Low-Carb Cabbage With Chicken Recipe

Low-Carb Cabbage With Chicken Recipe – keto, gluten free and low-calorie.

This sauteed cabbage with chicken takes 20 minutes to prepare and makes a simple, nutritious and budget friendly family meal.

Chicken and cabbage is everyday food in Bulgaria — a pan of shredded cabbage cooked down with a little tomato, paprika, and a bay leaf, with pieces of chicken thigh tucked in at the end.

It’s the dinner I make when the fridge is almost empty: one head of cabbage, a pound of chicken thighs, and 30 minutes on the stove.

My son asks for it, which is not something I expected to say about cabbage.

The one thing I learned from making this chicken and cabbage over and over: add the paprika at the end, not with the cabbage.

Paprika burns fast in a hot pan and turns the whole dish bitter. Stirred in during the last 5 minutes, it gives the cabbage a warm, red color and a sweet, smoky flavor.

How to Make Chicken and Cabbage in One Pan

Brown the chicken first, cook the cabbage in the same pan, then bring them back together for the last few minutes.

1. Cut the boneless chicken thighs into bite-size pieces and season with salt and pepper.
2. Heat half the olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken about 2 minutes per side, until golden but not cooked through. Move it to a plate.
3. Add the remaining oil, then the shredded cabbage, shredded carrot, tomato sauce, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Stir and cook 5 minutes, until the cabbage starts to wilt.
4. Pour in the water or chicken stock and add the bay leaf. Simmer 10–15 minutes, stirring often, until the cabbage is soft and most of the liquid has cooked off.
5. Return the chicken to the pan, stir in the paprika, and cook 5 more minutes, until the chicken reaches 165°F (74°C).
6. Remove the bay leaf and finish with chopped parsley.

Tips

• Paprika goes in last. Added with the cabbage, it scorches and turns bitter. In the last 5 minutes it stays sweet and colors the whole pan.
• Don’t fully cook the chicken in step 2. It finishes in the cabbage, which keeps it juicy and lets it flavor the sauce.
• Shred the cabbage thin. Thin ribbons cook evenly in 15 minutes; thick chunks stay crunchy in the middle.
• Let the liquid cook down. You want soft, glossy cabbage, not soup. If it’s still watery after 15 minutes, raise the heat for a few minutes with the lid off.
• Using chicken breast? Add it back for only 3–4 minutes. Bone-in thighs or legs need 10 more minutes, covered.

Serving Ideas

In Bulgaria, this comes to the table with a spoon of plain yogurt on the side and a piece of bread to soak up the juices. For a low-carb plate, serve it on its own or with a cucumber yogurt salad. For the rest of the family, mashed potatoes or rice turn it into a bigger meal.

More Cabbage and Chicken Thigh Recipes

If you’re cooking through a head of cabbage, the Ground Beef Cabbage Recipe uses the same one-pan method with beef, and the Lazy Cabbage Roll Casserole gives you cabbage roll flavor without the rolling.

For a crunchy side, try the Green and Purple Cabbage Salad. For more chicken thigh dinners, the One Pot Chicken Thighs With Brussels Sprouts and Stove Top Chicken Thighs are both on the table in about 30 minutes. More ideas in my 17 Cabbage Recipes.

5 from 6 votes

Chicken and Cabbage

One-pan chicken and cabbage, the Bulgarian way: boneless chicken thighs cooked with shredded cabbage, carrot, tomato, and paprika in about 30 minutes. Low carb and good for meal prep.

Prep: 5 minutes mins

Cook: 25 minutes mins

Total: 30 minutes mins

Servings: 4

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Ingredients 

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• ▢ 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• ▢ 1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces
• ▢ 6 cups green cabbage, thinly shredded (about ½ medium head)
• ▢ 1 large carrot, shredded
• ▢ ¼ cup tomato sauce
• ▢ 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ▢ ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ▢ 1 bay leaf
• ▢ 1 cup water or chicken stock
• ▢ 1 teaspoon paprika
• ▢ Chopped fresh parsley, for serving

US Customary – Metric

Instructions 

• Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
• Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
• Brown the chicken 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.
• Add the remaining oil, cabbage, carrot, tomato sauce, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Cook 5 minutes.
• Add the water or stock and bay leaf. Simmer 10–15 minutes, stirring often, until the cabbage is soft.
• Return the chicken, stir in the paprika, and cook 5 minutes, until the chicken reaches 165°F.
• Remove the bay leaf and garnish with parsley.

Notes

• Keeps 4 days in the fridge or 3 months in the freezer.
• For chicken breast, return it for only 3–4 minutes.
• For more protein, use 1½ lb chicken with the same amount of cabbage.

Nutrition

Calories: 236kcal, Carbohydrates: 9g, Protein: 25g, Fat: 12g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 7g, Trans Fat: 0.02g, Cholesterol: 108mg, Sodium: 785mg, Potassium: 568mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 2993IU, Vitamin C: 40mg, Calcium: 62mg, Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Main

Cuisine: bulgarian

Tried this recipe?Mention @cookinglsl or tag #cookinglsl!

FAQ

How long do you cook cabbage with chicken? About 25 minutes total: 5 minutes to brown the chicken, 15–20 minutes for the cabbage, and 5 minutes together at the end.

The cabbage is ready when it’s soft and glossy and most of the liquid has cooked off.

Why does my chicken and cabbage taste bitter? Usually the paprika burned.

Add it in the last 5 minutes with the chicken, not at the start with the cabbage.

Can I use chicken breast instead of thighs? Yes, but it dries out faster.

Brown it the same way, then return it to the pan for only 3–4 minutes at the end.

Is chicken and cabbage good for meal prep? Very. It keeps 4 days in the fridge, and the cabbage tastes better the next day once the flavors settle.

Reheat with a splash of water so it doesn’t dry out.