A speedy 10-minute side dish, Fried Cabbage With Bacon is a delicious and fast recipe that everyone will love! This bacon-fried cabbage is sure to become a family favorite.
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This fried cabbage with bacon comes together in about 10-15 minutes, which makes it perfect for a busy weeknight. The cabbage takes on an almost sweet flavor and pairs perfectly with the salty bacon.
This side dish is easy and wickedly affordable to make. But tell everyone it took forever so that they are impressed by you.
This recipe is similar to Southern fried cabbage in that it contains cabbage, bacon, and onion. Southern fried cabbage also usually includes red pepper flakes, vinegar and/or mustard.
But we’re changing things up by adding chopped celery and a little splash of sesame oil.
How to Meal Prep Bacon Fried Cabbage
If you practice the incredibly hip art of meal prep, you can shred/cut the cabbage ahead of time. Also, you’d be the smartest person ever if you were to bake a batch of bacon over the weekend to use in this recipe.
Save any leftover cabbage to make Air Fryer Cabbage, Air Fryer Egg Rolls, or Sriracha Tempeh Bowls.
Variations
- Green cabbage works best but you can use red cabbage if that’s what you have in the fridge.
- To make this vegetarian/vegan, leave out the bacon or use your favorite plant-based bacon.
- A small pinch of red pepper flakes adds some delicious heat to this fried cabbage recipe.
- If you don’t eat pork, make this recipe with turkey bacon. Related: Air Fryer Turkey Bacon.
How Do You Cut Cabbage For Frying?
I’m a big fan of cutting vegetables how you prefer to eat them! You’ll see in the photos that I did a rough chop of the cabbage.
You could also cut it into ribbons so that the cabbage cooks faster, or even use prechopped cabbage from the produce section.
What to Serve With Fried Cabbage With Bacon
This speedy side dish goes beautifully with Instant Pot Beef Stew, Air Fryer Chicken Tenders (no breading), Instant Pot Chuck Roast, Air Fryer Pork Chops, Instant Pot Ham, Air Fryer Meatballs, or Air Fryer Frozen Shrimp.
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- I prefer using a cast iron skillet for this recipe, but any heavy-duty skillet will do.
- If you prefer your fried cabbage more “al dente” with a bit of crunch, cook for 5-7 minutes. If you want the cabbage fall apart tender, cook for 15 minutes.
- Fried cabbage will keep in the fridge for 2-4 days in an air-tight container. Reheat in the microwave for 1 minute or on the stovetop in a skillet for 3-4 minutes.
- To freeze: allow cabbage to fully cool and place in an air-tight container or freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge or at room temperature for a few hours.
WEIGHT WATCHERS POINTS
One serving has 4 WW Freestyle SmartPoints.
Fried Cabbage With Bacon
Ingredients
- 4 strips bacon {roughly chopped}
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- 1/2 cup onion {sliced}
- 1/2 cup celery {~2 stalks, thinly sliced}
- 3 cups green cabbage {roughly chopped or shredded}
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat a large frying pan over medium heat.
- Add bacon, stirring frequently until all pieces are about 75% cooked through.4 strips bacon
- Remove excess grease with a spoon.
- Add sesame oil, onion, celery, and cabbage and saute for ~4-10 minutes, or until the cabbage has softened and is starting to reduce in volume.2 tsp sesame oil, 1/2 cup onion, 1/2 cup celery, 3 cups green cabbage
- Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper.salt and pepper to taste
Notes
- To make this a speedier weeknight side dish, pre-slice the cabbage, celery, onion, and bacon ahead of time.
- In step 2 above, if you’re using precooked bacon, heat in the skillet enough for the bacon to warm through.
- If you prefer your fried cabbage more “al dente” with a bit of crunch, cook for 5-7 minutes. If you want the cabbage fall apart tender, cook for 15 minutes.
- Keep in the fridge for 2-4 days in an air-tight container. Reheat in the microwave for 1 minute or on the stovetop in a skillet for 3-4 minutes.
- To freeze: allow cabbage to fully cool and place in an air-tight container or freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge or at room temperature for a few hours.
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This sounds really good! Â I never think of cabbage as a side dish really – seems like a great idea! Â I’ll have to give this recipe a try soon. Â I like the variation someone else had in the comments thread about maybe even throwing some kielbasa in with it, too.
And adding noodles is always a sure-fire hit too!