Mom's Sautéed Cabbage

My mom’s sautéed cabbage is super simple to make and full of tender, soft cabbage with crispy bits around the edges that’s buttery and so delicious!

Today’s recipe for my mom’s sautéed cabbage somehow always manages to surprise me.

It’s so stinking simple. 

And cabbage just feels, well, a little unsexy.

But oh wow. This sautéed cabbage is seriously so freaking delicious.

It’s full of tender, soft cabbage that has some good crispy bits around the edges. It’s well seasoned and buttery and just irresistible.

I’m always amazed that cabbage can taste this good!

Plus, it’s just cabbage, butter, and salt and pepper, so I can make it anytime.

It’s a super budget-friendly recipe, too.

You’ll be wanting to get cabbage from the store on the regular once you try it this way!

Oh, and if you are looking for more ways to enjoy cabbage, this egg roll in a bowl recipe is one of my favorites.

You might also love this easy no-mayo coleslaw that’s tangy and perfect for cookouts.

Or peanut chicken, rice and cabbage bowls for a healthful, colorful meal.

So let’s get cooking.

Now, I’ve got some notes and tips coming up below on how to make sautéed cabbage. Just tryin’ to be helpful.

If you want to jump on down to the recipe, simply scroll right on through the rest of the text. The recipe card is near the bottom of the page, above the comments section.

Ingredient Notes:

• Butter: I always use unsalted butter in my cooking and baking so I can control the level of sodium. However, salted butter is just fine for this recipe, you’ll just want to go easy with adding salt.
• Cabbage: We’re using just a regular green head of cabbage for this recipe. It needs to be thinly sliced - like you would do for coleslaw. Some patience and a sharp knife will do the trick.
• Salt and pepper: You can lightly season this in layers as you go, or you can season it once when the cabbage has started to wilt and then taste and adjust when the cabbage is ready to serve.

See, you just need the cabbage, plus butter and salt and pepper.

Doesn’t get much easier than that.

But wait, some of you might say.

Where’s the bacon?

If you’re a bacon lover and a bacon + cabbage lover, feel free to sub that in for the butter.

You’d want to cook 4-5 slices of bacon in your pan, until cooked through and crispy. Remove the bacon slices, leaving the grease in the pan.

Use the bacon grease in place of the butter to saute and cook the cabbage. Then serve it with the reserved, cooked bacon crumbled on top.

Both ways are delicious, and I do both myself, so it's really just up to you which flavor you want to go with.

Also, the cook time here is a good outline but you’ll be able to adjust to your preferred style.

Basically, we’re slightly searing the cabbage and then letting it cook low and slow for a bit until it’s really tender. It’s an easy one to let just hang out while you finish up the rest of the meal.

You can also sear it again at the end if you really love those crispy bits.

Or you could cook it low and slow if you just want really soft, tender cabbage without any browning.

This recipe is pretty fool-proof so feel free to experiment!

Last thing, what to do with any leftovers.

Leftover cabbage, once cooled, can be stored in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Reheat in a skillet over medium heat until warmed through.

I hope you give this a try soon for a surprisingly delicious, warm and comforting side dish.

Enjoy!

XO,

Kathryn

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Mom's Sautéed Cabbage

Mom’s sautéed cabbage is super simple to make and full of tender, soft cabbage with crispy bits around the edges that’s buttery and so delicious!

Prep Time5 minutes mins

Cook Time30 minutes mins

Total Time35 minutes mins

Yield: 4 servings

1x2x3x

Cook Mode

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 medium head cabbage, core removed and thinly sliced
• Salt and pepper

Instructions

• Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced cabbage and stir well to mix with the butter. Cook for 5-6 minutes then stir and cook for another 5-6 minutes, allowing some of the bottom edges to brown.
• Season with salt and pepper, reduce the heat to medium low and continue cooking for 15-20 minutes, until very tender. Taste and add additional salt and pepper if needed.
• Serve or, if you want additional crispy edges, turn the heat to medium hight and carefully brown the cabbage to desired level.

Notes

Butter: I always use unsalted butter in my cooking and baking so I can control the level of sodium. However, salted butter is just fine for this recipe, you’ll just want to go easy with adding salt.

Cabbage: We’re using just a regular green head of cabbage for this recipe. It needs to be thinly sliced - like you would do for coleslaw. Some patience and a sharp knife will do the trick.

Salt and pepper: You can lightly season this in layers as you go, or you can season it once when the cabbage has started to wilt and then taste and adjust when the cabbage is ready to serve.

Bacon: If you’re a bacon lover and a bacon + cabbage lover, feel free to sub that in for the butter. You’d want to cook 4-5 slices of bacon in your pan, until cooked through and crispy. Remove the bacon slices, leaving the grease in the pan. Use the bacon grease in place of the butter to saute and cook the cabbage. Then serve it with the reserved, cooked bacon crumbled on top.

Leftovers: Leftover cabbage, once cooled, can be stored in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Reheat in a skillet over medium heat until warmed through.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 157kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 30mg | Sodium: 131mg | Potassium: 389mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 572IU | Vitamin C: 83mg | Calcium: 94mg | Iron: 1mg

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