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Home > Side Dish > Southern Fried Cabbage with Bacon

Home > Side Dish > Southern Fried Cabbage with Bacon

Southern Fried Cabbage with Bacon

Last updated January 20, 2021. Originally posted January 20, 2021 By Jyothi Rajesh 4 Comments

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fried cabbage with bacon cooked in skillet with text
fried cabbage with bacon cooked in skillet with text
fried cabbage with bacon cooked in skillet with text
southern fried cabbage with bacon cooked in skillet with text
southern fried cabbage with bacon cooked in skillet with text
southern fried cabbage with bacon cooked in skillet with text
fried cabbage with bacon cooked in skillet with text

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

Do check out roasted cabbage steaks – a great side dish!

southern fried cabbage in ceramic bowl

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-

  • 1 medium cabbage
  • 6-8 bacon strips
  • 1 medium onion
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 ½ tablespoon Dijon mustard (can use fresh ground mustard paste)
  • 1 teaspoon each – paprika, fresh ground pepper, salt, garlic powder, onion powder
all ingredients for southern fried cabbage with bacon recipe

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 smoky flavor to the dish. Feel free to substitute paprika with cayenne pepper or red chili flakes for adding heat.

Fresh ground pepper – season according to taste.

Salt – add if needed after taste test.

Garlic and onion powder – for more flavors.

Additions & Substitutions

Though just salt, pepper along with bacon will make this fried cabbage delicious enough, you can always add in more ingredients to make it more flavorful.

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 little bit heat to southern fried cabbage. 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 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.

fried cabbage with bacon cooked in skillet

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.

Slicing cabbage head into half
Slicing cabbage head into half
tough stem (called core) removed from cabbage

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.

chopping cabbage into bite size pieces
chopping cabbage into bite size pieces

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

frying bacon until crispy in skillet
frying bacon until crispy in skillet

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

remove crispy bacon from pan

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.

onion garlic cooked in bacon drippings left in skillet

Saute and cook until onion is softened.

onion garlic cooked in bacon drippings left in skillet

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

all seasoning added to pan to make fried cabbage recipe

Stir well until cabbage is coated well in seasoning.

making fried cabbage in skillet pan

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

making fried cabbage in skillet pan

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.

making fried cabbage in skillet until cabbage is softened

Finally add bacon bits and give it a good stir.

cooking southern fried cabbage in skillet

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.

fried cabbage with bacon cooked in skillet

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.

close up view of southern fried cabbage in skillet

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  • Low-Carb Cauliflower Fried Rice

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southern fried cabbage in ceramic bowl
5 from 2 votes

Southern Fried Cabbage with Bacon

Jyothi Rajesh
Southern fried cabbage with bacon cooks in less than 20 minutes. Tender cabbage, crispy bacon cooked in amazing seasoning. Easiest side dish to throw together and cook.
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Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 20 minutes mins
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 8 servings
Calories 109

Ingredients
  

  • 1 medium cabbage
  • 6-8 bacon strips
  • 1 medium onion
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 ½ tablespoon Dijon mustard or can use fresh ground mustard paste
  • 1 teaspoon paprika or can use cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes
  • 1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
  • 1 teaspoon salt adjust to taste
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder

Instructions
 

  • Use cast iron pan if you like caramelized smoky flavor in the dish 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.
  • 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.

Video

Notes

  1. You can enhance the flavors in the dish by adding red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes. It adds nice kick to the dish.
  2. Caraway seeds is another great flavoring spice. It adds authentic Irish flavors to the dish.
  3. Switch things up by adding meat – smoked sausage or chicken (chopped into bite size pieces).
  4. Onion garlic and cabbage is cooked in bacon drippings left in pan. if you feel it’s not enough, you can add extra butter or olive oil.
  5. 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.
Servings: Number of servings may vary depending on the side of cabbage heat used. One medium sized cabbage can serve from 6 to 8 servings.
 
Nutritional Info – Please keep in mind that nutritional information provided is only a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.

Nutrition

Calories: 109kcalCarbohydrates: 9gProtein: 4gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 11mgSodium: 454mgPotassium: 256mgFiber: 3gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 234IUVitamin C: 43mgCalcium: 52mgIron: 1mg
Did you make this recipe?Follow @CurryTrail and tag #CurryTrail to share your creation!

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    Comments & Reviews

  1. Emily says

    March 27, 2022 at 3:38 am

    5 stars
    I was looking for a cabbage recipe last summer and came across this beauty. My husband and I loved it and so easy to make!! He has since asked for this several times since then. VERY YUMMY!

    Reply
    • Jyothi Rajesh says

      March 29, 2022 at 9:04 pm

      So glad you and your husband liked the recipe Emily. Thank you for sharing!

      Reply
  2. Val Jamison says

    February 13, 2022 at 2:20 am

    5 stars
    I love fried cabbage, I will surely make this recipe. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Jyothi Rajesh says

      February 16, 2022 at 10:27 am

      Glad you are liking the recipe!

      Reply

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Jyothi - Author of Curry Trail.

Welcome, I'm Jyothi

My food philosophy is simple, fresh and full of flavors! I love ‘spicy’ food. In fact so much so that I can skip dessert for extra spicy savory food!

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