Get ready for our simple Charred Cabbage Salad recipe. It's packed with the smoky flavors of grilled cabbage and the tangy punch of our homemade mustard dressing. And guess what? It's a gluten-free and low-carb version of the famous Grilled Potato Salad! Let's make your keto diet interesting!

Jump to:
- Preparation and cooking overview
- Chef's note
- 🥬 Ingredients for this charred cabbage salad recipe
- Ingredient substitutions
- Additional ingredients
- Cooking tools required
- Tool substitutes list
- How to make Keto Charred Cabbage Salad: step-by-step guide
- Cooking method
- Preparation steps
- Cooking steps
- What to serve with keto charred cabbage salad?
- How to make it healthier?
- Time-saving tips
- What can I prepare ahead of time?
- Storage instructions
- Recipe wrap-up conclusion
- Frequently asked questions
- 📖 Recipe
Preparation and cooking overview
You can prepare this Keto Charred Cabbage recipe in less than 30 minutes. First, fry the bacon until crispy, and use the bacon grease to char cabbage and green onions. Next, whisk up a zingy mustard dressing and drizzle it over the hot salad before serving.
Chef's note
Feel free to customize this recipe to suit your taste. Use more or fewer jalapeños (or serranos), depending on your spice tolerance. If you want a meat-free salad, omit the bacon and use two tablespoons of olive oil to char the veggies. Alternatively, you can use tempeh bacon.
🥬 Ingredients for this charred cabbage salad recipe
To make this keto cabbage salad at home, you will need these simple ingredients:
Ingredient substitutions
If you see anything that you would rather skip in the ingredient list, opt for these keto-friendly substitutions:
Additional ingredients
Elevate the flavor profile of this healthy side dish with these optional additions:
Cooking tools required
To make this Keto Charred Cabbage recipe, you will need the following kitchen tools:
Tool substitutes list
How to make Keto Charred Cabbage Salad: step-by-step guide
Cooking method
Preparation steps
- Gather and measure all the ingredients.
- Wash the cabbage, green onions, and jalapeños under cold water.
- Remove the cabbage's outer leaves and cut them into thick slices, about 1 to 1.5 inches thick, to make cabbage steaks.
- Chop the green onions and thinly slice the jalapeños.
Cooking steps
Fry bacon slices
- Heat a large cast iron skillet for a minute and lay the bacon slices in a single layer.
- Cook for 3-4 minutes, until the slices turn deep golden-brown and crispy.
- Once cooked, remove the bacon slices, chop them, and set aside—reserve 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat.
Prepare the mustard dressing
- Combine whole-grain mustard, ¼ cup olive oil, and lemon juice in a small jar. Shake the jar well to create the dressing.
Grill cabbage and green onions
- Cut half the head of cabbage into 1 or 1.5 inches-thick slices to create cabbage steaks.
- Heat a large cast iron grill pan over high heat and pour in the two tablespoons of the reserved bacon grease.
- Once the bacon grease is hot, add the cabbage steaks and green onions and grill for 4-5 minutes per side until charred on both sides. Toss in the sliced jalapenos and chopped bacon at the last minute of cooking.
- Season with salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste, and mix everything well.
- Place the salad on a serving platter and drizzle with the mustard dressing before serving!

Chef's pro tip
Ensure your grill pan is smoking hot before you add the cabbages. It will help create a crispy exterior while maintaining a tender texture inside. And remember, each cabbage steak may differ slightly in thickness, so keep a close eye and trust your instincts rather than strictly adhering to cooking time.
What to serve with keto charred cabbage salad?
Pair our amazing side dish with one of these keto recipes for a complete meal:
How to make it healthier?
Time-saving tips
What can I prepare ahead of time?
Storage instructions
Store the leftover cabbage salad in an airtight container in the fridge. It will remain fresh for 2-3 days. The mustard dressing can be used for 1-2 weeks.
Recipe wrap-up conclusion
This Charred Cabbage Salad makes for an excellent, flexible side dish. Imagine enjoying it as a quick dinner option or as an on-the-go power lunch. No matter how you serve it, it's great for incorporating more veggies into your low-carb diet.
Love cabbage too much? Here are some keto cabbage salad recipes for you to enjoy!
Frequently asked questions
📖 Recipe

Charred Cabbage Salad
Ingredients
- ½ large head of cabbage about 1.5 pounds
- 6 slices bacon If plant-based, omit them or use tempeh bacon
- 1 bunch of green onions
- 2 jalapeños sliced
- 2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- Sea salt to taste
- Freshly cracked black pepper to taste
Instructions
Fry bacon slices
- Heat a large cast iron skillet for a minute and lay the bacon slices in a single layer.
- Cook for 3-4 minutes, until the slices turn deep golden-brown and crispy.
- Once cooked, remove the bacon slices, chop them, and set aside—reserve 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat.
Prepare the mustard dressing
- Combine whole-grain mustard, ¼ cup olive oil, and lemon juice in a small jar. Shake the jar well to create the dressing.
Grill cabbage and green onions
- Cut half the head of cabbage into 1 or 1.5 inches-thick slices to create cabbage steaks.
- Heat a large cast iron grill pan over high heat and pour in the two tablespoons of the reserved bacon grease.
- Once the bacon grease is hot, add the cabbage steaks and green onions and grill for 4-5 minutes per side until charred on both sides. Toss in the sliced jalapenos and chopped bacon at the last minute of cooking.
- Season with salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste, and mix everything well.
- Place the salad on a serving platter and drizzle with the mustard dressing before serving!
Mary Morales says
I'm loving your blog! I'm also a huge cabbage afficionado, it's a big part of my keto life. On this recipe, I'm just wondering how you are cutting the cabbage...the direction mention grilling the cabbage in steak form, but the picture doesn't look like "steaks" to me...are you just chopping it after the grilling? I only have one 16" cast iron skillet...do you think I could just "grill" my cabbage in the reserved bacon fat in the same skillet that I cooked the bacon...maybe in batches? Thanks for your blog!
Alex Lester says
Thanks! I grilled the cabbage as steaks, cut into the thick slices. Once it wilts it sort of just falls apart into smaller pieces. Make sense?
Megan says
I stumbled upon this recipe a few days ago and knew I would have to make it! Spicy cabbage??? Sign me up!! I absolutely loved how it turned out! I would never have thought to combine these ingredients. I will definitely be making this many times again! Thank you for sharing 🙂
Sunny Walker says
Sounds amazing, AND I wonder what I was supposed to do with the reserved bacon fat (2 T) and the jalapeños...I assume slide the peppers and add them and the bacon to the cabbage before tossing. Maybe you meant to use the 2T bacon fat instead of the 2 T olive oil? Just wondering.
Lynnah says
Just wondering what to do about the 2 tablespoons of reserved bacon fat?