These roasted cabbage wedges are crispy and flavorful. Roasting this vegetable is a game-changer, convincing even the most reluctant picky eaters that it’s, in fact, worth a try!
High-heat roasting transforms many vegetables. Roasted Brussels sprouts are another good example, and so are roasted green beans (though personally, I love them simply boiled!).
It’s difficult to believe that a cheap vegetable like cabbage can taste so good. This roasted cabbage recipe is certainly a pleasant surprise to anyone who dislikes this veggie. But this shouldn’t really come as a surprise, since roasting truly is a wonderful way of cooking vegetables.
Roasting completely transforms this vegetable
I happen to like cabbage very much. It’s not just a good choice – I happen to think it’s delicious even when very simply prepared. Steamed cabbage with butter and garlic is one of my favorite side dishes.
But roasting certainly elevates this vegetable into a whole new level. The Picky Eater, who pretty much despises all vegetables, declared it as “amazing” and asked for seconds. I nearly fainted.
The ingredients you’ll need
You’ll only need a few simple ingredients to make roasted cabbage. The exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below. Here’s an overview of what you’ll need:
Green cabbage. I’m actually pretty sure you can make the exact same recipe with red cabbage, but I never tried it.
Olive oil. This is my favorite oil to cook with. But if you’d rather use an oil with a higher smoke point, you can use avocado oil instead (but it won’t be as tasty!)
Kosher salt. If using fine salt, you should be using less of it, or the dish could end up too salty.
Spices: I like to use garlic powder and red pepper flakes. I actually prefer garlic powder to fresh minced garlic, because it coats the cabbage more evenly.
I like this dish spicy so I use quite a bit of red pepper, as you can see in the video below. But I wrote this recipe keeping in mind that not everyone likes their food spicy. In any event, you can simply omit the red pepper if you wish.
How to roast a cabbage
Although it’s not exactly a quick recipe – it takes about 40 minutes from start to finish – it is actually very easy. The detailed instructions are included in the recipe card below. Here are the basic steps:
Cut the cabbage into wedges, as shown in the video. Don’t try to remove the core – it’s delicious when roasted, and if you try to remove it, the wedges will fall apart.
Spray the wedges with olive oil and sprinkle them with spices.
Roast at 400°F until tender and browned, 25-30 minutes.
Note that when you lift the baked cabbage slices from the pan, they will somewhat fall apart on you. That’s totally expected, so don’t let that distress you. They will, for the most part, keep their pretty shape.
What main dishes go with roasted cabbage?
Anything goes! It’s such a versatile side dish. But since I bake the cabbage in a 400°F oven, I like to serve it with main dishes that I can cook in the same oven. So I often serve it with one of the following:
- Baked shrimp
- Buffalo chicken
- Chicken meatballs or keto meatballs
- Beef tenderloin roast
- Spicy chicken drumsticks
What about leftovers?
You can keep leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to 4 days. Reheat them in the microwave on 50% power. They are also good cold! Sometimes I shred them and add them cold to a salad the next day. Other times, I simply snack on them cold – kind of like antipasti.
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Roasted Cabbage
INGREDIENTS
- Olive oil spray
- 1 large green cabbage (2 lbs before trimming)
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and generously spray it with olive oil.
- Remove the cabbage’s damaged outer leaves. Cut it in half, then into wedges as shown in the video. Leave the core in – there's no need to cut it out, and if you do, the wedges will fall apart.
- Place the cabbage wedges in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Generously spray their tops with olive oil. Season with kosher salt, garlic powder, and red pepper flakes.
- Roast the cabbage wedges until golden brown and fork-tender, 25-30 minutes. Serve immediately.
WATCH THE VIDEO:
More Recipes to Try:
Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., CNC, has been following a low-carb real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She's a Certified Nutrition Coach (NASM-CNC), has taken courses at the Harvard School of Public Health, and has earned a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from Cornell University. Her work has appeared in several major media outlets, including Healthline, HuffPost, Today, Women's Health, Shape, Reader's Digest, and Better Homes and Gardens.