Ground Beef and Cabbage Recipe

March 3, 2022 By Joe 50 Comments

Ground beef and cabbage are a terrific combination of flavors. Add to that a couple of unique spices to really make this recipe special. And, by using lean ground beef, the calories stay low for this healthy casserole dish.

I was thinking that with St. Patrick’s Day coming up, a recipe with cooked cabbage without corned beef would be fun to try.

Don’t get me wrong but I love corned beef and cabbage. Instead of corned beef, I thought lean ground beef would be a good substitute.

A tomato sauce and beef broth were used for the liquid. It reminded me of a tomato soup, so I used my Tomato Bisque Recipe as the inspiration for the spices.

The ground beef and cabbage dish turned out great. It’s a healthy recipe the whole family will like.

Simple Ingredients for the Cabbage Skillet

Lean ground beef
Small head of cabbage
Medium onion
Diced tomatoes
Beef broth
Butter
Dried dill
Dried oregano or Italian seasoning
Sour cream
Kosher salt
Black pepper

Preparing the Cabbage

When I got the idea for this cabbage recipe, I wanted the cabbage to be the star of the dish. Therefore, I kept the cabbage pieces fairly large.

Here is how I cut up the head of cabbage.

First of all, cut off the stem. That will allow you to pull off 4 or 5 of the large outer leaves. The remaining cabbage should be nice and clean.

Then, use a sharp chef’s knife to cut the head lengthwise through the core to make 4 pieces. This will expose the tough, solid core and make it easy to chop out.

To make a more stable base for cutting the wedge of cabbage, I cut down the point of the wedge.

This might be unnecessary, but no fingers were endangered by a wobbly cabbage wedge.

Cut the cabbage into 4 or 5 strips then chop those into 1/2″ to 3/4″ pieces.

The larger veins were also cut off and discarded. (Our city has a composting site so this waste goes right to them).

Next time I make this dish, I think that I’ll just use a mandoline to shred the cabbage like you would for coleslaw. That’s really easy. Use whatever method you prefer for chopping the cabbage.

How to Make Ground Beef and Cabbage Recipe

You will need to use a large, high-sided skillet or a Dutch oven that holds at least 4 quarts.

And the skillet will need a good-fitting lid. This is a four quart dutch oven that I’m using.

Start by browning the ground beef on medium heat. Break up the beef with a wooden spoon and cook until most of the beef is browned.

If you have used lean ground beef there shouldn’t be much fat in the skillet. If you have fat, remove it with a spoon.

Next, add the coarsely chopped onion and let the onion cook and soften for 3 or 4 minutes.

Next, add the beef broth and can of diced tomatoes. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of your skillet.

Now add the spices and butter and stir them in and bring to a boil.

Add all of the cabbage and lower the heat to a simmer and put the lid on the pot. This will steam and wilt the cabbage.

It will take about 20 minutes of cooking time to steam the cabbage until it is tender. Every 5 minutes, use a large spoon or a wide wooden spoon like I have to turn the cabbage and beef mixture.

This will ensure that the cabbage gets cooked evenly.

Once the cabbage is thoroughly cooked and tender, add the sour cream and toss it to dissolve.

Serve the ground beef and cabbage hot.

Variations to Consider

Meat substitutes: Ground turkey or chicken. Italian sausage. Add some chopped slices of bacon.

Additions: Shredded carrots, green bell pepper, green onions, top with cheddar cheese, substitute Rotel for the diced tomatoes.

Leftovers

Store leftovers in an airtight container in your refrigerator. It is easy to reheat the ground beef and cabbage in a microwave oven too.

The flavor of the casserole is just as good the next day.

Here are some more tasty recipes to try: