This easy recipe for quick pickled red cabbage is a great way to use leftover cabbage and make a versatile homemade condiment! Marinated in a vinegar brine with a few other staples, it’s flavorful yet simple. If you’re wondering what to with pickled red cabbage, try it on top of tacos or explore other ideas in the post!

Marinated red cabbage with a bay leaf in a glass jar on a counter.

Red cabbage is one of those ingredients that always seems to go to waste. I am often guilty of buying a head of it, using a quarter, and then forgetting about the rest. Lately, I’ve been determined to put an end to this wasteful habit!

Fortunately, red cabbage is incredibly easy to pickle. That’s because the thin, stringy pieces are perfect for soaking up brine. Just like my Pickled Celery and Easy Refrigerator Pickled Asparagus, this recipe is a great way to prevent vegetables from going to waste while making something delish in the process.

Plus, having pickled veggies on hand in the fridge is pretty amazing. They can add flavor and nutrition to a variety of dishes and help you increase your daily veggie intake!

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Ingredients
Instructions
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Storage
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Red cabbage, garlic cloves, bay leaves, sugar, salt, water, and vinegar.

Ingredients

Red cabbage: Also known as purple cabbage! You can shred the cabbage yourself (tips in the section below) or buy pre-shredded cabbage in a bag at the store. Of course, feel free to swap in green cabbage if that’s what you have!
Apple cider vinegar: I love the flavor of this vinegar paired with the sulfur-like taste of cabbage, but you can use other vinegars (like white wine, red wine, rice, or sherry) to make pickled red cabbage if you don’t have apple cider. Remember that different vinegars have different flavor profiles, and some are zingier and/or stronger than others.
Sugar: Use granulated sugar.
Salt: Use table salt or fine sea salt, since these will dissolve easily in the brine. You can also substitute kosher salt or another salt with larger granules, but make sure it dissolves fully.
Garlic: Fresh garlic cloves are great, but you can sub dried minced garlic if you don’t have fresh.
Bay leaves: If you’re not a fan of their flavor, omit them.

Instructions

The full recipe card for quick pickled red cabbage is at the bottom of the post. Here’s a preview of the steps with photos to guide you in the kitchen.

Red cabbage that was shredded with a mandoline on a cutting board.

Shred the cabbage, using a mandoline if you have one or a sharp knife. For more tips, see my posts on How to Shred Cabbage with a Mandoline and How to Cut Cabbage.

Vinegar, water, salt, and sugar simmering in a saucepan.

Prepare the brine by combining vinegar, water, salt, and sugar in a saucepan and bringing to a simmer.

Two glass jars stuffed with red cabbage and garlic before adding brine.

Stuff two glass jars, 12 to 16 ounces in size, with the shredded cabbage. Add a smashed garlic clove and bay leaf to each one. Divide the brine evenly between the two jars. It may not fully cover the cabbage at first, and that’s OK!

Two glass jars with pickled red cabbage after sitting for a few hours.

Seal the jars and let them come to room temperature. This may take as short as an hour or as long as 3 to 4 hours. During this time, the cabbage will soften and release some liquid, allowing the brine to end up fully covering the cabbage. It will look like it does in this photo.

Variations

You can certainly play around with your favorite spice combos for this recipe. Some readers have commented that they added red pepper flakes to make the final product spicier. YUM. Other possible additions include celery, coriander, fennel, or mustard seeds, fresh dill or thyme sprigs, or peppercorns.

Pickled red cabbage in a glass jar with a bay leaf sticking out.

Storage

Pickled red cabbage will last in a tightly sealed jar for about two weeks in the refrigerator. Keep in mind that this is a quick pickling recipe, NOT a canning recipe. You would need to follow the appropriate instructions regarding food safety and cleanliness if you were looking to make a shelf-stable canned cabbage.

Uses

If you’re wondering what to do with quick pickled red cabbage, I have some ideas! Try it:

On top of tacos, like my Ancho Chile Black Bean Sweet Potato Tacos, Crispy Smashed Black Bean Tacos, or Lentil Walnut Taco Meat
Added to sandwiches: BBQ (like pulled pork or my BBQ Lentils with Shredded Carrots), burgers, or fish
As part of a charcuterie board or vegetable platter
On top of bowls, like my Deconstructed Spring Roll in a Bowl or Salmon Teriyaki Bowl with Veggies
Straight out of the jar with a fork!

Quick pickled purple cabbage in a glass jar with a bay leaf.

More Quick Pickle Recipes

For other delicious ways to pickle vegetables and keep them from going to waste, check out:

I’d love to hear how you like this recipe! Rate/review using the stars on the recipe card or in the comments, and follow the Veg World on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. Looking for something totally different? Browse the recipe library.

📖 Recipe

Pickled Red Cabbage

Make your own quick pickled red cabbage in no time with this easy recipe! It tastes great on tacos, sandwiches, burgers, bowls, and fish.

4.91 from 11 votes

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 20

Resting Time: 3

Total Time: 3 20

Servings: ¼-cup servings

Calories: 15kcal

Author: Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN

Equipment

2 Glass jars (at least 12 to 16 ounces in size)

Ingredients

Instructions

Remove the core of the cabbage and slice it into quarters. Using a mandoline or very sharp knife, slice the cabbage into thin pieces.
In a saucepan, whisk together the water, vinegar, sugar, and salt. Bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar and salt. Remove from heat.
Divide the cabbage pieces evenly into two large glass jars. Add a smashed garlic clove and bay leaf to each jar.
Pour half of the brine into each jar so that they have equal amounts of liquid. The brine may not cover the cabbage pieces entirely and may only come up to the middle of the jar. This is intentional/not a problem, since the cabbage will release liquid and soften as it comes to room temperature. As a result, liquid will fully cover the cabbage after it sits for a while.
Seal the jars tightly. Let them come to room temperature. This will take anywhere from 1 to 3 or 4 hours.
After the jars have come to room temperature, transfer them to the refrigerator. Let them chill for at least a few hours before enjoying or even longer for a stronger taste!
Leave a rating or review by tapping the stars on this recipe card (above) or in the comments section (at the end of the post)!

Notes

Feel free to experiment with the combination of spices and seasonings in your brine! Try adding celery, mustard, or fennel seeds, peppercorns, red pepper flakes, or fresh herbs. You can use other types of vinegar, such as red wine, sherry, white wine, or rice vinegar, but keep in mind that they will have different flavors.
Store in a tightly sealed jar in the refrigerator and use within 2 weeks.

Nutrition

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This post was originally published in September 2018. It was updated with new photos and tips in March 2024.

Comments

4.91 from 11 votes (4 ratings without comment)

Quick Pickled Red Cabbage

Ingredients

Instructions

Variations

Storage

Uses

More Quick Pickle Recipes

📖 Recipe

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