Thai stir-fried cabbage is a simple recipe using only a few ingredients, yet the flavors are divine! This version has a little extra twist with added bacon and sauces to add extra layers of umami flavors you will love. It can be put together in 20 minutes!
For more simple Thai stir-fry dishes, make these delicious and popular Thai morning glory stir-fried recipe and Thai glass noodles recipe, Yum Woon Sen, Kai Jeow Thai crispy omelet recipe, and Prik Nam Pla.
Jump to:
- What is Thai Stir-Fried Cabbage?
- Why This Recipe Works
- What Goes Into This Recipe
- How to make Thai Stir-Fried Cabbage With Bacon
- Important Kitchen Notes
- Helpful Kitchen Tools for this Recipe
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Check Out these Thai Recipes You’ll Love!
- Thai stir-fried cabbage with bacon (Pad Galem Plee)
What is Thai Stir-Fried Cabbage?
It is a salty, umami Thai side dish made with sliced cabbage, garlic, and fresh chilis and seasoned with oyster sauce, fish sauce, soy sauce, and other ingredients. It can be made with or without pork or pork belly. It's a great recipe often served as a vegetable dish in Thai alongside the main course dishes like fried rice, salads, or noodles.
I’ve had a simple Thai cabbage stir fry dish in Thailand with a few versions. Some use only Thai fish sauce and garlic to season the cabbage; others add meat and more seasoning for extra flavor. This Thai stir fry is adaptable and can be used with or without meat. If using meat, it was usually thinly sliced pork or pork belly.
Thai stir-fried cabbage is called a few names in Thailand depending on what ingredients are used. Pad Galam Plee (Stir-fried cabbage), Galam Plee Pad Nam Pla (cabbage stir-fried with fish sauce), or Pad Moo Galam Plee (stir-fried pork with cabbage).
Due to its simplicity but still a tasty dish, Thai stir-fried cabbage is one of the most common side vegetables for big gatherings like weddings and funerals in Thailand. When served for a large crowd or in a Thai restaurant, hot peppers are not added to accommodate all taste buds. This recipe calls for Thai chilis for added heat and flavor. Adjust as desired, as always. (:
Why This Recipe Works
- It is incredibly easy to put together. It can be served in 20 minutes or less.
- It’s low carbs! You can eat it as a meal without rice and still gets satisfied!
- It’s a great side dish to add to any family dinner.
- It’s a quick, simple vegetable dish to add to your meal
- Double up on the recipe and bring it to a potluck or dinner party.
What Goes Into This Recipe
To put my twist on this classic, I added bacon. Bacon because it’s quicker to cook but still offers a slightly crunchy with meaty flavors. It adds textures and a depth of flavors to this classic Thai dish, making it extra "Aroi" (delicious). Thai style with a little bit of Western bacon infusion! (:
- Cabbage. White or purple/ red cabbage are great vegetable substitute is Nappa cabbage. Find a small green cabbage, as it is easier to cut into. If using purple cabbage, know that the purple hue from the cabbage will slightly impart its violet color into the stir fry.
- Bacon. Use any bacon you like but watch the salt content of each package and adapt your fish sauce and soy sauce as needed, as you don't want the stir-fried to be too salty.
- Garlic. This dish is garlic-heavy. Use large cloves of garlic and more garlic if desired. Slice your crushed garlic into larger chunks for an extra garlicky taste in your stir fry.
- Chilis. Use fresh Thai bird's eye chilis or red pepper flakes for the added heat. You can omit this ingredient completely, too, if desired. Adjust with some or none at all.
- Oyster sauce. A must for this recipe. It adds the rich, silky, and lovely umami flavor the cabbage stir-fried is known for.
- Fish sauce. Just a touch is all you need. Add more at the end if you need a bit more.
- Soy sauce. Use thin soy sauce or any soy sauce you have.
- Rice wine vinegar. Apple cider vinegar or lime juice is ok as a substitute
- Sugar. Use white, brown, monk, coconut, or honey for sweetener.
- White pepper. Adjust as needed. It gets spicy fast, so use it carefully or deliberately as desired! (:
How to make Thai Stir-Fried Cabbage With Bacon
Step One. Add Oyster, soy sauce, fish sauce, sugar, and white pepper to a small bowl.
Step Two. Add bacon to a large wok, a big skillet, or sauté pan on medium-high heat. Use a spatula to separate the pieces and let them cook to your crispness level. Soft or crispy bacon is perfectly delicious!
Step three. Add garlic and chilis and stir together. Cook for one minute until fragrant.
Step four. Add the sliced cabbage and stir together. Turn the heat up to high and cook for 2-3 minutes until the cabbage wilt.
Step five. Add the soy sauce mixture, stir well, and cook for 1 more minute. Give it a last stir before placing the cabbage into a serving dish. Season more with a splash of sugar, fish sauce, and a dash of ground white pepper, and serve with plain jasmine rice. That’s it! Enjoy.
Important Kitchen Notes
- You can quickly turn this dish into a vegetarian dish. Omit the bacon altogether.
- If your bacon in the wok imparts too much oil, drain some out and continue cooking.
- Add thinly sliced pork loins, pork belly, or ham for extra protein.
- Since I'm using bacon, no additional oil is needed. If omitting the bacon, fry the garlic and chilis in hot oil before adding the cabbage. Use neutral oil with a high smoking point.
Helpful Kitchen Tools for this Recipe
- A large Flat bottom wok
- A large skillet
- A stainless steel or wooden spatula
Frequently Asked Questions
Pork meat goes well with this recipe. Use thinly sliced pork loins, pork belly, or bacon, as the meat is a bit lighter and slightly sweeter than other meats.
This simple stir fry recipe is usually served as a side dish in a Thai meal as an added nutritious vegetable dish.
The cabbage in Thai stir-fried cabbage recipes is typically the green or purple/red round cabbage in most regular grocery stores. Sometimes napa cabbage can be used for this recipe, but it's not recommended as it won't be the same recipe as the cabbage is the main ingredient.
No, not for this Thai stir-fried cabbage recipe. You only need to wash in a big bowl with cold water before using it to rinse off dirt or germs. Look for firm and avoid wilted using old green cabbage if possible, as some may give off a slightly unpleasant bitter taste when cooking.
For this simple dish of cabbage stir fry, cut the hulk of a small purple or white cabbage in halves, quarter the pieces, and then cut it into 2-inch pieces.
Check Out these Thai Recipes You’ll Love!
- Pad Woon Sen noodle stir fry recipe
- Thai grilled eggplant salad with pork
- Thai crispy egg salad (Yam Kai Dao)
- Thai pickled mustard greens
- Nam Tok Beef Waterfall salad
- Thai basil chicken Pad Kra Pao.
- Butterfly pea flower tea
- The best-crying tiger recipe
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Thai stir-fried cabbage with bacon (Pad Galem Plee)
- Total Time: 20
- Yield: 4 1x
Description
Thai stir-fried cabbage is a simple recipe using only a few ingredients, yet the flavors are simply divine! This version has a little extra twist with added bacon and sauces to add extra layers of umami flavors that you will love. It can be put together in 20 minutes!
Ingredients
- 1 pound of sliced cabbage. (Find a small head of cabbage, cut in halves, then quarters and then cut it into 2-inch pieces.
- 6 oz bacon (half a package, usually). Slice the bacon into smaller pieces, about 1x1 inch. It’s easier to leave the bacon slices together and cut them in stacks rather than in individual pieces.
- 4-5 large garlic, chopped. Add more garlic if desired. If smaller pieces, add 6-8 garlic cloves). This dish is garlic heavy as eaten in Thailand. Adjust as needed for your taste bud.
- 1-5 Fresh Thai chilis. Adjust with some or non at all.
- 2 Tablespoon oyster sauce. A must for this recipe. It adds the rich, silky umami flavors for which the cabbage stir-fried is known.
- 1 tsp fish sauce. Just a touch is all you need. Add more at the end if you need a bit more.
- 1 tsp soy sauce. Use thin soy sauce or any soy sauce you have.
- ½ tablespoon rice wine vinegar. Apple cider vinegar or lime juice is ok as a substitute
- 1 tablespoon sugar. Use white, brown, monk, coconut, or honey for sweetener.
- 1 tsp white pepper. Adjust as needed. It gets spicy fast, so use it carefully or deliberately as desired! (:
Instructions
- Add Oyster, soy sauce, fish sauce, sugar, and white pepper to a small bowl.
- Add bacon to a large wok, big skillet, or a large sauté pan on medium-high heat. Use a spatula to separate the pieces and let them cook to your crispness level. Soft or crispy bacon is perfectly delicious!
- Add garlic and chilis and stir together. Cook for one minute until fragrant
- Add the sliced cabbage and stir together. Turn the heat up to high and cook for 2-3 minutes until the cabbage wilt.
- Add the soy sauce mixture, stir well and cook for 1 more minute. Give it a last stir before placing the cabbage into a serving dish. Season more with a splash of sugar, fish sauce, and a dash of ground white pepper, and serve with plain jasmine rice. That’s it! Enjoy.
Notes
- You can quickly turn this dish into a vegetarian dish. Omit the bacon altogether.
- If your bacon in the wok imparts too much oil, drain some out and continue cooking.
- You can add thinly sliced pork loins, pork belly, or even ham for extra protein.
- Since I'm using bacon, no additional oil is needed. If omitting the bacon, fry the garlic and chilis in hot oil before adding the cabbage. Use neutral oil with a high smoking point.
** Thank you so much for visiting my blog! This is truly a passion for me. If you have enjoyed these recipes and appreciate the hard work I put into them, I would love it if you would share them with your friends! Your recommendation is the highest review I could hope for, and I’d appreciate it! **
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 10
- Category: Easy
- Method: Stir Fried
- Cuisine: Thai
Suwanee says
I'm so happy to hear that, Cathie! I'm glad it turned out so well and that you loved the flavors. (:
Cathie says
Great flavors! We really enjoyed the Thai influences in this fried cabbage recipe. Thanks Susanne for sharing the recipe!
Suwanee says
Way to go Aliza! I'm so happy you made it work and knew how to mix and match flavors to make it fit your nutritional need.
Aliza H says
SO GOOD! We don't do bacon but *loved* your suggestion for extra flavor & crispies if omitting. Also added black soy sauce & extra fish sauce, plus TJs Mushroom Umami powder, all to recreate bacon's sweetness & depth. Miiight try liquid smoke next time, but don't wanna stray too far. Thanks for making cabbage this tasty!
Faith says
We made this and have to be honest. I didn’t think it’d be anything too special. I wanted a vegetable dish to add to our dinner and wanted to give it a try. BUT after it was made, tasted it, I lost my mind and ate half of it before serving it to my family! Hehe. Plus I was super hungry so it went down fast. Family loved it too. Thanks so much.