Simple Sautéed Red Cabbage Recipe

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This simple sautéed red cabbage recipe is easy, addicting, healthy, and savory. This cooked caramelized red cabbage recipe reminds my German husband of a side dish from his youth.

Red purple sliced cooked cabbage in a stainless steel pan on a wood table.

How To Cook Red Cabbage

Cooking red cabbage is easy. Bring a large pan to medium high heat. Add olive oil, cabbage, salt, and pepper. Reduce heat to medium low.

This red cabbage is braised / cooked ~ 50 minutes, because we like this side dish soft and slightly caramelized.

Having said that, it can be done cooking whenever you are done cooking it! We eat cabbage raw all the time in slaw, so if you get 20 minutes in and it's soft enough for you and that's what you like then be done with cooking and eat faster!

If the purple cabbage is burning or sticking to the pan, reduce the heat and add a little water until the cabbage becomes unstuck. Covering the pan with a lid for a couple minutes will add some steam as well and make it cook a little faster. It will need to be uncovered eventually to get the browned caramelization.

Cook the red cabbage covered if you want to speed up the process. I prefer to cook cabbage uncovered if I have the time to try to get it crispier. Cooking it covered speeds up the process and steams it a little more.

Trying to speed this recipe up? Add a little water to the pan, not much, ~ ½ cup. Then add the oil after the water evaporates. The water will speed up the cooking process and get it steaming faster.

Sliced red purple cabbage on a wood cutting board. — Slice the cabbage thin or thick. It doesn't matter. Thinner slices may be able to fit into a large pan easier if the head of cabbage is really big.

Variations When Cooking Red Cabbage

Add any spices that you like to this cooked purple cabbage recipe. I wrote this recipe with just olive oil, salt, and pepper as the ingredients, but if you watch the instructional video, you will see that I added some of my favorite spices: cumin, thyme, and oregano.

I also toss in a little balsamic vinegar sometimes at the end of cooking the red cabbage for an additional boost of sweetness. Careful though - a little balsamic vinegar goes a long way if you go that route.

Like green cabbage better than red / purple cabbage? Cool - use that instead. The color of cabbage is interchangeable in this simple recipe. Having said that, the purple / red cabbage really pops if you're looking for a vibrant side dish.

Sliced red purple cabbage cooking in a stainless steel pan on a gas stove burner. — This cabbage has been cooking (covered) for about 30 minutes. If you like crispier cabbage then it's ready to eat. Cook it for the full 50 minutes if you want softer and more caramelized cabbage.

Red Cabbage Recipe Cooking Tips

Remember that the beautiful colors of red / purple cabbage can "bleed" into other ingredients or a main dish so serve this on the side if food compartmentalization is important in your household.

The red cabbage can be sliced thin as I've done in this video or chunked into larger pieces. Slice or chunk the cabbage to whichever texture you prefer. Thicker slices will need a larger pan.

Easy Sautéed Red / Purple Cabbage Recipe FAQS:

Can you cook red cabbage the same as green cabbage?

Yup! Knock it out. Just remember that red / purple cabbage bleeds so anything you cook it with will not retain it's original color. For example, if you cook it with carrots, the carrots will also turn red / purple.

What do you eat with cooked red cabbage?

Meats like beef, chicken, or sausage or make it vegetarian with a potato salad , cucumber salad, and a hearty butternut squash soup.Meat dishes that would go great are Sriracha Beef, Roast Chicken Thighs, Herbed Pork, or classic Meatloaf.

Is red cabbage the same as purple cabbage?

Yes sir! Yes ma'am!