Fried Cabbage

Fried cabbage is a quick side dish that pairs with almost anything!

In this quick side dish, cabbage and onions are pan-fried in a little bit of bacon grease until tender. Season and top with crumbled bacon before serving.

You’ll love how easy this dish is to prep.

Why We Love Fried Cabbage

Southern fried cabbage becomes sweet and tender and bacon & onion add great flavor.

Fried cabbage is an easy side dish that needs just a few ingredients.
It’s perfect with your short on time or budget!
It needs just one pan, clean-up is a breeze.
Change it up, add extra onions or garlic, or swap the bacon for ham. Stir in egg noodles, or even use it top pork chops.

Ingredients for Fried Cabbage

The beauty of this fried cabbage recipe is how basic it is, but how many different ways it can be prepared! Growing up with a Polish grandmother cabbage was always on the menu from Cabbage Rolls to so soups and more.

CABBAGE: I prefer a head of green cabbage, but any variety will do.

BACON: Bacon adds a smoky flavor and a bit of fat needed to cook the onions and cabbage. Ham or corned beef can be used instead. If using lower-fat versions of bacon (like turkey bacon or vegan bacon), add some extra butter to replace the bacon grease.

OPTIONS: Add a couple of cloves of garlic if you’d like. Finish with a squeeze of lemon, apple cider vinegar, or a sprinkle of parmesan cheese.

We love cabbage and noodles (aka Haluski) and often make it with sausage.

To stretch this meal even further, boil some egg noodles and stir them into the mixture with butter before serving!

adding cabbage to pan to make Fried Cabbage

adding bacon and seasonings to Fried Cabbage

How to Make Fried Cabbage

Cabbage becomes tender and sweet once cooked.

Cook the bacon until crisp and set aside (leave the drippings in the pan!).
Fry the onion in the bacon drippings until tender per the recipe below.
Stir in chopped cabbage and cook until tender. Season and serve.

Cabbage is best cooked low and slow to bring out the sweet flavor. It will take about 15 minutes to fry the cabbage.

If you’re short on time, add a few tablespoons of chicken broth to the cabbage in the pan. This will help the cabbage steam as it cooks, reducing cooking time and adding extra flavor!

What to Serve With Fried Cabbage

As a main dish, fried cabbage stands alone and is great with cooked egg noodles as a main dish.

As a hot side dish, fried cabbage goes best with other comfort food main dishes like Oven Fried Chicken or these easy Glazed Ham Steaks.

Storing Leftovers

Keep fried cabbage with bacon in a covered container for up to 4 days. Freeze portions in quart-sized zippered bags with the date labeled on the outside for up to 4 weeks. The cabbage mixture will be soft, but add some fresh cabbage and reheat in a skillet. Or, add leftover cabbage with bacon to a stir fry with meat. Or add it to a soup or stew!

More Ways to Love Cabbage

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Fried Cabbage is tender and sweet when pan-fried with bacon and onions.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Heat a large skillet or cast iron pan over medium heat. Add the chopped bacon and cook until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving the drippings in the pan.
Add chopped onion to the bacon drippings and cook until tender, about 3-4 minutes.
Stir in chopped cabbage and cook for 15-20 minutes or until tender.
Season with chili flakes if using and salt & pepper to taste.
Sprinkle with the cooked bacon and serve.

If you have a large pan, you can cut a whole head of cabbage and cook in batches. Cooked cabbage can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Coleslaw mix can be used but is thin and will only need 8-10 minutes to cook.
Optional additions include 2 cloves of minced garlic (added with the cabbage), parmesan cheese, or a squeeze of lemon juice or apple cider vinegar.
If you’re short on time, add a few tablespoons of chicken broth to the cabbage in the pan. This will help it to steam as it cooks, reducing cooking time and adding flavor!

Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

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