Fried Cabbage

Fried cabbage is an easy side dish made with only 3 ingredients and simply seasoned with salt and pepper. This tasty combination of cabbage, leeks, and bacon is done in about 30 minutes. This side dish is cooked by sauteing bacon and vegetables together until bacon is crispy and cabbage is soft and a somewhat caramelized. 

There are a few other easy side dishes I have for you to try. You can never be disappointed with Roasted Cauliflower, sauteed Green Beans and Bacon, and Creamy Mushroom Julienne. 

3 Ingredient Fried Cabbage Recipe

When I was a kid, I absolutely refused to eat anything with cabbage, I wouldn’t even try it. I was a typical kid, not willing to even try something that looked suspicious. 

Since so many popular dishes in Russia feature cabbage, let’s just say I refused to eat quite often. It was a long time until I even agreed to try Borsch. But once I tried it, I agreed to try them all because I realized that cabbage is quite tasty. 

Cabbage is a great vegetable and featured in many dishes like soups, cabbage rolls, and side dishes. Whether it’s served raw, like in coleslaw, or cooked like this fried cabbage, it doesn’t disappoint.  

Benefits of cabbage extant far beyond it’s taste too. Cabbage is packed with vitamins and nutrients like Vitamin C, Vitamin K, antioxidants, fiber, beta-carotene, anthocyanins, and so much more. It’s low in fat and calories but high in fiber, this is great for your digestive system. Being packed with vitamin C and K is very helpful for your immune system. 

Cabbage is cheap, versatile, and available year-round. For all these reasons and more, you should definitely include more cabbage in your diet. 

Ingredients You Need:

Cabbage – get a medium head of cabbage, about 2 lbs.

Leeks – use 2-3 leeks (depending on size) for a tasty additional flavor.

Bacon – use the original, classic bacon with no additional flavor. Cut bacon into small pieces while it’s still cold. It’s easier to cut it when it’s cold rather than room temperature.

Cooking Instructions:

Before starting to cook, prep your ingredients. Dice raw bacon, and slice cabbage and leeks thinly. 

Preheat a large cooking pan over medium heat and add diced bacon. NOTE: if using a non-stick pan, you won’t need additional oil but if using a stainless steel or cast iron, you may need to add a little bit of canola oil. 

Cook bacon until it’s browned and the fat is rendered and add leeks.

Sauté until leek is softened and add cabbage. Stir everything well and cook until cabbage is soft. You will need to stir every few minutes so that cabbage is cooked evenly throughout. 

Can I Freeze Fried Cabbage

Yes, you can freeze cooked cabbage. You can either separate the whole batch into several smaller portions, or freeze the whole batch at once. 

Use either a freezer friendly storage container or a freezer zip-lock bag. Transfer cooled cooked cabbage into the container or a zip-lock freezer bag, get the air out, and close it tight. If using a container with a lid, make sure the lid is air-tight and wrap the container in foil. 

Label and freeze for 3-5 months.

To thaw, pull frozen cabbage out of the freezer and into the refrigerator to let it slow-thaw overnight.

To reheat cooked cabbage, it’s best to reheat it in a cooking pan, over medium heat. Reheat it just until it’s heated through.

Serving Suggestions

Fried cabbage is a great southern dish and goes well with some cornbread and sausage. 

It goes well with many other main proteins like fried chicken, roasted chicken, meatloaf, and grilled meats.

Pair it with other sides like roasted potatoes, mashed potatoes, corn casserole, baked potatoes, or beans. 

Fried cabbage is also delicious when mixed right with mashed potatoes or noodles. 

Some More Recipes Using Cabbage

Tropical Coleslaw

Borscht – Cabbage Soup

Colcannon – Irish Mashed Potatoes with Cabbage