Cajun Fried Cabbage – The Most Authentic Cajun Recipe You will ever find.
Cajun Fried Cabbage is a classic southern dish that has been around since the 1800s. The combination of cabbage, onions and bell pepper creates a flavorful and delicious side dish that goes great with just about anything.
This recipe can be made in less than 30 minutes, making it perfect for busy weeknights or lazy weekends when you just want to sit back and enjoy some down time with friends and family.
What is Cajun Fried Cabbage
Cajun Fried Cabbage is a spicy, fried dish that makes for a great side dish for any meal. The recipe calls for bacon, but you can substitute chicken or sausage if you prefer. You’ll need less oil than you think to keep the cabbage from sticking to your pan. If there’s any leftover cabbage after making this recipe, try using it in these recipes:
Ingredients
- 1 lb. cabbage
- 1/2 lb. bacon
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 1/4 cup chopped green pepper
- 1/4 cup chopped celery
- 1/4 cup chopped garlic
Method
To start, heat the oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat. Add the cabbage and peppers to the pan. Cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste and cook for another 5 minutes or so until tender but not mushy.
Add shrimp to pan and cook for about 5 minutes (or until pink). Remove from heat and add vinegar to pan; stir well with a spoon or spatula before serving warm with rice!
Special Note
Fried Cajun Cabbage is a great side dish for any meal and it’s perfect for people who are following a low-carb diet, vegan diet and/or paleo diet.
It’s not necessary to use only green cabbage. It works and tastes just as well with red cabbage.
If you wish to utilize the entire head of cabbage, increase the amount of butter, Toni’s Cajun Seasoning, and red wine vinegar by two teaspoons each.
Chop up the bacon and onions into small pieces and put them to the pan first if you wish to add them. The bacon grease will serve as a replacement for the butter as you continue to cook the bacon until it is done.
The bacon has some crisp but is still soft after only 15 minutes of frying. While cooking longer may result in a much more soft texture, be careful not to overcook it or it will turn mushy.
Add-ins and Variations
Add bacon.
Add ham.
Add sausage, chicken, shrimp and crawfish to taste. (No crawfish? Substitute crab or oysters.)
Add mushrooms, bell peppers and tomatoes if you’re feeling it!
And don’t forget celery—you won’t regret it! The same goes for garlic—you’ll be so glad that you added it in!
Pro Tip
If you’re cooking a large amount of cabbage, I recommend using a large pot to make the dressing. This will help prevent burning and keep you from having to stir constantly.
- Be careful not to burn the dressing when boiling it in the pot!
- Make sure there’s enough oil in your pan—you should be able to see it bubbling up around the sides of your cabbage when it’s done cooking!
- Use a slotted spoon or spatula so that you don’t lose too much juice while removing the cabbage from the pan.
- It’s not necessary to use only green cabbage. It works and tastes just as well with red cabbage.
- If you wish to utilize the entire cabbage, increase the butter by two tablespoons, the amount of Toni’s Cajun Seasoning by one teaspoon, and the amount of red wine vinegar by one tablespoon.
- Chop up the bacon and onions into small pieces and put them to the pan first if you wish to add them. The bacon grease will serve as a replacement for the butter as you continue to cook the bacon until it is done.
- The cabbage is soft with a subtle firmness after only 15 minutes of boiling. While cooking longer may result in a much more soft texture, be careful not to overcook it or it will turn mushy.
- You may purchase pre-cut cabbage in the produce section if you want to shorten the preparation time and make this really simple.
Eliminate the butter from this recipe if you want to make it a little healthier. Instead, use cooking spray to reduce the number of calories in the cabbage.
I hope you enjoyed learning how to make Fried Cajun Cabbage. It’s a great dish that can be served as a side or even main course when paired with other foods like rice and beans. The key is to not cook it too long—just until the cabbage is tender enough to eat, but still has some crunch left in it!
