Korean Cabbage Stir Fry: A K-Celebrity’s -10kg Secret
This Korean cabbage stir fry is the dish that helped a famous Korean celebrity (Sung si-kyung) lose 10kg and once you try it, you’ll understand why. It’s ready in just 10 minutes, loaded with deep umami flavor, and comes in at under 120 calories per serving. No crash diet, no bland food. Just real Korean cooking that actually works.
Why Koreans Eat Cabbage When Dieting
If you’ve ever looked into Korean diet culture, you’ll notice one ingredient showing up again and again: cabbage. In Korea, cabbage is the go-to vegetable when people are trying to lose weight. Walk into any Korean diet community online and you’ll find it everywhere, steamed, stir-fried, used as wraps, even eaten raw. There’s a reason for that.
Cabbage is one of the most calorie-efficient vegetables you can eat:
The K-Celebrity Diet Secret
A well-known Korean singer(Sung Si-kyung) went viral for losing 10kg by eating simple, home-cooked Korean meals, including this exact korean cabbage stir fry recipe. His before-and-after photos shocked fans. The transformation looked dramatic, but his diet was anything but extreme. No starving, no supplements, just cooking at home with fresh ingredients.
What stood out was how practical and repeatable his approach was. This wasn’t a celebrity chef recipe. It was the kind of thing a regular person could make on a Tuesday night after work. That’s exactly why it went viral — and why it works.
📹 Watch his original recipe video here
![[성시경 레시피] 양배추 레시피 완결 Sung Si Kyung Recipe - Stir-fried cabbage](https://www.blondekimchi.com/wp-content/cache/flying-press/df40114978caef030fab07efef244f2c.jpg)
What Makes This Korean Cabbage Stir Fry Different
If you’ve searched for cabbage stir fry recipes before, you’ve probably found Chinese-style versions with five-spice and rice vinegar, or basic Western versions with garlic and soy sauce. Those are fine but they’re not what a Korean would eat on a diet.
This korean stir fry cabbage is different in three key ways:
- Tuna fish sauce This is the secret ingredient most Western recipes miss. Tuna fish sauce is milder and slightly sweeter than regular fish sauce. It gives this dish a deep, rounded umami flavor that soy sauce alone can’t achieve. You can find it at any Korean or Asian grocery store.
- Butter finish Just one tablespoon of butter added at the end transforms this from a simple stir-fry into something that tastes genuinely indulgent. It coats the cabbage and helps the seasoning absorb beautifully.
- 10 minutes, start to finish Not 27 minutes like some recipes online. Not 15 minutes. 10 minutes. On a busy weeknight, that difference matters.
Ingredients
Serves 2
- ½ head green cabbage
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 pinches of salt
- 7 turns of black pepper
- ⅓ cup water
- 2 hot chili peppers (or ½ stalk green onion for a mild version)
- 1 tbsp tuna fish sauce: find it at Korean/Asian grocery stores; regular fish sauce works too
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp butter
Can’t find tuna fish sauce? Regular fish sauce works as a substitute.
🐟 You can also order it online 👉 Shop on Amazon.
How to Make Korean Cabbage Stir Fry in 10 Minutes
Step 1: Chop the cabbage
Cut into large, chunky cube-shaped pieces.
Step 2: Choose your heat level
Like spicy? Thinly slice 2 chili peppers. Prefer mild? Use ½ stalk of green onion instead. Both work beautifully.
Step 3: Start cooking
Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the cabbage. Season with salt and pepper. Pour in ⅓ cup of water. This helps the cabbage stays juicy without burning.
🍳 Want the perfect sear? I use [this wok pan]: it heats evenly and makes stir-frying so much easier.
Step 4: Add aromatics
Toss in your sliced chili peppers or green onion.
Step 5: Season and finish
Add tuna fish sauce and soy sauce. Stir-fry until the cabbage just starts to wilt. Add butter. Keep cooking until the seasoning is fully absorbed and the cabbage is tender but still has some bite.
Total: 10 minutes. Done.
Nutrition & Health Benefits
Cabbage is one of the most nutrient-dense low-calorie vegetables available. It’s high in Vitamin C (great for immunity), Vitamin K (important for bone health), and contains antioxidants that support overall health. For a full breakdown of cabbage’s health benefits, Healthline has an excellent overview.
As a low calorie Korean cabbage dish, this recipe works on multiple levels:
- Eat it without rice as a standalone meal → ultra low-carb
- Eat it with a small bowl of rice as a korean banchan cabbage → balanced meal
- Use it for meal prep → stores well for 3 days
This is exactly the kind of korean weight loss recipe that’s sustainable long-term because it actually tastes good.
Serving Tips & Variations
- For weight loss (no rice): Eat it straight from the pan. The fiber and butter make it surprisingly filling. This is how the K-celebrity ate it during his -10kg journey.
- As a banchan (side dish): Serve alongside a small bowl of rice and soup for a traditional Korean meal. A classic korean banchan cabbage combo.
Add protein:
- Tofu
- Shrimp
- Thinly sliced beef or pork
Storage
Fridge: Store in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Reheat in a pan over medium-low heat with a small splash of water or microwave.
Meal prep tip: This korean cabbage stir fry is ideal for batch cooking. Make a double portion on Sunday and use it throughout the week as a quick lunch or dinner side.
More Korean Weight Loss Recipes
If this recipe is part of your weight loss journey, here are two more dishes from my personal -20kg transformation that you’ll want to bookmark:
🥬 -20kg Weight Loss Steamed Cabbage with Pork Belly Another cabbage-based Korean diet meal.
-20kg Weight Loss Steamed Cabbage with Pork Belly, Korean Hot Pot
🍳 Egg Bokki: Tteokbokki for Weight Loss Love Korean comfort food but hate the carb overload? This egg-based tteokbokki alternative satisfies the craving without derailing your diet.
Egg Bokki: Tteokbokki for Weight Loss with Microwave
And if you want a full week of healthy Korean lunches, my Light Korean Dosirak cookbook has everything you need. 5 weight-loss-friendly lunchbox recipes, ready in under 30 minutes, with cooking videos included.
Light Korean Dosirak Cookbook
This has my -20kg loss secret. Have light Korean lunch boxes for a week and see the change.
FAQ about Korean Cabbage Stir Fry for Weight Loss
Korean Cabbage Stir Fry: A K-Celebrity’s -10kg Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 0.5 cabbage
- 2 pinches salt
- 7 turns black pepper
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 0.3 cups water
- 2 hot chili peppers for mild version: 1/2 stalk green onion
- 1 tbsp tuna fish sauce or any fish sauce
- 1 tbsp Korean soy sauce Jin Ganjang
- 1 tbsp Butter
Instructions
- Chop the cabbage: Cut the cabbage into large, chunky cube-shaped pieces.0.5 cabbage
- Prep your heat level: If you like it spicy, thinly slice 2 hot chili peppers (or ½ stalk green onion) chili peppers. If you prefer it mild, thinly slice half a stalk of green onion instead.2 hot chili peppers
- Start cooking: Heat 1 tablespoons olive oil olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat, then add the cabbage.1 tbsp olive oil
- Season: Season with 2 pinches of salt salt and 7 turns of black pepper black pepper as a base.2 pinches salt, 7 turns black pepper
- Add water: Pour in 0.3 cups water water to help the cabbage cook through and stay moist.0.3 cups water
- Add aromatics: Add in your sliced chili peppers or green onion.
- Add sauces & butter: Add 1 tablespoons tuna fish sauce tuna fish sauce and 1 tablespoons soy sauce soy sauce, and stir-fry. Once the cabbage starts to wilt slightly, add 1 tablespoons butter butter.1 tbsp tuna fish sauce, 1 tbsp Butter, 1 tbsp Korean soy sauce
- Finish: Continue stir-frying until the cabbage is fully cooked and the seasoning has been absorbed into the leaves.
- Serve and enjoy!
Nutrition
Made this recipe? Drop a comment below and tell me how it went, I’d love to hear! And if you’re on a Korean weight loss journey, don’t forget to check out the Light Korean Dosirak cookbook for more easy, delicious Korean diet meals. 🥬
