Southern Fried Cabbage is the perfect side dish you’ll love for family or holiday dinners. It’s easy to make with simple ingredients and is loaded with incredible flavor from bacon and spices.
We’ve had an incredible week of cookies and back-to-school cupcakes here on the blog but I am sure we all need a break from all that sweet stuff. So today, we’re going semi-healthy with Southern-style fried cabbage.
I know one pound of bacon and healthy don’t usually come hand in hand but it does add amazing flavor to an otherwise bland side dish and cabbage is, in fact, a low-calorie food rich in vitamins and minerals. #winner
Cooking tips
- Try to find bacon ends and pieces at your neighborhood meat section. Since we’re going to chop the meat up anyway, ends and pieces deliver the same smoky taste and are meatier and less expensive than bacon rashers.
- Not a fan of bacon? Substitute with sliced andouille sausages or diced ham.
- Cut up the cabbage in uniform size to ensure even cooking.
- Feel free to season this up with your favorite spice blend but I suggest adding salt sparingly as the bacon does bring a good amount of saltiness.
- Don’t skip the sugar as it helps heighten the natural sweetness of the vegetable and deliciously rounds up the flavor of the dish.
- I like to cook everything together so the cabbage absorbs more flavor as the bacon continues to render fat but if you prefer crispier bacon, remove from the pan when browned and just crumble up on top of the vegetable when ready to serve.
Serving suggestions
- This easy sauteed cabbage is delicious for lunch and dinner. It’s easy to make and sure to be a favorite side dish for family or holiday dinners.
- Allow leftovers to cool completely and transfer in an airtight container or resealable bags. Refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
- Reheat in a wide pan over medium heat, stirring regularly, until completely warmed through. If frozen, thaw completely in the refrigerator and proceed with re-heating in a pan.
For more vegetable side dish recipes, check out my recipes for green beans with bacon and tomatoes and roasted brussels sprouts with garlic and pancetta. They’re a guaranteed crowd-pleaser!
Ingredients
- 1 pound bacon ends and pieces, chopped
- 1 onion, peeled and sliced thinly
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 2 medium cabbage, cored and chopped (about 5 cups)
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- In a wide pan over medium heat, add bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until it begins to crisp and render fat.
- Add onions and garlic and cook until softened.
- Add cabbage and stir to distribute.
- Cover, lower heat and cook until vegetable begins to wilt.
- Add sugar, salt, onion powder, cayenne pepper, paprika, and pepper.
- Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 to 15 minutes or until cabbage is tender.
Video
Nutrition Information
“This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.”
Beverly says
What if you’re using ham?? I prefer ham!! Don’t you have to add a little liquid?? Thank you, Beverly
Alyssa | Flaxseeds & Fairytales says
Yum! I love southern greens. I’ll have to try this! 🙂
Lalaine says
Thank you!
Suzanne says
Hi Lalaine! Just a heads up: In one of your tips, you mentioned ‘Please skip the sugar…” but reading the complete sentence, and the list of ingredients, you mean “do NOT skip”, right? 🙂 This looks delicious, by the way. Bacon makes everything delicious!
Lalaine says
Thank you, Suzanne, for letting me know. Fixed it. 🙂