Fried Cabbage with crispy bacon and slightly wilted cabbage is a classic not to sleep on. Let’s face it bacon is every vegetable’s best friend.
Fried Cabbage
My love for cabbage came with the discovery that it doesn’t have to be limp and completely soggy and flavorless before you eat it. Giving it some heat just to soften but keep a bit of the firm texture is the sweet spot.
Fried cabbage in a skillet has become an easy go-to at our house. Have you tried it in a breakfast skillet with bacon, potatoes, and a nice soft egg on top?
Some southern-style cabbage recipes call for chicken broth, making it closer to boiled cabbage in nature. My preference when making vegetables is always going to be to roast or pan saute or fry. I like the texture and flavor better this way.
Cabbage with Bacon
Take care not to overcook – no one loves soggy cabbage. The fried cabbage should be tender and slightly wilted, but still a bit crisp.
Like any southern grandma will tell you the real hero in this dish is the bacon. Reserve some of the bacon grease to fry up the cabbage to impart the best flavors. Sauteeing the cabbage, onions, and garlic in a few tablespoons of bacon grease is the real secret.
Southern cabbage leftovers are great as the base for cabbage soup or added to the soups. My favorite is to add some potatoes to fried cabbage and make this Breakfast Skillet with Sunnyside egg on top.
Tender cabbage with crispy bacon in a very light sauce is rich and hearty without becoming heavy. Creamed cabbage with bacon is a perfect accompaniment to a variety of main dishes and will warm you up on a cold day.
Southern Fried Cabbage Recipe
- Place the bacon in a large skillet and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until browned and slightly crisp, about 10-12 minutes. For me, this Misen pan is the perfect skillet for making fried cabbage.
- Transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate. Drain all but 2 tablespoons of bacon drippings from the skillet.
- Add the cabbage, onion, and garlic to the bacon drippings in the skillet. Cook over medium heat until crisp-tender and lightly browned, about 15 minutes.
- Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Top with the cooked bacon.
Cabbage is a lot like Brussels Sprouts in that it doesn’t get near the love that it deserves. Many of us were brought up on mushy vegetables including boiled cabbage. Let’s change that! Vegetables like fried cabbage are also amazing sauteed and roasted.
Butter Braised Cabbage seasoned perfectly with salt and pepper is one of the simplest yet tastiest side dishes you can make.
Buttery, tender yet crisp cabbage is sauteed with smoky kielbasa sausage for a skillet meal you will have on the table in mere minutes.
Change it up from the classic creamed spinach and serve your family creamed cabbage; a crisp, barely wilted cabbage in a creamy sauce.
Follow this guide on how to saute cabbage and you’ll quickly master this flavorful dish.
Do you know how incredible cabbage is when roasted? On the inside, it is soft enough to just melt in your mouth. And, it gets plenty of the charred crispy bits that I adore on the outside.
Fried Cabbage with Bacon
Ingredients
- 1 pound bacon cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 small or ½ large head of green cabbage cored and sliced into ½-inch ribbons, about 8 cups
- 1 large yellow onion sliced thin, about ¼-inch
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- ½-1 teaspoon kosher salt adjust to taste
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper adjust to taste
Instructions
- Place the bacon in a large skillet and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until browned and slightly crisp, about 10-12 minutes.
- Transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate. Drain all but 2 tablespoons of bacon drippings from the skillet.
- Add the cabbage, onion, and garlic to the bacon drippings in the skillet. Cook over medium heat until crisp-tender and lightly browned, about 15 minutes.
- Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Top with the cooked bacon.
Nutrition
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