A comforting Southern side dish made with green cabbage, bacon, and a tangy-sweet sauce. This Sweet and Sour Cabbage is always a crowd-pleaser.
Before You Cook, Read This!
💬The Vibe: Smoky, tangy, and just the right touch of sweetness. This side dish brings all the down-home charm with bold, comforting flavor in every bite.
🔑What You Gotta Know: Bacon grease is the flavor foundation, don’t skip it! That smoky richness combines with vinegar and brown sugar to create a sweet-and-sour sauce that clings perfectly to the tender cabbage.
🍴Best Bite Alert: Serve it warm with crumbled crispy bacon on top. It’s perfect next to cornbread, pork chops, or anything off the Sunday dinner table. Want a little kick? A dash of hot sauce or red pepper flakes takes it over the top.
If you’ve never tried sweet and sour cabbage, you’re in for a treat! This simple Southern side dish combines fresh green cabbage, crispy bacon, and a sweet-tangy sauce that brings all the comfort food vibes. It’s humble, hearty, and packed with flavor. Perfect to pair with your favorite main dishes or to serve up with a slice of warm cornbread.
Try it with Southern Cornbread or alongside classics like Ham, Green Beans, and Potatoes or some Easy Candied Yams.
The combination of cabbage and bacon is hard to beat, and this version kicks it up a notch with a balanced sweet and sour sauce made with vinegar and brown sugar. It’s an easy, down-home recipe that brings big flavor with minimal effort.
Let's get started!
Ingredients You'll Need
- Green Cabbage - A fresh head of cabbage is ideal. Cut it into thin slices or chunks. Pre-chopped bagged cabbage works too, just make sure it’s plain green cabbage without other veggies.
- Bacon - Use your favorite bacon. Original flavor brings out the best smoky flavor in this dish.
- All-Purpose Flour - Helps thicken the sauce. Regular white flour is perfect here.
- Brown Sugar - Adds just the right touch of sweetness. Light or dark brown sugar both work.
- Vinegar - Adds that signature tang! Apple cider vinegar is great, but white or rice vinegar also works well.
- Water - Combines with the vinegar and sugar to make the sauce and softens the cabbage while cooking.
- Chopped Onion - White onion is mild and slightly sweet, but yellow onion works too if that’s what you have on hand.
- Salt & Ground Black Pepper - Essential seasoning to bring everything together.
👉🏾 See the recipe card below for exact quantities and full instructions.
Step By Step Instructions
Step 1: Boil the chopped cabbage in a large pot for 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Step 2: Cook the bacon in a skillet until crispy. Remove and blot with paper towels. Leave the grease in the skillet.
Step 3: Stir in flour and brown sugar to form a paste, then whisk in vinegar, water, onions, salt, and pepper.
Step 4: Add the cabbage back to the skillet and toss with the sauce. Chop the bacon and add it on top.
Step 5: Mix everything together, heat through, and serve warm. Enjoy!
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Do not overcook the cabbage, or it will be mushy.
- The thickness and head of the cabbage will cause the cooking time to vary. When boiling the cabbage, try it to make sure it is to your desired level of tenderness. We want it to be tender but still have a bite to it.
- Instead of buying the prepared bag of cabbage, use a fresh head of green cabbage and prepare it yourself. Use a sharp knife and a cutting board. Begin cutting from the top of the cabbage and work your way down toward the stalk/stem. Make the slices as thick or thin as you prefer.
- One small head of cabbage should be more than enough to have the five cups needed to make this recipe.
- To make it spicy, add some crushed red pepper or your favorite hot sauce.
- You may substitute the green cabbage for red cabbage instead if you prefer.
Storage Tips
Storage. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Reheating. Before serving, reheat in a saucepan over medium-high heat until warm, stirring often. The cabbage may also be reheated in the microwave in a microwave-safe container.
Freezing. Unfortunately, this particular cabbage recipe does not freeze well and is best enjoyed within a few days of preparation.
Want To Save This Recipe?
If you try this Sweet and Sour Cabbage, be sure to leave a rating and comment below to let me know how it turned out! I’d love to hear what you paired it with or any twists you added.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can! Red cabbage works well and gives the dish a beautiful, deep color. The flavor is slightly more peppery, but it still pairs nicely with the sweet and sour sauce. Just know that the final color may be more vibrant once cooked.
Apple cider vinegar is my go-to for this recipe. It has a mellow tang that pairs beautifully with brown sugar and bacon. But if that’s not what you have on hand, white distilled vinegar or even rice vinegar will still give you that essential sour bite.
Yes! Sweet and sour cabbage can be made a day in advance. Just store it in the fridge and reheat it gently on the stovetop before serving. The flavors actually deepen a bit overnight.
It was likely boiled too long or cooked over high heat in the skillet for too long. You want to parboil the cabbage just until it starts to soften, then finish it gently in the sauce to keep a tender, slightly crisp texture.
📖 Recipe
Sweet and Sour Cabbage
Equipment
- 1 large pot or Dutch oven
- 1 large skillet or braiser
Ingredients
- 6 cups roughly chopped green cabbage
- ½ cup cooked bacon, chopped
- 1 ½ tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar (light or dark)
- ¼ cup vinegar
- ½ cup water
- ¼ cup onion, chopped
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Begin the recipe by cooking the 6 cups of chopped cabbage in boiling water for about 5 minutes and then drain off the water. This step will help to slightly soften the cabbage, but also still allow it to remain slightly crispy.
- *Boil enough water to cover the cabbage and then add the prepared shredded cabbage. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes or until slightly tender. Set aside.
- Using a large skillet or the same pan, cook the ½ cup of bacon until it's well done and carefully remove it from the pan. Blot it with a paper towel to remove the excess oil.
- Mix the leftover bacon fat with the 1 ½ tablespoons all-purpose flour and 3 tablespoons brown sugar. Add in the ¼ cup vinegar, ½ cup water, ¼ cup chopped onion, ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper.
- Add the cabbage back to the pan with the sauce and gently toss to combine and coat the cabbage in the sauce mixture. Chop the bacon into small pieces and place it on top of the cooked cabbage.
- Mix everything together until combined and cook for an additional 5 minutes, until heated thoroughly. Serve warm and enjoy!
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days
Video
Notes
- Do not overcook the cabbage or it will be mushy.
- The thickness and head of the cabbage will cause the cooking time to vary. When boiling the cabbage, try it to make sure it is to your desired level of tenderness. We want it to be tender but still have a bite to it.
- Instead of buying the prepared bag of cabbage, use a fresh head of green cabbage and prepare it yourself. Use a sharp knife and cutting board. Begin cutting from the top of the cabbage and work your way down toward the stalk/stem. Make the slices as thick or thin as you prefer.
- One small head of cabbage should be more than enough to have the five cups needed to make this recipe.
- To make it spicy, add some crushed red pepper or your favorite hot sauce.
- You may substitute the green cabbage for red cabbage instead if you prefer.
Original post date 04/15/2014. Updated 09/24/2019 and 04/04/2025.
Karen Storm says
Happy New Year, LaKita! I'm trying out your recipe today and will provide feedback as I'm sure we will love it!
Thank you,
Karen Storm
LaKita says
Hi Karen! Happy New Year! Thank you and I hope you enjoyed the recipe 🙂
Evi says
Such a delicious and flavorful cabbage recipe. It was really easy to make too, and I cant wait to make it again.
LaKita says
Thank you so much Evi!
Anna says
Loved this recipe, it reminded me of polish bigos a bit, the cabbage turned out so delicious, especially with that crispy bacon!
LaKita says
Thank you Anna, it is such a great pairing!
Katie Crenshaw says
I love having cabbage in the fall and winter. This recipe turned out so flavorful. It made the perfect side dish. It was so good.
LaKita says
Thank you Katie, happy to hear you enjoyed it!
Kristina says
I always make the same old cabbage recipes, so decided to give this one a try because it sounded amazing..and let's be real...it has bacon! It was really good and the savory bacon was perfect with the sweet/sour sauce. Definitely recommend!
LaKita says
Thank you Kristina, the addition of bacon is so perfect with the sweet and sour!
Enri Lemoine says
Cabbage and bacon are a match made in heave, I love sour and sweet things. So far, your recipe is one of my favorite ways to eat cabbage. Thanks for sharing!
LaKita says
Thank you Enri! Cabbage and bacon are a great combination!
Jessica says
My family loved this recipe - they love cabbage already, so I knew it would be a hit. The flavors were all so tasty together. Thanks!!
LaKita says
Thank you Jessica, glad to hear that you family enjoyed the recipe!
Marie says
I've had cabbage with bacon before and I'd always found it a bit heavy. The touch of acidity in your recipe is the genius touch! It lifts everything and makes the dish so much better. Loved it!
LaKita says
Thank you Marie, the acid certainly makes a difference!
Colleen says
This sweet & sour cabbage is simple, delicious, and a perfect side dish for our pork chops last night. Thank you!
LaKita says
Thank you so much Colleen!!
Bernice says
Wow! I am in love with this dish...I'm always looking for more delicious cabbage recipes and this one ticks all the boxes. I grew up eating cabbage in various forms but I'm not sure how my family didn't make this dish. I'm going to make it for them the next time they visit because I know it will be a big hit.
LaKita says
Thank you so much Bernice! This is a nice way to have cabbage in my opinion 😉
Linda says
My mom and grandmother used to make this all the time. It's been a while since I've had it so thank you for the reminder. It was so delicious and brought back so many happy memories.
LaKita says
Thank you so much Linda! Happy to hear you enjoyed the cabbage recipe.
Carole says
This looks like a delicious recipe. Some that I looked at were mostly vinegar and looked like too much pucker power. I will use rice vinegar which is a tiny bit milder. Brown sugar does wonders for ham so I am sure it will be great with bacon. Love cabbage whether cooked or in Cole slaw. Also love sweet and sour. The combination is a winner. A little sweet onion like Walla Walla or Vadalia just puts it over the top.
LaKita says
Sounds great! Thank you so much for sharing and glad to hear that you enjoyed the recipe.
Lorna says
Lovely recipe I’ve. Used cider vinegar it works a treat 🎃🎃🎃
LaKita says
Thank you so much Lorna! Glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe!
Sheila Lewis says
My husband loves this receipe and he's not all that big on cabbage!!!!!
LaKita says
So glad to hear it!!!
Theresa Simons says
delicious the best I love it.
LaKita says
Thank you Theresa!