Fried cabbage in air fryer or Ninja Foodi turns out great. If you want a quick vegetable side dish with bacon or vegetarian we have instructions for it here. Amp up your traditional air fryer cabbage steaks with this new version.
We LOVE fried cabbage now air fried was the last way we hadn’t tried yet until now. Adding a bit of crisp to veggies has been a game changer for us. Vegetables have become my children’s favorite thing to eat since we got this machine so it’s been a huge win. Find more easy air fryer recipes galore like this on our site.
We have SO many simple cabbage recipes on our site because ever since I turned 40 it’s like my favorite thing ever. As a kid my grandmother made this several times a week in some way, it was a no go for me. Didn’t smell or seem like it would taste very good, then I got old. lol
I started cooking this same mixture in my IP and it was such a hit. If you do want it super tender and have that machine you should start there, with our Instant Pot fried cabbage. That will give you the “typical” texture you remember, this one doesn’t get as soft. BUT a bit of crisp we do love so try them both.
Tips: My Favorite models are the Cosori or making Ninja Foodi recipes with the lid that is attached.
It is best practice to put food into a hot basket. This is how to preheat air fryer first before adding your food so it becomes as crispy as possible. For best results, here’s a printable free air fryer cooking time chart here for your fridge.
Ninja Foodi Fried Cabbage
If you do have this machine you can try both of these. It has the pressure cook and air crisp function so you can make one at a time and see which is your favorite. Like I said, it’s basically the same ingredients but the texture is totally different. To each their own and everyone has a preference, that is why I’m sharing them all.
I even have a link to how to make this on the stove if you want to compare all three. We love Ninja Foodi cabbage recipes so much that I am always tweaking things to see if I can continue to make it better. This one in particular you can make in an AirWave, Cosori or whatever brand you might have.
We have a 5 quart machine and half a head chopped is about all I would add at once. You don’t want to overfill it because then it won’t wilt at all. As is you get just enough tenderness with crisp just on the edges. The water underneath will help with the texture, we will explain that step in a bit.
Ingredient Notes
- You are going to want half a head of cabbage cut into squares, you can see how we do that above. This size is best.
- To give it that umami flavor you get this with some soy sauce, a gluten free option would be aminos.
- Optional but great to use bacon bits or diced ham to add protein and flavor.
- I add minced garlic to almost every dish. I have a huge container already chopped in my fridge which saves time but diced from fresh cloves works too.
- Paprika and/or garlic powder is all we really use for seasonings
- Water will go in the basket underneath to essentially steam the leaves a bit to get a bit tender.
How do you cut cabbage for fried cabbage?
The traditional way of how to cut cabbage for this dish is in cubes or squares. The size is about 1″x1″ or so, or basically bite size so it is easy to eat without slicing or cutting it in any way when done. This size also allows the leaves to absorb the seasonings well.
How do you steam cabbage in air fryer?
If you have ever worked with green cabbage at all you know how tough the leaves are compared to lettuce let’s say. You do need some steam to soften them nicely so we are going to do that with this machine as well. If you haven’t done this don’t worry, we will explain the process.
You just add about 1/4 cup of water into your air fryer basket which will then leak down to the bottom between the inner basket and where your food will sit. The holes underneath will allow the wet hot air to circulate nicely and create hot steam so the leaves soften.
Tips
I have not made this with red cabbage and probably wouldn’t. That variety is even firmer and that is not what I am used to and what I was brought up with. The cook time would need to probably be a bit longer and shaken more often so it doesn’t get too crisp. I would stick with green though.
The smaller you cut the pieces the softer it will become. Keep it large like we have done with cabbage wedges and it isn’t going to break down much. Now that isn’t always what we want though. If we’re making baked cabbage steaks sliced it’s all about the butter sinking in and the crunch too.
Once you have cooked cabbage to your liking pour it out on to plates and serve immediately for best results with your dinner. Such a yummy flavor I have been known to eat it just as is when I want something small for a meal later in the day.
Fried Cabbage in Air Fryer Recipe
Equipment
- 1 air fryer
Ingredients
- 1/2 head cabbage, cut into squares
- 4 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp bacon bits
- 1/2 tbsp minced garlic
- 1/4 tsp paprika
- 1/4 cup water
Instructions
- Preheat air fryer to 380 for 5 minutes. Cut cabbage head in half, remove stem and cut into bite size squares. Put into a bowl.
- Drizzle on 3 tbsp of your soy sauce, bacon bits and all seasonings, toss to coat.
- Pour water into air fryer basket so it stays in between the inner drawer and the basket with holes so it can steam.
- Pour cabbage mix into basket and close. Air fry for 12 minutes stirring contents twice and pouring remaining 1 tbsp of soy sauce on top of mixture after your 2nd stir.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
If you wanted to make this on the stove you can certainly try that one too after making your air fried cabbage. I love using a Dutch oven because it locks in the heat and has plenty of room for stirring. Follow our Southern fried cabbage on the stove recipe here, or roasting cabbage stew with leftover ham.
How to reheat leftovers
Since this one doesn’t get too soft it does save pretty well actually. Store it in a bag or container until the next day and then add 1 tbsp of broth into a bowl with it when reheating in the microwave. Warms up nicely again so you don’t have to waste a bit of it! 😉
Love this recipe