Chicken, cabbage, and sweet potato stir fry is an easy 30-minute meal packed with tastiness. The sweet potatoes and cabbage make it a little sweet. The fennel seeds add just the right boost of flavor. Chicken provides good healthy protein.
Chicken, Cabbage, And Sweet Potato Stir Fry
This is one of those dishes with a delightful texture. The sweet potatoes will be a little soft, and the chicken, of course, will be a little chewy and juicy. I like to leave the cabbage a bit crunchy in this cabbage and sweet potato stir fry because the different textures of this dish are so satisfying. Plus, mushy cabbage isn't pleasant.
Why This Recipe Works
This simple yet delicious stir-fry recipe requires only a little preparation and can be made in about 30 minutes using two pans. Most people like the combination of sweet and salty foods. It makes a complete meal that is colorful, filling, and enjoyable.
What Goes Into This Recipe
I’ll bet you have most of the ingredients in your kitchen. Both cabbage and sweet potatoes are vegetables that will last a long time in a refrigerator vegetable crisper. So, I usually have them on hand.
Besides sweet potatoes and cabbage, you’ll need onion, sweet red bell pepper, garlic, olive oil, fennel seed, chicken tenders or chopped chicken, salt, and pepper. I generally have all of these ingredients in my ready-to-use supplies. Do you?
Substitutions/Variations
Of course, you usually can't go wrong when you stir-fry onions, garlic, and other fresh vegetables. Just about any vegetables work in a stir fry. Some specific substitutions for this recipe are:
- Green bell pepper can be substituted for red bell pepper. Red pepper has a little sweeter flavor, but green pepper is tasty, too.
- Canola oil or another mild oil can be substituted for olive oil, without any change in flavor.
- Chicken breast is a good substitute for chicken tenders. You can even swap precooked dark meat chicken or roasted chicken pieces for the tenders, adding them right at the end of the recipe instead of adding them raw in the earlier step.
How To Make This Recipe
Start with peeling and cubing the sweet potatoes. Put the cubed sweet potatoes in a pot of water and bring them to a boil. You’ll want the potatoes to be just a little undercooked (crisp-tender) so they hold their shape and texture when you put them in the stir fry.
Keep an eye on the sweet potatoes so they don’t overcook. They should be ready to drain in about 10-15 minutes. Drain them and set them aside when they are still a little crisp. They will finish cooking when you add them to the stir fry.
While the sweet potatoes are cooking, chop the onion and red peppers and mince the garlic. Slice the cabbage and prepare it for cooking.
Heat the oil in a large sauté pan or wok and sauté the chicken tenders until they are almost done. They will be white throughout but not yet browned on the outside. Remove them to another plate.
Then, toss in the fennel to release the flavor. Add the onions and sauté them until they caramelize (brown). Toss in the diced peppers and let them cook for a minute or two. Add the garlic and stir everything.
Add the cabbage and continue to stir fry until the cabbage is crisp-tender. Stir occasionally to make sure everything gets evenly cooked.
Add the drained sweet potatoes to the skillet. Return the chicken to the pan and let the pieces brown a bit. Add salt and pepper to taste, and give the dish a stir. Enjoy!
Storing
Store in a covered dish in the refrigerator for up to three days.
FAQs And Expert Tips
A good size is about ¼ inch wide.
Caraway seed or rosemary can be substituted for fennel as a scrumptious option.
A cup of canned cannellini beans or other white beans (without the liquid) would be an excellent choice.
Although you can substitute a variety of fresh vegetables in a stir fry, I do not suggest using green beans in this one. Green beans tend to overwhelm the flavor of the dish. Save them for when you want that wonderful green bean flavor to be primary.
Chicken, Cabbage, and Sweet Potato Stir Fry
Author: Recipe Idea Shop
Ingredients
- 2 sweet potatoes peeled and cut in 2" pieces
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 5 chicken tenders cubed into 2-inch pieces
- 1 teaspoon fennel seed
- 1 medium yellow onion cut in chunks
- ½ cup red pepper diced
- ½ cabbage cut in chunks
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Place the sweet potato chunks in a pot of water and boil until tender crisp. Drain.
- While the sweet potatoes are cooking, heat the oil in a large skillet, or wok.
- Add the chicken and cook until the meat is white throughout.
- Remove the chicken to another dish.
- Return the skillet to the stove, and add the fennel. Stir to release the flavor.
- Add the onion and sauté until it starts to caramelize.
- Toss in the garlic, and give it a stir.
- Add the red pepper and cabbage.
- Cook over medium-high heat until the vegetables are crisp tender. Add the sweet potatoes and chicken.
- Stir to combine and heat for a minute or two more to make sure everything is hot.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
More Stir Fry Recipes To Try
Kathy acquired the blog, Recipe Idea Shop in 2024. She was raised on a farm in Arkansas where having a big garden and good food to eat was the norm. She shares recipes for homemade comfort food and new trending dishes.
Kathy began her blogging journey in 2011 when she founded PetticoatJunktion.com, a home décor blog focused on repurposing and upcycling furniture, and thrift store finds.
