Southern Fried Cabbage

This Southern Fried Cabbage recipe is simple deliciousness. In it, green cabbage is cooked until tender along with sweet onion and bacon, making it the epitome of down- home eats. It's that good for the soul type of food that won't break the bank.

Easy Southern Fried Cabbage Recipe

Fried cabbage is among a myriad of side dishes that we love in the South, that can also serve in a pinch as an entree. It can be and often is, served alongside a bowl of pinto beans and cornbread as a side dish. You can also shake it up with various mix-ins such as bell peppers, sausage, ham or potatoes to transform it into a main dish. A delicious example of that you can see in this recipe for braised cabbage with potatoes and smoked sausages. Regardless of how you choose to serve it, fried cabbage makes an inexpensive and filling addition to any meal.

How to Make Southern Fried Cabbage

• What kind of cabbage will I need to make fried cabbage?  This easy cabbage recipe doesn't use any sort of fancy cabbage, just good ole green cabbage will do. I enjoy including the dark green outer leaves to the dish as well so don't peel those off and leave them behind at the store. They pack flavor and nutrients, too.
• Can I fry purple cabbage? You can fry purple cabbage but please note it can have a slightly bitter taste. A pinch of sugar added to the cabbage will help offset that flavor.
• What type of bacon should I use for Southern fried cabbage? I use thick cut bacon for this dish, it's my favorite and stands up to the frying. You can mix it into the cabbage or use it to garnish the top, it's totally your choice. That said, you can of course use regular or thin cut bacon if that's what you have on hand.
• I include fennel seed in this recipe although, it isn't a classic addition. It adds a really unique flavor to the cabbage, but rest assured, this dish will still be delicious should you choose to leave it out.
• The texture of the cabbage can be fine-tuned to suit your personal taste by adjusting the cooking time. If you prefer it to be crisp tender like a stir fry, cook it for slightly less time. For a softer texture, cook it longer and add a splash of chicken broth to create some steam. Traditionally, it's cooked rather soft in general.
• Is Southern fried cabbage low carb? Yes, it is a lower carb keto option for those who are counting their carb intake. To make it even more so, omit the onion.

Dishes to Serve with Southern Style Fried Cabbage

While there's no wrong way to  enjoy cabbage, it does go particularly well with country style ribs and beans, perhaps some buttered slow cooker cornbread or a heaping helping of golden fried okra  or green beans and potatoes on the side. You may also like to try this recipe for cabbage rolls from Belly Full.

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Helpful Kitchen Items:

• Dutch Oven
• Garlic Peeler
• Chefs Knife 
• Chopping Board

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5 from 3 votes

Southern Fried Cabbage

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time20 mins

Total Time35 mins

Course: Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: easy-cabbage-recipes, fried-cabbage-recipes, southern-fried-cabbage

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 236kcal

Ingredients

• ½ lb thick cut bacon cut into ½ inch pieces
• 1 medium sweet onion i.e. Vidalia or similar diced
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• ¼ teaspoon fennel seed optional
• 1 3 lb green cabbage washed, cored and chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt may adjust to taste
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
• ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes may adjust to taste
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

• In a large skillet or dutch oven cook bacon over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove to paper towels to drain using a slotted spoon, reserving 4 tablespoon drippings in skillet.
• To the drippings add onion. Saute over medium-high for 3 minutes or until beginning to brown then add garlic and fennel seed, if using. Saute for 1 minute.
• Add cabbage to skillet. The skillet will be full but, the cabbage will shrink as it cooks. Once it begins to shrink, add salt, onion powder, granulated garlic, pepper flakes and black pepper. Mix well.
• Cook over medium heat stirring occasionally until cabbage has softened and is browning, about 15-20 minutes.
• Crumble bacon and add back to the cabbage or use to garnish the top.
• Serve and enjoy.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 236kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 25mg | Sodium: 687mg | Potassium: 721mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 85IU | Vitamin C: 76mg | Calcium: 127mg | Iron: 2mg

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