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Quick and easy comfort food is what we all crave and this simple Polish Haluski recipe is ready in minutes. Buttery fried cabbage with noodles are tossed with crispy bacon for added flavor. The ultimate in cozy family dinners.

Overhead shot of Polish Haluski recipe in a black skillet.

When time is tight and the budget is slim, cozy comfort food is what I crave. And my grandfather’s Polish Haluski is something I constantly crave. It’s a dish I’ve been eating for years because it always, always is a consistent dinner that takes me back to my younger days. Plus, who doesn’t like cabbage, noodles and lots of butter.

Why We Love It

Super easy to throw together, Haluski is simply fried cabbage and noodles. I like to throw in some crispy bacon for added texture and flavor or a few slices of leftover kielbasa, or polish sausage, when we have it around. 

If you’re looking for a quick and inexpensive dinner to serve up your pickiest eaters, this is definitely what you need! It’s easy to modify and is even better when made with homemade egg noodles.

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Simple Ingredients To Get You Started

  • Noodles – We prefer wide egg noodles when making haluski but you can use your favorite noodles, spaetzle or potato dumplings.
  • Bacon – While I love bacon in my haluski recipe, you can leave it out for a vegetarian version. Substitute with olive oil or salted butter instead of bacon fat.
  • Onion – A yellow onion or sweet onion will caramelize and add sweetness to this dish. You can omit the onion, if you prefer but it does give it a richer flavor.
  • Cabbage – A head of cabbage looks like a lot but will cook down into a caramelized masterpiece. It’s an inexpensive way to bulk up dinner while sticking to your grocery budget.
  • Seasoning – Kosher salt and black pepper are all you need but you can also add garlic powder, onion powder or even a bit of smoked paprika to level up the flavor profile.

For the full ingredient list and instructions, see the recipe card below.

Polish Haluski in a gray bowl with a wooden fork.

How To Make Haluski

A traditional Haluski recipe is made with homemade egg noodles but, to be honest, most times I just buy a bag to keep in the pantry for when my craving comes calling.

And if you want to skip the bacon, you can start the process for 3 tablespoons of butter.

  1. To start your haluski, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the egg noodles according to package directions to al dente. Drain and set aside.
  2. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the bacon to the pan and cook until crispy. Transfer the bacon to a plate with a slotted spoon and set aside.
  3. Add the onion and cabbage to the skillet with the bacon grease, cooking until wilted over medium heat, approximately 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. 
  4. Add the cooked noodles and crisp bacon to the sautéed cabbage tossing to combine. Stir in 2 tablespoons butter and season with salt and pepper.
  5. Serve immediately.

I like to sprinkle with a bit of garlic salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper. If you want to level up your fried cabbage and noodles, stir in a cup of cottage cheese. You won’t regret it.

Close up of polish haluski in a gray bowl.

What is Polish Haluski?

Haluski is a regional dish originating in the Central and Eastern European territories. It’s a one pot dish of fried cabbage and noodles, which are usually broad or dumpling like, that are tossed butter.

They’re the national dish of Slovakia but this recipe leans more toward a Polish origin as it’s something my Polish family made a lot. 

This simple recipe is often served during the lenten season without bacon or kielbasa, or course, but we also enjoy it as a side dish for ham or other pork recipes.

Overhead shot of polish haluski in a gray bowl.

How To Cut Cabbage for Haluski

  1. To start, make sure you are using a very sharp knife. More kitchen accidents happen because of a dull knife.
  2. First, set the cabbage core side down on a flat surface. Cut the cabbage in half through the core.
  3. Lay one half of the cabbage, cut side down, on the cutting board and slice the cabbage into thin, ribbon like, slices starting from the top. 

I used the same method to slice my cabbage as I did for this fried cabbage recipe.

You can cut the cabbage up the day before and store in an airtight container refrigerated overnight to speed up the dinner process even more.

Haluski in a gray bowl on a white background.

How To Store Leftovers

This Polish Haluski recipe makes a ton so leftover haluski is almost a certainty. You can store fried cabbage and noodles in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

You can also freeze Haluski for up to 3 months in an airtight container. Press out all the air to avoid freezer burn.

What To Serve With Haluski

We love to serve our cabbage and noodles alongside a few kielbasa, it’s the perfect side dish! But it’s also amazing with our favorite Potato Pierogi recipe because it’s just a great way to enjoy a whole buffet from my childhood.

If you’re serving it as the main course, you can make some fresh sauteed green beans or Polish Potato Pancakes.

We also love it alongside this simple, yet flavor-filled, Baked Chicken Breast. It’s the fastest, easiest dinner ever and my little guy eats every single bite.

Close up of polish haluski in a black skillet.

Tips for Making Haluski

  • This recipe is best if made with green cabbage. Napa cabbage or other varieties of cabbage won’t hold up as well and may wilt down too much.
  • Slice your cabbage thinly like ribbons for best results. This will also help your cabbage cook down more quickly.
  • Be sure to use the butter called for in this recipe. Even though we’re using bacon, the butter adds to the true and authentic Haluski flavor.
  • You can buy preshredded cabbage to make this recipe even faster but it will cook much more quickly because it’s sliced super thin for slaws and things like that.
  • Want more flavor? Add some crushed garlic or ground sausage to pump it up a bit more.
  • If you don’t have egg noodles, you can use any pasta you have on hand. 

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Easy Polish Haluski Recipe

4.50 from 6 votes
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Total: 40 minutes
Servings: 8
Quick and easy fried cabbage and noodles are on the table in about 30 minutes. Cozy comfort food with sauteed onions, cabbage, noodles and bacon. A hit with the whole family.

Equipment

  • 1 skillet
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Ingredients 

  • 8 ounces medium egg noodles
  • 3 sliced bacon, chopped
  • 3 tablespoons salted butter
  • 1 1/2 cup sliced onion
  • 1 head cabbage, cored and sliced thinly
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper

Instructions 

  • Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the egg noodles according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.
  • Heat a large, deep skillet over medium high heat. Add the bacon to the pan and cook until crispy. Transfer the bacon to a plate with a slotted spoon and set aside.
  • Add the onions and cabbage to the skillet cooking until wilted, approximately 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Add the noodles and bacon to the cabbage tossing to combine. Stir in 2 tablespoons butter and season with salt and pepper.
  • Serve immediately.

Video

YouTube video

Notes

Cabbage can be sliced and stored in a zip top bag in the refrigerator for up to 1 day. Be aware that cabbage will release gases when cut so it’s best that your bag is airtight. 🙂
If you’re planning to make your Haluski in advance to freeze, undercook the noodles slightly before tossing with the cabbage. This will help them stay perfectly cooked when reheated after thawing.
 

Nutrition

Calories: 243kcal, Carbohydrates: 30g, Protein: 8g, Fat: 11g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Cholesterol: 44mg, Sodium: 300mg, Potassium: 333mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 260IU, Vitamin C: 44mg, Calcium: 63mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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22 Comments

  1. Joanna says:

    The recipe is perfect, but the name is wrong. “Haluski” are Czech dumplings, and this super tasty dish with cabbage is called “Lazanki”. Greetings from Poland 😉

    1. Kellie says:

      Hmmmm, this is what my grandfather called it and he was definitely Polish. Maybe a regional thing?

  2. Dee Riffle says:

    Taste so good! I cooked it twice already my husband loves it, It will for sure a regular on our menu. Thanks for sharing your recipe ❤️

    1. Kellie says:

      Thank you for your comment! I’m so happy you loved it.

  3. john says:

    this is a great recipe i love Cabbage ,i like the way u put it together, i use a lot of lard gives thing a good taste. i like all u put out and u your self make a nice physical presentation, very nice i enjoy u.

    1. Kellie says:

      Thank you.

  4. Barbara Brooks says:

    My grandmother used to make Haluski without bacon. Can,t wait to try this recipe

    1. Kellie says:

      It’s great without bacon, too. 🙂

    2. Barbara says:

      My mom made it without bacon too (I bet that’s great). We Czechs call this Haluski too. 

      1. Kellie says:

        Thank you! I knew I wasn’t crazy.

  5. Joanne Hockenberry says:

    Just got your recipe 11/27/2022. Read MN looked at pics, making me hungry. Thanks . had this at Bloomsburg fair many many years ago. Tried making but didn’t have recipe but the taste was there.

    1. Kellie says:

      This is my grandfather’s recipe so I hope this is exactly what you’re looking for! Enjoy!

  6. Angela says:

    excellent, this is a great comfort food. I used sausage because that is what I had, delicious!

    1. Kellie says:

      Sausage is a great addition!

  7. Jan wise says:

    Can you put in a slow cooker to keep warm after a mixed together? 

    1. Kellie says:

      You sure can!

  8. Joyce says:

    Your video did not include the bacon

    1. Kellie says:

      I’m aware and I mention it in the video that I was not using it for a vegetarian version but follow the directions because it does tell you how to use bacon in the recipe. Sorry for any confusion.

  9. Karleen Salmonson says:

    I agree with you

    1. Kellie says:

      Thank you!

  10. Sarah says:

    Thanks for the easy recipe! I used farfalle pasta since that’s what I had. I seasoned the cabbage with Penzey’s Ozark seasoning and topped with chopped parsley when it was done. 

    1. Kellie says:

      Sounds amazing! I’ll have to get my hands on that seasoning, for sure!