Try our simple slow cooker cabbage recipe. It includes bacon for flavor, but you can also make it vegan. No fancy stuff - just simple, tasty food perfect for weeknight dinners.
This simple method guarantees tasty, tender crockpot or slow cooker cabbage. It's an easy-to-make, great dish that everyone will enjoy.
Serve the slow cooker cabbage as a main dish with potatoes or crusty bread or as a delicious side dish; it's perfect either way.
Try more of our hearty slow cooker recipes: Slow Cooker Red Cabbage, Slow Cooker Pork and Sauerkraut, Slow Cooker Lamb Ribs, or Crockpot Chicken and Rice.
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📋Recipe ingredients
- Cabbage: A small to medium-sized whole cabbage (white or green) that feels firm and unblemished.
- If your piece is very large, ½ of it will probably be sufficient; you will need 2 to 2 ½ lbs/ 1-1.2 kg. That will make more or less 10 cups of chopped cabbage.
- Try Stewed Cabbage or Fried Cabbage with Bacon, too.
- Bacon: It adds lots of flavor, but you can leave it out if you want to make this dish vegan or vegetarian.
- Spices: Fine sea salt and ground black pepper, sweet and smoked paprika, thyme, all spices, and a little bit of granulated sugar. You can also add a bay leaf or two and a sprinkle of caraway seeds.
- Vinegar: Apple cider vinegar or balsamic vinegar. Red wine vinegar is also ok, but as it is a bit more acidic than the other two, you might need to adjust the taste with some extra sugar at the end.
- Other ingredients: Butter, onions, chicken broth, or stock or vegetable broth, preferably homemade or low-sodium.
👩🏻🍳How to cook cabbage in a slow cooker?
Remove the outer cabbage leaves and the core. Chop the rest.
Cook the bacon for 1-2 minutes. Add chopped onion and sauté until soft.
Combine all ingredients in the slow cooker.
Depending on your taste, cook on HIGH for 2 ½ to 3 ½ hours. I like really tender cabbage, so I always let it cook for at least 3 hours.
🥬Variations on the recipe
- Vegan version: Omit the bacon, use vegetable stock, and substitute butter with olive oil or vegan butter.
- Add some chopped chicken breast or sliced sausage to the dish. Try our Slow Cooker Cabbage and Sausage.
🔊Expert Tips
Cooking time: For slightly crunchy slow cooker cabbage, cook the dish on high for 2 ½ hours and check. If you like it softer, cook it for longer.
Cook on the stovetop: Chop all ingredients. In a large, lidded pot, sauté bacon and onions for 1-2 minutes until the bacon fat is rendered. Add chopped cabbage and cook it, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes until it wilts. Add the remaining ingredients. Cover the pot and let it simmer over low heat for approximately 30 minutes until the cabbage softens. If there's excess liquid nearing the end of cooking, uncover the pot for the last 5-10 minutes to allow it to evaporate.
Make in advance: Transfer the cooked slow cooker cabbage to another pot, let it cool, and refrigerate until ready to serve. Reheat on the stovetop before serving.
❓Recipe FAQ
6-7 hours, you should check and cook it to your desired consistency.
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
Freeze in containers or a freezer bag for 2-3 months. Defrost in the fridge and reheat before serving.
Reheat in a small pan on the stovetop, adding a bit of extra stock and often stirring.
Reheat in the microwave in a microwave-safe dish, covered with a microwave-suitable lid, in 1-minute intervals until warm.
🍽️What to serve with crockpot cabbage?
📖Recipe
Slow Cooker Cabbage
Equipment
- Slow cooker or crockpot
- Pan
Ingredients
- 2 to 2 ½ lbs cabbage 1-1.2 kg, Note 1
- 6 bacon slices Notes 2, 3
- 1 medium onion
- ½ tablespoon oil
- 1 cup chicken stock or vegetable stock, 250 ml, Note 4
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- ½ teaspoon sweet paprika
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- ¼ teaspoon allspice
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt also Note 4
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons butter chopped
Instructions
- Cabbage: Half the cabbage and remove the core. Chop it roughly (1 inch/ 2.5 cm pieces) and place it in the slow cooker.2 to 2 ½ lbs cabbage / 1-1 ½ kg
- Sauté: Chop the bacon and onion. Heat the oil in the pan and cook the bacon for 1-2 minutes until the fat is rendered. Add the onions and cook, often stirring, for another 2-3 minutes until the onion is softer. Add them to the slow cooker.6 bacon slices + 1 medium onion + ½ tablespoon oil
- Combine ingredients: Add all the remaining ingredients and stir to combine.1 cup chicken stock / 250 ml + 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar + ½ teaspoon sweet paprika + ½ teaspoon smoked paprika + 1 teaspoon thyme + ¼ teaspoon allspice + 1 teaspoon granulated sugar + ½ teaspoon fine sea salt + ½ teaspoon ground black pepper + 2 tablespoons butter , chopped
- Cook on High for 2 ½ to 3 ½ hours, depending on taste. For slightly crunchy cabbage, cook the dish on high for 2 ½ hours and check. If you like it softer, cook it longer (Note 5).
Notes
- Cabbage: A small to medium-sized whole white or green cabbage. If the head of cabbage is large, ½ of it will probably be sufficient; you will need 2 to 2 ½ lbs/ 1-1.2 kg. That will make more or less 10 cups of chopped cabbage.
- Bacon: I used turkey bacon this time, but I cook the dish more often using regular bacon; either kind is delicious.
- Vegan version: Omit the bacon, use vegetable stock, and replace the butter with vegan butter or olive oil.
- Stock: It is preferable to use low sodium to prevent the dish from being too salty. If you use regular stock, reduce the amount of salt you add to the dish at the beginning of the cooking process and adjust the taste with more salt (if necessary) at the end.
- Cook on low for 6-7 hours; you should check and cook it to your desired consistency.
Adeline says
Hello, I'd like to know what type of bacon you show in the picture...I've never seen anything like that. I love cabbage so this recipe really caught my eye & I can't wait to make it. Also looking for lots of different ways to use cabbage & it looks like you have them !
Adina says
Hi Adeline. It is turkey bacon, but regular bacon is also perfect for this recipe. Enjoy the cabbage recipes, we love cabbage too that's why I post so many of them. 🙂