Fried Cabbage and Bacon Recipe on Stove

This simple cabbage recipe can be made on the stovetop right next to your main dish. Using a Dutch Oven, our cabbage and bacon recipe with onions on the stove is cheap and can be made Southern style with a bit of spicy heat too if you like.

Dutch Oven Cabbage and Bacon

These two ingredients go so well together. Since the head itself has very little flavor you really want something to pack a punch to wilt and soften each bite + add a lot of YUM. Instead of Boiling Cabbage you are instead doing more of a saute of sorts in the butter, bacon grease and all the flavors. Submerged in water to soften means NO flavor.

Same goes for our slow cooker cabbage recipe. I mean you can add seasonings and get it tender but with a bit more texture in a pan on the stovetop is better if you ask me. I mean each has it’s place and time but for overall goodness I’d try this one.

Now you could make this more of a meal with heartier meat, or more than one. Instead of or in addition to the bacon you could brown beef with it too like our cabbage casserole with ground beef recipe does. You could use leftover ham too after the holidays. It is easy to tweak to your liking for sure.

Fried Cabbage and Bacon Ingredients

• 6 slices bacon diced, not drained because bacon fat means flavor y’all
• 1 head of cabbage is used in this case unless you want less then you could cut everything in half.
• Onions and garlic too if you’d like, minced
• Butter or olive oil for a dairy free option
• Vegetable broth or chicken
• Soy sauce
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 tsp garlic salt
• Old Bay
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes if you’d like a little heat or to make it spicy

I use a deep Dutch Oven for pan fried cabbage but a large pot with a tight lid would work too. I do not add a lot of heat to this one. Sometimes when I make our Pigs in the Blanket with Cabbage I will add a bit more. That is up to you and you could leave it out entirely.

How to Cook Cabbage with Bacon on the Stove

• Cut stem off of green cabbage and discard, slice in half and then into 1×1 inch cubes, set aside.
• I like using a Dutch Oven but you can use a large pot with a lid over medium high heat.
• Add butter or olive oil. Add bacon and add the onions.
• Stirring occasionally, cook until bacon is a bit crispy and onions are softened. 
• Add into pot and mix together.
• Cook together for 2-3 minutes.
• Pour in vegetable broth and all seasonings, stir together. Saute for another 2-3 minutes.
• Cover with a lid, turn heat to low
• Cook for 5 minutes or until leaves are as soft as you’d like them to be. Serve an easy side dish like this immediately for best results.

How to cut a cabbage for fried cabbage

This is How to Cut Cabbage in a number of ways but in this case 1×1 squares is best in this case. You don’t want the pieces to be too small or they will wilt too quickly and you want a bit of a “bite” to them so it’s not soggy.

Can you fry cabbage in bacon fat?

Absolutely, I suggest that you do! If you didn’t want the meat in there but wanted all the flavor you could follow the instructions of sauteeing but then remove the bacon and leave the grease, or use olive oil instead with no meat or grease at all. NO idea why you wouldn’t want BACON y’all but okay I guess if you don’t we might still be able to be friends. 😉

Cabbage and Bacon in Instant Pot

Now if you want to make an entire meal with this same main ingredient you could. Grab 2, one to make this and another to dice and make Pressure Cooker Fried Cabbage as the main meal. If you used smoked sausage like kielbasa that is already cooked I would dice small and still fry in the butter to warm and caramelize.

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