Fried cabbage, a gloriously rich and flavorful side dish, is ready in about 20 minutes.
It pairs beautifully with sausage links but can go with many other main courses. The leftovers are perfect with fried eggs!
It’s not a secret that I love cabbage. It’s a wonderfully versatile vegetable that can be prepared in countless ways, including cabbage casserole, roasted cabbage, and cabbage soup.
This fried cabbage is especially good. Cooked in bacon grease and served with chopped bacon, it’s a deliciously rich and comforting side dish, perfect any time of year.
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Ingredients
Here are the ingredients needed to make this recipe. The exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below.
- Bacon: You will need one standard package of bacon (8 slices), chopped. You can chop the bacon with a sharp knife or use kitchen scissors.
- Aromatics: Onion and garlic.
- Green cabbage: You will need ½ large head, cored and chopped.
- To season: Kosher salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, and red pepper flakes.
- Maple syrup: The maple syrup counteracts any bitterness. I highly recommend using it. I also recommend using real maple syrup and not artificial pancake syrup.
Variations
- If you want the dish to be a bit less rich, use just four slices of bacon, as I do in the video below.
- You can use red cabbage in this recipe.
- Sometimes, I use honey instead of maple syrup. When I do, I add a splash of water to the skillet since honey’s water content is slightly lower than maple syrup’s.
- You can substitute regular paprika for the smoked paprika.
- Not a fan of spicy food? Omit the red pepper flakes. Or double their amount for a truly spicy dish!
Instructions
Here’s an overview of the steps needed to make this recipe. The detailed instructions are listed in the recipe card below.
Cook the chopped bacon in a large, deep skillet over medium heat until crispy, for about 5 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a plate with a slotted spoon, keeping the bacon grease in the skillet.
Add the chopped onion to the skillet. Cook it in the bacon grease until golden, for about 5 minutes.
Add the garlic, salt, pepper, smoked paprika, and maple syrup. Cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. If the bottom of the skillet becomes too dry at any point, add a splash of water and keep cooking.
Stir in the chopped cabbage. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the cabbage is tender and browned, for about 5 minutes.
Mix the bacon into the cabbage. Serve immediately.
Recipe FAQs
Yes. Red cabbage works just as well as green cabbage in this recipe.
Yes. If you do, cook the onions and cabbage in four tablespoons of clarified butter. It’s richer and more flavorful than oil.
If your cabbage is clean and free of worms, you don’t need to soak it. However, you do need to wash and dry it before cooking.
Storing Leftovers
You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to five days. Reheat them covered in the microwave. I like to serve the leftovers for brunch with a fried egg on top, like this:
You can also eat the leftovers cold! They are surprisingly good that way, and I’ve been known to sneak spoonfuls straight out of the fridge.
More Cabbage Recipes
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Fried Cabbage
Fried cabbage is a gloriously rich and flavorful side dish ready in about 20 minutes.
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 133kcal
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Instructions
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Cook the bacon in a large, deep skillet over medium heat until crispy, for about 5 minutes.
-
Transfer the bacon to a plate with a slotted spoon, keeping the bacon grease in the skillet.
-
Add the chopped onion to the skillet. Cook it in the bacon grease until golden, about 5 minutes.
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Add the garlic, salt, pepper, smoked paprika, and maple syrup. Cook, stirring, for 30 seconds.
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Stir in the chopped cabbage. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the cabbage is tender and browned, about 5 minutes.
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Mix the bacon into the cabbage.
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Serve immediately.
Notes
- If you want the dish to be a bit less rich, use just four slices of bacon, as I do in the video below.
- You can use red cabbage in this recipe.
- You can substitute regular paprika for the smoked paprika.
- The maple syrup counteracts any bitterness. I highly recommend using it. I also recommend using real maple syrup and not artificial pancake syrup.
- If, at any point, the bottom of the skillet becomes too dry, add a splash of water and keep cooking.
- See the post above for visual instructions for coring and chopping a cabbage.
- You can omit the bacon. If you do, cook the onions and cabbage in four tablespoons of clarified butter. It’s richer and more flavorful than oil.
- You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to five days. Reheat it covered in the microwave. You can also freeze the leftovers for up to three months.
Nutrition per Serving
Serving: 1 cup | Calories: 133 kcal | Carbohydrates: 14 g | Protein: 8 g | Fat: 6 g | Saturated Fat: 2 g | Sodium: 584 mg | Fiber: 4 g | Sugar: 8 g
Disclaimers
Cup measurements refer to the standard American cup, which is 240 milliliters. Most of my recipes are low-carb (or keto) and gluten-free, but some are not. Please verify that a recipe fits your needs before using it. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate, and the carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Nutrition info may contain errors, so please verify it independently. Recipes may contain errors, so please use your common sense when following them. Please read these Terms of Use carefully before using any of my recipes.
