Garlic Cabbage Steaks

Long gone are the days of chopping up your cabbage and just throwing it in the slow cooker. Oh no. Now we have fancy cabbage salads, cabbage slaw, and even cabbage rolls. But what about cabbage steaks?

two cabbage steaks on a plate with text overlay for facebook

With slightly less preparation time (cutting or chopping) and hands-off cooking, they are the perfect way to get your family to eat their veggies while saving you time and aggravation.

Garlic Cabbage Steaks are thinly sliced, rubbed with fine sea salt, black pepper, and extra virgin olive oil before roasting in the oven.

While in the oven, the sugars in the cabbage slowly caramelize on the edges, giving them a slightly sweet bite and accentuating their natural cabbage flavor.

And while I did everything I could to bring out the natural cabbage flavor, I felt it needed a little something more. I wanted to beef up the flavor game so to speak.

How about a garlic and smoked paprika aioli? Yes! Aioli can be a game changer for lackluster dishes and although my cabbage steaks didn’t lack any luster per se, they still needed a little something to create layers of sophisticated flavor.

So the addition of the smoky and garlicky aioli was a fantastic addition, but I still wanted more for my cabbage steak masterpiece! I think you know where I went with this.

BACON! Of course, I added bacon.

I have said it before and I will say it again, bacon makes everything taste better. Crisp up a few slices in the pan or even in the oven, give them a good chop and you have a heck of a topping for these cabbage steaks.

6 slices of baked cabbage on a sheet pan

Why You’ll Love This Cabbage Steaks Recipe

There are plenty of recipes you can make with a head of cabbage, but this one is simply one of the best.

Low carb – Like any green vegetable, this simple recipe keeps the carb count low while also being the perfect side dish for any meal you can think of.
Simple ingredients – With less than ten ingredients, you likely have most of the ingredients for these crispy roasted cabbage steaks already on hand, besides the cabbage itself of course.
Health benefits – Now I’m no doctor, and I won’t this as the healthiest recipe ever; but cabbage does have plenty of fiber, and it’s a great source of Vitamin K and Vitamin C.
Quick and easy – With only ten minutes of prep and 15 minutes of cook time, you can have these tender cabbage steaks ready to enjoy in under 30 minutes!

Ingredients

You only need eight simple ingredients for this easy cabbage recipe. And most you might already have on hand.

Cabbage Steaks

Cabbage – We are using green cabbage for this recipe. You’ll need an entire head. Check the section below for the best way to slice it up.
Olive oil – When basted onto the cabbage steaks, olive oil allows the seasonings to stick to the cabbage while also preventing it from sticking to the sheet pan.
Fine sea salt and ground black pepper – I like to celebrate the natural flavor of the cabbage, so I use minimal seasonings for this recipe. You will also use the sea salt in the aioli.
Bacon – Make sure you cook your bacon until crispy. It is much easier to crumble that way.

Aioli

Mayonnaise – Aioli is just a fancy mayonnaise, so of course you need some for the base. While I like making my mayo from scratch (it only takes 5 minutes in the blender) you can also use the store-bought version of your choice.
Garlic – These are garlic cabbage steaks afterall, so of course we need some garlic. I like to mince my own rather than using the jarred, store bought version.
Smoked paprika – I love the flavor that the smoked version of paprika gives, but you can use regular paprika if that’s all you have on hand.

close up of sliced cabbage on baking sheet

overhead shot of cabbage steaks on a serving tray

How to Make This Cabbage Steak Recipe

If you have 30 minutes, you have more than enough time to prep and cook this delicious side dish. Here’s how:

Cut cabbage. On a cutting board, cut cabbage into 1 inch slices, cutting horizontally. Place on a baking sheet in a single layer.
Add oil and seasoning. Drizzle extra virgin olive oil over cabbage steaks, spreading out with a basting brush. Season with fine sea salt and ground black pepper.
Bake. Bake until outer leaves are turning brown and caramelizing to crispy edges.
Make aioli. While cabbage steaks cook, place all ingredients for aioli in a small food processor and blend until smooth.
Add bacon and aioli. When cabbage steaks are cooked, top with aioli and crumbled bacon.

overhead shot of sliced cabbage on a sheet pan

How to Serve Cabbage Steaks

While I served my Garlic Cabbage Steaks very traditionally with my home-cured Corned Beef, you can pair yours year-round with any number of dinner recipes:

close up of two cabbage steaks on a plate

Variations

There are endless unique ways to make this roasted cabbage steaks recipe your own. Here are a few of our favorite suggestions

Fresh herbs – In addition to the salt and pepper, you can throw in some fresh herbs for flavor. Fresh parsley or even thyme would be a great addition to this blank canvas vegetable.
Make it spicy – If you’d like to add a little spice in your life, consider sprinkling your baked cabbage steaks with some red pepper flakes or even a few drops of hot sauce.
Red cabbage steaks – This is a green cabbage recipe, however you can certainly use red cabbage if you’d like. The color is more vibrant and the flavor a little different.
Seasoning – I am of the belief that simple seasonings are the star here. But if you’d like to add a little more flavor to your crispy toasted cabbage steaks, try sprinkling some garlic powder, onion powder or chili powder.
Acidity – To add even more flavor and acidity, you can drizzle your steaks with lemon juice, balsamic vinegar or soy sauce for a unique and delicious flavor.
Cheesy – In addition to the crispy bacon, my favorite way to that this kind of cabbage up a notch is to sprinkle the steaks with a little bit of parmesan cheese.

Storage and Freezing

Storage: In an airtight container, the Cabbage Steaks will last up to three days in the refrigerator. Layer with parchment paper in between. Reheat in a single layer on a baking dish to crisp back up before serving.
Freeze: You can store them in the freezer as well. In an airtight container or wrapped tightly in a freezer bag, they will stay for up to six months. Reheat at 400 degrees in a single layer on a baking dish directly from frozen.

overhead shot of cabbage steaks topped with bacon and aioli

Frequently Asked Questions

What meat goes best with cabbage?

Traditionally, I serve my cabbage with corned beef, and usually for St. Patrick’s Day. However, cabbage tastes great with all kinds of meats. Grilled chicken, pork chops or even a juicy steak would be great too.

What to eat with cabbage?

Cabbage steaks can be an easy side dish for just about anything, but it can also serve as a healthy main dish too. If that’s the case, I would serve with a nice leafy salad, a bowl of soup and some crusty bread.

What to do with leftover cabbage?

My favorite thing to do with leftover cabbage is to turn it into cabbage soup. But you can also shred it up and throw it into some mashed potatoes to make colcannon.

More Cabbage Recipes

Healthy Cabbage Soup

4.78 from 18 votes

This Healthy Cabbage Soup is based off from the Weightloss Wonder Soup and is full of nothing but veggies for healthy vegetable soup that may even help you lose a few pounds!

See The Recipe!

Bacon Fried Cabbage

4.67 from 9 votes

Bacon Fried Cabbage is a great recipe using cabbage fried in bacon grease and lightly seasoned leaving it with lots of flavor and a little bit of crunch.

See The Recipe!

half a cabbage roll stacked on two cabbage rolls

Cabbage Roll with Tomato Sauce

4.87 from 65 votes

This EASY Stuffed Cabbage Rolls recipe is a family favorite! Made with ground beef, rice, onion and seasoning, these baked cabbage rolls are delicious!

See The Recipe!