Unleash the potential of one of the healthiest and most budget-friendly vegetables Fried cabbage Recipe. Thinly sliced cabbage and onions cooked tenderly with crispy bacon bits, this easy side dish pairs well with your favorite meats or enjoy on its own for a quick meal.
If you’ve been bypassing cabbage in the produce aisle, it’s time to stop and give this nutritious, inexpensive, long-lasting vegetable a chance to charm you.
Whether you need a quick weekday side dish like Sautéed Cabbage or want to make a budget-friendly, bulk recipe like Cabbage Soup or its meatier cousin, Cabbage Roll Soup, Humble Cabbage is here to help.
Cabbage is a cruciferous vegetable and can be bland and bitter on its own.
What matters is how you prepare it!
Pan-fried with bacon drips, then topped up with a little lemon juice or vinegar to spice it up, this southern fried cabbage is nothing short of delicious.
Tips for crispy fried cabbage
Just like roasted Brussels sprouts with garlic and sautéed Brussels sprouts, cabbage contains natural sugars that caramelize in high-temperature cooking methods.
Make sure you follow these tips to end up with a delicious roasted cabbage with lots of crispy bits you’ll want to pluck right out of the pan.
- Thinly slice the cabbage. To ensure the cabbage is caramelized and crispy, remove the core and then thinly slice.
- Use a large skillet. The cabbage needs a lot of room to brown evenly and get crispy. If it’s too full, it will steam.
- Don’t stir too often. Leaving the cabbage in the pan undisturbed for a few minutes will give the surface time to brown and crisp.
- Add a little acid. One of the keys to making sure cabbage and other cruciferous vegetables don’t taste bitter is to add a pinch of acid like apple cider vinegar or lemon juice.
- season good. As with any vegetable recipe, kosher salt is critical to flavor. From there, enjoy your own variations by adding your choice of garlic, herbs, cheese, or spices.
How to make fried cabbage
This easy roasted cabbage recipe is easy to make, but skimps where it counts: taste good.
Serve this roasted cabbage and onion as a side, or top it off with an egg and enjoy with toast for a hearty breakfast or quick dinner.
The ingredients
- cabbage. Incredibly nutritious but often overlooked, kale shines in this easy recipe. It’s temptingly caramelized, crispy and coated in rich bacon flavor.
- bacon. A delicious way to satisfy this recipe. The cabbage is cooked in the bacon drips, meaning it gets a crowd-pleasing flavor boost.
- Onion. Once cooked and caramelized, the onions add a touch of sweetness.
- Spices. A mixture of salt, garlic powder, and pepper makes fried cabbage flavorful.
- Worcestershire. My secret to making this the best roasted cabbage recipe! Worcestershire sauce is an umami powerhouse.
- lemon Juice. Helps wake up the cabbage with acidity and prevents it from tasting bitter.
The directions
- Remove the core from the cabbage, then cut in half.
- Cut the halves into thin strips.
- Fry the bacon. Place the bacon on a plate with a slotted spoon. Remove all but 2 tablespoons of the drippings from the pan.
- Sauté the onion in the pan.
- Add oil, cabbage and spices. Fry the cabbage for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Stir in Worcestershire. Remove the pot from the stove and add the lemon juice. DIG IN!
recipe variations
- Fried cabbage with sausage. As my cabbage and sausage skillet can attest to, this pairing is delicious! Fry smoked sausage slices with bacon.
- Fried cabbage and potatoes. Add the potatoes (cut into 1/2-inch cubes) to the pan with the onions. (You can also serve this dish with a side of potato pancakes.)
- Vegetarian fried cabbage. Make the cabbage without the bacon; Use butter or extra oil in place of the bacon drips.
- Roasted Cabbage with Parmesan. Sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese over the finished roasted cabbage.
- Roasted cabbage with turkey ham. Use thick-cut turkey bacon. Turkey bacon drips significantly less than regular bacon, so you’ll need to use a little more oil or butter.
storage tips
- To store. Store roasted cabbage in an airtight storage container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
- To warm up. Place the cabbage in a microwave-safe bowl or plate and gently heat in the microwave until warm. You can wake up your leftovers by adding another pinch of salt and a squeeze of lemon juice after reheating.
Meal prep tip
Up to 1 day in advance, clean and slice the cabbage. Store in an airtight container in the fridge until you’re ready to finish the recipe.
remnants of ideas
Leftover kale can be the starting point for so many delicious meals.
- Take a note of corned beef hash and serve the leftovers with a runny egg for a delicious breakfast.
- Top a bowl of cooked gnocchi with roasted cabbage for a hearty meal.
- Add sliced smoked sausages to leftover cabbage. If you like it a little spicy, add some red pepper flakes.
- Add leftover roasted cabbage to a baked potato.
What to serve with fried cabbage
Recommended tools to make this recipe
- Non-slip cutting board. When cutting ingredients like cabbage, you need a sturdy cutting board.
- Sharp chef’s knife. Using a sharp, quality chef’s knife makes all the difference when preparing recipes.
- pan fry. Perfect for preparing fried cabbage. If you don’t have a sauté pan, a Dutch oven will do.
High quality frying pan
Incredibly versatile and well made, this sauté pan is a must-have kitchen tool. It is safe to use on the stove and in the oven.
Cabbage, get on our carts!
frequently asked Questions
This recipe can be made with kale, savoy cabbage, red cabbage, or Chinese cabbage (like Chinese cabbage). Note that Chinese cabbage cooks faster.
This recipe is pan fried in bacon and oil but not deep fried.
Cabbage is good for you, which is why I love using it in recipes like this (and my cabbage pan). It’s low in calories and packed with beneficial nutrients like vitamin C, fiber, and calcium. While it’s hard to say whether cabbage cooked or raw is better for you, cooking helps it unlock additional benefits.
Yes, you can make this roasted cabbage recipe without bacon. Just omit the bacon and use additional oil or butter to replace the bacon fat. You could also experiment with swapping in a vegan bacon if you like.
- 4 stripes Thick-cut bacon cut in bacon (1/4 inch horizontal strips)
- 1 yellow onion thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon Extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small or 1/2 large head of kale or savoy cabbage about 2 1/2 pounds
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper plus additional to taste
- 1 teaspoon Worcester sauce
- 1/2 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
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Cut off the stem end of the cabbage to create a flat bottom. Set it on the base, then cut it in half, top to bottom, through the core. Place the cut sides down on the cutting board.
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Slice the cabbage as thinly as possible around the stalk, leaving fine strips. Discard the core.
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Heat a large skillet or similar heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the bacon until crisp, about 6 to 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, scoop the bacon onto a plate lined with kitchen paper. Discard all but 2 tablespoons drips from the pan.
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Add the onion and cook until browned and soft, about 8 to 10 minutes.
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Add oil, cabbage, salt, pepper, garlic powder and black pepper. Sauté for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring regularly, until cabbage is tender and beginning to brown. Don’t feel like you have to stir it all the time – let it sit undisturbed for a few minutes to let it caramelize and DELICIOUS.
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Stir in Worcestershire and cook for 30 seconds. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice. Taste and add a few grains of additional black pepper and/or salt if you like, or more lemon juice if you want to brighten it up even more. Serve warm.
- TO STORE: Store roasted cabbage in an airtight storage container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
- TO WARM UP: Place cabbage in a microwave-safe bowl or on a plate and gently microwave until warm. You can wake up your leftovers by adding another pinch of salt and a squeeze of lemon juice after reheating.
- Adapted from my Sauteed Cabbage.
Portion: 1 (of 4)Calories: 194kcalCarbohydrates: 17GProtein: 6GFat: 13GSaturated Fatty Acids: 4GPolyunsaturated fat: 2GMonounsaturated fatty acids: 6GTrans fats: 0.03GCholesterol: 15mgPotassium: 490mgFiber: 6GSugar: 9GVitamin A: 233ieVitamin C: 86mgCalcium: 101mgIron: 1mg
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