Southern Fried Cabbage

Course Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine American, Southern

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

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 20

Total Time 35

Servings servings

Calories 236kcal

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 Tbsp 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. Stir to coat with the bacon grease. The skillet will be full, but the cabbage will shrink as it cooks. Stir as it wilts, and once it begins to shrink, add the salt, onion powder, granulated garlic, pepper flakes and black pepper. Mix well.
Cook over medium heat uncovered stirring occasionally until the cabbage has softened and is browning, about 15-20 minutes.
Crumble the bacon and add it back to the cabbage or use to garnish the top.
Serve and enjoy.
Fried Cabbage Without Meat - You can make fried cabbage using olive oil or vegetable oil for sautéing. When omitting the meat, you could add diced carrots for a hint of sweetness and texture.

Bacon Drippings - You may also opt to replace the bacon grease with a combination of olive oil and butter.

Red Cabbage - Can you fry red cabbage? You can fry purple cabbage, but please note it can have a slightly bitter taste. A pinch of sugar or carrots added to the cabbage will help offset that bitter flavor.

Bacon - 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.

Fennel Seeds - 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.

Adjust the Cooking Time to Taste - 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.