Fried Cabbage with Apples and Bacon

4.95 from 34 votes

A comforting skillet of fried cabbage with tender apples, smoky bacon, and sweet onion that is quick, cozy, and full of flavor.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American, Southern

Keyword cabbage and apples, fried cabbage, fried cabbage recipe, fried cabbage with bacon, simple fried cabbage recipe, southern fried cabbage

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 25

Total Time 40

Servings people

Calories 239kcal

4 slices thick-cut bacon chopped
1 tablespoon salted butter
1 medium apple, coarsely grated (Honey Crisp works great, but any variety will do)
1 small Vidalia onion, thinly sliced (or another sweet onion)
½ head green cabbage, sliced and chopped (about 3–4 cups)
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
Ground black pepper, to taste
Dash of ground nutmeg

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the chopped bacon until crisp, about 6-8 minutes. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving about 1 tablespoon of drippings in the pan.
Add the butter to the skillet with the drippings. Once melted, stir in the apple, onion, and cabbage. Cook, stirring often, until the vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes.
Stir in the vinegar, sugar, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Continue cooking until the cabbage is tender, 7-10 more minutes.
Return the cooked bacon to the skillet and toss to combine. Taste and adjust the seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed. Serve warm.

Cut the cabbage into uniform size pieces.
You need 3-4 cups chopped cabbage total.
Don’t skip the apple. Honey crisp and Granny Smith are great options.
Cook just until tender. Overcooking leads to mushy cabbage.
For a vegetarian version, swap in extra butter and a pinch of smoked paprika.
Store leftovers in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
Reheat gently in a skillet with a little butter or bacon grease, or microwave in short increments.
Freezing not recommended.