Southern Fried Cabbage with Bacon Recipe
Fried Cabbage with Bacon is one of the easiest comfort-food recipes you can make. When you combine tender cabbage with crispy bacon, onions, and garlic, this five ingredient classic southern recipe makes for a delicious side dish. It’s also a great main course served with a big hunk of cornbread on the side!
The economical and humble cabbage is the star of today’s recipe. Fried Cabbage and Bacon is a quick and easy recipe and is a regular hitter at our dinner table. It’s right up there with Sheet Pan Sausage, Peppers, and Potatoes and Instant Pot Mac and Cheese for when I need a simple dinner that’s ready in a pinch.
Growing up, we spent a few years living with my grandma, and pan-fried cabbage was an easy dinner that she used to make for us all the time. It’s an old-fashioned recipe made from simple ingredients, yet it’s full of rich flavor.
When my grandma made it for us, she would use a hearty protein like bacon, sausage, or spam, or lots of the time she’d prepare it meatless and simply seasoned with salt and black pepper.
My favorite way to prepare this easy fried cabbage these days is with thick cut bacon and a heavy hand of minced garlic and Cajun seasoning. The cabbage cooks in a little bit of the bacon fat, infusing it with delicious smoky flavor. It’s is so, so good!
Ingredients for Fried Cabbage and Bacon
- Bacon – I like to use thick-cut bacon, but you could also use regular bacon instead.
- Onion – one medium yellow or white onion chopped into small pieces is all you’ll need.
- Garlic – three big cloves of minced garlic give depth of flavor to the fried cabbage.
- Green cabbage – you will need about 1/2 of a medium head of cabbage, chopped into small pieces.
- Cajun seasoning and red pepper flakes – both add a a lot of flavor and a bit of heat.
- Basic spices – salt + pepper are needed to season your bacon-fried cabbage.
A full list of ingredients, measurements, and instructions are located in the recipe card below.
How to Make Fried Cabbage with Bacon – Step by Step
In a large skillet or dutch oven, fry the chopped bacon until crispy, about 5-8 minutes over medium-high heat. Remove bacon from the pan using a slotted spoon and place it in a bowl for later. Drain about half of the hot bacon grease from the pan, leaving the rest to cook the remaining ingredients.
Reduce the stove to medium heat and add the onions. Cook until soft and translucent, about five minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant.
Add the chopped cabbage to the skillet along with the Cajun seasoning, salt, and pepper to taste. Stir everything well. Reduce to medium-low heat and cover the pan. Cook for 10-15 minutes, removing the lid to stir occasionally.
Once cabbage is cooked, remove lid and stir in the cooked bacon. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes if desired. Serve immediately.
Tips and Notes
- Use a different protein – feel free to substitute sausage for the bacon in this recipe. I’ve made it with sliced smoked sausage and followed the same recipe and it’s delicious as well. You could also use turkey bacon for a lightened up version.
- For a little bit of heat, I like to sprinkle crushed red pepper flakes on at the end. You can adjust this to your spice preference, or leave it out completely.
- Use a deep skillet or large pot – you’ll need a lot of surface area/volume for cooking your cabbage, so make sure you use a deep skillet (a large cast iron skillet works well) or dutch oven when cooking your fried cabbage with bacon.
- This is a great recipe for celebrating St. Patrick’s Day. Serve it with some Fruity Pebble Rice Crispy Treats for dessert and you have an awesome meal!
- Store leftover fried cabbage in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days.
Serving Suggestions
This Cabbage and bacon recipe is perfect to serve as a side dish, especially for a big family or potluck meal. It pairs really nicely with a simple roast chicken, or I like to serve it with Honey Dijon Pork Tenderloin or Shake and Bake Pork Chops.
It’s also hearty enough to serve as a main dish alongside a green salad and a big pan of cornbread, which is how we usually enjoy eating it!
More Delicious Bacon Recipes you should Try!
If you try this recipe, please leave a comment and rating below. I love to hear from you and always appreciate your feedback!
Recipe: Fried Cabbage with Bacon
Ingredients
- 6 slices bacon, chopped into small pieces (I prefer thick cut bacon)
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 large green cabbage, chopped into square pieces (about 8 cups)
- 1/2 tsp Cajun seasoning
- salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes, to taste
Instructions
- In a large, deep skillet or dutch oven, fry the chopped bacon until crispy, about 5-8 minutes over medium high heat. Remove bacon from pan using a slotted spoon and place in a bowl for later. Drain about half of the bacon drippings from the pan, leaving the rest to cook the remaining ingredients.
- Reduce heat to medium and add the onions. Cook until soft and translucent, about five minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant.
- Add the cabbage to the skillet along with the Cajun seasoning, salt and pepper to taste. Stir everything well. Reduce heat to medium low and cover the pan. Cook for 10-15 minutes, removing the lid to stir occasionally.
- Once cabbage is cooked, remove lid and stir in the bacon and sprinkle with red pepper flakes if desired. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Use a different protein – feel free to substitute sausage for the bacon in this recipe. I’ve made it with sliced smoked sausage and followed the same recipe and it’s delicious as well. You could also use turkey bacon for a lightened up version.
- For a little bit of heat, I like to sprinkle crushed red pepper flakes on at the end. You can adjust this to your spice preference, or leave it out completely.
- Use a deep skillet or large pot – you’ll need a lot of surface area/volume for cooking your cabbage, so make sure you use a deep skillet (a large cast iron skillet works well) or dutch oven when cooking your fried cabbage with bacon.
- This is a great recipe for celebrating St. Patrick’s Day. Serve it with some Fruity Pebble Rice Crispy Treats for dessert and you have an awesome meal!
- Store leftover fried cabbage in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days.
Ohhhhhhh myyyyyyyy gooooooooodnesssss!!!!!!! I only recently found that I like cooked cabbage when I had corned beef for the first time a couple years ago. Since then I’ve tried roasted and really liked it too. This takes 1st prize in my book. The BEST cabbage recipe I’ve ever had. I tripled the Cajun seasoning, so 1.5 tsp, and cooked some extra bacon. Otherwise, I followed the directions exactly. Even my husband loved it. I will definitely make this on repeat!
Love this recipe. So good with the bacon in it.
We are cooking lower carb and I’ve been looking for sides that fit. This turned out really good and everybody ate it! Served with grilled pork chops.
This is one of my favorite cabbage recipes! So easy and delicious!
It’s so simple, yet so satisfying. Paired it with some warm cornbread, and it made for the perfect comfort meal.
Made the recipe with NY grandmother tweaks that says always some acid with cabbage so added 1 tsp of red wine vinegar and 1 1/2 t of sugar. Also finished it with 2 T of butter.
Thanks for the recipe. It’s really great!
This made a perfect side dish for dinner last night! It was really good, even the kids loved it!
I tend to love all things with bacon. I am excited to try this!
Instead of Cajun seasoning I used a little celery salt and instead of bacon I used the horseshoe link of beef smoked sausage cubed. I also used a little olive oil as the sausage has plenty of grease in it. It’s been awhile since I made this but I think I sauteed the cabbage a few minutes stirring often and then added the beef and cooked until tender.
oh yum!!! I love anything with bacon lol! I actually make my brussel sprout like this last night