This easy Slow Cooker Red Cabbage is the perfect make-ahead recipe for Christmas and a great way to save space on the hob. Slow cooked with some added sweetness, it takes a red cabbage and makes it something a little more special.
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We are all about the side dishes when it comes to the holiday season, as they are an easy way to take your big meals to the next level, and add lots of colour too.
It doesn't get much easier than cooking red cabbage in the slow cooker. The ultimate dump and leave Christmas side dish, that is also great for Thanksgiving, and goes perfectly with turkey.
Prep this slow cooked red cabbage ahead of time and then leave it in your slow cooker until you are ready to start cooking. You can also make it and freeze is ahead of the big day too.
If you are looking for some more red cabbage recipes, then why not try our Best Ever Coleslaw, No Mayo Coleslaw, Asian Slaw or Broccoli Slaw.
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Slow Cooker Red Cabbage Ingredients
A full ingredients list, along with US Customary and Metric measurements, can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Red cabbage - This is the main ingredient. Peel the outer layer of the red cabbage up and then thinly slice it. When choosing a red cabbage, you want to make sure that it is quite hard and heavy, and then outer leaves still feel crisp. If it feels soft, then put it back and pick another. It should last in the fridge for about 5 days, even once cut.
- Onion - We like to add a brown onion for extra flavour. You could use shallots in this recipe, which would add a sweeter flavour, or even red onions.
- Sugar - This is a must as cooked red cabbage needs to be nice and sweet.
- Vinegar - This helps to balance out the sweetness and also helps to keep the vibrant colour of the cabbage.
- Cinnamon - This is optional, but we love the warm flavour that this adds. It gives it a real Christmas vibe.
Slow Cooker Red Cabbage Variations
This is a really easy to adapt recipe, and we tend to make it a different way every time. Use this as a base, and then add in extra festive ingredients, or play around with the spices to suit your own tastes.
We just used a little cinnamon, but you could use more (or less), or swap some of it for nutmeg, cloves, star anise or ginger. Something else that adds some extra flavour, and lightens it a little is a squeeze of fresh orange juice and some zest.
Bump up the nutrients and stir in some fresh (or frozen) cranberries and some finely grated apples or pears.
How To Make Slow Cooker Red Cabbage
Just One Step: Put all of the ingredients into the slow cooker, season with salt and pepper and mix well. Cook on low for 5 hours.
What To Serve with Slow Cooker Red Cabbage
This is a delicious addition to any roast dinner. Whether it is a special occasion like Christmas Day, or a family Sunday roast. Why not try our Slow Cooker Roast Beef , Slow Cooker Gammon, Slow Cooker Lamb Shoulder or our Perfect Roast Chicken Recipe?
When it comes to other roast dinner side dishes, we have got your covered too. This red cabbage recipe would go really well with our Air Fryer Roast Potatoes, Roasted Broccoli, Roasted Swede or Garlic Spring Greens.
Dannii's Top Tips
- This recipe will have a slight vinegar taste to it, however if you swap it for water then the cabbage will lose all of the awesome purple colour that makes it such a vibrant side dish.
- Use a food processor of a coarse grater for the cabbage.
- Feel free to adjust the spices to your own tastes. You can use more or less cinnamon, and you can even add some ginger, nutmeg and cloves to make it even more festive. A little bit of orange juice and zest works well.
- Some finely grated apples or pears and a handful of fresh or frozen cranberries are a nice add in too.
- Add a splash of Red Wine for a lovely deep flavour.
- You may need to double this recipe depending on the size of your slow cooker. Remember that you should always fill your slow cooker half to three-quarters full for best results. If there isn't enough food in the slow cooker, then it can burn.
- Add a big bit of butter on top just before serving, and maybe even some crispy diced bacon if you like.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, and we do every year. We have enough cooking to do on Christmas Day, so any way we can save some time and effort, we do. We think put it in the microwave, or heat in a pan for a couple of minutes before serving up.
You could even just prepare everything the night before (which is what we like to do on Christmas Eve) and then turn the slow cooker on in the morning.
It will keep fresh in the fridge for 2-3 days in an airtight container. If you want to make it even further in advance, or you have lots of leftovers, then put it in an airtight container or freezer bag and then it will keep in the freezer for up to a month. The perfect make in advance Christmas side dish. Just make sure to defrost thoroughly before reheating. Use those frozen leftovers for any other meal you want. Red Cabbage isn't just for Christmas Dinner.
There really is no rule here. We use a Morphy Richards Slow Cooker and we love it. What I love most about it is that you can put the bowl insert on the hob too. I also love that it has a clear lid, as I am so impatient that I want to keep looking and seeing what it is doing. If you don't have a clear lid, then lifting it to see will release lots of the heat and add to the cooking time.
More Slow Cooker Vegetables
If you've tried this Crock Pot red cabbage recipe, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
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Recipe
Slow Cooker Red Cabbage
Ingredients
- 550 g (1.25 lb) of Red cabbage - shredded
- 1 Onion - small; peeled and thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoon of Light brown sugar
- 3 tablespoon of Apple cider vinegar
- 0.25 teaspoon of Ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Put all of the ingredients in to the slow cooker, season with salt and pepper and mix well.
- Cook on low for 5 hours.
Recipe Video
Recipe Tips
- This recipe will have a slight vinegar taste to it, however if you swap it for water then the cabbage will lose all of the awesome purple colour that makes it such a vibrant side dish.
- Use a food processor of a coarse grater for the cabbage.
- Feel free to adjust the spices to your own tastes. You can use more or less cinnamon, and you can even add some ginger, nutmeg and cloves to make it even more festive. A little bit of orange juice and zest works well.
- Some finely grated apples or pears and a handful of fresh or frozen cranberries are a nice add in too.
- Add a splash of Red Wine for a lovely deep flavour.
- You may need to double this recipe depending on the size of your slow cooker. Remember that you should always fill your slow cooker half to three-quarters full for best results. If there isn't enough food in the slow cooker, then it can burn.
Nutritional Information
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The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
As all appliances vary, cooking times are a guide. Please note that by changing the serving size, the cooking time may also need to be altered.
Lizzie says
I’ve put too much cider in whilst cooking help?
Dannii says
How much is too much? And it is Apple Cider Vinegar, not cider.
Leah says
Hi
Would love to make this dish but I can’t use sugar or sugar substitute. Can I just omit the sugar.
Thank you in advance for your response.
Leah
Dannii says
Yes, you can just leave it out. Obviously it won't taste sweet, but that's not a problem. Enjoy :)
Jayne says
I love this kind of cabbage dish - it adds so much lovely colour as well as flavour. If you have leftovers (I always seem to make too much), it also goes really well with things like shepherd's pie or Lancashire hotpot. I like the idea of putting pears in it - I've used apples before but never thought of using pears. We are going to be back in the UK next week after languishing in Turkey (lovely tomatoes and courgettes, but rubbish winter veg) for months, so can't wait for a proper roast dinner (preferably involving something porky, even if it's just bangers) - I always forget about red cabbage apart from Christmas Day, so this is going on the list. In fact, now I think about it, bangers and mash with this cabbage? Yum.
Sophie Goel says
This dish is so colorful!! I'm excited to add a healthy option to Thanksgiving this year.
Jen says
I took your advice and added shredded apples and pears and wow, it was amazing!
Sapana says
Such a delicious and healthy side to add to my Thanksgiving menu this year!
Anita says
I love how easy and how pretty this salad is. And it's so delicious too.
Emese says
So this gorgeous colour is due to apple cider vinegar? I didn't know. Thanks for the tip.
Lisa says
Simple side dishes like this are my favorite. And love the hint of spice! Perfect for the holidays!
Amy says
Such a delicious festive side dish, love it!
David says
I've been using red cabbage more lately but haven't tried in the slow cooker. So thanks for this idea! Good tip on picking out the cabbage, too.
SHANIKA says
Red Cabbage is a great veggie as a side dish! I always love a good Slow Cooker recipe, so this is perfect!
Gloria says
I still think the slow cooker was the best invention ever. This is a great recipe and the perfect side dish for comfort food season. I am Ukrainian and a cabbage lover for sure.
Natalie says
What a lovely dinner side dish option. I will definitely make this. Love red cabbage. It's so healthy.
Pam Greer says
This is the only way we make cabbage now! So easy! Sometimes we add apples, and it's so good!