Chicken and Cabbage Recipe

This chicken and cabbage recipe is built around one pot, one cutting board, and about 25 minutes from start to finish. Cubed chicken breast, mushrooms, and shredded cabbage cook down with onion, bell pepper, and a simple tomato sauce, which gives the dish more body than a plain sautéed cabbage skillet. It works just as well spooned into a bowl for dinner tonight as it does packed into four containers for the week ahead.

Key Ingredients

All ingredients and their amounts are listed in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Chicken Breast: I cut the chicken into small, even cubes rather than leaving it in larger pieces. This is important because the pieces need to cook through in about five to seven minutes without overcooking, and uneven sizes mean some pieces finish before others. I’ve tested this recipe with chicken thighs too, and they come out juicier and more forgiving if you happen to leave them in the pan a minute too long. If you go with thighs, trim the excess fat first so the sauce does not turn greasy.

Mushrooms: I like using baby bella or white button mushrooms here because they hold their shape once the tomato sauce goes in. Cremini works too if you want a slightly earthier flavor.

Pro Tip: cook the mushrooms in a dry pan for the first minute before adding oil. They release moisture fast, and starting them dry helps them brown instead of steam.

Cabbage: This is the ingredient that makes or breaks the dish, and it’s also where most of the complaints I’ve read about chicken and cabbage recipes in general come from, people ending up with a watery or bland result. I recommend salting the cabbage lightly as soon as it hits the pan, not at the very end. Salt draws out moisture early and helps the cabbage actually absorb the tomato sauce instead of diluting it. I use green cabbage for this recipe because it holds a little bit of bite even after 10 to 15 minutes of cooking, but red cabbage works if that’s what you have, though the sauce will take on a slightly purple tint.

Tomato Sauce: This is the ingredient that separates this recipe from a plain sautéed cabbage and chicken skillet. Instead of relying on chicken broth alone, which can leave the dish tasting thin, the tomato sauce gives the whole pan a little body and a rounder flavor. I make my own basic tomato sauce for this, but a good jarred marinara works in a pinch. I do not recommend skipping it, since that’s the one change that consistently makes this dish taste flat when I’ve tested it without.

How to Make Chicken and Cabbage Recipe

Before you start: You’ll need a large pot or Dutch oven, something with enough depth to hold the cabbage before it cooks down. I use a 5 to 6 quart pot so I’m not fighting to stir everything together.

Step 1: I season and sear the chicken first before it hits the hot oil. Searing it on its own, rather than crowding it in with the vegetables, is what gives it color instead of just steaming it. Once it’s cooked through, I set it aside so it doesn’t overcook while everything else comes together.

Step 2: I cook the mushrooms in the same pot, without washing it. Those browned bits left behind from the chicken are flavor, not mess. I scrape them up with a wooden spoon as the mushrooms cook, which is what actually seasons the base of this dish before a single spice goes in.

Step 3: I brown the onion and bell pepper next. I let them sit for a few minutes without stirring constantly, since that’s what gets them properly browned instead of just translucent. This step is short but it matters, since a lot of the savory flavor in the finished dish comes from this browning, not from the seasonings alone.

Step 4: I add the cabbage, seasonings, and chicken broth, then cover and cook low. I salt the cabbage as soon as it goes in rather than waiting until the end. Covering the pot traps steam, which is what softens the cabbage in 10 to 15 minutes without needing to add more liquid. I check it around the 10 minute mark. If I want more bite, I stop there. If I want it fully tender, I give it the full 15.

Step 5: I stir the tomato sauce in last, then bring the chicken back. Adding the tomato sauce at the end, rather than cooking it down with everything else, keeps it from turning muddy. I fold the chicken and mushrooms back in, let everything warm through for two minutes, and finish with fresh parsley.

Store and Make Ahead:

Once it’s cooled, I portion it into four glass containers, and it stays good for lunches through Thursday without the cabbage turning soft or watery, since the tomato sauce helps protect the texture in a way a plain broth based dish doesn’t.

If I’m prepping ahead, I’ll sometimes cook the chicken and cut the vegetables the night before and store them separately in the fridge, then cook everything together the next day. This cuts the actual hands on time down to about 15 minutes.

To store: You can tightly wrap the chicken and cabbage, once cooled, and store it in the fridge for up to 4 days.

To reheat: Reheat in a skillet over medium heat until warmed through, or reheat in the microwave in 60 second bursts, stirring between each.

To freeze: Tightly wrap and freeze for up to 3 months. I find the texture holds up best if you leave the cabbage slightly firmer than usual before freezing, since it will soften more during reheating.