This sautéed cabbage recipe turns humble cabbage into a rich, savory side dish in about 20 minutes. Start by cooking cabbage with leeks, garlic, and herbs until it's silky and tender. You can keep it simple or add bacon for smoky flavor. It pairs beautifully with roast chicken, salmon, sausages, or ham, and for a great weekend breakfast you can even top it with poached eggs. Cabbage is for more than coleslaw!
While corned beef and cabbage is an American St. Patrick's Day staple, the traditional family meal in Ireland was often cabbage and bacon. This easy Irish-style sautéed cabbage recipe skips boiling and gently cooks the cabbage with a little broth, carrots, leeks, and thyme for extra flavor. Make it for St. Patrick's Day, then don't forget about it the rest of the year-it's an easy, delicious side dish.
Sauteed Cabbage Recipe Highlights
- Big flavor from simple ingredients - Cabbage, leek, garlic, and bacon (optional) transform into a simple savory side dish with little effort.
- Versatile side dish - Pairs with sausages, pork chops, roast chicken, corned beef, or even pan-seared fish such as salmon.
- Make-ahead friendly - Sauteed cabbage reheats beautifully, so you can make it earlier in the day or enjoy leftovers the next night.
- Budget-conscious - A head of cabbage plus a few strips of bacon feeds a crowd without breaking the bank.
For another recipe to serve on St. Patrick's Day, try this Cauliflower Colcannon.
Ingredients You'll Need
- Cabbage: Choose a firm, heavy head with crisp leaves for the best texture and sweetness.
- Bacon: Uncured pork bacon for smoky, savory flavor. Turkey bacon also works if you prefer a lighter option, or you can omit it.
- Leek: The white and light green parts of a leek, adding a mild, sweet onion flavor.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic cloves. Optional, but they bring extra depth and savoriness.
- Carrots: Add color and a subtle natural sweetness that balances the cabbage and bacon.
- Oil: Extra-virgin olive oil or avocado oil. Used to sauté the vegetables.
- Broth: Low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth to give the cabbage more flavor than water alone.
- Herbs: Fresh thyme, parsley, and a bay leaf for earthy, aromatic notes that round out the braised cabbage.
Please see the recipe card for measurements, salt, and black pepper.
Salmon is another terrific dish to serve on St. Patrick's day (and any day). Try my simple steamed salmon recipe. It's foolproof.
Substitutions and Variations
Here are lots of fun and tasty variations for sauteed cabbage:
- No leeks - Use white, yellow, or red onion.
- Savoy cabbage - Use in place of green cabbage. It's slightly milder and more tender.
- Napa cabbage - Another good option with a softer texture and slightly sweeter flavor.
- Pancetta - Swap pancetta for the bacon for a similar smoky, savory result.
- Ham or corned beef - Substitute chopped ham or corned beef instead of bacon for a heartier twist.
- Scallions - Add chopped scallions at the end for fresh flavor and green color.
- Caraway seeds - Add a pinch for a traditional flavor that enhances cabbage's natural sweetness.
- German-style - Add 1-2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar, white vinegar, or white wine vinegar near the end of cooking for a subtle tang.
If you cringe at mayonnaise-heavy coleslaw, try my easy coleslaw recipe with a light and creamy dressing.
How to Make Sauteed Cabbage
Instead of cooking cabbage wedges, thinly slice the head of cabbage so it cooks quickly and add broth as a braising liquid to help it soften and add flavor. You'll need a large pan to hold all of the vegetables, like a 12" fry pan, sauté pan, or braiser.
- Clean and slice leek, grate carrot, thinly slice the raw cabbage, chop herbs.
- Chop bacon, cook to crisp, drain on paper towels reserving 1 tablespoon of bacon drippings in pan.
- Add olive oil, leeks and carrots to pan, cooking until softened, 2 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute.
- Add sliced cabbage, thyme, bay leaf, and broth, turning them over to mix together.
- Cover with lid, cook vegetables until softened, about minutes. Add salt and pepper.
- Add bacon when done, add parsley if using.
Chef's tip: Eat more cabbage! Cabbage is an inexpensive and always available member of the cruciferous vegetable group. It's rich in antioxidants, phytonutrients, vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Besides in this braised cabbage recipe, it's good in salads, added to vegetable and chicken soup, shredded for tacos, used in green juices, and classic coleslaw. However you add it, get healthy cabbage into your diet. Plus, it's one of the low-carb vegetables.
Serving Suggestions
Sautéed cabbage is a perfect side dish alongside baked chicken breasts, stovetop seared salmon, and pork tenderloin or pork chops.
For another side dish, potatoes are a must! Try this fluffy riced mashed potatoes recipe for the best mashed potatoes. Roasted red potatoes are another perfect option.
How to Store Leftovers
You can make sauteed cabbage ahead of time as it reheats well. Store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days and reheat in a skillet over low heat or covered in a warm oven covered with aluminum foil.
Sauteed Cabbage FAQs
Green cabbage is the most common, but Savoy cabbage works well for a more tender texture. Red cabbage can be used, though it may bleed color into the dish.
Yes! Try using smoked sausage, pancetta, or ham for a meaty alternative. For a vegetarian version, add a little smoked paprika or a splash of soy sauce for depth of flavor. For vegans omit the meat of any type.
Absolutely! Butter, ghee, or olive oil work well, though bacon fat adds extra flavor.
Avoid overcooking-braise until just tender. Cooking uncovered for the last few minutes helps reduce excess moisture.
More Recipes With Cabbage and Greens
Looking for more recipes with cabbage? Try a refreshing green juice with cabbage (it's sweet!), or these tasty cabbage salads.
⭐️Did You Make This?
If you make this sauteed cabbage with bacon, please comment and let me know. I enjoy hearing from you and comments really help other readers.
📖 Recipe
Braised Cabbage with Bacon
Ingredients
- 1 large leek pale green and white part only
- 1 small head green cabbage
- 4 strips bacon uncured
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or use all bacon fat
- 3 garlic cloves finely chopped
- ¾ cup grated carrot
- ⅔ cup chicken broth or vegetable
- 2 teaspoons fresh chopped thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 teaspoons fresh chopped parsley optional
Instructions
Prep work
- Cut root end and dark green top off of leek and discard. Slice leek in half lengthwise. Run leek halves under cold water to remove any sand and dirt. Dry. Lay them flat on a cutting board and chop thinly crosswise. Cut cabbage in half through the root, lay halves flat on a cutting board and slice crosswise into thin ribbons. You will need 4 cups of packed cabbage. Slice bacon crosswise into thin strips.
Cook bacon
- In a large sauté or fry pan over medium heat, cook bacon until crisp. Remove bacon pieces and drain on paper towels reserving 1 tablespoon of bacon drippings in pan. Wipe the rest from the pan with paper towels.
Cook cabbage
- Add olive oil to pan. Heat oil over medium heat. Add leek and carrot and cook about 2 minutes, stirring, until softened. Add garlic and cook 1 minute longer. Add cabbage to the pan along with broth, thyme and bay leaf. Stir and turn to coat vegetables well with broth and juices. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. Add cooked bacon. Cover pan with a lid and cook until cabbage is soft and wilted, about 7 minutes. Taste to determine if cabbage is done enough for you. If you would prefer it softer, cover and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Remove bay leaf before serving, sprinkle with parsley, and adjust seasoning with any additional salt and pepper.
Notes
- Try Savoy cabbage in place of the green cabbage. It's slightly milder and more tender than green cabbage.
- Napa cabbage is another good variation with a softer texture and it's a bit sweeter.
- Swap pancetta for the bacon. It's still rich but slightly saltier than bacon.
- Substitute bits of finely chopped ham or corned beef instead of the bacon.
Nutrition
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Sarah Hirsch says
i'd love to have a whole suite of top of the line appliances. a girl can dream, right?
Madonna/aka/Ms. Lemon says
I pinned this. It looks so delicious and I could see it piled high on a Rueben sandwich.
Sally says
Great idea Madonna! If you like your cabbage tangy for a sandwich, you could always add a bit of vinegar during cooking to give it that "sour" tangy taste.