Sautéed Cabbage [Quick & Easy Recipe]

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.

Side-on image of a black bowl filled with sautéed cabbage, next to a fork, knife, peppermill and dark napkin.

Nicky’s Notes

A woman with long brown hair and a black top smiles at the camera, sitting indoors with a brick wall and some greenery in the background.

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***

Ingredients for sauteed cabbage on a dark background, including: A head of savoy cabbage, an onion, garlic cloves, butter, avocado oil, water, and a small dish of salt and pepper.

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.

Overhead image of a pan filled with sautéed cabbage and onions, with metal tongs resting on top.

Pin this now to find it later

Pin It

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

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)
Heat the oil and butter in a large pan over a medium heat.

1 tbsp oil, 2 tbsp unsalted butter
Add the onion and fry, stirring often for 3-4 minutes, until softened.

1 onion
Add the garlic and fry for a further minute, stirring constantly.

2 cloves garlic
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
Place a lid on the pan and let it steam-fry for 5 minutes.
Remove the lid and continue to fry for a further 7-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cabbage is soft and tender. Then serve.
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).

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

More fantastic side dishes

Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links – which means if you buy the product I get a small commission (at no extra cost to you). If you do buy, then thank you! That’s what helps us to keep Kitchen Sanctuary running. The nutritional information provided is approximate and can vary depending on several factors. For more information please see our Terms & Conditions.

Trending Products