Fried Cabbage with Bacon, Onion, and Garlic

I would like to thank everyone who took the time to write a review. Thanks for the wonderful feedback. Kathi Smith

This one blasts the meat off the bone! Pork fat, onion, garlic (preferably fresh), and cabbage is a Tennessee staple overlooked by the rest of the country (too bad). Thanks for sharing this recipe with the community. My 1/4 Cherokee friend/co-worker raved about this recipe for years. It always sounded too greasy, until I tried it......OMG! It's sooooooo comforting. He used 'fatback' (smoked pork fat)===less salty than bacon and no nitrites. Anyway, a great southern recipe, and I'm glad you shared it. P.S. Try some red Savoy cabbage with the green kind. It doesn't wilt so much and has a sweeter flavor. I'd like to see a good recipe for baked beans, Southern Style! Mitchy48

I've been eating cabbage prepared this way all my life (love it!) but never to the point where the onions were caramelized. It was nice, but there wasn't enough of a difference that it's worth the extra time it takes to get them to that point. I didn't add the onion powder, garlic powder (there's already fresh minced garlic) or paprika. I like it just fine without.

This was good. I did drain a little of the bacon grease prior to adding the cabbage it just looked like too much grease for me. As far as the salt goes, I only added about 1/2tsp. at first (I was only using 1/2 a fairly small cabbage. AT first, before simmering for 30 minutes it tasted just right for us. Then, after the simmer, I tasted before serving and the salt had almost disappered so I added a few sprinkles more. I can see if you have a huge cabbage where you may need quite a bit. Thanks for the recipe

Editor's note: The salt amount for this recipe was reduced from 3 tablespoons to 1 tablespoon by the Allrecipes staff on 7/17/2009.

I thought I would want more bacon, but I stuck to the recipe and it was perfect. I wouldn't change a thing. Thanks for the recipe.

Excellent recipe! My change...Olive oil and real bacon bits, instead of cooking the bacon and using the drippings.

We loved this. I put in one shredded carrot for colour. THX

Yummy, yummy, yummy. I replaced the 3 tablespoons of salt with seasoned salt added to taste and I cooked the cabbage on medium until just tender. Definately a keeper.

Wonderful! We enjoyed this. I only put in 2 tsp of sea salt & that was just rite. Everything else I followed turn out very good. Next I will set cooked bacon aside & put in at end, mine became a lil soggy & chewy. But WILL make this again thanks!

Just made this with a Napa cabbage and a Walla Walla sweet onion. Wow! Sweet, salty and so good even my husband who hates cabbage and my daughter who won't eat anything green liked it. I used 1 tsp salt because my cabbage was small and a little less garlic.

I found this recipe when I had an inkling to put garlic with cabbage, which I'd never done, this recipe popped up through google search. My ingredients: green cabbage/ 1pound of loose leaf spinach/ 4tomatillas red oninon/ bulb of garlic-yes I used all cloves in bulb lol/ 6slices of oven cooked bacon/ 2 chicken flavored boullion packets/ sauteed onion/tomatillas/garlic 1st in butter&oil mixture then as veggies carmelized I added all veggies/boullion packets then bacon crumpled last, it turned out PHENOMENALLY yUMMy!

I think I should have been more careful about when I added the salt. I dumped it into the meat rather then putting the cabbage first. It turned out ok, was still edible but next time I will follow directions. I also added some polish sausage to this dish to make it a more complete meal it was pretty tasty. Also, next time I will add the bacon last.

This was excellent. I served it with ham, potato salad and black-eyed peas on New Year's Day. I didn't use all of the onion called for, nor did I use onion powder (didn't have it). Like other reviewers, I cut the salt back (to 1tsp). Only a small dish left, and I intend to eat that as a snack later!

I had a small head of cabbage that I had grown in my garden & only 3 slices of bacon, so I cut back on the rest of the ingredients and it did not effect the taste. Awesome! Our family demolished this dish.

Made this on Saturday for my daughter's graduation party on Sunday. Outstanding. It was a hit with all of the polish relatives and even the non-polish! The night we made it I decided to add some spaetzels. I sampled it and thought it was OK. The next day, we warmed it and tried it again....it was excellent! I doubled the recipe, used 1lb of bacon and added the spaetzels.

This was so good! Reminded me of the fried cabbage that my Hungarian grandma would make, although she cooked it down quite a bit more and then mixed it with cooked noodles - yum. For those that rated it low because of saltiness, the recipe did say "or to taste". When I make a recipe I rarely use as much salt as the recipe states. I waited until the cabbage was almost cooked through before even adding any salt. Or another way is to salt the raw cabbage and let sit for awhile, rinse and squeeze until almost dry.

The taste of this recipe is outstanding. During the meal my husband couldn't stop commenting on how good it was. I didn't dice the onions but rather sliced them. Next time I think I will drain the bacon fat after cooking the bacon and cook everything else with a little olive oil.

I made it today with 3/4 tsp salt to a medium head of cabbage and it really was tasty. Thanks for another way to fry up one of our favorite foods.

This is an age-old recipe originating I believe either in Slovakia or Germany. It is delicious! It is called Halushka or Kalushka depending on what country it was from. I've made this for years and years but have never used garlic, however will try that. Agree with others as to draining some of the bacon fat, otherwise it's too greasy as well as (if your adding garlic) hold off on adding it in the beginning ~ nothing worse than burnt, bitter garlic to ruin any dish! We always serve this mixed with a small amount of curly egg noodles.

I have made fried cabbage many times in my life. Mine has never had this intense flavor as this recipe does. I am so impressed. This recipe is a keeper!

The only thing I didn't like was the 3 tablespoons of salt. I only added 1 tablespoon but that was still very, very salty. Everything else I loved.

My husband whipped this up for dinner tonight and it was delicious. I made the cornbread and everyone was happy. Thank you.

This dish is so delicious and flavorful! The bacon compliments the cabbage perfectly! When I make it again I will drain a little of the bacon grease.

I've been making this for many years. It's also great using sliced polish sausage in place of the bacon and I also always add diced bell peppers as well whether using polish sausage or bacon, or if you prefer both meats. It also makes a tasty meal boiled in a little water or you can use a little chicken or beef broth in place of the water if you prefer and you don't have to keep nearly as close a watch on it when your gently boiling it in a stew pot with a lid on it instead of frying. Both ways are scrumptious. I use a whole head of cabbage (quartered), a couple of med. to large size onions and a good sized diced green bell pepper as well as a whole polish sausage in mine. Salt and pepper to taste. Just throw it all in a pot and gently boil until your cabbage is tender. Oh yeah, potato diced in 1 to 1/2 inch chunks are also very good in it. Makes a great quick, healthy, delicious one pot meal which goes over any time of the year. Best thing too is it doesn't break the bank to make a large stew pot of it and it reheats very well in your microwave.

This would have been good had I not used the whole amount of salt(1 Tblsp, it was so salty I could barely eat it. I am sorry to rate it a 1, but I find it bvest to rate against the original recipe than to rate it based on alterations.

Just made this tonight and it was awesome! I have never had fried cabbage before and came across this recipe when looking to use up a head of cabbage in the fridge. Thanks for sharing!

It was bland. Researched some other recipes and added a couple pinches of sugar, then a couple dashes of vinegar. Still bland. I would try it again but add some cayenne pepper or kielbasa next time for some more kick. Or... maybe some applewood smoked or black pepper bacon?

Wow, wow, wow!!! This recipe is unbelievable! I cut the salt in half--at least, added 3 cloves of garlic, and added just a bit of crushed pepper flakes. This is a recipe I will make again, and again, and again. I am on a low carb diet, and cabbage is a low carb veggie--so this recipe fits quite well into a low carb diet. Thanks for sharing it! Note added: Using fresh garlic is a plus!

Very tasty. Served with smoked sausage for an easy meal.

Both my husband and I liked this very much. Will definitely be making this again! Thanks Kathi!

The cabbage was so good. I used the left overs for egg rolls and they were great.

This was so delicious. Loved it

Bacon is salty enough as is, I definitely didn't need a tbsp of salt. I think I used about 1/4 tbsp of garlic salt in the end. Okay dish, I added some noodles to make it a full meal.

Tasted just like what Grandma Kanady used to make! Brought back some really good memories. I had to put the splash of vinegar on like we always did...I didn't relize how rich it is! lol Probably won't make often, but sure was a wonderful "comfort and cozy" moment. THANKS!

This is a favorite of ours but we add cooked egg noodles.yummy.

This was good but way too much salt. I am a saltaholic and this was too salty for me!

We didn't have any bacon but we did have some bacon grease in the refrigerator (don't judge) , so we put some in the pot and cooked the garlic and onions in it and then added the cabbage. In place of bacon we had a ham steak and cooked it for several minutes in the cast iron skillet then cut it up and added it to the cabbage. It was delish and so easy! Will make again :)

Yummy! I made it without the powder ingredients and didn't cook it as long as called for... Yummy. Great way to teach my daughter Irish history and have a delicious meal.. Thanks for posting a great alternative to boiled cabage...

Hubby is the fried cabbage person and liked it. To me the flavors were great but the texture way too mushy for my taste. I would have preferred to eat it w/o covering for the last 30. And I also would wait to add the cooked bacon until right before serving - I prefer my veggies n bacon crisp.

Pretty good and will make again with the following changes- no more than 1 tsp salt and cut the pepper in half. I left the bacon out- cut calories- just sprayed the pan with Pam first. Around 8 calories in every 1 ounce.

I'm with Naples34102 on this one! I, too, was raised up eating cabbage this way and this is my standard way of preparing it for my family...also minus the onion/garlic powders, paprika and caramelizing of the onion. It's tasty w/o doing or adding all that. A really easy and great way to fix cabbage. And, to simplify it even further try stir-frying the chopped cabbage in a little butter and salt/pepper to taste. That's good too!!

Great recipe but I added some whipping cream before adding the noodles, and it gave it a creamier taste. Kids loved it.

Great recipe! Went wonderful with our corn beef! Made as directed, but I only had three slices of thick cut pepper bacon and it was enough to give it a great flavor anyway. We liked that fact that this recipe can also be used with the Paleo or Primal Blue Print way of eating. Thank you Kathi for sharing!

Loved it! Made it with sliced Brussel Sprouts instead of cabbage. Was delicious!

Delicious as is, however I added the spin of 3 large handfuls of pre cooked egg noodles & a Dolly Partonesque" grilled chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces. I also added 1/2 tap of "slap ya mama" season for some kick.

I'm only giving this a four because I havn't tried it yet, but I love cabbage and this really looks like a winner! Although...it may be the German in me...but I'm tempted to add a tad of cider vinegar and sugar. YUM

OMG I loved this. I cut the salt in half as suggested by others. I think this is going to be one of my new favorites. I loved it both hot and cold.

I've been eating cooked/steamed cabbage all my life & NEVER has it tasted this good!! All the spices & carmelizing the onions..over the top! I've since used ham or sausage (out of bacon)with this recipe & it's stiil wonderful. I do not cook the cabbage for as long as instructed as I don't care for super-wilted cabbage. A+++

My family loved this dish. I modified it slightly by adding kielbasa and about 1/2 teaspoon of salt only because a tablespoon seemed like way too much for our liking. You can always add more, but can't take it out if it's too salty. It made enough for two adults and two children, but no leftovers. I might double the recipe next time just so we can have some for lunches. Great dish! It's a keeper.

I have made this recipe twice, exactly the way it calls to make it. Perfect! I love, LoVe, LOVE this dish! Thank you for sharing!

We didn't like this recipe at all. I am very surprised how high this was rated.

Over-the-top delicious! I'll definitely be making this again!

I grew up eating this and it is very good, the only difference, I have never added paprika so I am definitely going to try that with the head of cabbage I have in the refrigerator. Only thing extra I add is some grated carrot, just enough to add a little color. Looks great and tastes even better....In a pinch, if I don't have sliced bacon I will use Hormel bacon bits instead because I always have them on hand and saute the onions and garlic in olive oil, its good but nothing beats the taste of real sliced bacon and bacon grease for flavor but when you are hungry for fried cabbage it works.

The one time I don't read the comments and blindly add 3 T salt-ruined the dish, it was inedible. So sad, it smelled so good but I sure wish it had said 1T of salt and more to taste. Bummer.

This had so much bacon fat in it. I would do it again and add some olive oil instead.

Yummy!

I thought it could have had a little more flavor, too bland for my taste.

A bit salty, I will try 2 t of salt next time.

I remember this from my childhood and still make it. Instead of powder I use fresh onion, ditto the garlic. How much depends upon your personal taste though we use about one medium onion to five large toes of garlic and sautee them with the bacon. For those who don't know, if you burn the garlic it's best to start over as the burned garlic is bitter. We will sometimes serve with butter or sour cream and it goes great with kielbasa or pork.

Steve an Kyle loved!

This was delicious for our New Year's day meal! I fried the bacon and did not drain the grease. Removed the bacon and set it aside. Added the onions and garlic, then cooked it for a while before adding the cabbage and spices. Crumbled the cooked bacon right before serving. Scrumptious and easy!!

I really liked this recipe. Usually I don't use garlic powder or onion powder, but in this case I liked it.

My family really liked this. I would drain some of the bacon grease next time.

I tried this last night and it was wonderful!!! I followed the recipe exactly. I thought I could eat the left overs for lunch but my daughter beat me to it. I will definitely be making this again. What a wonderful comfort food!

DO NOT PUT 1 TABLESPOON OF SALT!!! I really liked this recipe and will make it again, BUT I thought 1 tablespoon of salt sounded way too much. I measured out 1 tablespoon (I used kosher salt.) however I put maybe a little less than half of a tablespoon. It still could have used less!!! I would call myself a saltaholic and it was almost too salty. I was serving it with plain white rice so the saltiness it did have was ok. Next time though, I will start out with maybe just a teaspoon of salt.

This was really tasty. I only had 1/2 a head of cabbage so I used about 1/4 - 1/2 t of sea salt. Made with "Pork Chops with Blue Cheese Gravy" and "Strawberry Spinach Salad I". The gravy from the pork chops complimented the cabbage side dish very well (to my surprise).

Love this! I've made it three times now. The only thing I've changed was not to add any salt. For us, the salt in the bacon is enough. It's perfect.

This was delicious! As a lazy cook, I "cheated" by using Cole slaw mix already shredded up, and used less salt. It turned out beautifully and I will definitely be making this again!

I have made this 3 times now in a months time. My husband who normally would not try cabbage LOVED this! I had left over wild rice and grilled chicken and I mixed all three together. Very tasty!

This recipe is delicious. I used minimal salt. All else the same. My whole family devoured it.

I just made this for dinner and we loved it! I was looking for something different to do with my cabbage an found this recipe and liked the way it sounded. Even my daughter who won't eat cabbage unless it's coleslaw liked it. I made it as written, no changes. I will be making this again soon!Thanks for the recipe Kathi!

I followed the recipe with no modifications but it was too rich for me. I must have messed up somewhere but it is such a basic recipe that I am not sure how I could have. I may try again just to give it a chance, it certainly sounds amazing.

Just made this for family reunion. I too used less salt, but it is yummy.

I would make this one million times. It is so easy and so delicious over rice. Use brown rice and turkey bacon and you're so eating healthy that Richard Simmons will come ask you to deal HIM a meal.

I have been eating this since I was a child and I'm now 66. This came from an old eastern European recipe. The original was bacon grease, cabbage, noodles, salt and pepper. It was an inexpensive dish and a way to use the bacon grease. No one threw away bacon grease. It was strained and added to the cup or pot of grease. This recipe has changed over the years, but add, subtract whatever you like. But keep those original ingredients!

great...but, too much salt, use fresh pepper & garlic... maybe a little butter

Great recipe! I like mine a little "hot"...so I added diced up jalapenos from a jar to give it a lil kick!

My husband loved, loved, loved this recipe! It reminded of my childhood...my Mama cooked this with hot water cornbread. It was perfect. I followed the recipe and added smoked sausages as well and it was very tasty1

Completely ruined the recipe with the amount of salt.

So so good. Followed the recipe as is and I will make this again and again. This is my go to cooked cabbage recipe!

We all really liked this one. Will definitely be making again! January 2011

This is just awesome. I add cooked noodles to this also. YUM

My family loves this Fried Cabbage with Bacon, Onion, and Garlic! My 12-year-old grandson asked if it could be his afterschool snack every day! Wow and good for ya! My only suggestion is to add some vinegar for extra flavor but this recipe is yummy delicious already!

Go easy on the salt, and it wouldn't hurt to drain out about half the bacon grease -- or drain it all out and use a little olive oil instead. Great recipe, though, and very filling!

This was a HUGE hit in my family. I made 3 huge pans full in the last week & making a fourth tonight. I cook it in a extra large frying pan & never used a lid. Didn't add much salt since bacon already has a lot of sodium.

Ilovethisrecipe

We did not enjoy this recipe. The flavors of the bacon and onion were lost in the cooking process. Fried cabbage was soggy, and that is what happens the minute one adds so much salt to this recipe when cooking and covers the pot and cooks for 30 minutes more. One can always season with more salt, once it is on your plate.

Excellent,I use less salt also, and I added package of thin spaghetti (cooked and cut in half) makes it a meal in itself. A friend from the Carolina's gave me this recipe

I loved this recipe! I used it for my first time cooking cabbage and it came out beautifully. I love greens cooked with hamhocks and the bacon adds a good flavor to the cabbage. Putting this one in my recipe box!

Very good! I added sea salt to taste & then followed the recipe as stated and it came out perfect. Thanks for sharing your recipe.

I used the full amount of salt (1 TBsp.) and it didn't taste salty at all, which is great since I don't like it to be overpowering and because I have high blood pressure... Anyway, the only thing this dish lacked was some spice. I dribbled on some hot sauce to give it kick, next time I'll throw in some chili flakes or powder to cook the heat in. This would be nice with some diced tomatoes (fresh or canned). Could easily turn this into a main dish by omitting the bacon and adding some beef or chicken. Not sure if I will make this again, as I've tried better cabbage recipes on AR.

This was a flavorful, different side dish. I just made a small batch for my husband and I with our grilled brats. I don't think I cooked it quite as long as the recipe called for. We really liked it and I will be making it again soon!

Pretty good cooked cabbage, if you like bacon. Got good reviews at Casey's surprise bday party.

Recipe calls for 1 Tablespoon of salt. That seemed like too much to me, so I added only a little over 1/2 Tbsp. Otherwise used the quantity of ingredients mentioned. This came out too salty to eat even after cutting that back. Pepper was also at least twice what I think was indicated. In the end, really not edible, though I will definitely try again. I think the recipe has promise, and I had no idea how to fry cabbage. I'll just cut seasoning way back. It's possible that Kathi used a much larger cabbage head. I used the largest available at our grocer. I think if I'd have had 2 heads of the size I had, spices would still have been too much.

Loved it! First time cooking cabbage. I love bacon, cabbage, onion, and garlic so this recipe was the key to a perfect Irish side dish! Super easy to cook, took about an hour including prep. Turned out absolutely amazing. Used maple smoked bacon and did not put onion powder in (didn't have any). Will make this again and again. Had seconds and thirds! GIVE THIS A TRY!!

I made this tonight! Omg! My family loved it! I didn't add the paprika, but it was absolutely delicious!

Turned out ok, but a long way away from fried anything, pretty much just cooked cabbage, but tasted good.

I tried this recipe, and it was lovely, however the next time I tried it I added Leek, fresh herbs and butter and it was even better! :)