Recipes › Cabbage › Skillet Cabbage with Bacon and Caraway
Skillet Cabbage with Bacon and Caraway
Humble cabbage transformed with rendered bacon fat, sweet caramelized onion, and earthy caraway seeds into something that tastes like it took hours. It comes together in 20 minutes and is the kind of side dish that gets people going back for seconds before the main course is done.
Cabbage is usually ready May to November. More cabbage recipes, or see what to sow this month where you are.
Ingredients
- ½ large head green cabbage, cut into 1-inch wedges, core removed
- 4 strips bacon, choppedOmit and use 2 tbsp olive oil for vegetarian
- 1 medium yellow onion, sliced
- 1 tsp caraway seeds
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic, sliced
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
Contains: sulphites.
Method
- Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crispy. Remove bacon to a plate, leaving the fat in the pan.About 6 min
- Add onion to the bacon fat and cook for 5 minutes until softened. Add caraway seeds and garlic and cook for 1 minute.About 6 min
- Add cabbage wedges, increase heat to medium-high, and cook for 8 minutes, turning occasionally, until edges are browned and cabbage is tender with a little bite.About 8 min
- Deglaze with apple cider vinegar, scraping up any browned bits. Season with salt and pepper. Top with reserved bacon and serve.About 1 min
Tips
- Don't move the cabbage too much — let it sit and brown before turning.
- A splash of beer instead of vinegar gives a German-pub richness.
- Leaving some wedges intact makes for a better presentation.
Ring the changes
- Add a handful of dried cranberries and a tsp of whole grain mustard for sweet-tart contrast.
- Top with crumbled blue cheese when serving for a bold finish.
Keeping it
Keeps for 3 days in the fridge. Reheat in a skillet over medium heat.
In the app this recipe finds you
Log what you've picked and GrowMore CookMore matches it to 2,482 more recipes like this one, tells you what's ready before the frost gets it, and keeps the freezer honest. Free to start.
More from the same crop
A classic Irish-American one-pot where a spiced corned beef brisket and hearty vegetables simmer low and slow until fork-tender and deeply flavorful. Wedges of cabbage, chunky potatoes, and carrots are added toward the end so they absorb the savory broth without going mushy. This is the definitive St. Patrick's Day centerpiece, though it is far too good to make only once a year.
3 h 45 min · easy · Cabbage
Allotment keeper in the North East of England, the voice behind the Tony C Smith YouTube channel, and the gardener who built GrowMore CookMore. Club numbers on this page update as members log their plots. Last updated 4 April 2026.