This easy sweet and sour slow cooker red cabbage combines red cabbage, onion, apple and balsamic vinegar for a simple, flavorful vegetable side dish that goes with just about everything.

close up view of red cabbage on a white plate with fresh green herbs on top

This Red Cabbage is Made Simple in the Crockpot!

The ease, simplicity, and flavor of this simple slow cooker red cabbage makes it the perfect vegetable side dish for just about any meal! I particularly love it alongside chicken, pork, or fish, or in a savory grain bowl (but honestly, it goes with so many different dishes), especially for the holidays.

One thing to keep in mind as you’re cooking this is that as the cabbage cooks down it loses its bright purple color, but it gains a silky texture. If you’ve never had braised or slow cooked cabbage before and are wondering how this recipe tastes, it has a lovely sweet and sour flavor from the apple, vinegar, and brown sugar.

After cooking slowly in the crockpot for hours, the cabbage gets super tender and tastes like you’ve spent all day making it. It’ll be our little secret that you only needed a few minutes of hands-on prep and a couple simple ingredients to make it happen!

This recipe couldn’t be easier to make and is my go-to side dish for gatherings & parties. Simply add your chopped cabbage, onions, apples, vinegar, water, salt and sugar (if using) to your crockpot. To slice the cabbage, cut into quarters, then trim and discard the core. Stack the leaves, lightly flatten with your hand, then cut each stack of leaves into thin strips for this recipe. Then just let your slow cooker work it’s magic. After it’s cooked, you can stir in the optional butter, adjust salt to taste & you’re ready to dig in!

top down view of ingredients for slow cooker red cabbage in a black crockpot on white background

Why the Slow Cooker’s a Great Choice for Making Vegetable Side Dishes

I love using the slow cooker because it completely simplifies the process of adding veggie sides to any meal. And, because nearly all of my slow cooker vegetables are dump-and-go (meaning there is no pre-browning or sautéing required) the prep is fast and easy. Just chop, stir and go!  As a bonus, the slow cooker takes the load off the oven and stove top, making it a fantastic option for potlucks, parties, and holiday meals.

For this purple cabbage recipe I also tested it with a few flavor variations, if you’re interested in mixing things up a bit:

  • With Sausage: Simply add 1 pound sweet or hot Italian sausages to the slow cooker along with the cabbage.
  • With Bacon: Just add 1 pound cooked and chopped bacon to the slow cooker along with the cabbage.
  • With Balsamic Vinegar: This is a super easy variation! Simply use balsamic vinegar in the recipe.
spoon full of slow cooker red cabbage in a black crockpot

Key Ingredients & Substitutions

  • Red cabbage: I love the punch of color that red cabbage brings to this side dish and it goes so well with the apples and balsamic vinegar. Here’s my slow cooker green cabbage if that’s what you have on hand
  • Onion: The onion adds so much savory flavor, and I find really helps to balance the sweet & sour flavors. But if you don’t like or can’t eat onions, feel free to skip them in this recipe.
  • Apples: I used Honeycrisp apples for this recipe but you could use any other sweet, crisp, tart apple you like. Granny smith apples would be another great choice.
  • Brown sugar: Adds the perfect amount of sweetness and I found in tested works well to create that traditional sweet and sour flavor profile.
  • Balsamic vinegar: I love how vinegar pairs with the other ingredients to balance the sweetness and the earthiness of the cabbage.
  • Butter: I love finishing this with butter, since the fat adds flavor and an extra silky texture to the finished dish.
close up view of red cabbage on a white plate with fresh green herbs on top

This Recipe Is…

close up view of red cabbage on a white plate with fresh green herbs on top
5 stars (7 ratings)

Slow Cooker Red Cabbage

by Robyn Conley Downs
Servings: 8
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 4 hours
Total: 4 hours 5 minutes
This easy sweet and sour slow cooker red cabbage combines red cabbage, onion, apple, and balsamic vinegar for a simple, flavorful vegetable side dish that goes with everything.
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Ingredients

  • 1 medium head red cabbage, cored and sliced into thin shreds
  • 1 small yellow onion, sliced
  • 2 sweet tart apples, cored and thinly sliced, such as Honeycrisp
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ cup water
  • ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar

Optional (to add at the end)

  • 3 tablespoons butter

Equipment

Instructions 

  • To a 6-quart slow cooker, add the cabbage, onion, apple, salt, water, vinegar, and brown sugar, stirring to combine.
  • Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours or high for 4-5 hours, or until the cabbage is very tender. Do not uncover during this time.
  • Uncover and stir in the butter, if using. Taste and add additional salt, vinegar, or sugar if desired.

Notes

  • For more ingredients & substitutions, see blog post above.
 
Course: Side Dish

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 1 (of 8), Calories: 112kcal, Carbohydrates: 18g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 5g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 11mg, Sodium: 360mg, Potassium: 332mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 12g, Vitamin A: 1326IU, Vitamin C: 63mg, Calcium: 58mg, Iron: 1mg
Nutrition disclaimer
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