This easy Fried Cabbage Recipe is just what you need for a healthy side dish.
Our easy side dish is ready in about 30 minutes. Grab the ingredients below in the recipe card.
Easy Fried Cabbage Recipe
What is your favorite side dish? I know, endless possibilities.
Fried cabbage is quick and easy to prepare and makes a mouthwatering comfort food.
And you can season cabbage to complement almost any main dish, such as pork chops, chicken breast, and more.
In this post, we’re sharing tips on making the best fried cabbage the easy way.
We’re also sharing our favorite seasonings for fried cabbage, along with which veggies pair well with it.
- Learn how to make an easy Fried Cabbage recipe with cabbage, onions, carrots, and simple seasonings.
- Get tips for cooking cabbage until tender, lightly browned, and full of flavor without overcooking.
- Discover easy variations, including adding bacon, turkey bacon, or plant-based bacon for extra flavor.
- Make this simple cooked cabbage recipe for weeknight dinners or serve it as an easy holiday side dish for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Sunday dinners.
When cooked right- and we will show you how it is done- pan-fried cabbage is so good!
Imagine tender, perfectly seasoned, and delicious fried cabbage.
A side dish that might steal the show!
Choosing the perfect side dish with simple ingredients depends a lot on the main course, right?
Here, our main dish is salmon, and we think fried cabbage is a good choice.
Love cabbage? Be sure to try our Homemade Creamy Cabbage Soup; it might become your favorite way to eat cabbage.
What You Will Need
Cabbage. As a side, a single large head of cabbage feeds our family of five. If you are scaling this fried cabbage recipe as the main course, two heads of cabbage will work too. You could also use red cabbage for this southern fried cabbage recipe.
Onion. Adding onions to this easy recipe is a good thing. Why add onions? Mainly because onions add another level of savoriness, and since cabbages don’t have many flavors, onions help flavor an otherwise bland vegetable.
Carrots. I love adding carrots to this dish for a few reasons. First, carrots add color contrast to this primarily pale-colored cabbage. Second, carrots add sweetness and help balance the savory flavors of the cabbage and onions.
Ghee, Butter, or Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Hot oil and butter are how we make our Easy Fried Cabbage recipe. As for oils, use what works for you. I love equal parts extra virgin olive oil and melted ghee or unsalted butter. You can also sub out the olive oil for bacon grease for additional flavor.
Sea Salt, Black Pepper, and Red Pepper Flakes. We are keeping the seasoning simple for this great recipe. Season to taste using sea salt, freshly cracked black peppercorns, and red pepper flakes.
Other herbs like fresh minced garlic, granulated garlic, smoked paprika, or Old Bay seasoning work well in this Easy Cabbage recipe.
How to make Fried Cabbage Recipe
Makes 5-6 Servings
Ingredients:
- 1 large head of green cabbage, core removed, and chopped
- 1 medium red, yellow, or sweet Vidalia onion, peeled and sliced thin
- 1 large carrot, cut into ribbons
- 1 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 1/2 tbsp melted ghee or unsalted butter
- sea salt to taste
- freshly cracked black peppercorns to taste
- red pepper flakes to taste
Directions:
- Prep the cabbage by removing the outer leaves, slicing it down the middle and removing the core, then chopping it into thin to medium slices.
- Peel a red onion, or onion of choice, cut off both ends, cut the onion in half, and cut the halves into thin slices.
- Rinse and peel the carrot, then use a potato peeler to cut it into ribbons.
- Place a large skillet over medium heat; add the EVOO and melted unsalted butter when the pan is hot.
- Add the cabbage, onion, and carrots to the hot skillet, spreading the mixture into an even layer.
- Season with sea salt, freshly cracked black peppercorns, and red pepper flakes to taste.
- When the cabbage begins to turn light brown and wilt, use a large spoon to turn it over, reduce the heat to medium-low, and stir occasionally until tender.
- Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
- Serve hot.
Pro-tip. If you love bacon, add a few strips of crispy bacon for extra flavor. (An alternative option is to use turkey bacon or vegan bacon)
Fried cabbage is so good you may want to serve it as the main dish by adding potatoes and smoked turkey legs or wings to the line-up.
Make a pan of home cornbread or a soup recipe; it is a great meal to keep in mind during the cold months.
Can I steam the cabbage instead of frying it?
Yes! Follow this simple cabbage recipe; toss the cabbage with one (1) tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and one (1) tablespoon of ghee or unsalted melted butter, sea salt, freshly cracked black peppercorns, and red pepper flakes.
Add a cup of vegetable or chicken broth, or water, into a stockpot over medium-high heat; when the liquid begins to steam, add the cabbage into the pot.
Cover with a tight-fitting lid and steam for five (5) to ten (10) minutes or until the cabbage is tender.
How long will it keep in the fridge?
Let any leftover fried cabbage cool, then store it in an airtight container in the fridge; it will last three (3) to five (5) days.
Can I freeze the leftovers?
Place cooled fried, sautéed, or steamed cabbage into freezer bags or resealable plastic bags, press out any excess air, and wrap bags in aluminum foil.
Label with the date you are storing them and place the bags in the freezer.
Properly stored cooked cabbage can be kept in the freezer for three (3) to five (5) months.
There are so many different ways to cook and serve cabbage.
- cabbage rolls
- cabbage stir fry
- sautéed cabbage recipe
- roasted cabbage
What sides pair well with fried cabbage?
We love to pair this simple side dish with our Honey Pineapple Salmon.
You can also pair fried cabbage with these recipes:
Kansas City BBQ Pulled Chicken Sandwiches
Potato Salmon Croquettes Recipe
Open-Faced Roast Beef Sandwich
Corned Beef and cabbage is another popular recipe for a holiday meal.
Now that you have this quick side recipe, gather the ingredients and get in the kitchen. Bon appetit!
If you have questions or want to drop us a line or two, use the comments section below.
Ingredients
- 1 large head of green cabbage core removed, and chopped
- 1 medium red yellow, or sweet Vidalia onion, peeled and sliced thin
- 1 large carrot cut into ribbons
- 1 1/2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
- 1 1/2 tbsp of melted ghee or unsalted butter
- sea salt to taste
- freshly cracked black peppercorns to taste
- red pepper flakes to taste
Instructions
- Prep the cabbage by removing the outer layer of cabbage leaves, slicing the cabbage down the middle and removing the core, and chopping the cabbage into thin to medium slices.
- Peel a red onion, or onion of choice, cut off both ends, cut the onion in half, and cut the halves into thin slices.
- Rinse and peel the carrot, using a potato peeler to cut the carrot into ribbons.
- Place a large skillet over medium heat; add the EVOO and melted unsalted butter when the pan is hot.
- Add the cabbage, onion, and carrots to the hot skillet, making sure to spread the mixture into an even layer.
- Season with sea salt, freshly cracked black peppercorns, and red pepper flake to taste.
- When the cabbage begins to light brown and wilt, use a large spoon to turn the cabbage over, turn the burner to medium-low and continue to stir occasionally until the cabbage is tender.
- Taste and, if necessary, adjust seasoning to your liking.
- Serve hot.
Jerri carroll says
love cabbage in any form