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Let's learn how to make the easiest and quickest pickled cabbage recipe! Use either red cabbage or white cabbage. Ready to eat on the same day! Add it to any dish you like and get a nice tangy crunch.
This delicious crispy condiment is a staple in our kitchen. We often use it as a garnish in our burgers,kofte sandwichesor inchicken doner wraps. And it is great to know there is always some pickles in the fridge thanks to the quick method we use in this recipe.
Have you ever tried making quick pickles, also known as refrigerator pickles at home? Youdon't have to wait for weeksto eat them.
We will share this supereasy way of pickling cabbagewith you today. If you want to take your sandwiches, fish tacos, burgers, wraps or side dishes likehealthy coleslawto a new level, try this quick pickled cabbage recipe.
And if you want to learn more ideas about what to do with white or red cabbage pickle, you can check out our section below. There are more options than you may think!
Jump to:
- Why You Will Love This Recipe
- About The Ingredients and Substitutions
- Optional Add-Ins
- How To Pickle Cabbage Quickly
- Spiced Variation With White Cabbage
- Storage
- Tips
- What To Do With Pickled Red Cabbage
- FAQs
- Other Pickle Recipes
- Other Cabbage Recipes
- 📖 Recipe
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- It is easy andsuper quick.
- No special equipmentis needed.
- It pairs wellwith almost any dish.
- It keeps well in the refrigeratorfor several weeks.
About The Ingredients and Substitutions
This easy recipe for homemadepickled cabbage is super basic and versatile, so you can customize it to your liking.
Cabbage:We often use purple cabbage, also known as red cabbage, for pickling. That purple color is just amazing! Any dish garnished with it looks more tempting. Also, it is packed with vitamin C and other nutrients, so it has severalhealthy benefits.
Both white cabbage and purple / red cabbage work well for this recipe. They both keep perfectly firm and crunchy.
Garlic:This is a must-add ingredient for this recipe. We use two cloves garlic, but you can add more. Garlic helps add a ton of spicy, savory, and umami flavors to this cabbage pickle. We use minced garlic, but you can simply crush it under a knife or slice it into smaller pieces. The tinier the pieces are, the more flavor they will release in a short amount of time.
Vinegar:Apple cider vinegar pairs beautifully with any quick cabbage pickle recipe. It has a strong flavor that will quickly penetrate the cabbage to tenderize and impart flavor. You can use regular white vinegar, rice vinegar or even red wine vinegar too. If you are not a fan of vinegar, use lemon juice instead.
Sugar:This will add a subtle sweetness to the marinated cabbage and will create an overall more balanced flavor profile.
Salt:Use pickling salt or kosher salt. It helps tenderize the ingredients, adds a savory flavor, and neutralizes the acidity of the vinegar.
Optional Add-Ins
This is a basic recipe for pickling red cabbage (or another type of cabbage) and you can always customize it to your liking.So, here are some fun ideas.
More seasonings:Mustard seeds, coriander seeds, black peppercorns, red pepper flakes would work fine. Add dried herbs like bay leaf and dill. Alternatively, learn how to make pickling spice and use it.
More vegetables:Shredded carrots, red onions or cauliflower florets would be good additions to the shredded cabbage mixture.
How To Pickle Cabbage Quickly
Pickling cabbage at home is so easy. You will love the result so much that it will become one of your weekly routines. Pickle some cabbage at the weekend, keep it in the refrigerator and enjoy during the week.
- Prepare the cabbage:Use a sharp knife or a mandoline slicer to shred the cabbage into thin pieces. Divide the shredded cabbage between two 1-pint (570 ml) glass jars. Divide the minced garlic as well. If you want to add shredded carrots and / or onions, you can add them too.
- Make the brine:We use ourbasic pickle brinehere. Combine water, apple cider vinegar, sugar and salt in a saucepan. Here, you can add more pickle seasoning if you want. Bring the liquid to a rolling boil over high heat. The sugar and salt should be dissolved by the time the liquid boils.
- Picklethe cabbage:Pour the hot brine over the shredded cabbage and minced garlic in the jars. Place their lids and leave them at room temperature to cool completely. Once cooled, place the pickled cabbage slaw in the fridge. Allow it to rest for 1 hour before eating it.
Spiced Variation With White Cabbage
We have another version of pickling cabbage with spices. We often make it with white cabbage, especially when we make cabbage rolls and have leftover cabbage pieces. So we need:
- ½ small head white cabbage
- 1 and ½ cups water
- 1 lemon, freshly squeezed
- 1 cup vinegar
- 1 and ½ teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- 4 cloves garlic, smashed
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorn
Chop the cabbage roughly. Makes 3-4 cups. Put water, lemon juice, vinegar, salt and sugar in a pot. Bring it to boil. Put the chopped cabbage, garlic, red pepper flakes and black peppercorn into this boiling water. Give it a good stir and remove
from heat. Cool completely and chill at least for an hour before using. Keep the leftovers in a jar or in an airtight container in the fridge.
Storage
Make sure that thejarscool down to room temperaturebefore putting them in the refrigerator. This is a quick pickled cabbage, so it isnot as shelf-stable as fermentedpickles.
Alwaysuse glassjarsto store it. Plastic containers or bowls without lids are not recommended.
It willlast up to 6 weeksif stored in glass jars with tight lids in the refrigerator.
Tips
- You can make this recipewith any cabbage. Red cabbage, white cabbage, green cabbage and savoy cabbage all work fine.
- If you prefer a sweeter pickled purple cabbage, add a little more sugar before boiling the liquid.
- You can add some additional spices to this red cabbage pickle. It can be anything from mustard seeds, coriander seeds, black peppercorns and dill seeds.
- It is crucial that the jars are at room temperature before you put them in the refrigerator. Don't refrigerate them when they are still hot.
- Because this is a quick pickled red cabbage recipe, you have to store it in the fridge at all times. If you don’t, mold may start to grow and ruin your entire batch.
- The longer it sits, the tastier it gets.
What To Do With Pickled Red Cabbage
We love red cabbage pickle so much that we can pair it with any dish. Here are some amazing uses.
It makes a wonderful topping or addition to dishes likesandwiches,tacos, burritos, wraps or burgers. It adds a wonderful tang and crunch.
Then, you can also use them in salads likebuckwheat salad,wheat salad,tuna saladorblack eyed bean salad. It’s lower in calories and will add a TON of flavor to your salads.
And finally, you can use it on appetizers likedeviled eggsor as a garnish on soups likeblack bean lentil soup.
FAQs
Is pickled red cabbage healthy for you?
Yes, it is. Red cabbage is rich in vitamin C, antioxidants, fiber and potassium. So it is definitely a healthy vegetable. That being said, pickled cabbage contains salt, so keep that in mind if you are watching your sodium intake.
What is the difference between fermented cabbage and pickled cabbage?
Fermented cabbage is pickled but pickled cabbage doesn't have to be fermented. Quick pickles like this one is not fermented. When cabbage is soaked in an acidic brine (with vinegar), it is pickled and has a sour flavor.
Fermented cabbage doesn't contain vinegar or any other acidic ingredient. Salt is the crucial ingredient when fermenting. Bacteria ferment the natural sugar in cabbage leaves in 10-15 days and this results in lactic acid bacteria. This is fermentation and the cabbage has a sour flavor as a result.
Is quick pickled cabbage sauerkraut?
No, it is not. It is a quick way of pickling cabbage with a vinegar brine whereas sauerkraut is fermented cabbage with salt.
Other Pickle Recipes
- Pickled Armenian Cucumbers
- Quick Pickled Beets
Other Cabbage Recipes
- Cabbage Roll Soup
- Unstuffed Cabbage Casserole
- Cheese Cabbage Casserole
- Kapuska Cabbage Stew
As always: If you make this recipe, let us know what you think by rating it and leaving a comment below. And post a pic on Instagram too—tag @give_recipe so we can see!
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📖 Recipe
Quick Pickled Cabbage Recipe (Red & White)
In just 30 minutes or less, you can have a jar full of tangy, colorful quick pickled cabbage that's sure to add to any meal.
- Author:
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Pickling
- Cuisine: Turkish
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 medium head red cabbage or white cabbage (2 pounds / 900 g)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups (473 ml) water
- 2 cups (473 ml) apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
Instructions
- Cut the cabbage into four quarters. Remove the core of each and slice them using a knife or a mandoline. Put it in two 1-pint (570ml) jars.
- Add in garlic. If you use two jars, share it evenly.
- Make the brine: Put water, vinegar, sugar and salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat and remove from the heat. Stir well.
- Pour hot brine over the cabbage in the jars. Place the lids on the jars and let them cool down to room temperature.
- Put the jars in the refrigerator. Let them sit there for at least 1 hour before eating.
- Keep them in the refrigerator for up to 6 weeks.
Notes
- Increase the amount of sugar if you like it sweeter.
- You can add some seeds like mustard seeds, coriander seeds, etc. for more flavor.
- You can always double the brine and keep the leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 2 months. You can use it for another batch of quick pickles.
- Bring the cabbage pickle to room temperature before refrigerating.
- This is a quick pickle recipe, so always keep it in the refrigerator.
- Nutrition information includes the marinated chicken only and is approximate and meant as a guideline only.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 64
- Sugar: 7.2 g
- Sodium: 353.8 mg
- Fat: 0.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 12.8 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 2.1 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Keywords: pickled cabbage, quick pickled cabbage
You might also like:
- Basic Pickle Brine Recipe With Vinegar
- Greek Yogurt Coleslaw
- Lahana Sarma (Turkish Cabbage Rolls)
- Armenian Cucumber Pickles Recipe
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Reader Interactions
Comments
Rylie says
Hello! Where can I find the original recipe that was posted here? It was white cabbage and it had white vinegar, red pepper flakes, black peppercorns, etc. I used to make it all the time and loved it! I don’t see it on here anymore, and I was hoping to make it this week. If you still have that one can you please let me know? Thanks!
Reply
Zerrin & Yusuf says
Hi Rylie,
We are sorry for the confusion. We have added the white cabbage version in the post under the heading "Spiced Variation With White Cabbage".
Reply
ZillahKS says
I made this recipe today 3/7/22
and I must say it’s delish. I added some salt and sugar for my liking.
Thank you very much.★★★★★
Reply
Zerrin & Yusuf says
Glad you liked it! It is an easy way to satisfy pickle craving 🙂
Thanks for coming back and sharing your thought with us here.
Cheers!Reply
Tara says
Do you cool it in the fridge or just set aside for the hour?
Reply
Zerrin & Yusuf says
Hi Tara,
After cooling it completely, let it sit in the fridge at least for an hour and then it is ready to serve.Reply
Laurie says
I have lots of home grown cabbage and they don't quite look like store bought ones. How many ounces of cabbage should I use?
Thank you in advance.
Reply
David says
I have made this recipe using 4 cups of shredded cabbage (red and white)
★★★★★
Reply
Nadia says
So do you keep it in the liquid, and chill it in the liquid? Thanks!
Reply
Yusuf says
Yes Nadia, always keep it in the liquid.
Reply
Izabela says
Very nice, crunchy pickled cabbage with a little bit of a kick. I didn't have time to chill it for an hour but it was already great after 40 minutes or so (10 of which spent in a freezer ;-)) Thanks for a great, simple recipe!
Reply
Yusuf says
Glad you loved it Izabela!
Reply
Alejandra says
Hi, I´m making your recipe... the leftovers, do you keep them in a jar covered with the liquid?
Thanks
Reply
Yusuf says
Hi Alejandra! Yes, keep it covered with the liquid.
Reply
Emma says
Hi - What kind of vinegar do you use for this?
ThanksReply
Yusuf says
White vinegar.
Reply
Sot says
Actually cabbage rolls is a Greek dish.
Greetings from athensReply
Dawn says
How long does it keep in the fridge for?
Reply
Zerrin says
Up to 2 weeks.
Reply
Lechelle says
I have been trying to find this recipe for the longest. My Turkish friend brings her mommas cooking to me all the time and well this is pretty much the steps she told and the ingredients.
Reply
Rhiannon Henry says
Looks fantastic, going to try now! Can you tell me how should it be stored, in the fridge or cupboard? And how long will it last?
Reply
Zerrin says
Thanks Rhiannon! Keep it in the fridge up to 2-3 weeks.
Reply
Brenda @ a farmgirl's dabbles says
Pickled veggies are so much my thing. What a great cabbage recipe - I love the red pepper flakes and black peppercorns! Thank you for the taco salad love!
Reply
Zerrin says
Thanks Brenda! Glad you like the recipe 🙂
Your taco salad is definitely a perfect match to my pickled cabbage.Reply
Carol M says
This is my go-to recipe for pickled cabbage. It disappears in minutes every time I make it.
Thanks for sharing such a great recipe.★★★★★
Reply
Zerrin says
Hi Carol, thanks for commenting! It makes a great snack on its own too!
Reply
Mateja says
This is my husband's favorite salad! Thank you for sharing 🙂
Reply
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