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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.
This fried cabbage with bacon comes together in about 10-15 minutes, which makes it perfect for a busy weeknight. The cabbage takes on a sweet flavor that pairs perfectly with the salty bacon.
This side dish is wicked easy to make…but tell everyone it took forever so that they are exceptionally impressed by you.
Reader Review
“This was amazing! I thought it sounded great, but my husband had concerns – he doesn’t like onions. He said he didn’t even notice the onions and he kept going back for more! I will definitely make this again and again. Thanks!”
Brenda
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.
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.
- Green cabbage works best in this recipe.
Fried Cabbage With Bacon
Ingredients
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.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Okay, so this is officially my new favorite!
Awwww, so glad to hear that! It’s a favorite of ours because of how simple and tasty it is.
I have been looking for ways to find joy each day to help counteract the less than positive news reports during the pandemic. Trying this recipe out was pure joy. It was the star of the show of our St. Patrick’s Day dinner. Sorry, not sorry, corned beef. Thanks for the delicious recipe, Sarah!
Awww, love to hear this Melissa!!! Though I do feel badly for the poor corned beef. 🙂
This was amazing! I thought it sounded great, but my husband had concerns – he doesn’t like onions. He said he didn’t even notice the onions and he kept going back for more! I will definitely make this again and again. Thanks!
Who-hoo, so glad you both liked it Brenda!! It’s so dang simple and tasty.
As an aside, not liking onions would make me so sad!
I make this all the time I love it. MIL fried cabbage! Always a favorite❤️
Good food from a good lady, huh? 🙂
I made this recipe but added precooked, sliced turkey kielbasa for a complete, one pot meal in about 15 minutes. Delicious! 🙂
I love the addition of kielbasa! We used to eat that all the time growing up and I loved it.
I saved a half head of cabbage leftover from our (early) Jiggs dinner just for this recipe! Haven’t made this since last March-can’t wait!
Well, now I must google Jiggs dinner because I’m so intrigued!
Happy cooking!
I made this tonight after visiting an old school butcher on a road trip. Bought perfectly cut bacon and followed your recipe…freaking awesome! Oh and while I was making this I also followed your instructions and baked a pan of bacon for tomorrows breakfast. Thank you!
Look at you meal planning like a ninja Myra! Glad you enjoyed it. And how cool is it you found an old school butcher?
We just made this today with a spare head of cabbage that got lost in the fridge post St. Patrick’s Day. It turned out great! The ratio of bacon to cabbage is the key. We had made a dish similar to this before but didn’t quite achieve the excellent outcome, until now! We also cut the cabbage and onion into smaller pieces so the onions carmelized and the cabbage became one with the bacon.
Delicious. Will be having this again!
So glad to hear you three liked it Erin! Bacon is king in most dishes and I’m glad you all nailed the ratio.
“Cabbage. Onion. Bacon. Those are not first date foods. Those are “I’ve seen you when you have the stomach flu and I still love you” foods.”
….and this is why I love your blog. I even read the whole dang thing and I like cabbage as much as you like mayo!
I just pictured cabbage covered in mayo and both of us puking in a corner!
I just made almost the same dish this past weekend. Instead of leaving it crunchy, I cooked it until the cabbage was soft, browned and sweet. So good! I am pinning your version to try it a new way.
Ohhhh so like it carmelized? Sounds yummy!
Here is a recipe hint for a different flavor. Use half a head of green AND half a head of red cabbage (total = one head). Slice up as you did (and use the bacon, celery and onion if you wish, but there will be a new flavor ending.) No need to use a frying pan. Toss the cabbage with your choice of oil in a deep bowl, then layer the cabbage on a large but deep oven-safe tray. Top the cabbage with a few glugs of red/wine vinegar AND some very generous sprinkles of glorious brown sugar. Cover with foil and bake at about 350* (until the cabbage gets wilty from the steam), then uncover and put it back in the oven on BROIL for awhile, to brown the top leaves. Mix it up a bit, continue on broil to brown the top of the mixed cabbage, and VOILA, you’re done. Maybe sprinkle with some sea salt and black pepper.
It is amazingly sweet-n-salty goodness!
This is very close to a Belgian recipe my grandma used to make. The only thing different was no sesame oil, but she would use garlic and sprinkle the whole lot with nutmeg. This is my 11 year old son’s FAVORITE way to have cabbage. I think it’s the bacon that sells it. 🙂
I abhor celery, so that’s a big, fat NO NO, but apart from that, I do something similar. Only difference is that I add sour cream to make it a little bit, erm, more unhealthy, really.
Instead of bacon, smoked sausage also works well, my Mum swears by it.
Sod this, NOW I’m hungry!
Yum. You can also take this mixture and fold a few spoonfuls into thawed freezer rolls. Pinch edges and bake. Makes a great make a head on the go meal and they can be frozen after baking.
Haluski is the polish name for it. It makes an awesome side dish for perogies….I know what I’ll be making this weekend.
I love this stuff! So yummy!
My grandma makes this and we love it!
You’re such a riot! I hope the unicorn did shut up.
For this recipe, did you use a whole head of cabbage?
Oh crap, guess I forgot to say that in the recipe! I probably used a half of a head.
Bacon makes it better!
That is what my tattoo would say if I ever got one.
Looks yummy! Of course adding BACON gives it an edge!