Fried Cabbage with Bacon

Cabbage, fried with smoked bacon, sweet onions, South Louisiana seasonings, and a hint of pure cane syrup. Simple, quick, and full of flavor.

Servings Servings

Cuisine Cajun, Creole

Course Side Dish

Calories 107

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 40

Total Time 55

Here's What You Need

▢ 3 slices smoked bacon
▢ 1 head green cabbage - 5 to 6 quarts of chopped cabbage
▢ 1 large yellow onion - About 2 cups of chopped onions
▢ 4 cloves garlic - crushed-optional
▢ ¼ cup cane syrup

Herb and Spice Blend

▢ 1 tablespoon dry thyme
▢ 2 teaspoons Creole seasoning
▢ 1 teaspoon kosher salt
▢ 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Here's What You Do

To prepare the ingredients

Remove the outside leaves and de-core the cabbage by slicing it lengthwise into halves or quarters, then slicing out the hard stem core. Chop the cabbage into approximately ½ inch pieces.
Rough Chop onions; slice the bacon into approximately 1“ pieces. Measure the cane syrup.
Measure the herbs and spices into a small prep bowl.

Fry the cabbage

Place a Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add the bacon while the pan is cold.
Fry the bacon until the fat is rendered and the bacon is crisp. Stir frequently so the bacon doesn't burn, this will take about 5 minutes.
You can remove the bacon pieces from the pan and reserve them to add back later or you can just leave them in the pan to cook with the cabbage.
Add the onions to the bacon grease and saute for about 5 minutes until they start to become clear.
Add the garlic, if using, and saute for another 2 minutes.
Increase the heat to high and add cabbage a little at a time, stirring each batch to mix with onions and bacon fat.
About halfway through adding the cabbage, stir in the Herbs and Spices. Add the remaining cabbage.
Once all the cabbage has been added, stir well and cover the Dutch oven for about 5 to 10 minutes to help draw moisture out of the cabbage.
Uncover the Dutch oven and maintain high heat.
Continue to saute, stirring occasionally, for another 15 to 20 minutes while the cabbage starts to brown and the liquid reduces.
Mix in the Cane Syrup and cook for 5 minutes while you stir constantly. If you removed the crisp bacon earlier, add it back to the Dutch oven now.
Taste for seasoning and add more if needed.
Remove the Dutch oven from the heat and serve.

Notes

Read my article Fried Cabbage with Bacon for more detailed instructions with photos and Hints and Tips. Use the QR code at the bottom of the printable recipe card to be taken directly to the article.

This recipe yields about 4 cups of cooked cabbage. The serving size for nutritional calculations is estimated to be ½ cup.

Make-ahead: This dish can be prepared 1 day ahead and stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Reheat in a Dutch oven on top of the stove over medium-high heat, or in a microwave, until warmed through.

Leftovers can be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days or frozen for up to 10 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge. Reheat in a Dutch oven on top of the stove over medium-high heat, or in a microwave, until warmed through.

Nutrition