Fried Cabbage and Bacon Slaw ~ this warm bacon coleslaw has won our hearts this summer, and I have a feeling it’s going to win yours too. Simple ingredients, fried up in a little bacon grease, and you’ve got a crazy good side that will improve on every darn thing you eat this summer. Put it alongside, over, under…doesn’t matter, forks are gonna fly with this one!
what you’ll need for warm cabbage and bacon slaw
This is a mercifully short list (I know you’re hungry!)
- green cabbage
- onion
- carrot
- smoked bacon
- salt and pepper
how to fry up slaw
Frying cabbage not only softens it a bit, but brings out the flavor and sweetness of this healthy veg ~ yum!
- First cook a package of bacon until crisp, and reserve the grease.
- Then, in some of that reserved grease (how much of that grease is up to you and your conscience) fry up a thinly sliced onion, shredded cabbage and a little carrot for color.
- Add salt and pepper to taste and you’ve got a fabulous warm slaw that goes with everything.
what to serve with fried cabbage and bacon slaw?
I don’t want to micromanage, but I highly suggest grilling up some brats to go along with. Any type of sausage, really. It works as a side with any type of grilled meat or poultry. And be sure to top any leftovers with a couple of fried eggs.
I think slaws are definitely under-appreciated for how easy they are to throw together, and how versatile they are. If you’re still stuck in the green salad from a bag rut, check out my Five Slaws You Need in Your Life This Summer for some ideas to get you started. Slaws are bright, crunchy, and incredibly healthy (bacon notwithstanding) whether they’re made with cabbage, onions, Brussels sprouts, kale, or a whole rainbow of veggies.
picture me hopping up and down and hyperventilating
…that’ll give you an idea of how absurdly good this warm cabbage and bacon slaw is. It’s the ultimate comfort food.
But it isn’t something I recommend making every week ~ bacon is most definitely not good for us. But as a special occasion treat this is quite delicious, so maybe once or twice a summer? How about start with today?
more slaws to try
- Creamy Buttermilk Coleslaw
- Asian Slaw
- Favorite Vinegar Coleslaw Recipe
- Five Slaws You Need in Your Life This Summer
- Broccoli Honeycrisp Slaw
- Vibrant Winter Slaw with Citrus Vinaigrette
- Sweet Vidalia Onion Slaw
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Fried Cabbage and Bacon Slaw
Video
Ingredients
- 12 ounces smoked bacon
- 1 small head green cabbage, outer leaves removed and cored
- 1 small yellow onion, peeled, halved, and thinly sliced.
- 1 medium carrot, peeled and cut in small dice
- salt and fresh cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Cook the bacon until crisp, and drain. Reserve the grease, and crumble the bacon.
- Halve or quarter the cabbage and shred it finely.
- In a large skillet or wok, heat 3 tablespoons of the bacon grease and sauté the onion and carrot for a few minutes until softened. Add 2 to 3 more tablespoons of grease, and add the shredded cabbage along with half of the cooked bacon, and stir fry until the cabbage starts to brighten in color, turn glossy, and soften. This will only take a few minutes, but you can customize your slaw by cooking it a little less or more than this.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve the slaw hot or warm, topped with the rest of the crumbled bacon.
- Leftover slaw stored in the refrigerator will stiffen due to the bacon grease. Bring the slaw to room temperature or heat it briefly in the microwave or in a frying pan before serving.
Nutrition
Make it your own ~
- Make it tangy ~ the flavor is amazing as is, but you can, if you like, hit the slaw with a little vinegar at the end of cooking. This gives it a nice tang.
- Make it with other meats ~ a reader in the comments below suggests using leftover corned beef, and you could also use ham, pancetta, or sausage.
- Make it with red cabbage ~ I haven’t tried but I think it would be delish.
- Make it with classic coleslaw spices ~ a reader in the comments below suggests adding some celery seed. You could also use onion and garlic powder, or a little mustard. I think caraway seeds would be nice, too.
I added a little vinegar and andouille sausage. It hit the spot!
Yum!
What are the macros?
Can you use the Coleslaw to make fried cabbage?
If you mean the packages of shredded cabbage, then sure, I don’t see why not.
That’s what I’m going to do!
my mother has been making this for years, add a little brown sugar or maple syrup to taste this is one of my favorites and all 5 of my brothers
I never thought of sweetening it with brown sugar or maple syrup, what a nice idea, I bet that complements it really well.
I’m eating this with maple glazed pork chops yummy
Wow you’re eating good!
3T cider vinegar+3T sugar and 1/2 cup water microwaved and stir to dissolve sugar makes a nice dressing for this.
That sounds yummy, and so easy!
LOVE this! Such great ingredients. I’ve made salads that are called wilted, and that’s because of the warm bacon grease and vinegar that literally wilts the slaw, but this is slightly different. And oh, with brats? Yes!!!
I like that the cabbage holds up to the warm dressing and keeps a little bit of texture.
I made it with 5 slices bacon, diced. I left the grease in the pan, and added 5 cups of coleslaw mix. I cooked it until it was still crunchy yet tender. I then added a little bit of ranch dressing, some leftover chicken, and a sprinkle of shredded cheddar cheese. A-MAZ-ING!
Making this for dinner tonight, Sue! I thought I might “peel” my carrots rather than dice them and for sure I’ll add some Brats! Mr. Squash will feel like the Polish Prince he is!
Cheers!
<3 so happy to hear it!
You can use butter in place of bacon grease and add a few slices of green pepper. I’ve been making this for years and also I use the coleslaw shredded cabbage as I have arthritis and it’s difficult to cut up cabbage for fried cabbage recipes….ENJOY
I made this last night and the only tweak I made was to add a little sesame oil to the bacon grease when frying and it was wonderful. Thank you Sue for this wonderful recipe. I wish I had your job.
I adore sesame oil, great idea.
We made this tonight and put it on top of brats. Fantastic.
Love fast feedback like this, thanks Michelle 🙂
I don’t think I’ve ever had a warm slaw, so I am seriously over-due to try this one! Looks fabulous 🙂