The humble cabbage is transformed into a beautiful buttery, tender side dish. Fry until just a little golden around the edges for a tasty, sweet & savoury flavour.
Nicky’s Notes
Apparently cabbage is the ‘in thing’ at the moment.
Well it’s always been the in thing in my book. I love it steamed, raw, mixed with mashed potato (hello bubble & squeak!), and of course, sautéed with garlic and butter.
What makes this so good:
- It’s an easy recipe – yes it takes a little time to reach that slightly charred result, but it’s mostly hands-off time, with just the occasional stir.
- It’s cheap and easily serves 6 people.
- Cabbage lasts for ages in the fridge, so it’s a great way to use up that half a cabbage that’s been sitting in the vegetable drawer for a couple of weeks.
- It goes with so many things! Roast dinners (give me all the sauteed cabbage and gravy), sausage and mash, pork chops, casseroles and even fish.
📋 Ingredients for Sautéed Cabbage
***Full recipe with detailed quantities in the recipe card below***
What’s the best cabbage for sauteed cabbage?
You can use white cabbage, sweetheart cabbage or savoy cabbage. White cabbage gives a slightly firmer, sweeter result, sweetheart cabbage cooks quickly and feels a little softer, while savoy cabbage has those crinkly leaves that catch the butter beautifully. My personal favourite is savoy cabbage.
Abbreviated Recipe
***Full recipe with detailed steps in the recipe card below***
Slice and core the cabbage, then fry onion in oil and butter until softened. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the cabbage, seasoning and water, cover and steam-fry for 5 minutes, then uncover and fry for 7–10 minutes until tender and golden at the edges.
Recipe Tips
- Slice the cabbage fairly evenly. Try to keep the shreds a similar thickness so they cook at the same rate.
- Use a large pan. Cabbage needs room to cook properly. If it’s crammed into a small pan, it will steam and turn soft before it has a chance to get those lovely golden edges.
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Leftovers Guide
- Leftover sauteed cabbage can be cooled quickly and stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1-2 days. Don’t freeze – it goes watery.
- Reheat it in a frying pan over a medium heat with a small knob of butter or splash of water to loosen it up. You can also microwave it, but frying gives a better texture.
- Serve the cabbage as a side as-is, or:
- Fry up with mashed potato for bubble & squeak
- Add crispy bacon for extra richness
- Add to noodles, omelettes, fried rice or soups
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Slice the cabbage in half, remove the hard core in the middle and slice the cabbage into thin strips.
1 head of green cabbage (about 1kg or 2.2lbs)
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Heat the oil and butter in a large pan over a medium heat.
1 tbsp oil, 2 tbsp unsalted butter
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Add the onion and fry, stirring often for 3-4 minutes, until softened.
1 onion
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Add the garlic and fry for a further minute, stirring constantly.
2 cloves garlic
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Add the cabbage, salt and pepper, stir together and pour over the water.
1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 4 tbsp water
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Place a lid on the pan and let it steam-fry for 5 minutes.
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Remove the lid and continue to fry for a further 7-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cabbage is soft and tender. Then serve.
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Optional – If you want it a little more caramelized, turn up the heat to medium-high and fry for a further 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Nutritional information is approximate, per serving (this recipe serves 6).
Calories: 108kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 272mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 5g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
🍲 More fantastic side dishes
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