This Slow Cooker Cabbage is cozy, budget-friendly, and packed with flavor. It's buttery with juicy ham, made simple for the busiest schedule! Just set it and forget it!
We love this for St. Patrick's Day (or just a lazy day dinner) with a warm loaf of cheesy Irish soda bread and red skinned mashed potatoes. I left the seasonings simple on purpose, it doesn't need to be spicy or exciting. It's savory with flavor from the onion, and the little bit of butter is lovely.
Cabbage has been a staple of Irish cuisine for a looong time. Centuries! We like this with ham the most, but cabbage and bacon is also up there in our favorite versions of this. Making ham and cabbage in the crockpot is super easy and no fuss, it'll quickly become a favorite.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Taste: Savory, buttery and the smallest bit of tang to keep it exciting. The ham is a really nice touch and we usually like cabbage with bacon or ham to eat it as a complete meal.
- Ease: Slice, dump, set it and forget it!
- Time: 10 minutes to prep, 3-4 hours to cook. You can also make it on the stovetop, but it takes 40-50 minutes to cook properly until soft.
📝 Ingredient Notes
- Green Cabbage - easy to find and flexible on size for this recipe. Red cabbage is delicious but has too much color and would turn everything purple.
- Meat - we like big chonky cubes of ham but bacon tastes great as well! It can overpower the taste of the cabbage but if that's the flavor you want, it's amazing.
- Seasonings - we keep it SIMPLE. A little salt & pepper, garlic, bouillon, and onion. That's it!
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.
✏️ Substitutions & Variations
- Ham - for bacon or cut up sausage links
- Butter - a little olive oil
- Onion - shallots or green onions
🧑🍳 Instructions
- Step 1. Prep your veggies by rinsing them and slicing them thinly, about ¼ inch thick.
- Step 2. Place them in the slow cooker with diced ham, all seasonings, water, vinegar, and butter.
- Step 3. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 5-6 hours until cabbage is tender and cooked through. Serve warm!
TIP: Don't go too much smaller than a 2 pound cabbage, or you'll need to change the amount of seasonings. It's a pretty forgiving recipe though, you can add more or less of any seasoning you like!
❄️ Make Ahead, Store, and Freezing Tips
Easy to make ahead, refrigerate, and reheat later!
Refrigerate: 4-5 days.
Freeze: up to 3 months.
❓Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you just have to add enough seasonings. The only vegetable I add to this recipe is onion, and you can easily add onion powder to help with flavor.
Yes, it's easier to digest than raw. It also still has vitamins and minerals, though some of the water soluble ones like Vitamin C may diminish with cooking.
Low for 5-6 hours, high for 3-4 hours. It'll be tender and soft, but shouldn't be absolute mush.
🍽️ Serving Ideas
🍀 More Fun St. Patrick's Day Recipes
Did You Try This Recipe? ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Make sure to leave a star rating and a comment below the recipe card. I love hearing from you, and it is so helpful to other readers! Better yet, share it with family and friends. Thank you!!
📝 Printable Recipe
Slow Cooker Cabbage
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 lb green cabbage
- ½ medium yellow onion
- 1½ lb ham
- ½ cup water
- 2 Tablespoons white vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon chicken bouillon
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 4 Tablespoons butter
Instructions
- Prep cabbage and onion by rinsing them and slicing them thinly, about ¼ inch thick.2 lb green cabbage, ½ medium yellow onion
- Place them in the slow cooker with diced ham, all seasonings, water, vinegar, and butter, sliced on top.1½ lb ham , ½ cup water, 2 Tablespoons white vinegar, 1 Tablespoon chicken bouillon , 1 teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon salt , ½ teaspoon pepper, 4 Tablespoons butter
- Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 5-6 hours until cabbage is tender and cooked through. Serve warm!
Notes
Nutrition
Hi, I'm Sara!
Registered Nurse by day, food blogger by weekend. Perfect dip tester & snack quester. I love short walks on the beach and long naps. Sharing my love for food, one bite at a time.
kaylin says
We used ham steaks cut up and it worked perfectly. Went great with dinner rolls and potatoes!