Instant Pot Cabbage (with butter and bacon). Inspired by Irish Bacon and Cabbage, this is a quick and easy cabbage side dish for your St. Patrick's Day table. (If you want to go vegetarian, skip the bacon and use veggie broth.)
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I was looking for a cabbage side dish for my St. Patrick's Day meal. (I'm making Instant Pot Lamb Stew instead of Instant Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage this year, and I wanted cabbage as a side dish.)
I came across Irish bacon and cabbage, which is a whole slab of back bacon simmered with some cabbage. It's all about a big slice of bacon with some cabbage in Ireland. I'm borrowing that combination of flavors but switching the proportions - this is a lot of cabbage with a bit of bacon. And, of course, some butter. (OK, OK, lots of butter. You can cut back if you're trying to eat healthy).
I'm simulating the long simmer with bacon by using chicken broth, but ham broth is an even better substitute, if you've got some.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 7-8 ounces back bacon (aka Canadian bacon), cut into 2-inch pieces (or thick-cut bacon)
- 1 head green cabbage (preferably Savoy cabbage), cored and cut into 8 pieces
- 1 cup chicken broth (preferably homemade chicken broth or ham broth)
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt (if using homemade broth)
- 1 sprig of fresh thyme (optional)
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- Minced fresh parsley for garnish (optional)
How to make Instant Pot Cabbage
Cut the cabbage
To prepare the cabbage, peel off any loose outer leaves, then cut the cabbage into quarters through the core end. Cut the core out of each quarter. Then, cut each quarter in half to get eight slices of cabbage.
Melt the butter, cook the bacon
Put 2 tablespoons butter and bacon in an Instant Pot set to Sauté mode - high (or another pressure cooker over medium heat). Cook, stirring occasionally, until the butter melts and the bacon pieces are cooked and starting to brown, but not crispy.
Everything in the pot
Add the cabbage to the pot and stir to coat with the butter. Pour in the chicken broth and stir in the ½ teaspoon of salt (if using homemade broth.) Add the (optional) sprig of thyme.
Pressure cook for 6 minutes with a Quick Release
Lock the lid on the pressure cooker. Pressure Cook at high pressure for 6 minutes in an Instant Pot, other electric PC, or stovetop pressure cooker. (Use Manual, Pressure Cook, or Pressure Cook - Custom mode in an Instant Pot, and set the cooking time to 6 minutes.) When the pressure cooking time is over, quick release the pressure left in the pot.
Stir in more butter and serve
Unlock the lid and scoop the cabbage and bacon out of the pot with a slotted spoon, discarding the thyme sprig. Pour out the liquid from the pot. Put the pot liner back in the Instant Pot base, add 2 tablespoons of butter, and put the cabbage and bacon back into the pot. Sprinkle the cabbage with fresh ground black pepper, then toss until the butter melts and coats the cabbage. Transfer the cabbage to a serving bowl or platter. Sprinkle with (optional) minced parsley, serve, and enjoy!
Substitutions
Cabbage: I call for Savoy cabbage in this recipe because I like how it looks, with all the extra nooks and crannies in the leaves. Green cabbage works fine and is a good substitute. Red cabbage will also work, but it looks weird, so I use green-colored cabbages with this recipe.
Bacon: Irish recipes use back bacon, which we call Canadian bacon here in the US. I can find thick slices of Canadian bacon in my local supermarket, but I will also use regular bacon in this recipe if I need to use some. I prefer thick-cut regular bacon, cut into 2-inch lengths, but I'll use whatever I have on hand. Or, if you want to take this recipe over to Eastern Europe, substitute kielbasa or smoked sausage sliced into ½-inch thick rounds.
Broth: I use chicken broth in this recipe because I always have some in the freezer. I like the extra flavor it gives to the cabbage, making it taste like the "simmered with bacon all day" traditional Irish recipe. That said, skip the broth and use water if you want to. Or, if you want a little extra pork flavor, substitute Instant Pot Ham broth for the chicken broth.
Vegetarian: If you want a vegetarian version of this recipe, skip the bacon and substitute Instant Pot Vegetable Broth for the chicken broth. And, if you want to make up for some of the extra richness of bacon, add another tablespoon of butter at the end.
A little heat: If you want a little heat in your cabbage, sprinkle it with ½ teaspoon of red pepper flakes at the same time as the pepper.
Tips and Tricks
- Eighths of cabbage vs. chunks: I like to cut the cabbage into eighths for cooking; each slice makes a nice serving size, and I like the look of a wedge of cabbage on my plate. If you prefer smaller pieces, chop the cabbage into 2-inch pieces after coring. The cooking time for the recipe remains the same.
- Remove the outer leaves: The outer leaves on a cabbage are often tough; removing the outer layer of leaves gives me more tender cabbage after cooking.
FAQs
6 minutes with a quick pressure release.
As I said above, I like to cut it into eight wedges, but you can also cut it into 2-inch chunks if you want smaller pieces of cabbage.
Yes, absolutely! My testing showed 6 minutes is the right pressure cooking time, giving me tender cabbage that still mostly held its shape together. If I cooked it for 10 minutes it was falling apart, and beyond that it turned to mush, and gave me cabbage soup.
Equipment
Scaling
This recipe doubles easily in a 6-quart pressure cooker. Cut all the ingredients in half (or use a small head of cabbage), and this recipe will fit in a 3-quart pressure cooker. The cooking time does not change; it takes the same amount of time to cook the pieces of cabbage, no matter how many are in the pot.
Storage
Cooked cabbage, stored in an airtight container, will last in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for 6 months. I store leftover cabbage in 2-cup containers, with some bacon and a little pot liquid so I can reheat it as an easy side dish.
What to Serve with Instant Pot Cabbage
As I said above, this recipe is inspired by a traditional Irish preparation, so I think of it as a delicious side dish for main dishes inspired by Ireland: Instant Pot Irish Beef Stew, Instant Pot Irish Lamb Shanks, or Instant Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage as I mentioned above. And, no Irish meal would be complete without potatoes, so I will also make Instant Pot Colcannon (Irish Mashed Potatoes and Kale) or Pressure Cooker Champ (Irish Mashed Potatoes with Green Onions).
Print
Instant Pot Cabbage Recipe (With butter and bacon)
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
Description
Instant Pot Cabbage (with butter and bacon). Inspired by Irish Bacon and Cabbage, this is a quick and easy cabbage side dish for your St. Patrick's Day table. (If you want to go vegetarian, skip the bacon and use veggie broth.)
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 7-8 ounces back bacon (aka Canadian bacon), cut into 2-inch pieces (or thick-cut bacon)
- 1 head green cabbage (preferably Savoy cabbage), cored and cut into 8 pieces
- 1 cup chicken broth (preferably homemade chicken broth or ham broth)
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt (if using homemade broth)
- 1 sprig of fresh thyme (optional)
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- Minced fresh parsley for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Cut the cabbage: To prepare the cabbage, peel off any loose outer leaves, then cut the cabbage into quarters through the core end. Cut the core out of each quarter. Then, cut each quarter in half to get eight slices of cabbage.
- Melt the butter, cook the bacon: Put 2 tablespoons butter and bacon in an Instant Pot set to Sauté mode - high (or another pressure cooker over medium heat). Cook, stirring occasionally, until the butter melts and the bacon pieces are cooked and starting to brown, but not crispy.
- Everything in the pot: Add the cabbage to the pot and stir to coat with the butter. Pour in the chicken broth and stir in the ½ teaspoon of salt (if using homemade broth.) Add the (optional) sprig of thyme.
- Pressure cook for 6 minutes with a Quick Release: Lock the lid on the pressure cooker. Pressure Cook at high pressure for 6 minutes in an Instant Pot, other electric PC, or stovetop pressure cooker. (Use Manual, Pressure Cook, or Pressure Cook - Custom mode in an Instant Pot, and set the cooking time to 6 minutes.) When the pressure cooking time is over, quick release any pressure left in the pot.
- Stir in more butter and serve: Unlock the lid and scoop the cabbage and bacon out of the pot with a slotted spoon, discarding the thyme sprig. Pour out the liquid from the pot. Put the pot liner back in the Instant Pot base, add 2 tablespoons of butter, and put the cabbage and bacon back into the pot. Sprinkle the cabbage with fresh ground black pepper, then toss until the butter melts and coats the cabbage. Transfer the cabbage to a serving bowl or platter. Sprinkle with (optional) minced parsley, serve, and enjoy!
Equipment
Buy Now → - Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Pressure Cooker
- Cuisine: Irish
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Mike Vrobel says
Cabbage is quick and easy in the pressure cooker
Susan in Las Vegas says
Just a suggestion - don't throw away the pot liquid you pour off the cabbage and bacon when it's done cooking. Save it and use it to cook your potatoes. (Still save it when you're done with the potatoes!) Then use the pot liquid as the base for an AMAZING vegetable and/or bean soup. You'll have built up all that incredible taste, on top of the wonderful starting liquid. This liquid is also amazing for use in making corned beef hash, with any leftover corned beef and potatoes.