EASY Pickled Cabbage Recipe (2024)

January 9, 2024October 5, 2022 by Erin

You’ll want to keep a jar of this Pickled Cabbage in your fridge at all times. Not only is it fast and easy, but you can use it on anything! Pile it onto tacos, burgers, pork sandwiches, and so much more.

Is raw cabbage not your thing? Try pickling it! Pickled Cabbage is extra flavorful, never bitter, and so versatile. Use it on anything, from fish tacos to grain bowls!

Pickling vegetables is almost always an effortless process. You’ll always find a batch of Quick Pickled Cucumbers and Pickled Red Onions in my fridge because they take no time to put together and are good on everything. Beyond the main vegetable, you only need a few ingredients to make them!

This quick pickled cabbage recipe is no different.

The foolproof step-by-step instructions will show you how to make a batch of this pickled purple beauty in just over 1 hour. Simply pour the warm brine over shredded cabbage in a jar and you have a condiment that tastes sweet, zesty, and tangy.

Best of all, you can use pickled cabbage as a zingy pop of flavor and color on all kinds of meals. Try it on hamburgers, hot dogs, Korean tacos, buddha bowls, and so much more. You’ll have more luck figuring out what NOT to put it on, truthfully.

Plus, you can use any cabbage you’d like.

This recipe works for all cabbage varieties, so feel free to use a different type, like green, savoy, or napa cabbage.

🥬 Red vs. purple cabbage

Did you know that there are over 400 types of cabbage? They range from round to elongated in shape with flat or curly leaves. This pickled cabbage recipe showcases one of the more popular varieties: red cabbage, AKA purple cabbage.

Both red and purple cabbage are the same. The only slight difference is that the pigment changes based on the pH value of the soil they’re grown in. That’s about it.

🛒 Ingredients needed

• Red cabbage – AKA purple cabbage. It needs to be shredded before being placed in the pickling jars. This is easy to do with a knife or a mandolin.
• Apple cider vinegar – The acidity in vinegar helps preserve the cabbage. Feel free to use white, rice, red wine, or white wine vinegar to play with the flavors in the brine.
• Water
• Sugar – A superfine granulated white sugar is best, but you can use regular white sugar, brown sugar, or cane sugar.
• Garlic – Grate or mince fresh garlic to evenly infuse the cabbage with a savory bite.
• Kosher salt
• Red pepper flakes – They give the picking brine a kick, but feel free to omit them if you’re not into spice.

📋 How to make pickled cabbage

Start by making the pickling brine by whisking half of the water, salt, and sugar in a small saucepan. Heat it over medium heat until the sugar and salt dissolve. Take it off the heat.

Mix the vinegar and the rest of the water in with the warm brine. Finish with the garlic and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes.

Now you can stuff the shredded cabbage into a clean mason jar (or several jars). Pour the brine over top, completely submerging the cabbage. Let the brine cool completely before sealing with a lid and storing it in the fridge.

Leave the cabbage to pickle in the fridge for at least 1 hour before using. Enjoy!

👩‍🍳 Customize the brine

Anything in the brine can be changed or played with (except the water) in order to customize the flavor. The base, vinegar, is a necessary component. Apple cider vinegar will give the cabbage tart and fruity undertones. For a softer flavor, feel free to use white, rice, or red wine vinegar.

From there, add as many other flavor-boosters as you like:

• Bay leaf
• Caraway seeds
• Chile peppers
• Chives
• Coriander seeds
• Curry leaves
• Dill
• Lime or lemon juice
• Mustard seeds
• Oregano
• Peppercorns
• Rosemary
• Thyme
• Turmeric

ℹ️ FAQs

🥄 Ways to use pickled cabbage

Pickled cabbage is delightful with any food that could use a salty-briny bite. It goes great on:

• All types of tacos! Pile it on cauliflower, sweet potato, Korean, or mojo pork tacos
• Pulled pork sandwiches, Cubanos, and most other pork sandwiches
• Burgers and hot dogs
• Charcuterie boards
• A baked potato bar
• Scrambled eggs
• Grain bowls, like chicken gyro bowls, lamb orzo bowls, Buddha bowls, etc.

→ More red cabbage recipes

• Red Cabbage Soup
• Vinegar Slaw
• Peanut Noodles with Red Cabbage
• More → 20+ Red Cabbage Recipes

✔️ More homemade condiments

• Gremolata
• Fried Capers
• Aji Amarillo Sauce
• Copycat Chic Fil A Sauce
• Lebanese Garlic Sauce
• Buffalo Wing Sauce

​​Did you make this pickled cabbage?

If you loved this quick pickled cabbage recipe, I would appreciate it so much if you would give it a star review! Also, be sure to snap a picture of your finished dish and share it with me on Instagram using the hashtag #platingsandpairings and tagging me @platingsandpairings.

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PS – Have leftover red cabbage? Try making this Red Cabbage Soup!

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