Napa cabbage rolls are one of my favorite ways to eat a healthy and nourishing meal (especially when I have been stuffing my face with unhealthy foods). These stuffed napa cabbage rolls are filled with ground chicken and vegetables then pan fried until golden, ready in about 30 minutes!
Quick Summary: Napa Cabbage Rolls
- ⭐️ What It Is: Napa cabbage rolls are tender cabbage leaves wrapped around a savory ground chicken filling and finished with a sweet soy sauce.
- 👍 Why Make This Recipe: They look restaurant fancy but only need a quick boil, roll, and pan fry.
- ⏰ Total Time: 30 minutes
- 🧂 Key Ingredients: Napa cabbage, ground chicken, mushrooms, oyster sauce, soy sauce, and sesame oil.
- 🚫 Skip This: Skip the oven and tomato sauce because a quick pan fry is all these need.
- 🫢 The Secret: Trim the thick stem and let the filling cool slightly so every roll stays tight.
- ❓ Can you make napa cabbage rolls ahead of time? Yes, assemble them up to a day ahead and pan fry right before serving.
- 🍽️ Best For: Weeknight dinners, light lunches, and meal prep.
SUMMARIZE AND SAVE THIS CONTENT
Napa cabbage rolls are an Asian style twist on classic stuffed cabbage. Instead of a heavy tomato sauce, soft napa cabbage leaves are wrapped around a filling made with ground chicken, mushrooms, garlic, and ginger, then pan fried and finished with a sweet soy sauce that soaks into every layer.
Growing up cooking Cantonese food with my family, napa cabbage showed up in everything from soups to stir fries. It’s the same tender cabbage I use in mille feuille nabe (Japanese hot pot) and the filling will remind you of my P.F. Chang’s inspired chicken lettuce wraps.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Light but satisfying: Tender cabbage and juicy chicken fill you up without the heavy feeling, similar to my crispy smashed ginger scallion chicken dumplings.
- That sweet soy sauce: It’s the same dim sum style sauce I like to pour over my shrimp rice paper rolls (cheung fun), which soaks into every bite.
- Weeknight friendly: Pantry ingredients and a 30 minute total time make this easy to pull off on a busy weeknight.
Key Ingredients
- Napa cabbage: This cabbage turn soft and slightly sweet after a quick boil, and they roll easily.
- Ground chicken: Lean protein that stays juicy and soaks up all the savory seasonings. You can swap this with ground pork or turkey!
- Mushrooms: Add an earthy, meaty bite and stretch the filling while making it more nutritious.
- Oyster sauce: Brings deep umami and a touch of sweetness to both the filling and the sauce.
- Soy sauce: Seasons the filling and forms the base of the sweet soy sauce drizzle.
- Cornstarch: Mixed with water into a slurry that binds the filling so it doesn’t spill out when rolling.
Customizations and Substitutions
- Swap the protein: Ground pork, turkey or beef works great here and pork gives you a richer filling that tastes a lot like my steamed pork siu mai dumplings.
- Make it vegetarian: Replace the chicken with crumbled firm tofu and extra finely chopped mushrooms, then use a mushroom based vegetarian oyster sauce.
- Add more heat: Stir chili crisp into the filling or finish with a spoonful of my homemade Vietnamese lemongrass chili oil.
- Change up the sauce: Make my ginger scallion sauce from my poached chicken for a more fragrant finish.
How to Make Napa Cabbage Rolls
Soften the napa cabbage
Boil the cabbage leaves for 3-4 minutes until soft and bendy. Pat dry and set aside.
Cook the filling
Brown the ground chicken for 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, and shallot for 1 minute, then the mushrooms and carrot for 2-3 minutes. Stir in the soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, salt, and cornstarch slurry.
Roll the napa cabbage rolls
Lay a cabbage leaf flat and trim a small portion of the thick stem at the bottom. Spoon about 1 tablespoon of filling near the base, fold in the sides, and roll it up tightly like a burrito. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.
Pan fry the rolls
Pan fry seam side down in a little oil over medium heat for 2-3 minutes per side until lightly golden.
Sauce and serve
Mix the soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, and water until the sugar dissolves. Drizzle over the rolls and top with sesame seeds, green onions, and chili oil.
Herman’s Expert Tips
- Don’t overfill the leaves: About 1 tablespoon of filling per leaf is the sweet spot, because too much makes the leaves split and squeeze filling out the sides. It’s the same rule I follow when folding my juicy pork and chive dumplings
- Roll with the big outer leaves: The larger outer leaves are the easiest to roll and least likely to rip. Save the small inner leaves for a quick garlicky Chinese cabbage stir fry the next night so nothing goes to waste.
- Let the filling cool slightly: Hot filling makes the leaves tear and turns rolling into a mess. Give it about 5 minutes off the heat and the cornstarch slurry will help it hold together much better.
Storage
Store leftover napa cabbage rolls in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat gently in a skillet or microwave until warmed through, and add the sweet soy sauce fresh right before serving.
Napa Cabbage Rolls FAQs
I recommend using napa cabbage because they are more tender when cooked and larger so more filling can be added into each leaf. However, if you must use green cabbage, just make sure to boil a little longer to tenderize the leaf and don't overstuff it with too much filling.
Make sure the cabbage leaves are fully softened, trim the thick stem, and roll tightly. Placing the rolls seam side down in the pan first seals the edge so they hold their shape.
Yes! Assemble the rolls up to a day ahead, cover them, and keep them in the fridge until you’re ready to pan fry.
They freeze best before pan frying. Freeze them in a single layer on a sheet pan, the same trick I use for the wontons in my easy homemade wonton soup, then move them to a freezer bag and thaw overnight in the fridge before cooking.
Yup. Set them on a plate in your steamer, the same setup I use for my silky Chinese steamed eggs, and steam until warmed through. You’ll miss the golden edges, but they come out extra tender and light.
What to Serve with Napa Cabbage Rolls
If you loved this Napa Cabbage Rolls recipe or any other recipes on my site, please leave a ⭐️ rating and let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
Napa Cabbage Rolls
Equipment
Ingredients
Napa Cabbage Rolls
- 8-10 napa cabbage leaves
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¾ pound ground chicken
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon minced ginger
- 1 shallot diced finely
- 3 oz mushrooms diced finely
- ½ carrot diced finely
- 1.5 tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 teaspoon oyster sauce
- ½ teaspoon sesame oil
- ⅛ teaspoon salt adjust to taste
- 2 teaspoon cornstarch + 3 tablespoon water to make cornstarch slurry
Sweet Soy Sauce
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 teaspoon oyster sauce
- 1.5 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoon water
Garnishes
- sesame seeds
- chopped green onions
- chili oil
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Carefully add the napa cabbage leaves (making sure not to tear or rip the leaves) and cook for about 3-4 minutes until softened. Remove, gently pat dry with paper towel, and set aside.8-10 napa cabbage leaves
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the ground chicken to the skillet, breaking it up, and cook until browned and no longer pink, about 2-3 mins. Add the garlic, ginger, and shallot and sauté until fragrant, about 1 min. Add the mushrooms and carrot and cook for 2–3 minutes until softened. Stir in soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, salt, and mix well.1 Tbsp olive oil, ¾ pound ground chicken, 2 cloves garlic, 1 tsp minced ginger, 1 shallot, 3 oz mushrooms, ½ carrot, 1.5 Tbsp soy sauce, 2 tsp oyster sauce, ½ tsp sesame oil, ⅛ tsp salt
- Stir the corn starch slurry mixture as the starch tends to settle towards the bottom then add it to the filling. Cook for another 30–60 seconds until the mixture thickens slightly and holds together. Turn off the heat and let the filling cool slightly.2 tsp cornstarch
- Lay a napa cabbage leaf flat, trim a small portion of the thick stem on the bottom, spoon about 1 tablespoon of filling near the base, then roll it up like a burrito, folding in the sides and rolling tightly. Repeat with remaining leaves and filling.
- Heat another large skillet with a tiny bit of olive oil over medium heat. Add the cabbage rolls and pan-fry for 2–3 minutes per side until lightly golden and warmed through. Cook in batches as needed.
- In a small bowl, mix together all the sweet soy sauce ingredients until the sugar is dissolved.2 Tbsp soy sauce, 2 tsp oyster sauce, 1.5 tsp granulated sugar, 2 Tbsp water
- Transfer the cabbage rolls to a serving plate, drizzle with the sweet soy sauce, and top with sesame seeds, chopped green onions, and chili oil. Serve immediately.sesame seeds, chopped green onions, chili oil
Rebecca Moran says
Herman is awesome! It seems like my new way of healthy eating is following his recipes and I’m never disappointed. Thank you for sharing Herman. You’re the best.😁
Herman Chan says
This means so much and so happy you love my recipes! 🙂 I'll keep these coming
Rikki says
Stunning and authentic…
Herman Chan says
Thanks so much!
Ruth says
So yummy and easy. Next time I need to make more!!!
Herman says
I agree, I love this one!
Tess Pino says
Very healthy.