Slow Cooker Red Cabbage: Slightly sweet and tangy, this German style sweet and and sour cabbage is made in just a few hours in the slow cooker. It's a super simple, delicious and healthy dish the whole family will love!
My family, and particularly my 5 year old daughter, are big fans of stewed red cabbage! I've been making my stovetop version for years. But after a cascade of questions about doing it in the slow cooker I decided to post an updated recipe. And I'll tell y'all a secret, I kind of like this one better.
What makes this recipe so great is that you don't have to cook any thing beforehand. You literally just throw all the ingredients in the slow cooker and let it do its magic. Enjoy!
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Equipment
For this recipe you will need some kitchen basics such as a cutting board and sharp knife, and measuring cups and spoons.
You will also need a slow cooker. I personally love my 8 Quart Programmable Slow Cooker from Crock-Pot. It always gets the job done!
Ingredients and Subtitutions
- Red Cabbage: I recommend using 1 large red cabbage with usually comes in around 2.5 pounds.
- Apple: Green apples will add additional tartness, whereas apples like Honeycrisp will give you extra sweetness. Pick the type of apple based on your preference.
- Red onion: I like using red onion but you could also use a sweet or vidalia onion if preferred.
- Apple cider vinegar
- Balsamic vinegar
- Brown sugar: You could substitute with white granulated sugar if preferred but I like the added depth of flavor of brown sugar.
- Fresh thyme: I like throwing a whole sprig of time in the slow cooker and then removing it before serving. You can substitute with ½ to 1 teaspoon of dried thyme if preferred or feel free to leave it out all together.
- Bay leaf (optional): Adds a nice herbal undertone to the dish but feel free to omit if you prefer.
- Salt & pepper
- Water
- Butter (optional): Added before serving to add richness.
- Fresh lemon
Serving Suggestions
This slow cooker red cabbage makes a fantastic side dish to a variety of mains. I love serving it with bratwurst, my oven roasted salmon, stuffed cabbage rolls and other grilled meats.
Recipe FAQs
This recipe can easily be made vegan. Simply omit the butter or replace with a little vegan butter and you are good to go!
Absolutely! Simply allow the cabbage to cool completely. Then transfer to a large freezer safe bag or other airtight container. It should last about 3-4 months.
When ready to serve allow the cabbage to thaw in the fridge overnight. Then simply reheat on the stove or in the microwave.
Made this Slow Cooker Red Cabbage recipe? Let me know what you think in the comments!
Recipe
Slow Cooker Red Cabbage
Equipment
- Slow Cooker
Ingredients
- 1 large red cabbage, quartered and sliced about 2.5 lb
- 1 large apple, cored, quartered and thinly sliced
- 1 red onion, quartered and thinly sliced
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoon brown sugar add more or less to taste
- ½ cup water
- 1 sprig of fresh thyme
- 1 bay leaf optional
- salt & peppr
- 1 tablespoon butter optional
- ½ lemon, juice of
Instructions
- In bowl of a large slow cooker combine red cabbage, apple, red onion, apple cider vinegar, balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, a bay leaf, a sprig of fresh thyme and a generous pinch of salt and pepper with ½ cup of water. Stir to combine. Cook on high for about 3 hours (low 5-6 hours) until cabbage is very tender. Stir in 1 tablespoon of butter and the juice of ½ lemon. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve. Enjoy!
Love this Slow Cooker Red Cabbage recipe, will make it soon, looks delicious and perfect for a side dish. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Hi Elisa I am just making the now I find I don’t have enough liquid. Mybe when it’s fully cooked it will be better. I am GF so I will add cornstarch at the end to thicken do you think that will be ok. Thank you Christina
Hi Christina! It should release quite a bit of liquid as it cooks down, so don’t worry yet. Red cabbage tends to look a little dry at the beginning but softens a lot. I have never added any kind of flour or cornstarch to my red cabbage so I'm not sure how that would turn out. But if you decide to experiment please let me know how it goes. Hope you enjoy!
Wow, it's the first time I prepared this and my family loves it. Thanks for this recipe.
My mom loves this. I can't wait to try it out. Thanks!
The cabbage turned out tender and flavorful, with a perfect balance of sweet and tangy notes. It's now a staple in my kitchen for those cozy, comfort-food-filled dinners!
Oh man, this german style cabbage was so delicious! We had it with bratwurst the other day and it was a fabulous addition!