Sweet and Sour Cabbage with Bacon- a combination of sugar, cider vinegar and crispy, salty bacon bits makes this one of the most delicious cabbage side dished ever.
Sweet and Sour Cabbage with Bacon Recipe
I love any kind of sautéed cabbage, but this Sweet and Sour Cabbage with Bacon may be my favorite. When I make it, I find myself picking the last pieces out of the pan with my fingers. It’s that good.
With crunchy bacon, onion, sweetness from a hefty dose of sugar, tang from cider vinegar, and saltiness from soy sauce, this side dish will wake up every taste bud in your mouth. So much so that you might wish it was the main dish instead of just a side.
Sweet and Sour Cabbage with Bacon is a simple side dish, but it is big on flavor. Only a handful of ingredients are needed. It’s a German-style side dish that is popular in the south. The part of North Carolian I am from had a lot of German immigrants and you can see the influences in southern home cooking.
How To Serve
I love to serve it with Bratwurst and Knockwurst. I slice them in half horizontally, place them in a skillet with a drizzle of olive oil and brown them up a little bit. But you could slice them and cook them with the cabbage for a one dish meal. Easy peasy!
This amazing side dish goes great with a side of Buttermilk Cornbread.
Recipe Tip
Red cabbage can be used instead of green cabbage.
Make it Spicy
If you want to make this cabbage recipe spicy, add crushed red pepper flakes to taste
Storage
Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4 days and can be reheated in a microwave.
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Sweet and Sour Cabbage with Bacon
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
- 4 slices bacon,, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 onion,, thinly sliced
- 1 medium green cabbage,, cored and cut into 1 to 1 1/2-inch pieces
- 1/4 cup cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- black pepper
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large, heavy pot (I use a Dutch oven) over medium heat. Add bacon and cook until brown and crisp, stirring frequently.
- Use a slotted spoon to transfer bacon to a plate. Add onion and cabbage to pot and cook, stirring often, until cabbage is wilted (about 10 minutes).
- Add vinegar, sugar, and soy sauce and cook until cabbage is crisp-tender, about 10 more minutes.
- Stir in bacon.Add black pepper to taste and serve.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe Source: Martha Stewart
Originally published Oct 29, 2013.
Can I use Chinese cabbage instead of green cabbage?
You sure can! The taste may be slightly different, but still delicious!
OMG! I am not a cabbage person but for st Patrick’s day it’s not the same without corned beef and cabbage. Instead of cooking it with the corned beef I found this recipe and thought why not? This turned out to be the best cabbage my husband and I have ever eaten! In fact it was so good that we have 3/4 of the corned beef, carrots and potatoes left and ate an entire head of cabbage. My husband even said that we have got to have this at least once a month! I went exactly by the recipe but did add a few extra strips of bacon cut up because everything’s better with bacon. The vinegar soy and sugar mixture along with the cabbage and bacon is one of the best things I’ve ever made! Thank you so much. I get bored with the same old vegetables every meal so this is a game changer!
Delicious! I used plant based bacon instead of pork bacon. It got my family’s approval.
An old family favourite, I had misplaced the recipe.
Happy to find, it is the same taste as my mum used to make
This is an excellent dish to make if you are trying to eat nutrient rich veggies. I just reduced the bacon in half and omitted soy sauce replacing with a little chicken broth for moisture. I also saute some pork tenderloin medallions and throw it all in a crock pot to make it a complete meal. My Husband loves it!!!
Yum
Can this be made the day before and refrigerated?
I cut it down because there are only two of us, but we both loved it!
We have this dish 2 -3 times a month, love it! I always make recipes exactly as written per the recipe the first time, then tailor it to our tastes. In place of the bacon I use real bacon bits, just microwave them for a few seconds till crisp, then top just before serving – saves time & work. I also use brown sugar, onions, and always add a granny smith apple. I always serve it with beef kielbasa and rotate between perogies, noodles and hash browns. It’s even better the next day!