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The very BEST Fried Cabbage recipe is a quick and comforting side dish. Made with simple ingredients and a family secret that makes this southern fried cabbage not so southern. The very same recipe my Polish grandfather made for years.
This easy fried cabbage cooks in one skillet in 30 minutes: sauté cabbage and onion (with bacon or pancetta if you like), then finish with a spoonful of sour cream for a silky, tangy twist. Simple ingredients, big comfort.
Why You’ll Love My Fried Cabbage
- Budget-friendly staples: Cabbage, onion, and bacon/pancetta keep costs low, big flavor, small spend.
- One-skillet, 30 minutes: Weeknight-easy with minimal cleanup.
- Creamy, tangy finish: A spoon of sour cream makes this fried cabbage luxuriously decadent.
Some of my favorite comfort foods are the most simple. There are several staples that grace our Easter dinner table year after year and one of my favorites is a creamy Fried Cabbage recipe my grandfather used to make.
It goes great with ham and our favorite potato pierogi recipe or kielbasa and potatoes but it also goes with just about anything else you can think of. We love to have it alongside chicken and pork chops, too.
Now there are plenty of recipes out there for Fried Cabbage, most of them being Southern Fried Cabbage recipes with cooked bacon but this recipe for fried cabbage is very different. It doesn’t usually have bacon (except I added some crispy pancetta at the end just for some color and my grandfather was rolling over in his grave, I’m sure).
Simple Ingredients You Will Need
- Cabbage – Green cabbage is inexpensive and one head of cabbage will feed a lot of people. I always use green cabbage for this recipe for that reason, plus, it holds together well while it cooks. You can also make this using red cabbage (it’s a beautiful vibrant color) or a chinese cabbage (napa cabbage). All will work well but napa cabbage doesn’t take quite as long to cook down and caramelize so adjust cooking times accordingly.
- Onion – Yellow onion or sweet onions caramelize perfectly and blend into the fried cabbage seamlessly. If you don’t like onion, you can leave it out but I love the flavor it adds to the mellow cabbage.
- Butter – Blended with olive oil, salted butter adds richness to the recipe. You can also use bacon grease for added flavor but I love using butter, it’s what my grandfather used, and it keeps the dish vegetarian.
- Sour Cream – We always fold in sour cream, it really makes the dish richer and creamy. If you prefer to use greek yogurt, you can substitute or leave it out but it really is amazing if you don’t skip it.
- Seasoning – Simply seasoned with kosher salt and black pepper to keep with the authentic fried cabbage we made when I was young. You can also add garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes or even a pinch of brown sugar.
For the full ingredient list and cooking instructions, see the recipe card below.
Ingredient Notes
Sour Cream: Stir in off the heat so it stays creamy and won’t split.
Cabbage: Green cabbage works best. Savoy cabbage is fine (more tender, cook 1–2 minutes less). Napa cabbage wilts fast, reduce time.
Bacon vs Pancetta: Either adds smoky richness; or go meatless with 2 Tablespoon olive oil and ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika.
Onion: Yellow for sweetness; red for a sharper bite.
Optional Flavor Boosters: ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika and 1–2 teaspoon Dijon or stone-ground mustard for a smoky-tangy profile.
How to Cook Fried Cabbage
Making the BEST Fried Cabbage recipe is so simple and quick. Basically, in a nutshell, it’s a stir fried cabbage recipe with little else but butter and onions. It’s one of the most decadent recipes for being so basic.
Use a 12-inch skillet (cast iron or stainless). If yours is smaller, cook the cabbage in batches to avoid steaming.
- Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. (If using bacon fat, do not add butter.)
- Add the onions to the pan and sauté onion until beginning to caramelize.
- Chop the cabbage on a cutting board while the onions cook. Add half the chopped cabbage and cook until wilted.
- Add the remaining cabbage and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until wilted and beginning to caramelize.
- Season with salt and pepper. Continue to cook, stirring every few minutes being sure to scrape up the browned bits on the bottom of the skillet, until slightly caramelized and golden brown.
- Stir in the sour cream into the sautéed cabbage and cook for 1 additional minute.
- Top with crispy bacon, pancetta or just simply season with salt and pepper.
That’s it. So, so easy! Right? You can use oil or butter at the start of the recipe. Some people like to omit the butter because they are avoiding dairy.
kellie’s tips for perfect fried cabbage
- Don’t crowd the pan. Work in batches for good browning.
- Salt later. Add most salt after the initial sauté to limit water release.
- Heat matters. Medium-high heat gives caramelized edges, not soggy cabbage.
- Use a wide, hot skillet and cook in batches.
- Stir less at first to let edges brown.
- Salt toward the end and finish on medium-high to drive off moisture.
Storage and Reheating
- Freezer: Freezing fried cabbage is not recommended, the texture becomes soft and watery.
- Refrigerator: Store leftover fried cabbage in an airtight container 4-5 days.
- Reheat: Heat leftovers in a skillet over medium heat with a splash of water or broth; or microwave in 30-sec bursts, stirring.
What to Eat with Southern Fried Cabbage
- My FAVORITE Potato Pierogi recipe, it’s my grandfather’s recipe, BTW.
- Pan Fried Kielbasa, so simple, so good.
- The BEST Oven Baked Chicken Breast
- Simple Roasted Rotisserie Style Chicken
- Roast Pork Loin with Hoisin Honey Glaze
- Bourbon Honey Baked Ham, in keeping with the Easter tradition
Fried Cabbage Recipe
Equipment
- 1 sharp kitchen knife
- 1 skillet
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 vidalia onion, thinly sliced
- 1 head cabbage, cored and chopped
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 3 tbsp cooked and crumbled bacon or pancetta
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika, optional
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon or stone-ground mustard, optional
- 4 oz bacon or pancetta, chopped (optional)
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter and then stir in the olive oil.
- Add the onions to the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- When the onions are softened and beginning to caramelize, stir in half the cabbage. Cook the cabbage for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until wilted.
- Add the remaining cabbage to the pan and stir to combine. Cook for an additional 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until wilted and beginning to caramelize.
- Season with salt and pepper. Cook for an additional 4-5 minutes.
- Remove pan from heat and stir in ¼ cup sour cream until creamy. Taste and adjust salt and pepper. Serve warm.
- Serve immediately.
Video
Notes
- Cajun: 1 tsp Cajun seasoning + hot sauce to taste.
- Spicy: ½–1 tsp chili flakes or chili powder.
- Hearty: Add sliced smoked sausage and cook until browned before adding cabbage.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
More Easy Cabbage Recipes
- The BEST Corned Beef and Cabbage recipe
- Easy Beef Cabbage Soup…just like my favorite deli.
- Stuffed Cabbage Rolls…again, my grandpop’s hand me down.
- Stuffed Cabbage Roll Soup….in case you get lazy and don’t feel like rolling the rolls.
- Caramelized Cabbage and Onion Colcannon….MOST EPIC MASHED POTATOES EVER.
I really could just go on and on and on about how to Fry Cabbage but let’s be real here….I know you just want to get down to it and plop it on your plate. It’s so good, buttery and sweet and creamy and amazing.
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Yes. Use 2 Tablespoon olive oil or butter. For smoky vibes, add ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika or toss in diced smoked sausage.
Pan was crowded or salt went in too early. Use a wide skillet, cook in batches, and salt near the end. Finish over medium-high to evaporate moisture.
Yes. Red cabbage keeps more bite and color; napa cooks faster, reduce sauté time by 2–3 minutes.
I make mine so near to this! I don’t chop cabbage, I slice it fairly thin. But I add cooked ramen noodles! Strain the noodles then fry them in a little butter with the flavor packet mixed in. Move them to a bowl and then do cabbage, when cabbage is cooked add noodles back to pan and mix well!
I love that you used ramen noodles! That’s such a great idea!
Every recipe I try from you are exceptional. I am anxious to try thr fried cabbage! I am sure it will be delicious. Thank you for sharing.
I hope you love it! Thanks, Lynn!
Dear Kellie: As a diabetic I am always looking for recipes that are low in carbs and sugar. Maybe you could publish some once in a while. Love your podcast. Thanks, Dave.
Hi David, I do have a number of low carb and low sugar recipes, if you click on the healthy recipes tab you can sort through them. All the recipe cards include the nutrition facts at the bottom.
Fried Cabbage recipe Is the best! So easy go make and we love it as a side dish for everything. Thank you for this great cabbage recipe!
Love!! It really is a great side dish for so many things. It tastes amazing & feels light & healthy!
My husband asked me to make fried cabbage and I was lost! This recipe saved me and he loved it! Thanks
I’m so happy he liked it!
I needed to use up a head of cabbage before it went bad and came across this recipe. I was skeptical of the sour cream but I trusted the process and it turned out absolutely amazing! Will definitely be making this again
Ahhhhh, thank you for trusting the process!!! My mom used to add it when I was little and I threw a fit because I don’t really love sour cream but it adds so much to the recipe.
Great, simple, flavorful recipe. The only way to do cabbage by itself.
Thank you so much for your comment!
I made this but put my own little Asian twist on it. I used nappa cabbage I added matchstick carrots. While that was cooking I took 1 lb spicy itialian sausage 2 tablespoons of hoisen sauce 1 tablespoon of soy sauce 1/2 tablespoon fresh grated ginger 1 large clove of minced garlic 1 tablespoon of rice wine vinegar 1 teaspoon of honey. I added that to the sausage and cooked it then added the small container of brakstones sour cream when the cabbage was done . I scooped cabbage into a bowl and added 2 heaping tablespoons of the undrained cooked pork sausage…..super good right to the last drop . Thank you for sharing your recipe it inspired me to make something I’ve never had before.
Sounds so good! Thanks for sharing!
I made this last night to serve along with Roast Chicken and Mashed Potatoes. It was a PERFECT addition to our meal, and so very simple (and economical) to make. The Sour Cream is a MUST. PS: I did garnish it with chopped crispy bacon and some dried Parsley flakes. Everyone loved it. Thanks for the “share”.
Thank you so much for your comment! I’m so happy you enjoyed it.
This recipe is an absolute gem!! So Delicious! I was taking a back by the sour cream cuz I only ever put that in my beef stroganoff but the sour cream made this recipe pop! it’s so delicious with crunchy bacon on top makes the perfect meal.
I’m so happy you enjoyed it! Thank you for your comment!