Grilled Napa Cabbage and Chicken Skillet--Using the Grill as a Summer Kitchen

Too hot inside? Power out? Use your grill as a summer kitchen to make this Napa cabbage and chicken skillet supper.

I could start off by saying my kitchen is hot.

I could make innuendos about how hot my mattress feels. [In my opinion, Tempuerpedic sleeps hot.]

I could whine about my 80+ year old windows and their lack of insulation [what they lack in insulation they make up in charm?].

Or, I could just say that the more I avoid my stove in the summer, the better I sleep at night and leave it at that.

If you have toured grand historic houses [for me, Mount Vernon, Montpelier and Monticello readily come to mind] one thing you may see is a summer kitchen. I have fond memories of the one at Mount Vernon.

I have always liked the idea of a summer kitchen, but it wasn't until an offhand comment by my spouse that I realized my grill could be a summer kitchen.

Cast iron pans can be used over an open flame--why not keep the kitchen cool and cook outside?

While it's on my mind, if you like in a place with days-long power outages (SW Ohio, I'm talking 'bout you), having the ability to cook all that thawing meat on a grill during the summer storm season is a plus.

I'm continuing to throw the farm share on the grill this summer with my newest recipe suggestion. This main dish grilled sort of stir fry comes together quickly. Add some hot rice [my rice cooker keeps the stove off] and the kitchen stays cool.

[Filled with hungry dogs who want to eat carrots or eat what the other dogs are eating, but cool nonetheless.]

Grilled Napa Cabbage and Chicken Skillet

1 Tablespoon vegetable oil

2 medium to large heads Napa cabbage, thinly sliced (about 6-7 cups)

2 cups cooked cubed chicken (leftover roast or rotisserie works great here)

1/4 cup prepared hoisin sauce

2 large spring onions or 1/2 cup chopped onion/shallot

salt and pepper to taste (I used Crazy Janes Mixed Up Salt, a few shakes)

to serve, hot cooked rice

Preheat grill to high for about 10 minutes while you prep the food, scrub grill grates with a grill brush to clean them, then reduce heat to medium and place a 12 inch cast iron skillet on the grill.

In a large bowl, toss thinly sliced cabbage with vegetable oil. Set aside. Mix chopped chicken and hoisin sauce and set aside.

Spread cabbage across hot skillet, cover grill, and cook for 2 minutes. Open lid, stir cabbage, cover and cook another 2 to 3 minutes until cabbage is slightly softened. Dump the seasoned chicken and spring onions on top of the partially-cooked cabbage, stir to combine, cover the grill, and cook for about 5 more minutes until everything is heated through. Taste and see if you'd like salt and pepper. We did.





For more recipes using cabbage, please see my Cabbage Recipes Collection.  This collection is part of the Visual Recipe Index by Ingredient. I've got a Greens Board on Pinterest if you're so inclined. Want to know how to use this blog? Click here.