Have you ever wondered how to cook cabbage Irish style? This recipe features boiled shredded cabbage boiled with bacon and peppercorns.
Potatoes and cabbage are probably the two vegetables Ireland is most famous for. Millions of heads of cabbage will be cooked and eaten on March 17th and in the days leading up to St. Patrick's Day.
Irish cabbage is boiled and shredded and served with melting butter.
Table of Contents
Boiled Shredded Cabbage Irish Style
When I was preparing corned beef last week, I mentioned to my husband that I planned to steam cabbage wedges. A look of disappointment crossed his face as he declared:
"Don't give me any fancy wedges of cabbage.
I like my cabbage Irish style."
And so I cooked our cabbage Irish style, boiled and cut up into shreds, then served with melting butter.
My grandmother always cooked cabbage in the same large pot and salty water she used to boil bacon.
I like the flavor a little bacon adds to cabbage, so I thought I would share my cabbage cooking technique with you today, in preparation for our favorite saint's feast day. It comes with a seal of approval from my Donegal man.
Now since I cannot find Irish bacon in America, I served this cabbage with apricot glazed corned beef, and potatoes cooked in their jackets. Mashed potatoes would be perfect also.
But in Ireland cabbage is cooked with bacon to add flavor, so I used a little trick to add the necessary flavor. I created a flavor packet using bacon strips and peppercorns wrapped in a cabbage leaf to give this cabbage an Irish flare.
Ingredients for Irish Boiled Cabbage
Here's what you'll need to cook this vegetable side. You'll find a printable recipe at the end of this post, with exact quantities plus additional information regarding nutrients.
- green cabbage
- peppercorns
- streaky bacon
- salt
- water for boiling
You'll notice I don't add any black pepper to my cooked cut cabbage since there are peppercorns in the our flavor packet. I leave this peppering step to each individual family member or guest at my dinner table.
There aren't many spices or even garlic powder added to this boiled cabbage recipe. In Ireland food tends to be cooked without much additional heat. We often laugh and say salt and pepper are the Irish spices.
This recipe can be used for many types of cabbage. In America I cook a regular green cabbage. In Ireland I would choose a Savoy cabbage. This recipe also works for Napa cabbage or red cabbage, but I do prefer slow cooked spiced red cabbage.
If you don't have time for making a bacon
Ingredient Tips and Substitutions
Cooking half a head of cabbage yields about 4 servings.
I usually cook just half a head at a time, but this recipe works fine if you cook the whole head of cabbage, yielding about 8 servings.
I used a regular green cabbage. In Ireland Savoy cabbage is very popular, but this variety of cabbage is difficult to find in the United States.
Another variety often cooked in Ireland is York Cabbage. Both Savoy and York cabbages have darker green leaves than a typical head of green cabbage sold in American grocery stores.
If you don't wish to go to the trouble of creating a flavor packet with bacon, you could substitute a cup of chicken broth for some of the cooking water.
Directions for Cooking Cabbage
Here you’ll find step-by-step photographic instructions to help you recreate this recipe successfully. There are plenty of tips included along the way.
Here is my trick for adding a little bacon flavor to my American boiled cabbage. I take the outer leaf off the cabbage head and remove the hard stalk at the very end.
If the outer leaves of your head of cabbage are bruised or damaged, discard them and don't cook them.
Next place 3 slices of bacon folded over in the center of one of the cabbage leaves, together with 1 teaspoon of peppercorns.
Next comes time to fold up this flavor packet, by bending the sides of the leaf inwards over the bacon, then rolling up the cabbage leaf.
Secure it with some cotton thread, that will withstand boiling water.
Next cut the cabbage head in two halves.
Remove the inner hard core of the cabbage by slicing on either side of it. Wiggle it and it should pop right out.
Peel the leaves off the cabbage head, layer by layer.
Pop them in a colander and rinse them under cold water.
Transfer the cabbage leaves into a large saucepan, tearing any large leaves into smaller pieces.
Add the bacon and peppercorn packet prepared earlier.
Cover the cabbage with water and season with salt.
Bring to a boil.
Turn the heat down and simmer for 20 minutes over low heat until the cabbage is fork tender.
Drain the cabbage and return it to the pot.
Discard the cabbage package with the bacon and peppercorns.
Using a knife cut through the cabbage leaves.
When shredded nicely, add some butter if desired.
Serve with potatoes and corned beef. Simply delicious with a few knobs of butter melting over the cabbage and potatoes.
I use salted butter on my cabbage rather than unsalted butter. When I was growing up in Ireland there was no unsalted butter available.
Can You Freeze Cooked Cabbage?
I believe cabbage is best when cooked fresh. However, if you have excess cooked cabbage (a rare occurrence in my home) you can absolutely freeze it for another day.
Be certain to cool the cooked cabbage completely before freezing. Transfer the cooked cabbage to a zip-lock freezer bag.
It’s important to remove the air from the freezer bag to help prevent spoilage and freezer burn. Gently squeeze the cabbage and push the air to the top of the bag. Once all of the air is removed, seal the plastic bag tightly. Pop it in the freezer for storage. You can freeze cooked cabbage for up to 5 months.
When you’re ready to serve your stored cabbage, thaw it completely. You can either reheat it in the microwave or sauté it in a skillet.
When using the microwave to reheat the cabbage there’s no need to add additional water. Simply place the cabbage in a microwave proof bowl and heat it on high for 2 to 3 minutes. The exact time required depends on how much cabbage is in your bowl. If you find it is still not heated through, give it additional bursts of 30 seconds in the microwave.
To reheat the cabbage in a skillet, melt some butter over medium heat. Add the cabbage to the pan and stir to toss it in the melted butter. Allow it to heat through for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
Recipe Card for Boiled Cabbage Irish Style
Here's the printable recipe card for your kitchen files.
Boiled Cabbage Irish Style
Ingredients
- 1 head green cabbage
- 1 teaspoon peppercorns
- 3 slices streaky bacon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ounce butter
Instructions
- Remove the outer leaf off the cabbage head and remove the hard stalk at the very end. Place 3 slices of bacon folded over in the center of the cabbage leaf, together with 1 teaspoon of peppercorns.
- Bend the sides of the cabbage leaf inwards over the bacon and peppercorns, then roll up the cabbage leaf. Secure it with some cotton thread, that will withstand boiling water.
- Cut the cabbage head into two halves. Remove the inner hard core of the cabbage by slicing on either side of it. Wiggle it and it should pop right out.
- Peel the leaves off the cabbage head, layer by layer. Pop them in a colander and rinse them under cold water.
- Transfer the cabbage leaves into a large saucepan, tearing any large leaves into smaller pieces. Add the bacon and peppercorn packet prepared earlier.
- Cover the cabbage with water and season with salt. Bring to a boil. Turn the heat down and simmer for 20 minutes until the cabbage is tender.
- Drain the cabbage and return it to the pot. Discard the cabbage package with the bacon and peppercorns. Using a knife cut through the cabbage leaves to shred it.
- Add a knob of butter to melt over the cabbage. Serve with potatoes and corned beef.
Nutrition Information is estimated based on the ingredients and cooking instructions as described in each recipe and is intended to be used for informational purposes only. Please note that nutrition details may vary based on methods of preparation, origin and freshness of ingredients used.
If you would prefer to cook you cabbage in a skillet here's my recipe for pan fried cabbage. It's a simple, but delicious way to cook cabbage and another favorite Irish cooking method for cabbage.
Wishing you all happy cabbage cooking for St. Patrick's Day.
Slán agus beannacht,
(Goodbye and blessings)
Mairéad -Irish American Mom
Pronunciation - slawn ah-gus ban-ock-th
Mairéad - rhymes with parade
Here are some more recipes and ramblings you might enjoy...
Where To Celebrate Saint Patrick's Day In Ireland
What The Irish Eat For Saint Patrick's Day
Fruit Rainbow for Saint Patrick's Day
- Beef and Ale Stew
- How To Make The Best Irish Vegetable Soup
- Traditional Irish Soups To Savor
- Spicy Red Lentil and Carrot Soup
- Onion and Potato Soup - A Fast Way To Warm Up
- Super Easy Pea and Mint Soup
- Leftover Corned Beef and Cabbage Soup
- Deliciously Hearty Beef Barley Stew
- Cauliflower and Bacon Soup
- Quick Easy White Bean and Tuscan Kale Soup
- Dublin Coddle
- Farmhouse Beef Stew
Kay G.
Yummy, this looks so good. Do you do anything special for St. Patrick's Day?
Irish American Mom
Kay - I'll be cooking Guinness beef stew and shepherd's pie for some friends this year. I am so happy it falls on a Saturday. No school for the kiddos and lots of time to celebrate.
Mairead
Kay G.
Yum, yum! Yay for it being on a Saturday!
Goatdancer
I don't see instructions for removing the folded up bacon before shredding with a knife? What do you do with the bacon and peppercorns?
Irish American Mom
I just remove the package of bacon and peppercorns and discard it, before shredding the cabbage. Hope this helps. I'll add this step to the post. Thanks for pointing out this need.
Best wishes,
Mairead
Marky
You throw bacon away.....? That's insane...
Irish American Mom
Actually - I eat it with my cabbage, but technically it's not needed for the recipe. I grew up in the 60's and 70's in Ireland where it was considered a mortal sin to throw food away, so these little bits of bacon always make their way to my dinner plate.
All the best,
Mairéad
Ellen Land
Originally from Northern Ireland...... We fry the bacon...Cook the Cabbage 'til tender.....drain Cabbage well.....Save some of the Bacon fat....Add Cooked Cabbage to fat and Cabbage in the pan toss together.......Add the extra saved Bacon fat if needed.....Serve with
Mashed Potatoes...........Enjoy!!!!
Irish American Mom
Hi Ellen - That sound delicious - what a great way to add bacon flavor to cabbage. Thanks so much for sharing your kitchen tips.
Best wishes,
Mairéad
Irish American Mom
Hi Marky - Well I usually eat the bacon. You're right - it shouldn't be thrown out. It's perfectly fine to chop it finely and use it to sprinkle over the cabbage.
Thanks for stopping by.
All the best,
Mairéad
MaryO
Never thought of cooking the cabbage like that. I always cut mine up before I cooked it. That is neat the way you flavor it with streaked meat without the fat. I am going to try that this week-end because I will bet you get ALL that delicious cabbage flavor with none going out in the drained water. Thank you for this. I love cabbage. I'm Irish American too. 🙂
Irish American Mom
Mary - I just checked out your website. I could spend hours browsing through all of your wonderful recipes. I will definitely check it out in more detail when I get a spare moment. Thanks for stopping by.
Mairead
Jim S
I am so looking forward to trying this for St. Patrick's day, along with the guiness crockpot stew and some hard crusted bread. My family loves cooked cabbage, but the wife can't stand corned beef. This will be a good alternative.
I have yet to find it, but I swear I must have some Irish blood in me somewhere. I have always had a great affinity for Ireland, and hope to get there some day (much to the chagrin of my brother who has fully embraced our proven Scottish heritage). I thoroughly enjoy your site, and look forward to trying more recipes.
Irish American Mom
Jim - I hope you have a wonderful St. Patrick's Day celebration and that all your dishes turn out delicious.
I believe if you feel a kinship to Ireland then you probably do have an Irish link somewhere in your past. Remember Ireland and Scotland are very closely linked through our celtic heritage. In the 19th century many Irish rovers went to Scotland and England in search of work over the summer months. At one point only 12 miles separates Ireland from Scotland and the legendary Giant's Causeway supposedly once linked the two. So be proud of your known Scottish celtic heritage and your hidden Irish identity.
Happy St. Patrick's Day!
Mairead
Jim S
I did it! I made this cabbage, and the Guinness Irish Stew (with a few minor mods). They were absolutely wonderful. I chronicled my experience on my blog.
http://thegreatfoodjunkie.blogspot.com/2012/03/happy-st-patricks-day-have-you-had-your.html
I hope you don't mind me mentioning you, and linking to your site, in my blog. Your recipe's really made this St. Patrick's Day for the family. To top it off, I even discovered last night where that Irish bug in me came from. With a little bit more work on my family tree, I discovered last night that one of my great great grandmothers was born in Ireland in 1833.
Thanks for such a great site. I plan to revisit often.
Irish American Mom
Jim - Thank you for linking to my site and for your kind words. I loved your post. I made stew and shepherd's pie for some friends yesterday to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. It really was hearty winter fare for a day in the 80's.
I am delighted you found your family connection to Ireland. Wishing you every success a you continue to research your family tree. Thanks for visiting and I will look forward to your comments.
Mairead
Christian Ragan
Have you ever cooked potatoes directly in with the cabbage utilizing the above method?
Irish American Mom
Christian - I have never done that since there is no way to prevent potato pieces from sticking to the cabbage. I would only boil them together if I intended to make colcannon, and mash both of them together. However, it is hard to coordinate the exact cooking time of the cabbage with that of the potatoes. Bigger potatoes take longer to cook than the cabbage, so you might have to start the potatoes boiling and then add the cabbage.
All the best,
Mairéad
Penny Wolf
My Mom and I cook the potatoes with cut up cabbage,celery, and onions,with plenty of black pepper and parsley, and HAM. We never had corned beef (Mom was down on it for some reason) with the cabbage. The dish comes out almost a soup/stew/ one pot meal.I bet the ham and bacon do a similar thing to the cabbage in flavor. Butter and homemade bread to soak up the peppery juices finishes it off.
I continue to love your site!
Irish American Mom
Penny - Your dish sounds delicious. I bet your Mom wasn't keen on corned beef since it's not really Irish. We never ate corned beef when I was growing up in Ireland. We always had ham or bacon instead.
Thanks so much for stopping by. Best wishes for a very happy St. Patrick's Day.
Mairead
Ruth Jackson
Corned beef is actually part of the Irish American experiance, the it is what the poor immigrants of the industrial era could afford, so they substituted it for the pork more common in their native land. Hence a new tradition was born and many people are confused.
Irish American Mom
Hi Ruth - Corned beef is truly part of our Irish American traditions. It may not have originated in Ireland but it is a unique part of our Irish American heritage. Many thanks for stopping by, and adding to our discussions about all things Irish and Irish American.
Best wishes,
Mairéad
Elle W
We love corned beef and cabbage! Unfortunately, it’s only for the wealthy in our area, now. It went on sale only for St. Patrick’s Day for $4.99/lb. I remember being able to get a corned beef, a big one, for under $10. Now they’re $30 and up.
Elle W
The corned beef that is… Cabbage is still inexpensive.
Irish American Mom
Thankfully cabbage is still not overpriced. It's a great vegetable and one that many only think of for coleslaw. Being Irish I love cabbage.
All the best,
Mairéad
Irish American Mom
Hi Elle - Pricing has got crazy for corned beef. I always think of it as an inexpensive cut of meat, but those days are well and truly over. Thanks for stopping by to check out my recipes.
All the best,
Mairéad
Jennifer
What kind of ham? Like a canned ham?
Irish American Mom
Jennifer - I'm afraid only Penny can answer this question. If she sees your response, she will hopefully let you know the answer.
Best wishes,
Mairead
CJ
My mom and her entire side of the family is from Ireland. Very unlikely it is canned ham. The ham I always had growing up was a cured country ham. Sometimes it is boiled, sometimes it is baked. Depending on what you are making. There are lots of recipes on the web for Irish dishes that include ham.
Irish American Mom
Thanks CJ - I'd say you're correct - a cured country ham is delicious and would work great for Penny's cooking suggestions.
Thanks so much for checking out this post on cooking cabbage and for adding to our little discussion.
All the best,
Mairéad
Jessica
Is there a reason the cabbage is shredded after cooking? It seems like it would be easier to shred it prior to cooking.
Irish American Mom
Jessica - It definitely would be easier to shred the cabbage before cooking. However, my mom's theory for why she shredded it after cooking goes like this. When pre-shred, the cabbage leaves leak more of their juices into the boiling water through their cut and exposed edges. My mom believes that by keeping the leaves as intact as possible, you retain more of the goodness of the cabbage. I don't know if this is true or not, but I have always shredded my cabbage after cooking.
All the best,
Mairéad
Maureen O Hanlon
Thank you Mairead for your lovely recipie, We all love Bacon and cabbage, very interesting fact you have there about leaving the cabbage un shredded while boiling, my mother never shredded the cabbage before boiling it either, and neither do I, and didnt realise until you said it, by cooking it unshredded it keeps in the juice, ive often seen people shredding cabbage before boiling it, and though it l;ooks so proffesional, but i dont do it, and im glad now, and i always make home made white sauce with it.
Irish American Mom
Maureen - We both seem to have learned the same cooking tips and tricks from our Cork mothers. I have always shredded cabbage after cooking, simply because it's how my mother and her mother before her cooked cabbage.
Homemade white sauce with bacon and cabbage - simply yummy. 🙂
All the best,
Mairéad
Marky
Shredded cabbage pan fried with grated potato and finely chopped bacon....fry it all up together with black pepper, no salt (the bacon provides salt)..…
Irish American Mom
Sounds delicious - thanks so much for this great cabbage cooking tip.
All the best,
Mairéad
Brian
You might be Amiracan / Irish but you have all your recipes entirely wrong.
Brian. Born bred Dublin Ireland.
Best of luck
Irish American Mom
Hi Brian - Thanks for stopping by and checking out my recipes. I understand they may be all wrong when compared to your family cooking traditions. Even my own mother would say they are not exactly the same as she cooked when I was a little girl in Dublin. I have tweaked her recipes for cooking in America, using ingredients easily found in American stores. So right or wrong, I'm just going to say they are slightly different, and I find them tasty all the same.
I hope you had a lovely Christmas yesterday, and best wishes for 2016.
Mairéad
Meghan Adams
Thank you for posting! This was a huge hit at my St. Patrick's dinner with friends last year. I cooked and chopped up about 6 additional slices of bacon and added them at the end with the butter 🙂
Irish American Mom
Hi Meghan - I'm delighted my cabbage recipe was a success at your St. Patrick's Day dinner last year. Thanks so much for stopping by to let us know and for sharing your tip for extra bacon flavor. You can't beat a little more bacon, especially on cabbage.
All the best, and happy St. Patrick's Day 2016.
Mairéad
Jay Armour Monarch
original question answered by scrolling down. Wanted to express appreciation for your honest website. Only used middle name to show Irish connection. I don't wait for March for cabbage and corned beef. I like to freeze the meat when its on sale in March and enjoy it all seasons. Did think of a question after reading leek receipe. Never have heard of receipe using the green leaves of the leek. knowing how frugal U R do you have a receipe using them? Thanks again and keep up the good work....
Irish American Mom
Hi Jay - Thanks so much checking out my cabbage recipe and it's lovely to know you appreciate the humble cabbage as much as I do. When it comes to leeks most recipes only call for the white and light green portions. You can use the leftover dark green leaves whenever you make stock. They freeze well so you can keep them for the days you have some chicken bones and want to make stock. You can also use them under a roast to lift the meat off the bottom of the roasting pan, and they add some nice flavor to the juices. Like you, I love to use every part of the vegetable possible. Hope this helps.
Best wishes,
Mairéad
RTierney
Hello, I only recently found your blog and was delighted. I married a man from Ireland and most of our meals tend toward Irish cooking. I have, though, been able to introduce TexMex and jalapenos to my Irish fella, who weekly grills jalapeno poppers for us.
I thought I'd add a tip I learned from him for cabbage that I never would have known. If you add a half teaspoon of baking soda to the boiling water, the cabbage stays that beautiful green color. American cabbage usually has a pallid look, unlike the striking green color in Ireland.
Best wishes. I look forward to reading more from you.
Irish American Mom
I'm so glad you found my blog. When we lived in Dallas my Donegal Irishman was introduced to the glories of TexMex food. Sour cream chicken enchiladas are now a favorite in our house.
I love your tip for keeping cabbage looking green. Retaining any little bit of green in American cabbage is very important. The dark green Savoy cabbage we eat in Ireland is so much more colorful than the American cabbage varieties.
Thanks so much for stopping by, and I look forward to hearing from you as I publish my future ramblings.
All the best,
Mairéad
RTierney
We're also in Dallas. Too bad our paths didn't cross. If you ever frequented the Dub over the last 20 years, you likely ran into some of our ex-pat friends.
Irish American Mom
My husband and I used to go there to watch soccer games. Perhaps we met some of your friends. I spend a wonderful 8 years in Dallas. Fond memories.
All the best,
Mairéad
Niall
Hi, I just wanted you to know that You cook your cabbage the same as my mother and both my grand mothers who are all from Dublin, Ireland 🙂
I look forward to checking out more of your recipes.
Niall in Dublin
Irish American Mom
Hi Niall - Lovely to hear your mother and grandmothers cooked cabbage just like I do. Some may say we overcook it, but this is the way I like it and the way I ate cabbage growing up in Dublin many moons ago.
Thanks so much for checking out my recipes and ramblings.
All the best,
Mairéad
Kathleen Dempsey
Nothing like it. I love bacon and cabbage.
Irish American Mom
Hear! Hear! You can't beat it.
All the best,
Mairéad
Josie Weber
I made the cabbage for St Pats. Funny, the ladies enjoyed it, the guys did not.
Irish American Mom
Hi Josie - I'm glad the ladies liked their cabbage. It's always difficult to get the guys to eat their veggies. I have three sons and veggie eating is a constant struggle in our house.
All the best,
Mairéad
Gene
Dear Mairead,
I’m half-German, half-Scotch/English and Presbyterian. Still I’ve always had a “feeling” for the Irish. This was only heightened when I visited the island and met the people. Your comment about some folk shifting to Scotland may be in my past as well.
Thanks for the insight,
Gene
Irish American Mom
Hi Gene - You're Irish even if you just feel Irish at heart. It's a feeling of connection and understanding that needs no DNA proof. Thanks for reading my recipes and ramblings and for joining our Irish conversations.
Best wishes,
Mairéad
☘☘☘
Ana
Great looking cabbage! Very fresh and green!
Irish American Mom
Hi Ana - Cabbage and potatoes are two of my favorite dinner sides. Thanks for checking out this recipe.
All the best,
Mairéad
Ana
Very interesting how you add the bacon in a rolled cabbage leaf. Thanks for the tips.
Irish American Mom
Thanks for checking out this recipe, Ana. Cabbage is often served as a side in Ireland, and the bacon packet is a great way to add bacon flavor.
Best wishes,
Mairéad
Robin
Simple, yet very yummy!
Irish American Mom
Hi Robin - I'm so glad you like this cabbage recipe. It's simple yet delicious, just like many Irish dishes. Thanks so much for stopping by.
All the best,
Mairéad
Katy
I have been looking for a great cabbage recipe for years, and this is just perfect! Thank you so much! It makes it flavorful and soft, but keeps it from getting that gross, overdone cabbage flavor. Thank you!
Irish American Mom
Hi Katy - I'm delighted you enjoyed cooking your cabbage this old fashioned Irish way. I love how this side turns out too. Thanks so much for taking the time to rate my recipe.
Best wishes,
Mairéad
Elle W
Your recipe sounds delightful!
I make my cooked cabbage in the microwave. You would not believe the amazing flavor retained as it requires far less water added to the cabbage.
One very simple recipe: Cut a head off cabbage into bite sized pieces after removing the core. Place in microwave safe glass bowl. Add one medium diced onions on top. Sprinkle with Celtic salt and plenty of pepper. Add two tablespoon water. At this point, drizzle with olive oil and dot with at least two tablespoons Irish butter. Cover loosely. (I have a microwave lid, but you can use a glass plate.)
One small cabbage diced takes about 12 to 15 minutes depending on microwave strength. Stir. Cook until desired tenderness.
I’m going to add bacon slices on top next time! Yum!
Irish American Mom
Hi Elle - Thank you so much for sharing your tips for cooking cabbage in the microwave. I like the idea of adding diced onion to the cabbage, and I think bacon pieces will add wonderful flavor. You might need to add the bacon about half way through the cooking since it might over cook before the cabbage gets tender. Thanks for adding to our conversation about all things cabbage (and corned beef).
All the best,
Mairéad