Smoked Cabbage

Smoked Cabbage is a fast and easy way to make a tasty side dish! Many people call these "cabbage steaks" because of the perfect size and the way that the head of cabbage takes on a hearty and smoky flavor. Perfect for a backyard BBQ, St. Patty's Day, or an easy, healthy meal.

When it comes to a simple cabbage recipe, you really can't get much better than this one. What I love about this smoked cabbage recipe is that you are able to cook the whole cabbage and have a tender and flavorful dish. Simple ingredients loaded with flavor - it's hard to believe that the cabbage center can be so tender and delicious!

This recipe is perfect for wood pellet grills or any type of smoker and is such an easy side dish! Get ready to have a whole new love for smoking green cabbage once you make this perfect side.

Be sure to check out my Pork Belly Burnt Ends for an excellent pairing with this simple cabbage recipe. 

Ingredients

Cabbage - You can use red cabbage or green cabbage for this.

Olive oil - Avocado oil or coconut oil would work as well.

Salt - You can always add salt to your preference or omit it entirely.

Black pepper - Same with pepper. Add to your own tastebuds.

How to Make Smoked Cabbage

Step One: Preheat the smoker to 225 degrees. Remove the outer leaves of the cabbage and slice it into 1-inch thick pieces. You can remove the core if you want but it helps hold the slices together so I normally leave it intact.

Expert Tip: Be sure to clean the outside of the cabbage well, and use a sharp knife to slice the cabbage sections. For the best results, I typically cut them about 1 inch thick so that the smoke flavor permeates throughout the entire slice during smoking.

Step Two: Season the cabbage steaks with the oil, salt, and pepper.

Step Three: Put the raw cabbage on the smoker and smoke cabbage for 60 minutes. It should be fork tender to prove that it's done.

If you want to make a hearty meal, be sure to serve it with our pellet grill Traeger Corned Beef or any of your favorite corned beef recipes. You can cook your St. Patrick's Day meal all at once on the smoker!

Variations

Seasonings - While I'm a fan of salt (or kosher salt) and pepper, you can add more than that! Depending on the size of the cabbage, you might even be able to add different seasonings in different parts. Barbecue rub, spicy rub, or any dry rub seasonings will work just fine.

Red Cabbage - You can use red cabbage in place of green cabbage.

Buttered Cabbage - After 45 minutes wrap the cabbage steaks and half a stick of butter in heavy foil. The butter will melt and marinate the wrapped cabbage. Brush on the remaining butter and serve immediately.

Bacon - Top the cooked cabbage with some crumbled bacon when serving. Or try bacon wrapped smoked cabbage by wrapping the pieces in slices of bacon.

Grilled - Want to grill some cabbage? Check out this recipe for Grilled Cabbage Steaks.

Common Questions

How do I serve the cabbage head?

Once you make this simple smoked vegetable, it's easy to add it to the rotation of your regular weeknight dinners. You can eat the cabbage leaves by cutting into them and enjoying them, or pair them with other foods like pork butt or any type of meat.

Smoked corned beef is a really popular dish that is perfect for pairing with this simple smoked cabbage recipe as well. Depending on the size of your cabbage, you might be able to serve it in various ways to enjoy.

Why is my cabbage steak hard?

If the cabbage steak isn't tender, it just means that you didn't cook it for long enough. The good news is that you can eat this recipe even if it's slightly undercooked because it's literally just eating "raw" cabbage.

Some people might actually prefer to have their cabbage slice cooked to a different texture, and that is easily done by varying the time that it is cooking on the grill.

For a firmer slice of cabbage, cook it for less than 60 minutes. For a tender cabbage slice, cook for an hour. You can "play" with the cooking times on this recipe to see what texture you actually end up liking.

Keep in mind that the thickness of the slice of cabbage will make a difference in the texture as well. If it is thick, it's going to need to be cooked longer to be nice and tender, otherwise it will have a bit of a crunch to it. 

How do I store leftover cabbage steaks?

If you have leftovers, they are very easy to store. Simply let them cool completely after the cook time is done, and then store them in an airtight container. Keep the container in the fridge until you are ready to eat and reheat.

To reheat, place the steaks in the microwave for about 30 seconds or so, or you can warm them back up in the oven on a lower heat.

What can I use leftover cabbage in?

If you don't want to eat cabbage slices again the next day, you don't have to. You can use the cabbage leaves to add to a broth or soup or to cut up and mix with meats, casseroles, and other veggie dishes.