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Southern Fried Cabbage

Southern fried cabbage with tender, caramelized edges and smoky bacon bits cooked in a skillet until golden. Finished with a splash of apple cider vinegar for bright, savory balance.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Southern American
Calories: 290
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

bacon
  • 6 slices bacon chopped
yellow onion
  • 1 medium yellow onion sliced
green cabbage
  • 1 medium head green cabbage cored and chopped
garlic
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
butter
  • 2 tbsp butter
salt
  • 1 tsp salt
black pepper
  • 0.5 tsp black pepper
red pepper flakes
  • 0.25 tsp red pepper flakes
sugar
  • 1 tsp sugar
apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Cook the bacon
  1. Place chopped bacon in a large cast iron skillet and cook over medium heat for 8 minutes until crisp, stirring occasionally, then remove and leave the drippings.
Sauté onion and garlic
  1. Add sliced onion to the bacon drippings and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes until softened, stirring as needed.
  2. Stir in minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant, with a quick stir so it doesn’t brown.
Fry the cabbage
  1. Add chopped green cabbage along with butter, salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, and sugar, and toss to coat everything evenly.
  2. Cook for 12-15 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the cabbage is tender with caramelized golden edges.
Finish
  1. Stir in apple cider vinegar and the crispy bacon, then cook for 30-60 seconds just to heat through.
  2. Serve warm, with extra cracked black pepper if desired, and look for glossy cabbage with crisp bacon pieces throughout.

Notes

Pro tip: keep the heat at medium and stir occasionally so the cabbage can brown at the edges instead of steaming. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days; reheat in a skillet over medium heat until hot. Freezing is not recommended because cabbage texture softens after thawing. For a lighter version, use turkey bacon instead of pork bacon for a similar savory bite.