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This boiled cabbage is pure Southern comfort food, the kind of humble side that fills the whole kitchen with a smoky, savory smell. I crave it on a chilly weeknight, and the trick that makes it special is frying the bacon first, simmering the cabbage in those drippings, then crowning it with crispy bacon. Serve it next to our pulled pork and dinner is done.
With just a few simple ingredients and a low, slow simmer, this cabbage turns meltingly tender and packed with smoky, buttery flavor.
Boiled Cabbage Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 10 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 6 servings
- ⚡ Calories: 150kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Savory, smoky, and buttery with sweet tender cabbage (mild)
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, on par with our roasted brussels sprouts with bacon
Quick Answer
Fry chopped bacon in a stock pot until crispy and set it aside, then soften a julienned onion in the drippings. Add chunks of cabbage, toss to coat, cover with water, and season. Simmer covered until the cabbage is very tender, about an hour, then finish with butter and the crispy bacon.
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Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Bacon drippings flavor everything. Cooking the cabbage in rendered bacon fat infuses every bite with smoky, savory richness.
- Low and slow makes it tender. A gentle hour-long simmer breaks the cabbage down into meltingly soft, sweet ribbons.
- Adding bacon at the end keeps it crispy. Topping the dish with the crisp bacon at serving means crunch instead of soggy bits.
- Onion adds natural sweetness. Softened julienned onion balances the savory bacon with a mellow, sweet depth.
- A pat of butter finishes it rich. Stirring in butter at the end gives the cabbage a silky, glossy, restaurant-style finish.
- Simple seasoning lets the cabbage shine. Onion powder, garlic powder, and seasoned salt round it out without overpowering.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It is the ultimate cozy comfort side made with just a handful of cheap, simple ingredients.
- The smoky bacon and buttery cabbage taste like something from a Southern family kitchen.
- It pairs with almost any main and is a natural alongside our fall-off-the-bone BBQ ribs.
Key Ingredients
Just a few humble ingredients make this comforting side so good. Here is what each one does.
- Cabbage: The tender, sweet star of the dish that soaks up all the smoky bacon flavor.
- Bacon: Does double duty, flavoring the cabbage with its drippings and topping it with crispy crunch.
- Onion: Softened in the bacon fat, it adds mellow sweetness and savory depth.
- Butter: Stirred in at the end for a silky, rich finish.
- Onion and Garlic Powder: Simple seasonings that round out the savory, comforting flavor.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
This cabbage is easy to make your own.
- Add a smoked ham hock or leftover ham bone while it simmers for even deeper smoky flavor.
- Toss in sliced smoked sausage or kielbasa to turn the side into a one-pot meal.
- Add a pinch of red pepper flakes or a splash of hot sauce for a little heat.
- Use red cabbage or a mix for a pretty, colorful twist.
- Stir in a splash of apple cider vinegar at the end for a bright, tangy finish.
How to Make Boiled Cabbage
- Slice the bacon and fry it in a large stock pot over medium-low heat until crispy, then remove and set it aside, keeping the drippings.
- Cut the cabbage into large chunks and julienne the onion.
- Cook the onion in the bacon drippings until lightly colored and translucent.
- Add the cabbage, toss to coat, cover with water, and season with the onion powder, garlic powder, seasoned salt, and pepper.
- Cover and simmer until the cabbage is very tender, at least an hour, adjusting the seasoning to taste.
- Stir in the butter and top with the reserved crispy bacon just before serving.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Cook the bacon first and save the drippings; that smoky fat is the whole flavor base.
- Keep it low and slow. A gentle simmer for about an hour gives the most tender, sweet cabbage.
- Add the bacon last so it stays crispy instead of softening in the pot.
- Do not drown it. Add just enough water to barely cover the cabbage so the flavor stays concentrated.
- Season at the end. The bacon adds salt, so taste before adding more seasoned salt.
- Finish with butter right before serving for a silky, rich texture.
- Save the core for stock or discard it, and use the tender leaves for the dish.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
Serve this boiled cabbage hot as a cozy side dish for any Southern or comfort-food meal. It is a classic with cornbread and is especially popular for New Year’s Day alongside black-eyed peas for good luck.
It is the perfect partner for hearty mains. Spoon it next to our oven baked pulled pork or a plate of tender BBQ ribs for a true stick-to-your-ribs dinner.
Leftovers reheat beautifully and taste even better the next day as the flavors meld. Pile them next to a fried egg for an easy, savory breakfast hash.
Boiled Cabbage FAQs
Cooking the cabbage in rendered bacon fat is the secret to that deep, smoky, savory flavor that makes Southern boiled cabbage so good. The drippings season every leaf as the cabbage simmers, giving you far more flavor than water alone. Topping it with crispy bacon at the end adds a final smoky crunch.
For meltingly tender cabbage, simmer it covered for at least an hour over a high simmer. The longer, gentler cook breaks the cabbage down into sweet, soft ribbons. If you prefer it with a little more bite, check it around the 30 to 40 minute mark and stop when it reaches the texture you like.
Yes. Boiled cabbage actually tastes even better the next day as the flavors meld. Make it ahead, cool it, and refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat gently on the stove or in the microwave, and add the crispy bacon fresh so it stays crunchy.
This savory side pairs with just about any comfort-food main, from pulled pork and BBQ ribs to roast chicken, pork chops, or meatloaf. It is also a traditional New Year’s Day dish served with black-eyed peas and cornbread for good luck and a hearty start to the year.
Absolutely. Add sliced smoked sausage, kielbasa, or a ham hock while it simmers to turn this side into a satisfying one-pot meal. Serve it over rice or with crusty bread to soak up the smoky, buttery broth at the bottom of the pot.
Store cooled cabbage in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat it gently on the stovetop or in the microwave until warmed through. Keep any leftover crispy bacon separate and add it when serving so it stays crisp instead of going soft.
If you make this smoky boiled cabbage with crispy bacon, I would love to hear how it turned out. It is humble, simple, and somehow always the dish everyone asks about.
Boiled Cabbage with Crispy Bacon
Ingredients
- 1 small head cabbage cut into large chunks
- 4 slices bacon sliced (or more for extra bacon)
- 1/2 small onion julienned
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/2 tablespoon onion powder
- 1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
- seasoned salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cut the bacon into 1/2 inch slices and fry in a large stock pot over medium-low heat until crispy. Remove the bacon bits and set aside for later, leaving the drippings in the pot.
- While the bacon cooks, cut the cabbage into large chunks, discarding the core, and slice the onion into a julienne.
- In the reserved bacon drippings, cook the onion over medium-low heat until lightly colored and translucent.
- Add the cabbage and toss to coat it in the fat. Pour in water until the cabbage is just covered, then add the onion powder, garlic powder, seasoned salt, and pepper.
- Cover and cook on a high simmer until the cabbage is very tender, at least an hour. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.
- Stir in the butter just before serving and top with the reserved crispy bacon pieces.
Notes
- Frying the bacon first and cooking the cabbage in the drippings is the secret to deep, smoky flavor.
- Top with the crispy bacon at the end so it stays crunchy instead of going soft in the pot.
- Low and slow is the way; the cabbage gets meltingly tender after about an hour of gentle simmering.
- Add the butter right before serving for a silky, rich finish.
- Taste and adjust the seasoned salt and pepper at the end, since the bacon adds saltiness too.
Nutrition
Love This Recipe?
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Leaving it off any recipe is okay, it won’t be quite as flavorful but it won’t hurt anything!
Saluni Joy Here again to comment to your blog very nice and Delicious Recipes please can i make this recipes with out Onion Powder, Garlic Powder because the Reason of Food Allergy…Hope you reply me Soon…
Agreed!
What a yummy idea!! Thanks for sharing!
Bacon literally makes everything better. <3!
My husband and I both like cabbage, but my kids don’t so I usually fix it on evenings when the kids aren’t home for some reason. Your cabbage looks wonderful, you can’t go wrong with crispy bacon. 🙂
Haha, you’re so silly. Thank so much, btw, I hope you might be able to learn a thing or two on here!
Oh, man. Cabbage is the bomb.com! A large part of my heritage is Czechoslovakian so cabbage is frequently devoured by yours truly, lol. That looks absolutely delicious–and so does the White Peach Sangria in the post prior to this one. I need you to teach me how to work some magic in the kitchen! I’m ashamed to admit that I’m a terrible cook.