Southern Fried Cabbage with Bacon

Southern fried cabbage with bacon cooks in less than 20 minutes. Tender cabbage, and crispy bacon cooked in amazing seasoning. Easiest side dish to throw together and cook.

Cabbage is a vegetable with a blank canvas. Roasting it brings out its natural flavors. If you haven’t tried roasting cabbage you must try roasted cabbage steaks, it’s a great side dish!

You Need This Fried Cabbage Recipe in Your Life

1. If you never liked cabbage, give this recipe a try. You might enjoy eating cabbage.
2. And if you like cabbage and never tried fried cabbage recipe, you are missing out!
3. 10 basic pantry ingredients is what you need.
4. Throw-together everything and cook in one pan.
5. In less than 20 minutes you have simple side dish with tons of flavors.
6. You can pair it with any main dish. We love it with grilled meat.
7. Serve it with pork, beef or grilled chicken to your guests and see it disappear instantly.
8. I’ve been known to eat this southern fried cabbage on it’s own, it’s hearty enough to make it a meal.
9. As cabbage cooks, wilts in the pan it caramelizes and soaks up all the flavors turning into an incredible dish. It’s hard to resist.
10. Because bacon makes everything better, this dish is going to delight you!

What You’ll Need For Southern Fried Cabbage Recipe

Here’s what you need-

Ingredients notes

• Cabbage – green cabbage is preferred. Can use any color cabbage.
• Bacon – use thick bacon strips, adds smoky, salty flavor to it.
• Onion – use yellow onion so the color of the dish does not change.
• Garlic – adds flavor to the dish.
• Dijon mustard – or can use fresh ground yellow mustard paste if you want.
• Paprika – adds a smoky flavor to the dish. Feel free to substitute paprika with cayenne pepper or red chili flakes for adding heat.
• Salt and ground pepper – season according to taste.
• Garlic and onion powder – adds more flavors.

Additions & substitutions

Substitutions:

Cabbage– purple cabbage can be used in place of green cabbage.

Other ingredients additions:

1. Red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes– to add a little bit of heat to southern fried cabbage. The heat in this cabbage stir fry is wonderful.
2. Italian seasoning – adds herb flavors to cabbage.
3. Caraway seeds – for an extra dose of Irish flavor, you caraway seeds. Sauté in bacon drippings along with garlic and onion.
4. Lemon juice – a dash of freshly squeezed lemon to add zing to Southern fried cabbage.
5. Parmesan cheese – generous tablespoon of parmesan cheese can make southern fried cabbage rich tasting. Add it just before removing the pan from heat.
6. Honey – to add a hint of sweetness to the dish.
7. Smoked sausage – add sausage of your choice to make it hearty, and filling. Italian sausage works well.
8. Chicken – cut boneless chicken into small pieces/strips and sauté it along with cabbage.

How To Make Fried Cabbage?

Use cast iron pan if you like caramelized smoky flavor southern fried cabbage or use non-stick skillet to make cooking a breeze or use regular skillet.

Slice cabbage into half. Remove the stem core from each half. The stem also called as core is usually tough to eat. Remove it and discard.

Place the half cut side down on cutting board. Cut ½ inch slices lengthwise. Then cut crosswise to chop green cabbage into bite size pieces.  Set aside until use.

Heat a skillet. Fry bacon on medium flame until browned and crispy.

Remove bacon from skillet. Cut into smaller bits and set aside.

The bacon dripping left over in the skillet is used to fry rest of the ingredients.

Note: if bacon drippings leftover in the pan isn’t enough add little extra butter or olive oil.

Add minced garlic and yellow onion to the pan.

Saute and cook until onion is softened.

Next add chopped cabbage, Dijon mustard, salt, pepper, paprika, onion powder and garlic powder.

Stir well until cabbage is coated well in seasoning.

Cover with lid and cook on medium low flame for 10 to 13 minutes.

Note: Give cabbage enough time to soften. Keep tasting as you go to see if cabbage is cooked to your desired consistency. Some like their cabbage crunchy, while others like it completely softened and cooked through.

Finally add bacon bits and give it a good stir.

Serve immediately with your favorite dish.

How Long Does It Take To Fry Cabbage?

It really depends on how you like your cabbage – crunchy or all the way softened. Also depending on size of the cut cabbage, cooking time will vary.

Usually it takes 10 to 13 minutes on medium low flame for cabbage to cook.

Give cabbage enough time to soften. Keep tasting as you go to see if cabbage is cooked to your desired consistency. Some like their cabbage crunchy, while others like it completely softened and cooked through.

Southern Fried Cabbage Recipe Variations

Though we love this southern fried cabbage as it is, there are ways you can switch things up to make your own variation of southern fried cabbage.

Cabbage-

Purple cabbage can be used in place of green cabbage.

Enhance Flavors –

Red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes– to add kick to the dish. The heat in this cabbage stir fry is wonderful.

Italian Seasoning – dried Italian herbs makes it more flavorful and tasty.

Caraway Seeds – for extra dose of Irish flavor, you caraway seeds. Saute in bacon drippings along with garlic and onion.

Squeeze of Lemon Juice – Use a dash of freshly squeezed lemon to add zing to Southern fried cabbage.

Parmesan Cheese – generous tablespoon of parmesan cheese can make this southern fried cabbage rich tasting. Add it just before removing the pan from heat.

Hint of Sweetness –

Drizzle honey to add a hint of sweetness to the dish.

Add Meat –

Smoked Sausage – along with cabbage, add sausage of your choice to make it hearty, filling.

Chicken – cut boneless chicken into small pieces/strips and saute it along with cabbage.

Storing And Reheating Southern Fried Cabbage With Bacon

If you have leftover southern fried cabbage, store covered in container or wrapped in aluminium foil for up to 3 days. The longer cabbage sits, it tends to become soggier by the day. It’s best to use it within 2 to 3 days.

To reheat refrigerated southern fried cabbage, transfer to frying pan and cook on medium heat until heated through.

Other cabbage recipes to consider

• Roasted Cauliflower Popcorn
• Cauliflower Steaks
• Cheesy Cauliflower Breadsticks
• Low-Carb Cauliflower Fried Rice