Got a head of napa cabbage? This Japanese-style Napa Cabbage Stir-Fry recipe couldn’t be simpler! A quick cook in a hot pan with smoked bacon and shiitake mushrooms, and finish off with a seasoning of soy sauce and fresh grinds of black pepper. You’ll be amazed at the incredible amount of flavor from this humble Asian cabbage.
This stir-fry makes a welcome side to just about any Japanese or Asian dinner—pan-fried or baked tofu, fried eggs, short ribs, baked honey soy chicken, miso salmon, you name it.
Why You’ll Love Try This Recipe
- Quick and simple. Ideal for a weeknight vegetable dish.
- Use up a lot of napa cabbage. The easiest way to utilize the cabbage, especially after using it just for one recipe that calls for a few leaves.
- Healthy and nutritious! Napa cabbage offers a lot of vitamins and minerals and is also an excellent source of dietary fiber. What’s not to love?
What is Napa Cabbage?
Thanks to its unique texture and sweetness, napa cabbage, also widely known as Chinese cabbage or hakusai (白菜) in Japanese, is a favorite cabbage used in East Asian cuisines. The flavor is a lot sweeter compared to green cabbage; the leaves are more tender and thinner, hence are suitable for quick cooking or used in flavoring soups.
If you’re new to this Asian vegetable, you can read more about its health benefits, how to buy the best, how to store it, and all the information here.
You can find napa cabbage at an Asian market or major grocery stores these days.
Ingredients for This Recipe
This Japanese version of napa cabbage stir-fry might remind you of Chinese cabbage stir-fry dishes at take-out restaurants or your mom’s homestyle dish. It is indeed very similar, but the main difference is we don’t typically include garlic, ginger, or scallions as the smoked bacon and shiitake mushrooms already lend a ton of aroma to the dish. We also use just a splash of soy sauce and black pepper for the seasoning, whereas Chinese cabbage stir fries commonly include oyster sauce.
- Napa cabbage (Hakusai)
- Shiitake mushrooms (optional) – You can use other types of mushrooms if you prefer. Not a fan of mushrooms? Leave it out or use other veggies such as carrots and onion.
- Bacon (optional) – I added bacon for protein and a boost of savory flavor and dimensional texture. You can switch it out with shrimp if you’d like. Skip the bacon if you’re vegan/vegetarian. You could also substitute it with tofu or seitan for more substance.
- Salt and black pepper
- Soy sauce
How to Make Napa Cabbage Stir-Fry
Check out the recipe card below for detailed instructions but here’s a quick summary.
Jump to Recipe- Cut the napa cabbage, shiitake mushrooms, and bacon.
- In a frying pan or wok, stir fry bacon until the fat is rendered.
- Add the tough part of the napa cabbage and cook covered.
- Add the leafy part of the napa cabbage and cook covered.
- Season the stir-fry with soy sauce and black pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Serve immediately.
Cooking Tips
Napa cabbage comes with tender leaves and thick white ribs in the center, so it’s wise to treat them differently when cutting, cooking, and seasoning.
- Cut the tough, thick pieces of the napa cabbage into smaller pieces than the leafy pieces.
- Cook the tough napa cabbage pieces first, and then the leafy pieces.
- Season the napa cabbage with salt in separate stages when cooking tough ribs and leafy parts.
What to Serve with Napa Cabbage Stir-Fry
The sweet, savory flavor of the stir-fry complements many dishes, but try these recipes if you’re looking for some suggestions:
- Instant Pot Honey Spare Ribs
- Miso Salmon
- Kinpira Renkon (Japanese Lotus Root Stir-Fry)
- Teriyaki Tofu
- Braised Pork Belly
- Simmered Beef with Ginger
- Japanese Egg Drop Soup
Other Napa Cabbage Recipes
- Creamy Napa Cabbage and Bacon Pasta
- Quick Korean Fresh Kimchi
- Mille-Feuille Nabe
- Mizore Nabe (Hot Pot with Grated Daikon)
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Napa Cabbage Stir-Fry
Ingredients
- ¼ head napa cabbage (1 lb, 454 g, including the core)
- 3 slices applewood smoked bacon (4 oz, 113 g; skip for vegan/vegetarian)
- 3 shiitake mushrooms (1.8 oz, 50 g)
- 2 tsp soy sauce
- ¼ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt (divided)
- ⅛ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tsp neutral oil (for stir-frying, if needed)
For Serving
- Japanese sansho pepper (optional)
Instructions
- Gather all the ingredients.
To Prepare the Ingredients
- Cut ¼ head napa cabbage crosswise into 2-inch (5-cm) pieces. Cut the tough, thick rib pieces lengthwise in half or thirds.
- Cut off the stems of 3 shiitake mushrooms and thinly slice the caps.
- Cut 3 slices applewood smoked bacon into ½-inch (1.3-cm) strips.
To Stir-Fry
- Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and stir-fry with a spatula.
- Stir-fry for 2–3 minutes until the bacon is lightly browned and the fat has rendered. If the pan looks dry, add up to 2 tsp neutral oil.Nami's Tip: I use a well-seasoned carbon steel pan.
- Add the thick rib pieces and sprinkle with ⅛ tsp kosher salt.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low. Stir, cover, and cook for 2 minutes.
- Open the lid and add the shiitake and tender, leafy napa cabbage pieces.
- Sprinkle with another ⅛ tsp kosher salt and stir.
- Cover and cook for 3–4 minutes until the napa cabbage ribs are crisp-tender.
- If they are not tender, cover and cook for another 1–2 minutes.
- Season with ⅛ tsp freshly ground black pepper and 2 tsp soy sauce and stir.
To Serve
- Transfer to a large plate and sprinkle with freshly ground Japanese sansho pepper (optional).
To Store
- Keep the leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to a month.
Notes
- Make it vegan. Replace the bacon with tofu or seitan.
- Swap the protein. Switch things up with shrimp instead of bacon. Sauté briefly before adding the cabbage.
- Make it gluten-free. Swap the soy sauce in my napa cabbage stir-fry for tamari soy sauce.
Nutrition
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Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on November 14, 2022. It was republished with more helpful content on April 23, 2024.