Southern Fried Cabbage

Southern fried cabbage cooked in a skillet until tender with golden, caramelized edges. Crispy bacon, sweet onion, and a touch of vinegar balance the savory pepper and red pepper flakes.

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 25

Total Time 35

Servings: 6 servings

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Southern American

Calories: 260

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

bacon

6 slices bacon chopped

yellow onion

1 medium yellow onion sliced

green cabbage

1 medium head green cabbage cored and chopped

garlic

2 cloves garlic minced

butter

2 tablespoons butter

salt

1 teaspoon salt

black pepper

0.5 teaspoon black pepper

red pepper flakes

0.25 teaspoon red pepper flakes

sugar

1 teaspoon sugar

apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Equipment

1 Cast iron skillet

Method

Cook the bacon and build flavor

Cook the chopped bacon in a large skillet over medium heat for 8 minutes until crisp, then remove it and leave the drippings in the pan.
Add the sliced onion to the drippings and cook for 5 minutes, stirring until softened; stir in the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds.

Fry and caramelize the cabbage

Add the chopped cabbage, butter, salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, and sugar to the skillet, stirring to coat the cabbage.
Cook for 12–15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cabbage is tender and caramelized at the edges (watch for golden-brown spots).

Finish and serve

Stir in the apple cider vinegar and the crispy bacon, then serve warm.

Notes

For best caramelized edges, keep the heat at medium and stir only occasionally during the 12–15 minute cook so the cabbage can brown in spots. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days; reheat in a skillet over medium heat until hot. Freezing isn’t recommended for this cabbage texture, but you can refresh with a splash of vinegar when reheating. For a lighter swap, use turkey bacon and reduce the butter to 1 tablespoon.