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Get It NowIf 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
This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for frying cabbage, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.
- 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
This section shows step-by-step photos together with the instructions, to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.
- 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.
- Fry the onion. Remove the bacon from the pan, leaving the bacon grease, and then add the onion. Fry, uncovered, until browned.
- 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.
- Season & cook cabbage. Add the shredded cabbage to the pan. Season with the salt, paprika, and pepper. Cover and cook until tender.
- 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:
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.
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.
Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.
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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.)
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Remove the bacon from the pan, leaving the bacon grease in the pan.
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Add the onion to the pan. Fry, uncovered, for about 10 minutes, until browned.
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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.
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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.)
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Meanwhile, chop or crumble the bacon. When the cabbage is done, stir the bacon back into the pan.
Did You Like It?
Leave a rating to help other readers, or get the recipe sent to your inbox.
Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 cup
I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy.
© Copyright Maya Krampf for Wholesome Yum. Please DO NOT SCREENSHOT OR COPY/PASTE recipes to social media or websites. We’d LOVE for you to share a link with photo instead. 🙂
60 Comments
Kristyn
0Quick, easy, & so tasty!! Bacon makes everything taste amazing & adds so much flavor! It’s a great side dish!
jane
0So easy and good, a delicious side dish that I’ll be putting on repeat, thank you.
Sage Scott
0As a German-American, I’ve eaten a LOT of fried cabbage in my lifetime. LOL! I omitted the bacon, due to a food allergy, and it was still fabulous. I think the addition of paprika (I used smoked paprika) is brilliant!
Gwen
0This was the perfect accompaniment to grilled sausage last night. I think I will enjoy this recipe all summer long!
Meghan
0Made this as a side for my favorite roasted chicken and WOW my whole family went crazy for it! My picky eater son ate his entire portion and asked for seconds!
Sabrina
0I’m always looking for ways to cook vegetables that my kids will approve of, and this fried cabbage is definitely a winner! They love the taste of the caramelized onions and the bacon that add so much flavor.
Padma
0Love, love cabbage in any form. This recipe is so simple and the flavors sound delicious. Thank you!
Jamie Long
0Made this recipe for years but not with the paprika or the apple cider vinegar that someone else mentioned. Added them both this time and was surprised at the depth of flavor it added. I want to Thank You for putting this recipe out with the paprika and for the mention in the reviews of the apple cider vinegar… Nice touch to a good meal.
cmbrittenburg@aol.com
0Love it
Kathynoone47
0Easy, delish…I added a bit of apple cider vinegar as well.
WhiteFlower
0This is sooo good! It took a bit longer than it said, but it was definitely worth the wait. My hubby demanded I add this to our meal rotation, and I happily agreed. Leftovers were no problem – hubby ate all of it for lunch the next day. GREAT recipe, thanks!
Linda Smith
0Delicious recipe… I love cabbage and this recipe didn’t disappoint!
Mae
0Can I use Vegan bacon crumbles instead of real bacon to the cabbage recipe?? Thanks
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Mae, Yes, you could do that.
Shanea Wilson
0Another keeper, delicious recipe, will make again!!
Christina
0Omg so good! I added spicy ground sausage to it holy cow was it amazing. Definitely will be making aging!
Barb
0This is my 2nd time making this I really like it but it’s a little frustrating because I can’t find the list of ingredients easily. I went to the bottom can’t find the card they’re talking about. But it is very tasty. So I was winging it, which I can do but I’d prefer to have a better guideline.
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Barb, You can select the Jump To Recipe button at the top or click here and this will take you right to the recipe.
Crystal
0This was very good. I would definitely make it again.
Yvette
0Enjoyed this very much! Very simple and easy to make!
Tanya
0Excellent! Making it again tonight, a family favourite.
Michael
0This was really great, I scaled it down a bit for one person but really hit the spot. First time frying cabbage and it was a straight forward process, thanks!
Estephany K Ross
0This recipe was really pretty good. The only thing is that I think it needed more seasonings so I added soy sauce and a bit of lime and it tasted wonderful. I also used turkey bacon and it still tasted great. This dish goes well with fish.
Lacey
0I made this to go alongside my saint paddy’s meal of corned beef in the crock pot. Whipped it up as the beef was almost ready and it was perfect! This is a super versatile side that really does go with everything. Can’t wait to have it again and again. Thanks for the recipe!
Bett
0Made this for the family and everyone loved it!! Thank you for sharing❤️
Shannon
0Made this tonight and it was amazing. Used pure stevia and added turkey sausage to it as well along with red pepper flakes.
Amy Cole
0Thank you for creating this recipe. I was a little leery of the amount of heavy cream & cream cheese, so I changed it up. I used 1/2 of heavy cream and 2oz. of cream cheese. Followed the directions as listed and it turned out perfect. Family loved it too. I’m not a big fan of super saucy so reducing the 2 ingredients worked for me. Again, it was a delicious way to eat cabbage.
Dawn
0Hi Amy. I think you are reviewing a different recipe. This one doesn’t have heavy cream or cream cheese 🙂
Tina
0Just love this recipe. This is the 2nd time in a week I made this. I’ve shared this with a few of my keto friends. Thank you posting this.
RICHARD A TEETERS
0Great stuff
Georgina
0Gorgeous, enjoyable and very flavoursome. Added grated cheese on top. Next time, will add cherry or grape tomatoes. Well done and will recommend this.
Sandra
0Hello, Maya:
No comments yet, as I haven’t yet made this, so no stars around this time.
Sending a suggestion here. Would it be possible to add a button that goes directly to the videos of all of the recipes that you have?
There have been times when I’ve missed the video the first time that I read the whole recipe, and end up looking for the video. This reciped didn’t have the pink triangle to tap on for the video. Eventually, I found it, still w/o the pink triangle. I almost gave up looking for it.
Hope you will give this suggestion some thought. Thank You ahead of time for reading it.
Sandra W.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Sandra, I don’t have a page dedicated to videos, but you can search by recipes that have videos. At the top navigation bar hover over RECIPES and then tap RECIPE VIDEOS. I hope this helps!
Sheryl
0This is wonderful!!!! I served it with corned beef, potatoes & carrots. Much more delicious than simply putting cabbage in the pot. Well with the effort!
Brenda
0This cabbage recipe is delicious! I followed the recipe exactly. It’s a keeper. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Elizabeth
0I made this for dinner tonight! It was delicious. Lots of leftovers for this week to enjoy! Thanks for the recipe!
Lisa
0Awesome use of my leftover cabbage after making your cabbage roll recipe! Thank-you for the simple but flavourful recipes!!
Terry
0I made this recipe and it’s fantastic! It’s super easy, very flavorful, and not over powering with plain cabbage flavor. I love all things cabbage, but my husband does not, for him a little goes a long way. He had 2 plus servings of it with dinner last night, I’m sure the bacon was part of his love of this recipe too. I also added some toasted sunflower seeds to it because I had them and it was fun to have that additional crunch. I’ll be adding this to our weekly rotation. Thanks for sharing a great recipe! I love your tips and advice that you share too, they’re very helpful, realistic and much appreciated.
Julianne Stout
0I love this recipe! I sometimes add a couple teaspoons of brown mustard for a little extra “kick.”
Shawn
0You had me at “Southern-fried” but clinched it with “bacon”. Seriously though, I can’t believe I didn’t think of this recipe when I started Keto.
Karen Healey
0I added apple cider vinegar for added zest. Yumm, thanks for the recipes!
Dan K
0Just trying this out today. I was short on bacon, but I have some thinly sliced salami that’s very flavourful. I think it’s going to be super good, I’ll let you know.
Lisalia
0As a kid I thought cabbage looked and smelled so gross. Haha. Now that I’m looking for more keto recipes it looks SO appealing and yummy. Isn’t that funny? This recipe is a new favorite. Thanks for such scrumptious food ideas.
Jeannette
0I love fried cabbage and this is an AMAZING way to enjoy it! Thanks for sharing such a wonderful recipe!
Irina
0I am in love with cabbage recipes, and this one turned out to be my new favorite. I made it last night, and it was a hit. Thanks for such a great recipe.
Amy
0Yum this looks so good, such a great side dish!
Charla @ That Girl Cooks Healthy
0I love all things that contain cabbage and this recipe is no different. Definitely a keeper!
Jessica
0Everything about this recipe was delicious and amazing! Will totally make it again and we aren’t even keto.
Natalie
0Such a delicious recipe. Easy to make and nutritious. I made this yesterday. My family loved it. Definitely something I will make again.
Cindy P
0Made this keto southern fried cabbage. it was absolutely delicious!! My whole family was raving about how good it was! Will definitely make it again!
Bea
0Thank you for this!
What would be the amount of cabbage in gram, would you know? With cups, I never know how much to pack it in, and also I tend to buy the cabbage already shredded. Grams would be easier to know how much to buy.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Bea, You can tap on the “Metric” link on the recipe card to convert to weight in grams.
Bea
0Hi Maya, it still says 20 cups when in metric. No grams for the cabbage.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Bea, Look for a head of cabbage that is roughly 1134 – 1190 grams. That will get you around the 20 cups you need for the recipe.
Diane
0This looks wonderful. I have never used bacon, but I make something exactly like this with ground beef and it becomes a one-dish meal. I use more ground beef than the bacon you used, because it’s all the protein for your meal…but otherwise just the same. I sometimes stir a little tomato sauce or canned diced tomatoes in at the end. That adds a bit of sweetness but of course not sugar. I experiment with seasonings, but of course salt and pepper are just fine. My cabbage ends up bigger because I’m using a knife, but if you cook till it’s nice and soft, it doesn’t matter.
cj wilson
0Do you know how to make this in an instant pot?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi CJ, You can make this in an Instant Pot using the Saute Function. Follow the directions as written.
Loee Matousek Garlisi
0I make this all the time. I add apple too. LOVE it.