Fried Cabbage

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If you’ve already enjoyed my fried cabbage and sausage for dinner, you’ll love this classic fried cabbage recipe. It’s a staple in my kitchen on busy days and has a few things going for it… first of all, BACON! Bacon makes everything better in my book. ? But it’s also got soft and tender cabbage, made extra flavorful with onions and garlic throughout. Fried cabbage with bacon is the perfect real food side dish when you want a comforting meal without a long list of ingredients!

Why You’ll Love My Fried Cabbage Recipe

• Tender and caramelized – It does take time for the cabbage and onions to get caramelized, but it’s super easy. Trust me, it’s so worth the time!
• Bacon flavor throughout – I like to use the bacon drippings for frying, which gives this dish a richer flavor than plain sauteed cabbage. And of course, you also have the crispy bacon itself!
• Only 5 ingredients (plus salt and pepper) – I love a good 5-ingredient recipe. No specialty shopping needed.
• Easy to make – With quick prep before cooking and just one pan, this fried cabbage recipe fits perfectly into your busy schedule.
• Versatile side dish – It goes with anything! I like to serve it alongside grilled chicken, baked fish, or a juicy steak. I have more ideas for you below!

Ingredients & Substitutions

Here I explain the best ingredients for frying cabbage, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.

• Bacon – Although I usually cook bacon in the oven, you’ll want to cook the bacon for this fried cabbage recipe on the stovetop. The bacon drippings will serve as the cooking fat for the onions, garlic, and cabbage. You could also use turkey bacon, but this won’t render much fat, so you’d need to add oil and in that case I’d recommend adding a little butter too for extra flavor.
• Onion – I used a sweet onion because I think this dish benefits from extra sweetness, but you could also use yellow, white, or red onions.
• Garlic – Use fresh garlic cloves if you have them for the best flavor. If you don’t, you can use 2 teaspoons of jarred minced garlic instead.
• Cabbage – Chop a whole head of cabbage using a knife. Sometimes I use my food processor to save time, or even buy it pre-shredded.
• Spices – Season the cabbage with sea salt, paprika, and black pepper for a simple spice blend. Sometimes I like to add some herbs or red pepper flakes, or my Cajun seasoning for a spicy kick.

How To Make Fried Cabbage With Bacon

I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.

1. Cook the bacon. Lay the bacon in a single layer in a cold, large skillet with tall sides, or a saute pan. Cook over medium heat, until the bacon is browned, flipping halfway. Cook in batches if needed.
2. Fry the onion. Remove the bacon from the pan, leaving the bacon grease, and then add the onion. Fry, uncovered, until browned.
3. Saute the garlic. Create a well in the center of the pan. Add the minced garlic and sauté until fragrant. Then, mix the garlic together with the onions.

4. Season & cook cabbage. Add the shredded cabbage to the pan. Season with the salt, paprika, and pepper. Cover and cook until tender.
5. Add the bacon. Chop or crumble the bacon, and stir it into the fried cabbage.

My Top Tips

• Start with a cold pan. This allows the bacon fat to render slowly, which gets it nice and crisp without burning.
• If it doesn’t fit all at once, add the cabbage in batches. It starts out taking up a lot of space, but then cooks down a lot, so you can add more as that happens. Sometimes it’s helpful to use tongs to mix it more easily when the pan is very full.
• Cabbage cook time can vary. It depends on the size of your head of cabbage and how done you like it. I like mine very tender and caramelized!

Storage Instructions

• Store: Keep leftover cabbage in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4-5 days.
• Meal prep: I’m big on meal prep because I’m so busy! I often prepare for this fried cabbage recipe ahead by chopping the onions and cabbage in advance. You can also cook the bacon ahead of time, but make sure to save the rendered bacon fat to cook the cabbage later.
• Reheat: Simply heat leftovers in the microwave or in a hot skillet.

Serving Suggestions

Choose your favorite chicken, turkey, beef, or fish! Fried cabbage with bacon goes with it all, but here are some of my favorites:

• Chicken – Serve it up with a juicy chicken breast or grilled chicken legs for a simple meal. My personal fave with this dish is blackened chicken, as it reminds me of a Southern-inspired meal.
• Fish – I love serving fried cabbage with pan seared halibut, but you can easily bake halibut while you cook the cabbage.
• Steak – Who doesn’t love a juicy sirloin steak? You could also get fancy with a Tomahawk steak. I make filet mignon when I want something special, but still easy. Some sliced corned beef would also pair nicely!
• Pork – I use my air fryer a lot, so it’s my go-to for pork dishes while the cabbage cooks. Try my air fryer sausage (or simply air fryer brats), or cook up some juicy air fryer pork chops.

More Easy Cabbage Recipes

Looking for more ways to use cabbage? Try my other cabbage recipes next:

Cabbage Roll Casserole

Cabbage Salad Recipe

Cabbage Beef Soup

Cabbage Steaks

My Favorite Pan For This Recipe

I just used a simple large skillet — I like this one for cooking fried cabbage, because the sides are pretty tall. But you can also use a Dutch oven, which will give you plenty of room.

Recipe Card

4.92 from 58 votes

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Fried Cabbage (With Bacon!)

This fried cabbage recipe with bacon is so flavorful and easy to make with 5 ingredients! It's sweet, savory, and caramelized all in one.

Cook: 40 minutes

Total: 40 minutes

Author: Maya Krampf from Wholesome Yum

Servings: 8 (adjust to scale recipe)

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Ingredients

Tap underlined ingredients to see the ones I use.

• 8 slices Bacon ▢
• 1 large Sweet onion (sliced into thin half moons) ▢
• 4 cloves Garlic (minced) ▢
• 1 large head Cabbage (shredded) ▢
• 1 1/2 tsp Sea salt (to taste) ▢
• 1/2 tsp Paprika ▢
• 1/4 tsp Black pepper (to taste) ▢

Instructions

Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.

1. Place the bacon onto a large, cold saute pan in a singer layer. Heat over medium heat for about 10 minutes, flipping halfway through, until the bacon is browned. (You can cook the bacon in batches if it doesn't all fit in the pan at once.)

2. Remove the bacon from the pan, leaving the bacon grease in the pan.

3. Add the onion to the pan. Fry, uncovered, for about 10 minutes, until browned.

4. Make a well in the center of the pan. Add the minced garlic and saute for about a minute, until fragrant (be careful not to burn it!), then mix it in with the onions.

5. Add the cabbage to the pan. Season cabbage and onions with salt, paprika, and pepper. Cover and cook for about 15-25 minutes, until cabbage is tender. If you can't fit all the cabbage into the pan at once, add it in batches and let it wilt down a bit before adding more. (Cook time can vary widely depending on how big your head of cabbage is – just cook until soft and tender to your liking.)

6. Meanwhile, chop or crumble the bacon. When the cabbage is done, stir the bacon back into the pan.

LAST STEP: Leave a rating to help other readers, or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram. I’d love to hear from you!

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Maya’s Recipe Notes

Serving size: 1 cup

Nutrition Facts

Amounts per serving. Serving size in recipe notes above.

Calories 143

Fat 9g

Protein 5g

Total Carbs 12g

Net Carbs 8g

Fiber 4g

Sugar 7g

I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy.

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