A quick and easy side dish, Southern Fried Cabbage with Bacon checks all of the boxes. It's flavorful, budget-friendly, kid-approved, and family-friendly. Full of crisp-tender cabbage and smoky bacon, it's a true expression of Southern goodness and the ultimate in comfort food.
Cut the bacon into bite-size pieces and add it to a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Cook the bacon, frequently stirring, for about 10 minutes or until it is brown and crispy. Use a slotted spoon to remove it from the pan and let it drain on paper towels. Set the bacon aside but leave the bacon grease in the skillet.
Add the onion to the skillet and let it cook, frequently stirring, for about five minutes or until it is soft and translucent.
While the onion is cooking, take the cabbage and cut it in half, then into quarters. Cut the core out and slice the cabbage into thin ribbons, then into bite-size pieces.
When the onion is done, add the cabbage to the skillet. If it all doesn't fit, wait a minute or two and it will shrink, and you should have room to add the rest. Stir to coat with the bacon grease and let it cook frequently stirring for five to seven minutes. At five minutes, taste it to see if you like the consistency. If it's still too crisp, let it cook for another minute or so.
Add the salt, pepper, crushed red pepper, and brown sugar. Stir to combine and then top with the cooked bacon. Serve immediately.
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Notes
I like my cabbage crisp and never cook it longer than six minutes. You can cook it a minute or so longer if you like but don't overcook it, or it will be mushy.If you want to make this a vegetarian dish, skip the bacon and cook the cabbage in two to three tablespoons of butter.To ramp up the flavor a bit, add a dash of Cajun or Creole seasoning.A cast-iron skillet or non-stick skillet works best for this dish.You can use either regular or thick-sliced bacon in this recipe. Thicker bacon will take longer to cook and crisp up.If you are on a low-carb or keto diet, don't add the brown sugar.Leftovers can be stored covered in your refrigerator for up to four days.If you have them, leftovers can be combined with mashed potatoes to make Colcannon, a traditional Irish dish.