Southern Fried Cabbage with Bacon is a hearty, comforting dish that’s loaded with smoky bacon, tender cabbage, sweet onions, and simple seasonings. It can be served as a flavorful side dish or enjoyed as a satisfying meal on its own, making it a budget-friendly favorite for any night of the week.
I love how quickly this fried cabbage comes together in just 15 minutes. The bacon, onions, and garlic give the cabbage so much flavor, making this one of my favorite easy side dishes.
Why I Love Fried Cabbage with Bacon
About the Ingredients ⭐
- Bacon: Thick-cut bacon adds the most flavor, but regular bacon works just as well.
- Seasonings: Salt, black pepper, and a pinch of red pepper flakes (optional) enhance the cabbage’s savory flavor without overpowering it.
- Green Cabbage: A fresh head of green cabbage cooks down into tender, flavorful bites.
- Onion: A yellow onion adds a touch of sweetness as it cooks.
- Garlic: Fresh minced garlic gives the dish the best flavor.
Be sure to check out the full recipe and ingredient list below
How To Make Southern Fried Cabbage With Bacon
Step 1: Cut the bacon into 1-inch strips and cook in a cast iron skillet until browned and crispy. Remove the bacon and leave the bacon grease in the skillet.
Step 2: Add the onion and garlic to the bacon grease and sauté until tender and fragrant.
Step 3: Remove the core from the cabbage, chop it into bite-sized pieces, and add it to the skillet with the seasonings.
Step 4: Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the cabbage is tender but not mushy.
Step 5: Add the crispy bacon back to the skillet and toss everything together. Serve warm.
Tips I Found Helpful
- Cut the bacon first. Slice the bacon into 1-inch pieces before cooking so it cooks faster and mixes evenly throughout the cabbage.
- Use a large skillet or cast iron pan. A cast iron skillet gives the best flavor and browning, but any large, heavy-bottomed skillet works well.
- Don’t overcook the cabbage. Cook until it’s tender with a slight bite for the best texture.
- Add a little liquid if needed. For softer cabbage or a light sauce, stir in a splash of chicken broth, apple cider vinegar, or white wine and let it simmer for a few minutes.
- Season to taste. Adjust the salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes after cooking since the bacon adds plenty of saltiness.
- Make it a meal. Add sliced smoked sausage, kielbasa, or diced ham for an easy one-pan dinner.
What to Serve with Southern Fried Cabbage and Bacon
This Southern Fried Cabbage and Bacon is delicious as a meal on its own, but it also pairs well with your favorite comfort food dishes. Try serving it with:
Questions Readers Ask Most
Southern Fried Cabbage with Bacon
This Southern Fried Cabbage with Bacon is a simple, budget-friendly comfort food made with tender cabbage, crispy bacon, onions, and savory seasonings.
Ingredients
- 1 head cabbage
- 1 pound thick cut bacon
- 1 onion
- 2 cloves chopped garlic
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp salt
Instructions
- Cut the bacon into bite-size pieces.
- Cook the bacon over medium heat until browned and crispy.
- Remove the bacon from the pan, leaving the bacon grease behind.
- Add the onion and garlic to the pan and cook for 1–2 minutes.
- Chop the cabbage into bite-size pieces.
- Add the cabbage and seasonings to the pan.
- Stir and cook over medium heat for 5–7 minutes, or until the cabbage is tender.
- Add the bacon back to the pan and stir to combine.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Don’t drain the bacon grease after cooking the bacon. Use it to sauté the onion, garlic, and cabbage for the best smoky bacon flavor. Cook the cabbage just until tender, so it still has a little texture.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 373Total Fat: 27gSaturated Fat: 9gUnsaturated Fat: 18gCholesterol: 74mgSodium: 1649mgCarbohydrates: 5gFiber: 1gSugar: 1gProtein: 26g
What readers are saying:
Readers who have made this recipe are raving about it! Here is what they had to say after feeding their family:
Hi, this dish looks so tempting. I just wonder if it could be cooked in an air fryer please?
@Tricia, I am not the op but, the cabbage has to cook in its own juices and not dry it out like an air fryer would do. You can certainly make the bacon in the air fryer but, you want to maintain moisture not take it away.
I see in the nutritional info that there are carbs in this dish. No sugar was mentioned in the recipe. What am I missing?
@Barbara Takacs, vegies have carbs too. Some more than others. Cabbage is low while onion is a bit higher. Using an app like carbmanager will help to learn which foods have how many.
@Barbara Takacs, perhaps the onion.
@Barbara Takacs, See that’s when me and a persom like yo yo self mix it up a lil I got to use sugar
Made it just as recipe called for, turned out great. Thanks for letting me know about freezing cabbage. This is my favorite recipe for fried cabbage.
Made this and it was excellent! Everybody loved it! I wish I would have found this recipe years ago!
Sooo delicious the whole family loved this will definitely be having this again real soon.
I liké cabbage with onion.
This looks good got to try with Bacon thanks.
My mom gave me a recipe for cabbage. Instead of bacon she used summer sausage. Yum!
I’ve been frying cabbage a long time. That was a veg side when I was young with fried chicken. Cheap foods back in the day. Still love and cook it to this day.
@Sondra, you could also use smoked kielbasa
I don’t eat pork or red meat so followed recipe except for bacon. Delicious.
I have did fried cabbage before but never with the bacon. I will be fixing it for new year’s dinner. I add sweet peppers in with my cabbage. I can’t wait.
This was FANTASTIC! A great addition to New Year’s Day fare! Sublime!
Add some buttered noodles, and you have the Polish dish called “Haluski”. Cooking for a crowd cheaply! :))
@Christopher Keller, Awesome,Thanks! My Mom was Polish and used to make buttered noodles with tuna. I will now try the Haluski 🙂
Going to try some of these…the look and sound doable as recipes go but pictures also make them look delicious!
I’m making this tonight for the first time. My husband bought a head of cabbage & I didn’t know what to do with it haha. I came across this recipe. Looks so good!!
You will love it
Made this recipe but included shrimp…so tasty!
Oh my gosh! This tastes amazing. Quick and easy. The family loves it too! Its a keeper
It turned out delicious! This will become a regular at our house. Loved all th
e comments of how we can change it up!
Made it and was so delicious!!! Will definitely be making again…
How is there so many carbs in this dish ?? I love this Southern Recipe…I live in South Georgia and am overwhelmed by the amount of carbs here…guess I won’t be making it anymore…😞but this is an awesome thing to try if you’re not concerned with a lot of carbs !!!
Need to correct my comment…I read the Nutritional Info wrong… please forgive my oversight !!!🤦
I’ve done something like that.
Looking forward to trying this as it sounds delicious! I am wondering what one would typically serve along side this. I can’t quite decide what would pair well with it since I haven’t had a chance to taste it yet. Maybe some roasted potatoes?
@Monica, being from the South, we grill/fry porkchops to serve with it, along with sliced garden tomatoes. Or Western- style ribs.We also fry potatoes and kielbasa with it and make a complete meal. Love mixing mashed potatoes, made with milk and butter, in with it as a side. We love it baked with pork jowl, Granny Smiths, butter, and several splashes of apple cider vinegar, minus the garlic. I sometimes low bake it whole, with the core removed, stuffed w/half stick of butter and buffalo sauce with mac&cheese. Lastly, make a casserole, saute yellow neck squash and zucchini and sprinkle with flour to make a roux, add chicken broth or cream, stir in cheddar and bake. Thow in some cooked egg noodles if you like.
@Monica,
@Monica,
It is great with pork chops or fried chicken. Throw in some cornbread and the meal is complete.
I’m from Pennsylvania and add apples and top it off with a bit of apple vinegar before serving. Absolutely delicious!
Great recipe! I followed the recipe as written and the fried cabbage and bacon turned out great! Wow! awesome taste and texture with the cripy pieces of bacon.
My mom used to fix this when I was growing up. Delicious and still is…I just cooked this tonight and it was so good!!
i wanted so bad to make this dish good, it looks easy , but it didn’t turn out good at all, I do not know what else to do, i made it twice with the same result. After i put it in the refrigerator the color changed into un unpleasant brown, any advice ??
Add a few dashes of sleep your mamma seasoning
Do you have to use a cast iron skillet? Thanks.
No you don’t
Delicious recipe. My family loved it. I will be making this again.
Made this recipe to the T. Taste really good but I am Hispanic and need more of a kick so I added El Pato hot tomato sauce and let me tell you… it was fire 🔥
OMG, cabbage bacon is such a wonderful dish.
I have made it often, Thanks for sharing!!!
I’m happy you liked it! It’s my husbands favorite
What could I serve with this to make a meal, with the cabbage and bacon as a main course?
A lot of people do this with mashed potatoes
@Ashley,
Sorry about the blank reply, I accidentally hit reply before typing my reply lol and I’m not seeing any way to delete it (GRRRR), I’ve never replied on Pinterest so idk if that’s even an option?
Anyhow, I sometimes eat this dish as a meal (health conditions that eating smaller meals helps) but I’ve made rope sausages with it (cut up into bite size pieces and added) or I think a pork chop would be good(not added to this obviously lol). Someone above in the comments said to add buttered noodles and it’s a polish dish 😋
I also think a good steak would be great.
HAPPY 2023! I just made this for our NY’s luncheon and it looks delish looking forward to tasting it! Thanks for sharing
Can fresh spinach be added to this cabbage bacon recipe. I have some fresh spinach I want to use up.
Sure
Can you freeze leftover of this. I’m the only one who eats cabbage and even a small head there’s leftover
I make this without onions and garlic. VERY GOOD!