How to Cook Cabbage and Potatoes

Co-authored by Jessica Gibson

Last Updated: November 15, 2021 References Tested

Lots of cuisines have a dish based on cabbage and potatoes. Although there are many ways to prepare them, you're sure to get a meal that's inexpensive, filling, and nutritious. Try frying shredded cabbage with chopped potatoes to get a crispy meal that cooks up quickly or boil cabbage leaves with potatoes for a silky side dish that's great with sausage. To get vegetables with a caramelized flavor, roast the cabbage with potatoes in a little chicken stock.

Ingredients

Pan-Fried Cabbage and Potatoes

1/2 of a green cabbage
1 large potato
5 strips of bacon, chopped
5 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon (1.4 g) of salt
1/4 teaspoon (0.5 g) of ground black pepper

Makes 4 servings

Boiled Cabbage with Potatoes

1/2 head of green cabbage
1 large potato
1 teaspoon (3 g) of whole peppercorns
3 slices of bacon
1/2 teaspoon (2.5 g) of salt

Makes 4 servings

Oven-Baked Potatoes and Cabbage

1 2 to 2 ¹⁄₂ pounds (0.91 to 1.13 kg) green cabbage
2 large potatoes, peeled
³⁄₄ pound (340 g) of bacon
2 cups (300 g) of yellow onions, sliced
1 teaspoon (5.5 g) of salt
1 teaspoon (2 g) of ground black pepper
2 cups (470 ml) of chicken stock or broth

Makes 6 servings

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Pan-Frying Cabbage and Potatoes

1
Fry 5 strips of bacon in a skillet over medium heat until they're crispy. Chop the bacon into ¹⁄₂ to 1 inch (1.3 to 2.5 cm) pieces and place them in a deep skillet. Turn the burner to medium and stir the bacon occasionally as it fries. Cook the bacon until it's completely fried and crispy.^{[1]
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- The amount of time this takes depends on how thick your bacon slices are. Plan on frying the bacon for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Prep the cabbage and potato while the bacon is frying.
2
Transfer the fried bacon to a paper towel-lined plate. Once the bacon is completely crispy, carefully scoop it up with a slotted spoon. Put the pieces on the paper towel-lined plate, which will absorb the excess grease.^{[2]
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- Leave the grease in the skillet because you'll cook the cabbage and potato in it.
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3
Shred 1/2 a head of cabbage and chop 1 potato into ¹⁄₂ inch (1.3 cm) pieces. Rinse the vegetables and place them on a cutting board. To shred the cabbage, slice it in half through the core. Cut out the white core and discard it. Then, slice across the cabbage in ¹⁄₂ inch (1.3 cm) strips. Take the potato and cut it into ¹⁄₂ inch (1.3 cm) pieces.^{[3]
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- You can peel the potato or leave the skin on for added texture.
4
Add the cabbage, potato, salt, and pepper to the skillet. Place the shredded cabbage and potato pieces into the skillet with the bacon grease. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon (1.4 g) of salt and 1/4 teaspoon (0.5 g) of ground black pepper.^{[4]
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- If you like a little extra crunch, sauté 1/3 cup (50 g) of diced onion in the skillet for about 5 minutes before you add the cabbage and potato.
5
Cover the skillet and fry the mixture over medium heat for 7 to 8 minutes. Keep the burner on medium heat and put the lid on the skillet to trap the steam. Cook the cabbage until it's tender and stir the mixture every few minutes so it fries evenly.^{[5]
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- Wear oven mitts when you lift the lid off of the skillet and ensure that the steam doesn't burn you.
6
Stir in the garlic and cook the uncovered mixture for 1 minute. Remove the lid and add 5 cloves of minced garlic. Stir until the garlic is incorporated and cook it just until it becomes fragrant.^{[6]
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7
Turn off the burner and stir in the crispy bacon pieces. Sprinkle the fried bacon over the cabbage and potato mixture. Then, stir until it's combined and spoon the cabbage and potato mixture onto serving plates.^{[7]
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- Although you can store leftover cabbage and potatoes in the refrigerator, the mixture will continue to soften as it's stored. Eat the cabbage and potatoes within 3 days.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Boiling Cabbage with Potatoes

1
Wrap the bacon and peppercorns in 1 cabbage leaf. Rinse a green cabbage and pull off the large outer leaf. Lay the leaf on your work surface so it rests like a bowl. Then, fold 3 slices of bacon so they fit in the middle of the cabbage leaf and put 1 teaspoon (3 g) of whole peppercorns on the bacon.^{[8]
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- To boil vegetarian cabbage and potatoes, skip this step.
2
Fold the leaf over to cover the bacon and wrap it with kitchen twine. Fold the cabbage leaf over the bacon and tuck the sides of the leaf under to create a little cabbage package. Take a piece of kitchen twine and wrap it around the narrow side of cabbage. Then, wrap it across the in the opposite direction and tie a secure knot.^{[9]
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- It's important to wrap the cabbage well so the peppercorns don't float out as you boil the cabbage and potatoes.
3
Cut the cabbage in 1/2 and trim away the white core. Carefully slice through the green cabbage so you cut through the core. Take a small knife and cut the white core away from the bottom of the cabbage. Discard the tough core.^{[10]
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- Save the other cabbage half for another recipe.
4
Put the cabbage leaves into a colander and rinse them under cold water. Pull away each leaf from the cabbage half and place them in a colander. Set the colander in the sink and run cold water over them. Leave them in the colander while you prepare the potato.
- If you prefer, cut the cabbage into 3 or 4 wedges.
5
Peel 1 potato and cut it into 2 in (5.1 cm) chunks. Rinse the potato and peel it. Carefully cut the potato in half lengthwise and lay the halves flat on your cutting board. Cut through each half lengthwise and then slice across them to make 2 in (5.1 cm) pieces.^{[11]
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- It's important to peel the potato because the peel will be tough after you boil the potato.
- If you'd like to add more vegetables to the dish, cut 4 peeled carrots into quarters and cut 1 onion into 6 wedges.
6
Fill a pot half full of salted water and bring it to a boil. Place a large pot or Dutch oven on the stove and fill it at least half full with water. Add 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 g) of salt and turn the burner to high.^{[12]
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- Place the lid on the pot to help the water boil faster. You'll know the water's boiling when you see steam escaping from under the lid.
7
Add the potato chunks and cook them over medium-high heat for 10 minutes. Put the potatoes in a slotted spoon and slowly lower them into the boiling water. Turn the burner down so the water bubbles gently. Keep the lid off of the pot and cook the potatoes until they're just starting to become tender.^{[13]
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- The potatoes will continue to cook when you add the cabbage to the pot.
- If you're adding carrots and an onion, put them in the pot with the potatoes.
8
Add the bacon packet and cabbage and simmer it for 20 minutes. Take the cabbage leaves from the colander and add them to the simmering water along with the cabbage-wrapped bacon packet. Put the lid on the pot and turn the burner down to medium. Simmer the cabbage and potatoes until they're both completely tender.^{[14]
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- The bacon flavors the cabbage and potatoes as they cook.
9
Drain the cabbage and potatoes into a colander. Turn off the burner and wear oven mitts to pick up the pot. Slowly pour the mixture into the colander that's in the sink so the water drains. Discard the bacon packet and serve the boiled cabbage and potatoes while they're hot.^{[15]
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- If you like, top the dish with butter and serve it with corned beef or sausage.
- Refrigerate leftover boiled cabbage in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Roasting Potatoes with Cabbage

1
Preheat the oven to 375 °F (191 °C) and cut 1 cabbage into quarters. Rinse a 2 to 2 ¹⁄₂ lb (0.91 to 1.13 kg) cabbage and place it on your cutting board. Use a sharp knife to carefully cut the cabbage in half through the core. Lay each half flat and cut them in half again through the core. Then, cut away the white cores and discard them.^{[16]
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- Feel free to substitute red cabbage for the green cabbage.
2
Cut 2 large potatoes into 2 in (5.1 cm) chunks. Rinse the potatoes and peel them. Place the potatoes on a cutting board and cut each in half lengthwise. Lay the halves flat and cut them in half lengthwise again. Then, cut across the potato pieces to create 2 in (5.1 cm) chunks.^{[17]
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- If you can't find large potatoes, use 3 or 4 smaller potatoes.
3
Arrange the cabbage and potatoes in a roasting pan. Get out a deep roasting pan and place the cabbage quarters in it. Scatter the potato pieces around the cabbage so they alternate with the cabbage quarters.^{[18]
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- Set the pan aside while you fry the bacon and onions.
- If you'd like to add carrots to the dish, cut 6 peeled carrots into ¹⁄₂ inch (1.3 cm) pieces and scatter them over the potatoes and cabbage in the pan.
4
Fry ³⁄₄ pound (340 g) of chopped bacon over medium heat for 7 minutes. Chop the bacon slices into ¹⁄₂ inch (1.3 cm) pieces and place them in a skillet on the stove. Turn the burner to medium and stir the bacon occasionally as it fries. Cook the bacon pieces until they start to look crispy around the edges.^{[19]
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- If you don't want to include bacon in the dish, skip this step.
5
Add 2 cups (300 g) of sliced onions to the skillet and cook them for 5 minutes. Carefully lower 2 cups of ¹⁄₄ inch (0.64 cm) sliced onions into the skillet with the bacon. Stir the mixture so the onions are coated with the bacon grease and cook them over medium heat until they soften a little.^{[20]
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- Avoid dropping the onion slices into the skillet or the bacon grease could splash you.
6
Spread the bacon and onion mixture over the vegetables. Turn off the burner and put on oven mitts. Carefully hold the skillet in 1 hand and spoon the bacon and onion mixture over the vegetables in the roasting pan. Tilt the pan so the grease also drips onto the vegetables.^{[21]
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- The bacon grease prevents the vegetables from sticking to the pan as they roast.
7
Pour chicken stock over the mixture and add salt and pepper. Slowly pour 2 cups (470 ml) of chicken stock or broth over the vegetables in the roasting pan. Then, sprinkle 1 teaspoon (5.5 g) of salt and 1 teaspoon (2 g) of ground black pepper evenly over the pan.^{[22]
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- If you prefer, substitute vegetable broth for the chicken stock.
8
Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake it for 1 1/2 hours. Tear off a sheet of aluminum foil and wrap it tightly over the top of the roasting pan. Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake the cabbage and potatoes until they're completely tender.^{[23]
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- The vegetables will steam as they bake and they'll absorb flavor from the chicken stock.
9
Remove the pan from the oven and let it sit for 15 minutes before serving the dish. Wear oven mitts to take the pan out of the oven and set it on the stove. Leave the covered dish to rest for 15 minutes so it finishes cooking. Then, wear the mitts to peel away the foil. Spoon the cabbage and potatoes onto serving dishes and ladle some of the bacon broth over them.^{[24]
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- Refrigerate the leftover cabbage and potatoes in an airtight container for up to 3 days. The dish will become more flavorful as it's stored.

Community Q&A
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Question

What goes well with cabbage and potatoes?

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Cabbage and potatoes pair well with ham, chicken, or corned beef. You can also fry up mashed potatoes and cabbage with other vegetables, like carrots and brussels sprouts, and top them off with an egg to make bubble and squeak.
Question

How long does it take to boil a whole head of cabbage?

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If you slice up the cabbage into wedges first, it should be nice and tender in about 8-10 minutes!
Question

What’s a good vegetarian cabbage and potatoes recipe?

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You can make classic Irish colcannon without meat. Chop up a head of cabbage, about 5 large potatoes, and 3 leeks. Boil the cabbage and potatoes separately until they’re tender, then drain them and set them aside. Cook the leeks in about 1 cup (236.5 mL) of milk (or soy milk if you want to go vegan) for about 15 minutes or until they’re tender. Mash the potatoes, leeks, and milk together and add salt and pepper to taste, then mix in the cabbage. Add a little more salt and pepper if you like.