This Keto Fried Cabbage recipe is the real deal! Crispy bacon, sautéed onion, and garlic, along with tender cabbage create this perfect low-carb Southern side dish.

We don't know about you but Keto Fried Cabbage ranks at the tippy top of our list of favorite low-carb side dishes! It's super simple to make and everyone always loves it. Plus, it's pretty economical using the very underutilized vegetable, the cabbage.
Here at Cast Iron Keto, we LOVE cabbage! Our Charred Cabbage Salad, Keto Cheesy Cabbage Sausage Skillet, and our Keto Egg Roll in a Bowl are some of our most used Keto diet recipes.
Let's get to the ins and outs on how to make the BEST southern Fried Cabbage!

Ingredients in Keto Fried Cabbage
- bacon - we love thick-cut bacon here
- onion - white or yellow tastes the best
- garlic - fresh garlic, never packaged pre-minced! If you don't have fresh garlic add in a ½ teaspoon of garlic powder
- cabbage - green is our go-to but you can use red cabbage or even Nappa cabbage
- salt + pepper
How to make Fried Cabbage with Bacon
You'll start by frying the bacon until crispy in a large cast-iron skillet. Once you have cooked the bacon, use a slotted spoon to remove the bacon and place it on a plate. Leave the oil in the skillet.
Add the onion to the skillet and cook over medium heat for about 5-7 minutes until soft. Then, add in the garlic and cook another minute.
Next, add the cabbage to the skillet. Cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally until the cabbage is soft. Add the bacon back to the skillet and season the cabbage and bacon mixture with salt and pepper to taste.
Is Cabbage healthy and Keto-Friendly?
Cabbage is super good for you! 1 cup (89 grams) of raw green cabbage contains:
- Calories: 22
- Protein: 1 gram
- Fiber: 2 grams
- Vitamin K: 85% of the RDI
- Vitamin C: 54% of the RDI
- Folate: 10% of the RDI
- Manganese: 7% of the RDI
- Vitamin B6: 6% of the RDI
- Calcium: 4% of the RDI
- Potassium: 4% of the RDI
- Magnesium: 3% of the RDI
That's impressive! It's really easy to eat a few cups of cabbage once it's cooked down as well. Sort of like spinach, it breaks down, and you can eat a lot more of it than you could in a raw dish. Cooking the cabbage also makes it easier to digest.
How to make Vegan Keto Fried Cabbage
You can totally make this fried cabbage vegan! Simply leave out the bacon and instead heat 3 tablespoons of oil (we love avocado oil) in the skillet then move on through the recipe as written.
Nutritional Information
As always, you can find the full nutritional breakdown including the carb count (total carbs and net carbs) at the bottom of the recipe card. You can find the serving size/yield at the top of the recipe card. You should always double-check your specific ingredients as different brand’s ingredients may have different values.
To get a specific serving size you’ll want to weigh the final dish then divide by the number of servings. We can’t provide this information as your cooking style will vary from ours as well as the brand ingredients you choose to use.


Keto Fried Cabbage
Ingredients
- 4 slices bacon
- ½ white or yellow onion thinly sliced (70g)
- 1 clove garlic minced (3g)
- 1 medium-sized head of green cabbage chopped (703g - 1.5 lbs)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Start by frying the bacon until crispy in a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Once the bacon is crispy, use a slotted spoon to remove the bacon and set aside. Leave the bacon grease in the skillet.
- Add the onion to the skillet and cook over medium heat for about 5-7 minutes until soft. Add in the garlic and cook another minute.
- Add the cabbage to the skillet. Cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally until the cabbage is soft. Add the bacon back to the skillet and season the cabbage and bacon mixture with salt and pepper to taste.
Renee McGee says
Delicious as all your recipes💕
Cast Iron Keto says
Thanks Renee!