Slow Cooker Cabbage is a simple and budget-friendly recipe that can be served as a side dish. This vegetarian recipe can be made vegan and dairy-free to suit any dietary preference.

a plate of cooked cabbage

Cabbage is an overlooked vegetable, but it’s healthy and delicious! The leaves become tender and buttery when cooked. They have a mild flavor that soaks up whatever liquid they’re cooked in.

Cooking cabbage in your slow cooker couldn’t be easier. All you have to do is combine the cabbage, seasonings, broth, and butter in the crockpot and then let it work its magic. If you miss your mom or grandma’s cabbage, this is the recipe for you.

If you want to, you can add bacon or ham to crockpot cabbage for added flavor and texture. It tastes great either way. This delicious side dish tastes amazing no matter what you serve it with, but I love to serve it with chicken and rice (see my recipe for Crockpot Chicken and Cabbage.

Contents hide
1 Why You Need This Recipe
2 Key Ingredients
3 Recipe Steps
4 Recipe Tips & Substitutions
5 Recipe FAQs
6 Other Cabbage Recipes You Might Like
7 Slow Cooker Cabbage

Why You Need This Recipe

  • Cabbage is low in fat and calories, but high in nutrients. It’s also budget-friendly and available almost every month of the year.
  • Since cabbage has such a neutral flavor, it tastes great with any main dish.
  • It’s so easy – just dump and cook!

Key Ingredients

ingredients for slow cooker cabbage

Vegetable broth – The cabbage leaves soak up the vegetable broth as they cook. Vegetable broth can be high in sodium which is why I always purchase reduced-sodium broth. You can can also make your own vegetable broth using scraps.

Green cabbage – A whole head of cabbage may seem like a ton of cabbage, but remember it’s very low in calories. It will also cook down quite a bit. You can use red cabbage or purple cabbage too.

Spices – Garlic powder, salt, and black pepper boost the flavors nicely.

Butter (regular or vegan) – This gives the cabbage a nice buttery flavor and texture. You can use dairy-free or vegan butter in its place if you prefer. Or, just leave out the fat.

Recipe Steps

how to make cabbage in the crockpot

Step One

In the base of a slow cooker, combine the cabbage, vegetable broth, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and butter.

Step Two

Put the lid on the pot and set it to high for 2 hours.

Step Three

When the cooking time is up, remove the lid and stir the cabbage.

Step Four

Serve hot. Feel free to add a dash of lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, or Worcestershire sauce for extra flavor. Enjoy!

close up of cooked cabbage

Recipe Tips & Substitutions

  • You can get creative with the seasonings. Italian seasoning, dried thyme, or even dried dill would be great additions.
  • If you aren’t on a vegan or vegetarian diet, you can use chicken broth instead of vegetable broth to add more protein.
  • If you are on a low-fat diet, feel free to leave out the butter.
  • Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Or, freeze your cooked cabbage for up to 2 months.
  • You can also cook the cabbage on low for 7 to 8 hours or until the cabbage is tender.

Recipe FAQs

What can I serve with slow cooker cabbage?

Cooked cabbage tastes delicious with any form of potatoes, air fried green beans, air fryer pork, kielbasa sausage, gluten-free cornbread, air fryer roasted chicken, or ham. These are delicious common pairings, but it goes great alongside anything. You could also make this side dish into a whole meal by adding cooked ground beef or steamed tofu along with tomato sauce and cooked white rice.

How do I reheat cooked cabbage?

You can reheat the cabbage in the microwave or on the stovetop. To reheat on the stovetop, pan-fry the cooked cabbage in butter until heated through.

Is eating cabbage good luck?

Eating cabbage or cabbage rolls for New Year’s (or any type of green vegetable) is supposed to bring luck in the new year, as the green leaves are reminiscent of dollar bills.

cooked cabbage served in white bowl

Other Cabbage Recipes You Might Like

I hope you make this recipe! If you do, please leave a comment and a starred review below.

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a plate of cooked cabbage

Slow Cooker Cabbage

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5 from 4 reviews
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Description

Slow Cooker Cabbage is a simple and budget-friendly recipe that can be served as a side dish. This vegetarian recipe can be made vegan and dairy-free to suit any dietary preference.

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 2 cups reduced-sodium vegetable broth
  • 1 head of green cabbage, chopped with the core removed
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons butter or vegan butter

Instructions

  1. In the base of a medium slow cooker, combine the vegetable broth, chopped cabbage, garlic powder, sea salt, pepper, and butter.
  2. Put the lid on the pot and set it to high for 2 hours.
  3. When the cooking time is up, remove the lid and stir the cabbage.
  4. Serve hot.

Equipment

Notes

  1. You can get creative with the seasonings. Italian seasoning, dried thyme, or even dried dill would be great additions.
  2. If you aren’t on a vegan or vegetarian diet, you can use chicken broth instead of vegetable broth.
  3. If you are on a low-fat diet, feel free to leave out the butter.
  4. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 2 hours
  • Category: Side dish
  • Method: Slow cooker
  • Cuisine: American

Keywords: crockpot cabbage, slow cooker cabbage, buttered cabbage

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