A round ceramic plate containing napa cabbage stir-fry with shiitake mushrooms and bacon seasoned lightly with soy sauce.

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.

A round ceramic plate containing napa cabbage stir-fry with shiitake mushrooms and bacon seasoned lightly with soy sauce.

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.

Napa Cabbage (Hakusai)

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
  1. Cut the napa cabbage, shiitake mushrooms, and bacon.
  2. In a frying pan or wok, stir fry bacon until the fat is rendered.
  3. Add the tough part of the napa cabbage and cook covered.
  4. Add the leafy part of the napa cabbage and cook covered.
  5. 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.
A round ceramic plate containing napa cabbage stir-fry with shiitake mushrooms and bacon seasoned lightly with soy sauce.

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:

Other Napa Cabbage Recipes

A round ceramic plate containing napa cabbage stir-fry with shiitake mushrooms and bacon seasoned lightly with soy sauce.

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4.70 from 30 votes

Napa Cabbage Stir-Fry

This easy Japanese-style Napa Cabbage Stir-Fry makes a quick vegetable side or main dish. Here, I bring umami to this tender and sweet Asian cabbage with savory smoked bacon and shiitake mushrooms. It's a delicious combination! {Vegetarian adaptable}
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Total: 20 minutes
Servings: 4 (as a side dish)

Ingredients  

  • ¼ head napa cabbage (1 lb, 454 g, including the core)
  • 3 shiitake mushrooms (1.8 oz, 50 g; or substitute other types of mushrooms or carrots and onion, or skip altogether)
  • 3 slices applewood smoked bacon (4 oz, 113 g; bacon adds protein, a savory flavor, and dimensional texture; or substitute shrimp, tofu, or seitan; skip for vegan/vegetarian)
  • 2 tsp neutral oil (for stir-frying, if needed)
  • ¼ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt (divided)
  • tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tsp soy sauce

For Serving

Instructions

  • Gather all the ingredients.
    Napa Cabbage Stir Fry Ingredients

To Prepare the Ingredients

  • Cut ¼ head napa cabbage crosswise into pieces 2 inches (5 cm) long, and then cut the tough, thick pieces in half or thirds lengthwise.
    Napa Cabbage Stir Fry 1
  • Cut off and discard the stems of 3 shiitake mushrooms. Thinly slice the shiitake caps.
    Napa Cabbage Stir Fry 2
  • Cut 3 slices applewood smoked bacon into strips ½ inch (1.3 cm) wide.
    Napa Cabbage Stir Fry 2

To Stir-Fry

  • Heat an ungreased large frying pan on medium-high heat. Once it’s hot, add the bacon and stir-fry.
    Napa Cabbage Stir Fry 4
  • Cook until the bacon fat has rendered. I added 2 tsp neutral oil to coat the bottom of my well-seasoned carbon steel pan as there wasn‘t enough rendered fat.
    Napa Cabbage Stir Fry 5
  • Add the tough, thick pieces of napa cabbage. Sprinkle with half of the ¼ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt.
    Napa Cabbage Stir Fry 6
  • Stir to mix and cook, covered, on medium-low heat for 2 minutes.
    Napa Cabbage Stir Fry 7
  • Open the lid and stir. Add the shiitake and the tender, leafy pieces of the napa cabbage.
    Napa Cabbage Stir Fry 8
  • Sprinkle with the rest of the salt and stir to mix.
    Napa Cabbage Stir Fry 9
  • Cook, covered, for 3–4 minutes. Open the lid and see if the tough napa cabbage pieces are cooked through.
    Napa Cabbage Stir Fry 10
  • If not, cover and continue to cook for 1–2 minutes. Stir to make sure the napa cabbage is crisp-tender and evenly cooked.
    Napa Cabbage Stir Fry 11
  • Season with ⅛ tsp freshly ground black pepper and 2 tsp soy sauce. Stir to mix.
    Napa Cabbage Stir Fry 12
  • Transfer the Napa Cabbage Stir-Fry to a large plate. I sprinkle my stir-fry with freshly ground Japanese sansho pepper (optional) to enjoy.
    Napa Cabbage Stir Fry 13

To Store

  • You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container and keep them for 3 days in the refrigerator or for up to a month in the freezer.

Nutrition

Calories: 143kcal, Carbohydrates: 5g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 12g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Trans Fat: 0.04g, Cholesterol: 19mg, Sodium: 428mg, Potassium: 364mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 371IU, Vitamin C: 31mg, Calcium: 89mg, Iron: 1mg

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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.