Get your greens the yummy Southern way with my fried cabbage and bacon recipe! Perfectly cooked cabbage and sizzled bacon make a veggie side your family will love. My fried cabbage and bacon recipe is buttery, tender, savory, and salty!
This recipe is a snap to put together so it’s one I reach for often. It makes a great light supper or a delicious side dish that goes with almost every dinner. Most importantly, it’s a veggie even my kid’s happily chowed down.
If you’re looking for more really delicious sides, I hope you’ll check out our KFC coleslaw, Boursin cheese scalloped potatoes, fluffy mashed potatoes, or my grandma’s green bean casserole next.
This fried cabbage and bacon recipe brings that southern charm — plus the ease of cooking in thirty minutes!
Let’s make some cabbage!
What Is Fried Cabbage And Bacon
This is an iconic Southern side dish that is truly, one of the most delicious ways to eat your veggies. Even you kids will love cabbage served this way! Fried cabbage without bacon is more commonly an Irish side dish.
Fried Cabbage And Bacon Ingredients
- Cabbage: Not all cabbages are created equal! Make sure, for this recipe, that you get green cabbage, not red. Red is more suited to making sauerkraut and doesn’t fry up as nicely as green.
- Bacon: I use regular center cut bacon, not the thick cut.
- Onion: I Use a yellow onion.
- Chicken Broth: I use low sodium chicken broth.
- Salt And Black Pepper: The quintessential seasoning for everything!
- Cajun Seasoning: What, exactly, is Cajun seasoning? It’s the seasoning that’ll make this cabbage even more delightfully southern! There are lots of Cajun seasoning brands out there, here’s the one I use. (affiliate link)
Storing + Freezing + Make-Ahead
- How Long Can You Keep This In The Fridge? This is best stored, sealed, in the fridge for up to five days. The best way I’ve found to reheat is to either microwave it or re-fry it on the stove to reawaken the bacon and cabbage!
- Can You Freeze This? I like this southern fried cabbage with bacon best the day it is made. The texture really doesn’t stand up well to freezing.
- Make-Ahead Tips: Since this recipe whips together so quickly, there really is no way to speed along the process! You can always make it fully and store it until you need it, but I think it tastes best freshly made.
Serving Recommendations
We love this side dish with any of our classic mains like smothered chicken, crockpot pork tenderloin, Mississippi pot roast or crockpot Mississippi meatballs, Salisbury steak, Swiss steak, Instant Pot pork chops, or our honey glazed salmon — all of these combos bring a scrumptious twist of sweetness that perfectly balances the savory cabbage!
Common Questions
- How Do You Core a Cabbage? While the core of cabbage is perfectly edible, it’s rather tough and, in my opinion, unappealing to eat.
- For this recipe, I start by coring the cabbage. To do so I peel away any tough or damaged leaves and discard them. Cut the cabbage into quarters through the core. Starting at the top of where the core meets the leaves, cut, at an angle, and remove the core.
- How Do You Cut Cabbage For Frying? I like to cut the cabbage for frying and for sautéed cabbage into large, roughly square pieces, about 1 to 1 1/2 inch pieces.
- To do so, follow the steps above and quarter and core the cabbage. Lay one of the quarters on one of its flat sides. Cut the cabbage into one-inch slices down the length of the quarter, like slices of bread.
- Lay slices flat and cut the opposite way to create square pieces. Repeat with remaining quarters
- Add Noodles. Mix in some pasta for the cabbage and noodle dish, similar to my haluski!
- Add sausage: Go for double the meats in fried cabbage with bacon and sausage. I like adding sliced polska kielbasa.
- Is Fried Cabbage And Bacon Keto? Great news! Yes, this recipe is low carb and keto-friendly if you omit 1/8 of a teaspoon of granulated sugar.
How To Make Southern Fried Cabbage and Bacon
- Chop cabbage.
- Chop bacon. Cook the bacon until crisp, Using a slotted spoon, remove to a paper towel-lined plate.
- Sauté onion in bacon dripping, until onion is soft, about 6-8 minutes.
- Add cabbage and toss with onion mixture. Continue to cook, stirring often, for 8-10 minutes.
- Add the chicken broth, salt, pepper, cajun seasoning, and sugar, and continue to cook until the cabbage is tender. Stir the bacon back into the cabbage until combined. Serve.
***See the full instructions below.
More Veggie Side Dishes
- Southern Collard Greens Recipe
- Southern Style Green Beans
- Roasted Broccoli
- Broccoli Salad
- Skillet Corn
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts
- Sweet Potato Casserole
- Honey Butter Skillet Corn
- Tennessee Onions
- Asian Coleslaw
- Pineapple Coleslaw
- Southern Style Green Beans
- Broccoli Cauliflower Casserole
- Okra and Tomatoes
Tried This Recipe?
Leave a review, I love hearing your feedback! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Fried Cabbage And Bacon
Ingredients
- 2 pounds head green cabbage
- 8 slices bacon
- 1 cup onion, chopped
- 1/3 cup chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
- 1/8 teaspoon granulated sugar
Instructions
- Chop cabbage (2 pounds).
- Chop bacon (8 slices).
- In a large skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat, until crisp, Using a slotted spoon, remove to a paper towel-lined plate.
- Saute onion (1 cup) in bacon dripping, on medium-low heat, until onion is soft, about 6-8 minutes. Add cabbage and toss with onion mixture. Continue to cook, stirring often, for 8-10 minutes.
- Add the chicken broth (1/3 cup), salt (1 teaspoon), pepper (1/4 teaspoon), cajun seasoning (1/2 teaspoon), and sugar (1/8 teaspoon), and continue to cook until cabbage is tender. Stir the bacon back into the cabbage until combined. Serve
Fans Also Made:
Notes
- Cabbage: Not all cabbages are created equal! Make sure, for this recipe, that you get green cabbage, not red. Red is more akin to making sauerkraut and doesn’t fry up as nicely as green.
- Cajun Seasoning: What, exactly, is Cajun seasoning? It’s the seasoning that’ll make this fried cabbage with bacon and onions even more delightfully southern! There are lots of Cajun seasoning brands out there, here’s the one I use.
Nutrition
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Since when has fried cabbage been a “southern” dish as you imply? My grandparents came from Eastern Europe and my grandmother had this dish as a staple on her table.
It’s soooo easy!
Right? Thanks for your feedback, Elle 🙂
the ingredients list doesn’t include garlic…..why is it mentioned in the cooking steps ???, I’m confused !!!!
Hi, D. Thanks for noticing. It’s now correct. Enjoy!
I love it, it’s so simple!
Thanks, Maria!