Easy Fried Cabbage With Bacon And Onion

Name: Fried Cabbage With Bacon And Onions
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 1 pound bacon (chopped); 2 large cooking onions (diced); 4 cloves garlic (minced); 1 large head cabbage (cored and sliced about 4lb); 1 teaspoon salt; 1 teaspoon black pepper; 1/2 teaspoon thyme; 1/8 teaspoon paprika

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Do you need a simple side dish recipe? Then you’re going to love this fried cabbage with bacon and onions. It’s a simple, old-fashioned recipe that everyone loves. It’s made with simple ingredients, comes together in one pot, and turns a head of cabbage into a hearty, flavorful side dish that goes with pretty much any meal.

Fried cabbage with bacon and onion cooked in a large pot.

This is one of my favorite easy side dish recipes I make when I want something filling and comforting without a lot of prep.

The bacon adds richness, the onions cook down until sweet, and the cabbage is tender. It’s perfect as part of your St. Patrick’s Day dinner, or any time you need an easy weeknight side dish.

A Quick Look At The Recipe

Recipe Name: Fried Cabbage With Bacon and Onions
Cook Time: About 35 minutes
Servings: 10-12
Main Ingredients: Bacon, cabbage, onions, garlic
Dietary Info: One pot, gluten-free, family-friendly, budget-friendly
Difficulty Level: Easy

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Simple Ingredients: Everything in this recipe is easy to find and budget-friendly.
Big flavor with little effort: Bacon, onions, and garlic create an amazing flavor with little work.
One Pot Recipe: Makes this an easy dish to make without much cleanup.
Comfort Food: This side is filling but not heavy.

Ingredients

1 pound of bacon, chopped
2 large cooking onions, diced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 large head of cabbage, cored and sliced about a 4lb head of cabbage
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/8 teaspoon paprika

How To Make Fried Cabbage With Bacon And Onions

Raw bacon diced and placed into a cast iron Dutch oven.

Diced onion was added to the cooked bacon.

Fry the bacon in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until done but still soft.

Add the onion and cook, stirring until the onion caramelizes.

Garlic, caramelized onions, and bacon cooked together.

Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.

Sliced cabbage added to the meat and onion mixture.

Seasonings were added to the partly cooked cabbage.

Stir in the cabbage and cook for another 10 minutes, stirring often.

Add the salt, pepper, thyme, and paprika. Stir and reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Simple fried cabbage with bacon cooked in a large Dutch oven.

Recipe Notes & Tips

Cut the cabbage into wide slices, not shreds. Thicker pieces hold their texture better and won’t turn mushy as they cook.
Remove the tough core first. The cabbage core doesn’t soften the way the rest of the cabbage does, and can stay chewy.
Don’t rush the onions. Letting them slowly caramelize in the bacon grease adds a lot of flavor to the dish.
Season near the end. Cabbage releases moisture as it cooks, so adjusting the salt, pepper, and spices closer to the end gives better results.

A large cast iron Dutch oven filled with homemade fried cabbage and bacon with a serving spoonful lifted up.

Serve With:

FAQ

The key is not overcooking the cabbage. Slice the cabbage into thicker pieces and cook it just until it’s tender to your liking. Stir it often so the cabbage cooks at the same rate.

Yes, fried cabbage with bacon reheats really well. Just let it cool completely, store it in an airtight container in your fridge, and then reheat it on the stove over low heat or in the microwave until heated through.

It depends on how much grease is released from your bacon. If you have too much in the pot, you can carefully spoon some out before you add the onions.

Yes, this recipe is so easy to customize. Sliced carrots, bell peppers, or mushrooms work well. If you’re adding firmer vegetables, add them earlier with the onions so they have time to cook.

Fried Cabbage With Bacon And Onions

Fried cabbage with bacon is a classic, no fuss side dish made with crispy bacon, caramelized onions, and tender cabbage. It’s flavorful, filling, and made with simple pantry ingredients. Making this side a great choice for everyday dinners or a comforting side for holiday meals.

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 35

Total Time 45

Serving Size to 12 servings

Ingredients

1 pound bacon chopped
2 large cooking onions diced
4 cloves garlic minced
1 large head cabbage cored and sliced about 4lb
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/8 teaspoon paprika

Instructions

Fry the bacon in a large Dutch oven over medium high heat until done.
Add the onion and cook stiring until the onion caramelizes.
Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.
Stir in the cabbage and cook for another 10 minutes stiring often.
Add the salt, pepper, thyme, and paprika stir and reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes stirring occasionally.

Nutrition

These values are from a nutritional database and automatically calculated, and should only be used as an approximation.

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Kim

Kim Mills is a homeschooling mom of 6 and lives on an urban homestead in Ontario, Canada. Blogging at Homestead Acres she enjoys sharing tips to help you save money, grow and preserve your own food.