Bacon and braised cabbage is humble food done properly — smoky bacon, sweet shredded cabbage, and butter braised in beef broth. Everything goes into the Instant Pot in one go and comes out twenty minutes later meltingly soft but not mushy. It is the kind of side dish that quietly steals the whole meal.
Bacon and Braised Cabbage
(Total Time: 20 MIN| Serves: 4)
Ingredients:
1 ½ cups Beef Broth
1 pound (454 g) Cabbage, shredded
4 large Bacon Slices, diced
½ tsp Black Pepper
½ tsp Salt
2 tbsp. (30 ml) Butter
Directions:
- Set your IP to SAUTE and add bacon.
- Cook until crispy and add the butter to melt.
- Stir in the cabbage, salt, and pepper.
- Pour the broth over and close the lid.
- Cook on HIGH for 10 minutes.
- Do a quick pressure release.
- Serve and enjoy!
Per Serving (Calories 220 | Total Fats 9g | Net Carbs 5g | Protein 8g |Fiber: 1.2g)
Pro Tips
- Render the bacon until genuinely crisp before the butter goes in — soft bacon turns flabby once it braises in the broth.
- Shred the cabbage rather than chopping it; the finer strands drink up the beef broth and cook through evenly in ten minutes.
- Do a quick release right at the ten-minute mark to keep some texture — natural release can push the cabbage into soft territory.
- Use a good beef broth here since it is half the sauce; a weak stock leaves the cabbage flat no matter how much bacon is in the pot.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make this with red cabbage?
You can, though red cabbage turns the buttered broth purple and needs about five extra minutes to soften fully.
How do I store braised cabbage?
It keeps four days in the fridge and reheats beautifully on Sauté — in fact the flavour deepens overnight in the beef broth.
Can I double the recipe?
Yes, as long as the cabbage stays under the pot's max fill line; the cook time stays the same and the broth ratio can stay as written.
What does this go well with?
It sits happily beside pork chops, sausages, or roast chicken — anything that likes a smoky, buttery cabbage alongside it.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
Method
- Set your IP to SAUTE and add bacon.
- Cook until crispy and add the butter to melt.
- Stir in the cabbage, salt, and pepper.
- Pour the broth over and close the lid.
- Cook on HIGH for 10 minutes.
- Do a quick pressure release.
- Serve and enjoy! Per Serving (Calories 220 | Total Fats 9g | Net Carbs 5g | Protein 8g |Fiber: 1.2g)
