This fried cabbage with bacon, onion, apple, and maple is the perfect veggie side dish for any time of year. Loaded with farm-fresh vegetables and fried in tasty and nutritious bacon fat, this cabbage will pair perfectly with your favorite main dishes.

This fried cabbage with bacon, onion, apple, and maple is the perfect veggie side dish for any time of year. Loaded with farm-fresh vegetables and savory bacon and fried in tasty and nutritious bacon fat, this cabbage will pair perfectly with your favorite main dishes.
Why We Love This
Late last fall, I came home from the farmers CSA pickup with not one, two, but three huge cabbages. I stored them in my fridge and then the next week guess what we picked up again? More cabbage.
My fridge was swimming with cabbage and I could only make so much homemade sauerkraut and bacon wrapped oven-roasted cabbage. In walks this sauted cabbage side dish.
Fried cabbage is full of flavor and strikes the perfect balance between sweet maple syrup and apples and savory bacon and onions.
Using bacon fat as the frying oil gives the dish a natural, savory base that enhances the sweetness of the apples and maple. It also prevents food waste and is a healthier alternative to a lot of other cooking oils.
This dish is both comforting and nutritious and I’m certain you’ll love it just as much as we do!

More Farm to Table Recipes from the Homestead
Bratwurst Soup with Cabbage and Potatoes
Pin it for Later!

What to Serve Fried Cabbage With
Fried cabbage with bacon, apple, and onion is a quick and easy lunch side dish for my family on busy weekdays. Here are some ways we beef it up a bit.
Today, I’m serving this up with some bone broth rice and pork sausages for a one-bowl meal.

Serve alongside roasted butternut squash soup. This meal combines some of my favorite fall flavors and it’s absolutely delicious! The bacon in the fried cabbage adds a little extra protein to the bone broth-based soup and with some homemade sourdough dinner rolls, you have the perfect cold-weather meal.
Instead of rice and sausages, sometimes I’ll serve the cabbage with homemade meatballs and einkorn sourdough bread. This is another super easy meal that combines a veggie, carb, and protein. I try to keep meatballs and sourdough bread on hand at all times, so this meal comes together in minutes.
Possibly my favorite way to serve fried cabbage is as a side dish for my best fall-apart pork should roast. This is the ultimate comfort meal that is perfect for a cozy day at home!
Tools Needed
Chopping Knife (use code DUVALLHOMESTEAD for 20% off!)
Cutting Board
Spatula
Fried Cabbage with Bacon Ingredients:
One large purple cabbage
6 strips of bacon
1/2 white onion, chopped
1 large apple, sliced
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
How to Make Fried Cabbage with Bacon
Preheat a cast iron skillet to medium-high. Once preheated, add the bacon and cook until starting to crisp on each side (about 4-5 minutes each side).
Meanwhile, slice a whole cabbage up into 1/2” – 1” slices. Then, cut up the onion and apple and set aside.
Once the bacon is cooked, remove it and place on a plate. Keeping the skillet on medium heat, add the onion, cabbage, and apple. Sauté on medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 7-10 minutes. It’s done when the onions are translucent and the cabbage is cooked down.

Meanwhile, slice or crush the bacon into large chunks.
Reduce heat to low and add the maple syrup, salt, pepper and crushed bacon. Stir to combine, and serve immediately.

FAQ:
How do I cut a cabbage for fried cabbage?
I like to slice the cabbage into 1/2- to 1-inch pieces. This allows the pieces to fry evenly and makes the cabbage easy to eat.
Can I use green cabbage?
I haven’t tried it myself, but you certainly can! Green cabbage is uniquely delicious and would pair well with the other ingredients in this recipe. I love using green cabbage for homemade sauerkraut and bratwurst soup, too.
What types of apples go best with cabbage?
I like to use a crisp apple that is both sweet and tart. I usually opt for Honeycrisp or Gala apples, but whatever is freshest is usually best.
More Cast Iron Skillet Recipes
Sourdough Einkorn Pizza in a Cast Iron Skillet
Einkorn Sourdough Chicken Pot Pie
Pin it for Later!


Fried Cabbage with Bacon, Apple, & Onion
This fried cabbage with bacon, onion, apple, and maple is the perfect veggie side dish for any time of year. Loaded with farm-fresh vegetables and fried in tasty and nutritious bacon fat, this cabbage will pair perfectly with your favorite main dishes.
Ingredients
- One large purple cabbage
- 6 strips of bacon
- 1/2 white onion, chopped
- 1 large apple, sliced
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
Instructions
- Preheat a cast iron skillet to medium-high. Once preheated, add the bacon and cook until starting to crisp on each side (about 4-5 minutes each side).
- Meanwhile, slice a whole cabbage up into 1/2” - 1” slices. Then, cut up the onion and apple and set aside.
- Once the bacon is cooked, remove it and place on a plate. Keeping the skillet on medium heat, add the onion, cabbage, and apple. Sauté on medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 7-10 minutes. It’s done when the onions are translucent and the cabbage is cooked down.
- Meanwhile, slice or crush the bacon into large chunks.
- Reduce heat to low and add the maple syrup, salt, pepper and crushed bacon. Stir to combine, and serve immediately.
Leave A Comment