Deeply flavorful caramelized onion and crispy bacon pair perfectly with tender cabbage in this easy bacon fried cabbage. Try pairing it with corned beef and potatoes for a full hearty meal.
It’s time once again for all the Irish-inspired food! If you’re looking for the ultimate side dish to your corned beef this year, I’ve so got ya covered today.
This fried cabbage is just about the easiest sidekick ever, but man does it ever pack in the flavor.
S/O to bacon and caramelized onions for being everything they are which is to say, purely amazing.
You won’t need any fancy ingredients today since this fried cabbage is composed of only a few simple ingredients and also comes together so easily in one pan.
This Fried Cabbage features…
- Tender shredded cabbage in a sweet and tangy honey Dijon sauce
- Flavorful caramelized onions and crispy bacon bits
- Made with only 8 ingredients in one pan
Making the Fried Cabbage
(scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full recipe)
Ingredients You Will Need
- Bacon
- Unsalted butter
- Sweet onions
- Garlic
- Cabbage
- Dijon mustard
- Apple cider vinegar
- Honey
Choosing Your Cabbage
This recipe works great with both green or purple cabbage so feel free to use your preference or a mix of both. I recommend purchasing a small head of cabbage then removing the core, and using a sharp knife to finely shred cabbage.
Depending on the size of your cabbage you should end up with 6-8 cups.
Tips for Perfect Fried Cabbage
- Cook bacon until crispy – once the bacon fat is rendered, drain bacon on paper towels and finely dice.
- Reserve bacon drippings – this will be used later to pan-fry the cabbage.
- Caramelize onions in same pan used for the bacon – this adds an extra rich flavor to the onions.
- Cook onions over medium-low heat – it takes time and patience to caramelize onions so don’t be tempted to bump up the heat.
- Flavor cabbage with Dijon, vinegar, and honey – this adds the perfect balance of sweet and tangy flavors.
Recipe Variations
Try these ideas for a different twist on this dish.
- Skip the bacon – leave out the bacon for a vegetarian version. Replace the bacon drippings with vegetable oil or unsalted butter.
- Add more vegetables – add shredded carrots or thinly sliced sweet pepper for an additional veggie twist.
- Use a mix of cabbages – try both purple and green cabbage for a kick of extra color.
- Add fresh herbs – fold a handful of fresh parsley or chives into fried cabbage.
Serving Suggestions
This fried cabbage goes great alongside corned beef, roast potatoes, pot roast, or a baked ham. Pair it with a few slices of fresh Irish soda bread and you’ve got yourself a great Irish-inspired meal.
Once you dig a fork into this fried cabbage I can guarantee you’re gonna have a hard time keeping that fork outta the pan since this cabbage is seriously SO tender and soaks up all that incredible onion and bacon-y flavor.
And with that, St. Patrick’s Day is won.
Save this recipe using the ‘save to recipe box’ button below. If you make it, please let us know! Leave a comment + star rating below, or take a photo and tag it on Instagram with #wholeandheavenlyoven.
Try these other favorite side dishes next!
Caramelized Onion Bacon Fried Cabbage
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Ingredients
- 4 strips bacon
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 large sweet onions, thinly sliced
- 3 medium cloves garlic, minced
- 1 small head green or purple cabbage, finely-chopped (about 6-8 cups)
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons honey or agave nectar
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook bacon strips in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat, turning occasionally until crispy. Drain bacon on paper towels and finely dice.
- Drain the bacon grease into a small bowl and set aside. Melt butter in same pan over medium-low heat. Add onions and stir occasionally until onions are a deep caramelized color, about 30-35 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute until fragrant. Place caramelized onions in a bowl and set aside.
- Pour reserved bacon grease into same pan and heat over medium-high heat. Add cabbage and saute 5-8 minutes until cabbage is tender.
- Add caramelized onions, Dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, honey, and bacon to cabbage and fold over medium-high heat 2-3 additional minutes until cabbage is evenly coated. Season cabbage with salt and pepper to taste and serve warm. Enjoy!
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