Easy Braised Cabbage Recipe

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This braised cabbage recipe is an easy to make, low-carb vegetable side dish that might just be the absolute best way to eat cabbage! It’s affordable, great for meal prep, and pairs beautifully with a wide variety of entrees.

Simmering chopped cabbage in bone broth with butter and salt creates a tender, melt-in-your-mouth savory side dish that’s approved for any diet, including keto, whole30, paleo, and dairy-free. 

I learned about braising while working on The Ketogenic Edge Cookbook and include it as one of the six essential food prep methods. Braising is the perfect approach for cooking warm and comforting meals that don’t take a lot of time or effort to put together.

If properly stored, raw cabbage will keep for up to 3 to 4 weeks in the refrigerator, which makes it one of the best ingredients to have around for meal prepping! If I’m not making a lacto-fermented homemade sauerkraut or butter cabbage, I usually braise it for an easy, affordable side that’s easy to pair with lunches or dinners all week long.

In the cookbook, I go into detail on how to prepare the best low-carb vegetables, which ones work best with various methods, and also suggest compatible entrees so you can make a complete meals morning, noon, and night.

What is Braising?

Braising is a French-inspired cooking method that employs both wet and dry heat. First, the main ingredients are sautéed or seared over high heat and then finished in a covered pot at a lower temperature with a small amount of liquid.

Both meat and vegetables can be braised. I find the end result to be similar to slow cooking, in that the ingredients become very soft and tender. However the cooking time for braising tends to be much faster. For a braised meat recipe, try a succulent braised beef heart.

This technique works well with all sorts of vegetables, particularly those with lower water content, such as cabbage, asparagus, and green beans. Carrots are also often braised.

How to Make Braised Cabbage

You can make an easy braised cabbage recipe in about 20 minutes from start to finish. Discard any wilted outer leaves from the cabbage head before starting.

Scroll to the bottom of this post for a printable recipe card with a full list of ingredients, measurements, and step-by-step instructions.

Ingredients You Need

• Cabbage: Use any green cabbage. Explore the types of cabbage you like most. Napa cabbage gives a softer, lighter texture. Savoy cabbage adds a delicate, lacy bite and cooks quickly.
• Butter
• Garlic cloves
• Bone broth: I usually use homemade beef bone broth or slow cooker beef bone broth, but you can also add chicken broth instead.
• Salt

Step-By-Step Instructions

Once you’ve gathered the 5 simple ingredients, follow the steps below to get started. You’ll have a delicious, naturally low-carb, low-oxalate side to enjoy!

Step 1: Prepare the cabbage

Finely slice the cabbage into small, uniform slices. You can use a food processor if you want, but I usually use a sharp knife and a cutting board.

Make the slices as similar in size as you can so they cook evenly.

Step 2: Brown the cabbage

Choose a cast-iron skillet or frying pan that has a lid and heat the cooking fat in it over medium-high heat. Once hot, arrange the cabbage in a single layer and let it cook for 2 minutes without moving it, so the bottom layer turns golden brown and crisp at the edges.

Step 3: Add the garlic

Mince the garlic and mix it into the cabbage. Sauté for another few minutes.

Step 4: Add liquid

Add the broth and cover with a lid. Leave a crack to regulate the temperature so the liquid simmers. Let it simmer over reduced heat until the broth significantly reduces and the cabbage is well-cooked, about 5 minutes. Check and stir the mixture halfway through the cooking time.

Step 5: Serve

Remove from heat. Season with salt. Cool slightly and transfer to a serving dish. Serve warm.

Variations

I’m giving you the basic recipe here today. If you fall in love with it as I did, there are many ways to customize it and make it your own.

• Mix in ½ teaspoon of your favorite spice mix into the cooking fat before sautéing the cabbage. I use garam masala and Chinese 5 spice often. Caraway seeds also go well with cabbage and emphasize the subtly sweet taste.
• Dice a white onion or two fresh leeks and add it with the garlic to the cabbage and sauté together.
• Dulse and seaweed are particularly tasty too.
• Sprinkle in fresh herbs like chopped parsley or thyme at the end. The French seasoning Herbs de Provence is delightful too!
• Love cheese? There is nothing stopping you from grating some hard aged cheese over the hot cabbage before serving. Parmesan, Gouda, or Gruyere would be lip-smackingly good.

Expert Tips

• Slice the cabbage evenly: Uniform strips cook at the same rate, giving you tender-but-structured pieces instead of mushy or undercooked bits.
• Don’t rush the browning: Let the cabbage sit undisturbed for a few minutes so the edges caramelize. This step adds natural sweetness and depth.
• Use enough fat: Butter (or your substitute of choice) helps soften the cabbage and carries the garlic flavor. Too little fat = flat flavor.
• Taste the broth before simmering: If it tastes bland now, it’ll taste bland later. Salt in layers – cabbage, broth, then make a final adjustment if needed.

How to Store This Recipe

Transfer cooled braised cabbage to an airtight container and refrigerate. It keeps 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. Braised cabbage freezes surprisingly well. Let it cool completely, place in a freezer-safe container or zip bag (flatten the bag for faster thawing), and freeze for up to a month.

To reheat, warm gently in a small pot over low heat, adding a splash of broth or water if it looks dry. If reheating from frozen, thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat on the stovetop over low heat until warm. Add broth or water as needed to restore moisture.

How to Serve Braised Cabbage

This delicious cabbage side dish is wonderfully versatile. Serve it as a cozy side dish to mains like pan-seared chicken breast, air fryer boneless pork chops, steak bites, chicken spaghetti casserole, or any hearty main. 

From roast chicken to roast beef and broiled fish to broiled lamb shoulder, pretty much any cold-weather meaty entree will pair well. When entertaining, I serve this alongside other easy side dishes like low-carb vegetable soup and cheesy baked asparagus.

More Easy Vegetable Sides To Try

• Keto coleslaw
• Cauliflower mash
• Air fryer mushrooms
• Bacon-wrapped Brussels sprouts
• Roasted eggplant