Cabbage Steaks (Grilled Or Oven Roasted)

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We grilled over Memorial Day weekend, and I was so excited to make this cabbage steaks recipe again. I’ll admit my friend did the actual grilling, but I came up with the recipe and watched the time. (Totally counts, right?) And, I’m happy to report that the grilled cabbage steaks turned out just as amazing as the oven roasted cabbage steaks version I’ve made in the past. I’ll show you how to make both versions!

What Is Cabbage Steak?

Cabbage steaks are thick slices of cabbage that can be grilled, roasted, or even fried. Today I’ll show you how to make grilled and roasted versions.

If you haven’t tried grilling cabbage slices before, you might be wondering, are they any good? (Definitely.) And are cabbage steaks healthy? (Totally yes.) And instead of being mushy or lifeless, like you might picture a boiled vegetable, these are caramelized and crispy at the edges.

Ingredients & Substitutions

This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for cabbage steaks with bacon, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.

• Bacon – I order clean-ingredient bacon from here, but any kind will do. Don’t use precooked, though, because we’ll use the bacon grease for the marinade. If you want a vegetarian option, omit the bacon, and increase the olive oil in the recipe by 2 additional tablespoons.
• Cabbage – I prefer green cabbage for this recipe, but red cabbage will work if you like. Any size head of cabbage is fine to use. Just be sure you remove the outer leaves.
• Garlic – Use fresh garlic for best flavor or jarred garlic for convenience.
• Olive Oil – Or avocado oil.
• Lemon Juice – Use fresh lemon juice for best flavor or bottled for convenience. The acidity helps with both flavor and tenderness. To change it up, try swapping the juice with balsamic vinegar instead.
• Sea Salt (or kosher salt) & Black Pepper

How To Cut Cabbage Steaks

1. Cut off the core. Cut the bottom of the core (the root) of the cabbage head, creating a flat surface on one side.
2. Slice. Place the flat surface against the cutting board, then slice from the top downward, making 3/4-inch-thick slices. You could also make 1-inch slices if you prefer, but I prefer slightly thinner for maximum caramelization.

Marinating Instructions

1. Mix marinade. In a large plastic bag, combine olive oil, lemon juice, sea salt, and black pepper.
2. Add bacon fat. When bacon is done cooking, remove it from the pan. Let the bacon grease cool slightly, then pour into marinade bag. Mix until combined.
3. Marinate. Add the cabbage to the marinade and coat well. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Tip: If you’re in a hurry, you can skip the marinating time.

Instead, simply whisk the marinade ingredients in a small bowl, then brush the marinade over both sides of the cabbage steaks. However, I find they are more flavorful if you have time to marinate for 30 minutes.

How To Make Roasted Cabbage Steaks

1. Prep. Preheat the oven and grease a large baking sheet (you can line with foil first if you prefer).
2. Arrange. Spread the cabbage in a single layer on the baking sheet, so the pieces are not touching each other.
3. Roast. Bake cabbage steaks in the oven. Sprinkle with salt to taste. You can also add fresh herbs at the end, or even a sprinkle of parmesan cheese.

Tips For Roasting Cabbage Steaks:

• 425 degrees is a good oven temp. How long to roast cabbage steaks depends on the oven temperature and thickness of the cabbage, but this high temperature allows them to caramelize nicely and cook quickly.
• Line with foil or leave the pan unlined. Avoid parchment paper, which will prevent browning and caramelization. I use this non-stick sheet pan. It has a silicone coating that is PTFE, PFOA and BPA free, and the non-stick surface is awesome.
• Save on cleanup by using the same pan for the bacon. If you want to have fewer dishes to wash, you can use the same pan for baking the bacon and then roasting the cabbage.
• Baked cabbage steaks are done when the edges are crispy and caramelized. This takes about 30-35 minutes.

How To Make Grilled Cabbage Steaks

1. Preheat. Let the grill preheat at medium heat.
2. Arrange. Place the cabbage steaks directly onto the grill grates, being careful not to break them apart.
3. Grill. Cook cabbage on the grill, flipping halfway through.

Tips For Grilling Cabbage Steaks:

• Do not grill cabbage on foil. Trust me, I tried! You get mushy cabbage that doesn’t get crispy or caramelized. You need to place the cabbage steaks directly onto the grill.
• You’ll have some leftover pieces. Since you are placing the cabbage on the grill directly, smaller pieces would fall through. So for the grilled version of the cabbage steak recipe, make sure to only place the pieces on the grill that stay together well. You can reserve the smaller pieces and pan fry them later, if you want.
• The cabbage is done when it starts to soften and the edges get a bit charred. A general guideline is 4-7 minutes on each side over medium heat, but ultimately, how long to grill cabbage steaks depends on your grill temperature and thickness of the cabbage.

Storage Instructions

• Store: Keep leftover baked cabbage steaks in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
• Reheat: Reheat leftovers in a 350 degree F oven or a hot skillet. You can also microwave them until hot. Reheating on the grill is also an option, though a grill basket may work best so they don’t fall apart.
• Freeze: Store the cabbage in an airtight container in the freezer for 2-3 months.

What To Serve With Cabbage Steaks

Are your grilled or roasted cabbage steaks your main course, or a side dish? You can do either, but we usually serve them as a side dish with:

• Grilling Recipes – The most classic and logical way to serve grilled cabbage is to pair it with other grilled foods! Try grilled cod, grilled bruschetta chicken, or for a fancier meal, grilled lamb chops.
• Chicken – If you’re making roasted cabbage steaks, then baked chicken legs, juicy chicken breasts, or spinach stuffed chicken breast can all be made in the oven as well.
• Beef and Pork – Air fryer filet mignon, juicy burgers, or pan seared pork chops pair well with grilled cabbage steaks and don’t require turning on the oven.
• Seafood – Serve the cabbage with seafood recipes, like garlic butter shrimp, surf and turf, and pan seared salmon. Or, cook everything on the grill and make tuna steak to go along with it.

More Healthy Cabbage Recipes

If you like this recipe for cabbage, you might also like some of these other healthy cabbage recipes:

Chicken Cabbage Stir Fry

Cabbage and Sausage

Southern Fried Cabbage

Beef Cabbage Soup

4.91 from 22 votes

Cabbage Steaks (Grilled Or Roasted!)

You'll love this easy cabbage steaks recipe (roasted or grilled) with bacon! They turn out caramelized, crispy, and perfectly tender.

Prep: 10 minutes

Cook: 40 minutes

Total: 50 minutes

Author: Maya Krampf from WholesomeYum.com

Servings: 8 (adjust to scale recipe)

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Recipe Video

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Ingredients

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• 8 slices Bacon ▢
• 1 head Cabbage ▢
• 8 cloves Garlic (minced) ▢
• 1/4 cup Olive oil ▢
• 2 tbsp Lemon juice ▢
• 1/2 tsp Sea salt ▢
• 1/2 tsp Black pepper ▢

Instructions

Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.

Cabbage Steak Marinade

1. Place the slices of bacon onto a large, cold pan. Place on the stove and turn to medium-low heat. Fry the bacon for 8-10 minutes, until crispy, flipping as needed.

2. Meanwhile, cut the cabbage into 3/4-in (2 cm) thick slices.

3. In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, sea salt, and black pepper.

4. Remove the bacon from the pan and set aside to drain, leaving behind the bacon fat in the pan. Add the minced garlic and saute for about a minute, until fragrant.

5. Let the pan with bacon fat cool for 5-10 minutes. When the bacon fat has cooled enough to not melt the plastic, pour the bacon fat (along with the sauteed garlic) into the plastic bag. Scoop any remaining garlic with a spatula and add it in. Seal and mix well to form the marinade.

6. Add the sliced cabbage steaks to the marinade bag. Coat well. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Grilled Cabbage Steaks Instructions

1. Preheat the grill at medium heat.

2. Grill cabbage steaks for about 4-8 minutes on each side, until tender and crispy on the edges.

3. To serve, top with cooked bacon and parsley for garnish (optional).

Oven Roasted Cabbage Steaks Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (218 degrees C).
   

2. Grease a large baking sheet well. (You can line with foil or parchment paper if you prefer. Arrange the cabbage steaks in a single layer.

3. Roast cabbage steaks in the oven for about 30-35 minutes, until tender and crispy on the edges.

4. To serve, top with cooked bacon and parsley for garnish (optional).

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Recipe Notes

Serving size: 1 3/4-inch-thick cabbage steak (1/8 of entire recipe)

Nutrition Facts

Amount per serving. Serving size in recipe notes above.

Calories 184

Fat 15g

Protein 4g

Total Carbs 8g

Net Carbs 6g

Fiber 2g

Sugar 3g

Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see our nutrition policy.

Course: Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keywords: cabbage steak recipe, cabbage steaks, grilled cabbage steaks, roasted cabbage steaks

Calories: 184 kcal

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