If you have never fried cabbage before, you need to start. As the cabbage cooks in the frying pan, it wilts, turns tender, and becomes sweet and caramelized. Add the smoky bacon, and this quickly becomes one of our top side dishes! For this fried cabbage recipe, we’ll use bacon fat to “fry” your cabbage. There isn’t enough fat to make it greasy, but just enough to allow the cabbage to pick up the bacon’s smoky and savory flavors. If you prefer a vegetarian version, check out our easy sautéed cabbage, which uses olive oil instead of bacon fat. You might also enjoy our roasted cabbage.
Key Ingredients
Cabbage: I use white or green cabbage for this fried cabbage recipe and love how it cooks to be soft but still has some texture. You can substitute other varieties of cabbage, but they may wilt down a little more. Bacon: For this recipe, use your favorite bacon. I love thick-cut bacon. You can also substitute sausage! Sausage fried cabbage sounds amazing. Garlic: I like a nice kick of garlic flavor in this dish, so I use 3 to 4 cloves. Dijon mustard and apple cider vinegar: These add flavor and cut through the fat of the bacon. I almost always add some acid (like vinegar) to savory dishes like this one since it adds crave-worthy flavor that makes you want to return for more. The mustard does the same.
How to Make the Best Fried Cabbage
I love cooking with cabbage, and this Southern fried cabbage is at the top of my favorites list! You’ll start by rendering bacon in a skillet until it’s crispy. Then, transfer the bacon to a plate, but leave the bacon fat in the skillet (there’s so much flavor there!). Toss in your cabbage and cook it with garlic in the bacon fat until it is wilted, sweet, and starting to brown around the edges. Then stir in a little Dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, and the cooked bacon from earlier. So easy and so delicious! 2 pounds white cabbage, core removed and chopped (10 cups) 1 tablespoon garlic, minced Pinch crushed red pepper flakes 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt or more to taste 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar Fresh ground black pepper 2Take the pan off of the heat, and then use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to a bowl and save for later. 3Remove all the bacon fat from the pan except for one tablespoon. Leave more or less, depending on your preference. One tablespoon makes the cabbage taste great but won’t make the cabbage greasy. 4Place the pan back onto medium-high heat, then add the cabbage, garlic, red pepper flakes, and salt. It might seem like too much cabbage for the pan, but as it cooks, the cabbage will wilt. 5Cook, occasionally stirring, until the cabbage is tender and some of it begins to turn light brown, 10 to 15 minutes. 6Stir in the mustard, apple cider vinegar, and the reserved cooked bacon. 7Taste and adjust with more salt, pepper, and vinegar as needed.
