This sweet and sour cabbage is the perfect easy yet tasty side dish. Red cabbage and a sweet apple are braised in sugar and vinegar, resulting in the most tender and delicious cabbage.

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The full recipe with ingredients/instructions is available on the recipe card at the bottom of the post. Important tips/tricks are also included in the blog post.

We love a good cabbage recipe in our house and I’ve been searching for ways to add it to our meal rotation. I’m always drawn to red cabbage because of its vibrant color, like this vinegar coleslaw using red cabbage. So when I made this sweet and sour cabbage, I was in love.

Inspired by the German sweet and sour cabbage recipes I saw online, I made this recipe and I’ve been hooked ever since. There aren’t many ingredients and all you’ll need is a little patience while the cabbage takes time to braise on the stovetop.

Be sure to try my Instant Pot Cabbage or Creamed Cabbage with Sausage recipes too.

How to make sweet and sour cabbage

First, gather your ingredients. Chop your head of cabbage into large chunks and chop a sweet apple. I like to use a Fuji apple in this recipe.

Place the chopped cabbage, apple, apple cider vinegar, sugar, salt, black pepper, and allspice in a large heavy-bottomed pot. Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and place it over medium-low heat.

cabbage, apples, salt, and pepper inside pot

Allow the cabbage to cook, over medium-low heat, for about 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes, stirring every 20 minutes, until the cabbage is tender enough for your liking.

Serve and enjoy.

What to add to sweet and sour cabbage?

This cabbage is perfect as is, but you can make it your own by adding other ingredients.

Try adding bacon or sausage for a smokey meaty flavor addition.
Red pepper flakes if you like things a little spicy.
Add carrots for a cabbage and carrot combo.
Use green cabbage if that’s what you have on hand.

Notes on Sweet and Sour Cabbage

Use a heavy-bottomed pot with a tight-fitting lid so the liquid stays inside the pot. Cabbage will release a good bit of liquid while it cooks.
Keep the heat on medium-low and stir about every 20 minutes.

What should I serve this cabbage with?

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4.50 from 6 votes

Sweet and Sour Cabbage

This sweet and sour cabbage is the perfect easy yet tasty side dish. Red cabbage and a sweet apple are braised in sugar and vinegar, resulting in the most tender and delicious cabbage.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American, German

Keyword red cabbage recipe, sweet and sour cabbage

Prep Time 8

Cook Time 1

Total Time 1 8

Servings people

Calories 52kcal

Author Tanya

Ingredients

1 medium head red cabbage chopped into large chunks (about 6-7 cups)
1 sweet apple chopped. (Fuji, honey crisp, etc)
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
¼ cup granulated sugar
1.5 teaspoons kosher salt or to taste
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper or to taste
¼ teaspoon allspice

Instructions

Place the chopped cabbage, apple, apple cider vinegar, sugar, salt, black pepper, and allspice in a large heavy-bottomed pot. Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and place it over medium-low heat.
Allow the cabbage to cook, over medium-low heat, for about 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes, stirring every 20 minutes, until the cabbage is tender.
Remove from heat, serve, and enjoy.

Suggested Tools

Heavy Bottom Pot

Notes

Use a heavy-bottomed pot with a tight-fitting lid so the liquid stays inside the pot. Cabbage will release a good bit of liquid while it cooks.
Keep the heat on medium-low and stir about every 20 minutes.

Nutrition

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Although myforkinglife.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Under no circumstances will myforkinglife.com be responsible for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information.