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This sautéed cabbage recipe is an incredibly flavorful low-carb side dish that’s easy to make from a handful of ingredients. 

fried cabbage in a serving bowl

This recipe came about when I was making my kielbasa soup. It was very spur-of-the-moment. I had more than half a head of cabbage left, so I figured that I should really do something with it then and there. This doesn’t always happen when I am cooking, mind you. 😛 The motivation was there that day.

My chicken and cabbage stir fry and my cabbage and kielbasa recipes continue to go strong, so I took inspiration from them. This cabbage recipe has the same cooking technique and similar ingredients, but it does not contain any meat. It could even work as a meatless main course if you want to serve it over rice or with noodles or something. Or, if you’re on a low-carb/keto diet, this could quite easily become a staple since it’s just that yummy. 

It’s hard for me to describe just how tasty sautéed cabbage is. You basically just have to try it. Growing up with a Czech mom, I definitely ate my fair share of cabbage when I was little. The lightly browned onion imparts a delicious flavor into this dish. And the butter and smoked paprika take it up another notch. Oh, and this recipe did pass my mom’s taste test. 🙂 

You can easily control how crisp the cabbage remains in this recipe depending on your personal preferences. I like mine to be slightly softer than tender-crisp, but you can cook it even longer (or less) if you prefer. 

easy sautéed cabbage in a skillet

How to make sautéed cabbage

  1. Prep your ingredients. Slice the cabbage into thin-ish strips (you don’t need to be too precise);
  2. Sauté the onion in the olive oil + butter for 3 minutes;
  3. Add the cabbage to the skillet and cook for 10-15 minutes (toss occasionally) until it’s tender-crisp;
  4. Add in the paprika and garlic;
  5. Season with salt & pepper and enjoy!

(full instructions are in the recipe card below). 

What kind of cabbage to use?

I just use a regular green cabbage (also sometimes called “cannonball” cabbage). Red cabbage or savoy cabbage would work too, but the red cabbage will discolor a bit when you cook it, so keep that in mind. 

What size of cabbage to use? 

Size-wise I usually just eyeball it, but to give you an idea of weight, a small-to-medium cabbage for this recipe weighs around 3 pounds. You don’t have to worry about being too exact. If you’re using a much smaller cabbage, you might want to cut the butter to 1 tablespoon. 

Love cabbage? Try my stuffed cabbage roll soup or this Crockpot cabbage soup

sautéed cabbage and onions close-up

Will you give this easy cabbage side dish recipe a try? Do you cook cabbage often?

Let me know in the comments below if you have any questions. 

fried cabbage in a serving bowl
4.95 from 20 votes

Simple Sautéed Cabbage

This sautéed cabbage recipe is an incredibly flavorful low-carb side dish that's easy to make from a handful of ingredients. 
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Total: 30 minutes
Servings: 6

Ingredients 

  • 1 medium head green cabbage cored & sliced into thin strips
  • 1 medium onion chopped
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions 

  • Prep the cabbage and chop your onion. I just slice the cabbage thin (cut out the core) and chop the onion like usual.
  • Add the butter and oil to a skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté the onion for 3 minutes.
  • Add the cabbage to the pan and toss/stir it as best as you can (use 2 spoons or tongs to make it easier). Don't worry, as it cooks the cabbage goes down and it becomes more manageable. Stir/toss it often and let it cook until it's just about as soft as you want it (about 10-15 minutes).
  • Add in the paprika and garlic. Cook it for a couple more minutes. If the cabbage starts to brown too quickly, turn the heat down. Some browning is good - it adds extra flavor.
  • Season with salt & pepper as needed and serve immediately.

Notes

  • Serves 4-6 as a side dish. 
  • Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Salt & Lavender makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.

Nutrition

Calories: 87kcal, Carbohydrates: 11g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 5g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Cholesterol: 10mg, Sodium: 62mg, Potassium: 292mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 6g, Vitamin A: 429IU, Vitamin C: 57mg, Calcium: 67mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Hi! I’m Natasha.

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54 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Thank you for this simple but homey recipe my guest loved it too.
    I put a few smokies on top to heat through and add flavour as well as provide some protien. ( I skin my smokies before heating )

  2. 5 stars
    Made this twice. Second time I added the garlic and paprika after cooking the onions and I think it really drew out the flavors more. Super easy and the smoked paprika really tastes good.

  3. 5 stars
    Made this and added some cooked and crumbled spicy Italian sausage. Made a full meal. Delicious and quick. Will definitely make again

  4. Delicious! Made it for New Years day dinner. I left out the onion and garlic because I had other dishes with it but I did add some garlic and onion powder. As it cooked my pan got too hot so I poured in some corn beef broth I had in a crockpot and it added some wonderful flavor. I will make it again and follow the recipe because I’m sure no matter how you cook it it’s amazing. That smoked paprika takes it over the top. Thanks for sharing.