Southern Fried Cabbage with Bacon and Onions

This Southern fried cabbage with bacon and onions recipe is very easy to make. It's made with simple ingredients but is full of flavor. It will quickly become a favorite side or main dish to serve in your dinner rotation. 

If you are looking for a quick stir-fry recipe to make for dinner tonight, try this Southern fried cabbage with bacon and onions recipe. The cabbage is fried in bacon grease which gives it a full, smoky flavor. Absolutely delicious!

This fried cabbage pairs well with these oven-baked rosemary chicken thighs, braised beef brisket, or baked bone-in pork chops.

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Why You'll Love this Fried Cabbage Recipe 

• Affordable. This fried cabbage recipe doesn't require a long list of ingredients. You, therefore, won't have to spend a lot of money to make it. 
• Kid-friendly. The bacon makes the cabbage taste delicious. Even picky eaters will enjoy it. 
• Tender-crisp. The cabbage can be sliced into the perfect thickness, and when cooked for the right amount of time the result is tender-crisp, not mushy. 

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Ingredients 

To make this fried cabbage recipe, you'll need the following ingredients: 

• Cabbage. In this recipe, I used green cabbage. Savoy cabbage can also be used as an alternative but it's more expensive and milder in taste than green cabbage. 
• Bacon. I highly recommend using thick-cut hickory smoked bacon because of its distinct flavor. 
• Onion. I used fresh onion as a base for stir-frying. 
• Garlic. It's another ingredient used as a base for stir-frying. Use fresh garlic if possible because it releases more flavor than granulated garlic. 
• Dried spices. You'll need a combination of red pepper flakes, black pepper, salt, and paprika to enhance the flavor.

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How to Make Southern Fried Cabbage with Bacon and Onions

First, you'll need to prepare the cabbage, bacon, and other ingredients. 

• Slice the bacon into ¼ inch thickness. 
• Slice the cabbage into ¼ inch thickness. Rinse and drain well. 
• Mince the garlic. 
• Dice the onion. 

Next, the cooking part... 

Step 1. Render and Crisp the Bacon 

During this cooking process, you'll melt the fat from the bacon and make the bacon crispy. You can use the fat (bacon grease) to cook the cabbage. 

• Put the bacon in a large Dutch oven and render the fat for about 10 minutes on medium heat or until the bacon becomes crispy (but not burnt). 
• Transfer the crispy bacon bits to a plate and set it aside. 
• Transfer the bacon grease to a heat-proof bowl and set it aside. 

Step 2. Cook the Aromatic Base

• In the same Dutch oven, add about 2-3 tablespoons of bacon grease. 
• Add the onion and stir for 4 minutes or until soft but not brown over medium-high heat. 
• Add the garlic and stir for 1 minute. 

Step 3. Cook the Cabbage and Season It 

• Add cabbage, paprika, red pepper flakes, and black pepper into the pot. Cook and stir for 8 minutes or until the cabbage are tender-crisp. 
• Throw the crispy bacon bits back into the pot and give it a quick stir for 1-2 minutes, just until combined. 
• Taste it, add salt to your liking, and adjust other seasonings until you reach the desired taste. 

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Tips for Cooking Fried Cabbage with Bacon

• Bacon grease. The amount of bacon grease you want to use to make this recipe is dependent on your dietary preferences and taste. In my opinion, 2-3 tablespoons of bacon grease are sufficient. 
• Don't burn the bacon. To avoid burning your bacon, lower the heat as necessary and never render the bacon at high heat. 
• Dutch oven. The Dutch oven doesn't need to be cleaned after rendering the bacon. Those brown bits that are stuck on the bottom of the pan will add more flavor to the cabbage and will be released while stirring. Therefore, it's important to use a gentle silicone or wooden spatula so you can scrape off the brown bits without damaging the pot while stir-frying. Please keep in mind that if the small particles in your pan are black, that means they are burnt and must be discarded. 

• Rendering and Crisping Bacon. The bacon should be cooked until crispy on all sides but not burnt. So please adjust the cooking time if necessary. 
• Add more seasoning. As always, use this recipe as a start. The salt contained in bacon may vary. If you are not sure how much salt to add, wait until the very last minute of cooking to add the salt (after you have added bacon bits to the mixture). 

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How to Store Leftover Cooked Cabbage

For your safety, discard any leftovers that have been left out for more than 2 hours at room temperature or 1 hour when the temperature is above 90°F. You can learn more here.

• Let the fried cabbage cool down to room temperature before refrigerating.
• Transfer the leftover to an airtight container. Properly stored, it can last 3-5 days in the fridge or up to 2 months in the freezer.

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How to Reheat Leftover Cooked Cabbage

• For smaller portions, place the leftover in a microwave-safe container, cover them with a damp paper towel, and reheat in a microwave for a minute or longer until hot.
• Alternatively, place the leftover fried cabbage in an oven-safe dish, then cover it with a lid or foil. Reheat in the oven at low heat (around 200°F - 250°F) for 10 minutes or longer until hot.

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Check Out More Delicious Side Dish Recipes

• Roasted frozen vegetables
• Easy Sauteed Zucchini
• Pea Bacon Salad

I hope you'll enjoy this recipe and share it with friends! If you try it and don't mind, please leave me a comment and/or give this recipe a rating. Be sure to subscribe to receive weekly recipes and follow me on Pinterest.

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