems I can do without the carryout easier when it’s easy and quick.
What kind of vinegar do you recommend- malt vinegar? Rice vinegar?
Rice vinegar.
Really good & tasty a new favorite .
Awesome!
I had some shredded cabbage i was going to use for cole slaw,but when i read this recipe ,i made it and it was So Good
Made it. Absolutely delicious. Quick fave from now on so easy.
Awesome!
Can’t wait to try this! Looks great, I am salivating at the thought!
Awesome!
Thanks Bee
With Galina being Russian we eat a lot of cabbage recipes.
This is one we will have to put on out menu.
Awesome!