Cabbage Steaks
38 Comments
Updated May 23, 2024
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Cabbage steaks are one of the best ways to enjoy a simple head of cabbage. Serve them up as a tasty side dish or a stand-alone meal with various toppings (I’ve got ideas below). Plus, it’s a great recipe to meal prep and and then create delicious meals throughout the week!
Before I started making cabbage steaks, I really had no idea what I was missing out on. And how incredibly flavorful this simple ingredient could be. After cabbage slices are roasted, they become tender on the inside, perfectly browned on the outside, and taste amazing with a drizzle of sauce on top — it’s the vegetarian version of a classic steak! All you need to do is slice the cabbage, dust it with seasoning, and let the oven work its magic.
There are also endless ways to serve them. You can slice the cabbage steaks into smaller pieces for a side dish, or you can leave them whole and add all sorts of toppings. You can even pair them with your favorite proteins. They’re truly versatile. So when you’re not making fried cabbage or simmering cabbage in cabbage soup, these roasted cabbage steaks are the next best thing!
Cabbage Steak Recipe Ingredients
- Cabbage: Both green and red cabbage will turn out beautifully for cabbage steaks. The only subtle difference is that cooked green cabbage has a sweeter flavor than the mild peppery undertone of red cabbage.
- Seasoning: All you need are olive oil, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper to give these cabbage steaks a savory garlicky touch. For more ways to flavor and serve, keep on reading below!
Find the printable recipe with measurements below
How To Make Cabbage Steaks
- Slice the cabbage. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Cut the bottom off the cabbage and stand it upright so the flat end is on the cutting board. Then, slice the cabbage into 1-inch thick slices, either from middle to edge or vice versa. But keep the end pieces because you can still roast those!
- Arrange on a baking sheet and season. Place the cabbage steaks in a single layer on a baking sheet. Brush them with oil and evenly sprinkle garlic powder, salt, and black pepper on both sides.
- Cook until tender. Roast the cabbage steaks for 40 to 45 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. The outer leaves will become slightly crispy, and the center will be fork-tender!
Common Questions
I find that roasting them between 40 to 45 minutes gets them perfectly tender on the inside with caramelized brown edges on the outside. But keep in mind that everyone’s oven heats differently. Keep an eye on your cabbage steaks so they don’t burn. And while they may look a bit dry on the outside, they’re be super soft on the inside!
Grilling is another great way to cook cabbage steaks with a smoky, charred flavor. Just remember to slice thicker pieces so they don’t fall apart on the grill. The cabbage will soften as it cooks!
Cabbage Steak Serving Ideas
- Keep it simple with a saucy drizzle. There are lots of sauces to pair with cabbage, but a few favorites are this roasted red pepper tahini with a sprinkle of feta cheese (which is what I did in the photo above), Romesco sauce, or basil pesto with grated parmesan cheese. You could even give them a Mexican spin with chipotle sauce and cotija cheese!
- Add crunchy toppings. You can add crispy shallots, crumbled bacon bits, or chopped nuts such as pecans or walnuts. More layers equal more flavor.
- Add protein for a full meal. Make this a complete vegetarian meal with spoonfuls of black lentils and a drizzle of sauce. If you’re not vegetarian, you can add cooked ground meat or shredded chicken. You could even serve them up for breakfast with a schmear of hummus or sauce and a fried egg on top!
- Slice the steaks into smaller pieces. You can enjoy smaller sliced pieces as an easy side dish, make it part of a breakfast scramble, or add to macro bowls. Use it wherever you would want a bite of warm, tender cabbage! You can also see how I do this with cauliflower steaks in my Healthy Meal Prep Cookbook.
Storage Tips
- To store for the week: This is one of my favorite meal prep ingredients to keep on hand to make a variety of meals throughout the week! Just store them in an airtight container in the fridge for 4 to 5 days.
- To freeze for later: If you’re wondering if cooked cabbage freezes well — it certainly does! Keep them stored in a freezer-safe container and they’ll last for up to 3 months.
- For reheating: Just pop a cabbage steak in the microwave for a minute or so until warmed through. You can also reheat it in the oven at 350°F for about 5 minutes.
More Cabbage Recipes
A head of cabbage can be made into so many delicious cabbage recipes. Here are a few favorites I make often!
- Coleslaw: Master the classic coleslaw with this recipe, or make this vinegar coleslaw for a refreshing no-mayo version.
- Corned Beef and Cabbage: The most delicious way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day!
- Sauteed Cabbage: Sliced cabbage is tossed in ghee, garlic, and onions, then caramelized until golden brown.
- Sweet Potato, Cabbage, and Lentil Salad: This is the wintery salad combo you didn’t know you needed.
I hope you love these cabbage steaks as much as I do! If you make them, I’d love to hear your thoughts on this recipe in the comment box below. Your review will help other readers!
Roasted Cabbage Steaks
Description
Ingredients
- 1 head of cabbage
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Slice the cabbage. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Cut the bottom off the cabbage and stand it upright so that the flat end is on the cutting board. Cut the cabbage into 1-inch thick slices.
- Arrange on a baking sheet and season. Place the cabbage steaks in a single layer on a baking sheet. Brush the oil on both sides of the cabbage steaks and evenly sprinkle both sides with garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
- Cook until tender. Roast the cabbage steaks for 40 to 45 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through, until the edges are crispy and the center is tender.
Lisa’s Tips
- You’ll usually get 4 good round pieces from a medium cabbage, and perhaps 1 or 2 small end pieces.
- Note that the cabbage steaks may look dry on the outside, but the inside will be soft and tender!
- Optional: In the last 5 minutes, you can add a sprinkle of freshly grated parmesan for a wonderful garlic parmesan flavor.
Nutrition
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I have made your cabbage steaks many times and with many variations. I make my own dressings using so many different ingredients and no matter what the options, they always come out delicious.
I even use the clunky pieces including the core as dippers in hummus and other dips.
My company cannot believe that such a simple, neglected veg. can be that good.
Thank you.
Hi Michael – I’m so glad you’re loving these cabbage steaks!
I love cabbage any way you can fix it. I like fried or cooked cabbage with good ole cornbread. YUM YUM
Hi Roxie – That’s the beauty of cabbage!
This recipe is awesome by itself anxious to try toppings
Hi Mary – This is such a great base recipe for toppings!
These were just perfect. Did them exactly as described and they were amazing and can be so versatile! (Add different toppings, sauces). We tried it with the roasted red pepper tahini and that was perfection too!!
Hi Trisha – Glad you enjoyed these cabbage steaks with the red pepper tahini!
I made these they were amazing and delicious and can be eaten for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, or even as a snack.
Hi Deborah – Happy to hear you’re loving these cabbage steaks!
Came out great no matter how horrible I made the slices of all different shapes and sizes. This is a keeper for sure.
Hi Brian – Happy to hear you enjoyed these cabbage steaks!
I have made this several times for my 11 year old daughter and I. My daughter loves it and asks me to make it over and over. Thank you Lisa for all of the good ideas and recipes.
Hi Bryan – I’m so happy to hear your daughter loves these cabbage steaks!
So simple and delicious. I made this with purple cabbage, and cannot believe how tasty this is!
Awesome, so thrilled you loved it, Donna!
These were fantastic. We have never made cabbage steaks before, and my husband said “I would eat this every night!” after he tried them.
Oh wonderful! Love to hear that!
This recipe is outstanding!
The timing was even spot-on for my temperamental oven, so that was a nice bonus.
We topped it w/ a light drizzling of a creamy Alfredo sauce for a couple & some broccoli slaw I whipped up topped off a couple more.
They were perfectly yummy as written, but adding some extra veg is always a plus – especially when it gets the entire family not bemoaning the fact that there was no meat involved. My son did have access to bacon bits though. LOL
Definitely a keeper & versatile to boot! Thanks for another winner! <3
I’m happy you loved the recipe and the timing was perfect in your oven! It’s crazy how different most ovens cook, so yay!
Hands down, cabbage is one of my favorite vegetables. We’ve had it every which way but this is a new one. Can’t wait to give it a try this week. Was thinking that a little bit of nutritional yeast would also make for a nice nutty flavor. However, the tahini/pepper sauce sounds heavenly!
Yes, nutritional yeast would be a great addition as well. Let us know what you think of it after you make it, Chris!
I made this last night with the roasted red pepper tahini. SO GOOD! I will definitely be having this more often. Thank you Lisa!
Glad you enjoyed this delicious pairing Megan!
Looking forward to giving this a try, I’m making the tahini dressing for the 1st time as well this weekend. Curious however how you would recommend seasoning ground meat or shredded chicken as you shared above so that it pairs well?
Hi Hannah – there are so many options when it comes to seasonings, it’s really just personal preference. You can use the top search bar to find some of my favorite homemade seasonings on the website. Enjoy the cabbage steaks!
These cabbage steaks are amazing but with that said how can I incorporate bacon an/or bacon bits into this recipe please. Thank you
Hi Billie – I’d just sprinkle them on top along with any of my creamy tahini sauces!
This was delicious! Thanks for the recipe. So easy yet so good. The surprising thing is how tender and moist the cabbagewas on the inside. I had to finish an avocado so I used that to accompany it – mashed up with lemon juice, oil and red pepper (which I had to finish as well).
Happy you loved the recipe, Jason! And yes, the cabbage is super tender on the inside. I also love how sweet it becomes! Sounds like a perfect combo with the avocado and red pepper as well.
Hi Lisa, I’m trying this today. Wondering if there’s an alternate for using olive oil and salt please.
Hi Kathy – you could use any oil in this recipe and omit the salt if you’d like.
I’ve seen these used as the crust for a cheesy low carb pizza. Maybe a future recipe?
Interesting! I’ll have to look into that.
I love all of the recipes from you Lisa everything is look so delicious
Thanks
Happy to hear you’re loving Downshiftology recipes, Daisy!
I LOVE LOVE CABBAGE!
I just fermented red cabbage and I’m in love!
This recipe is what’s for good eat’n tomorrow and I’m preemptively giving it 5 STARS because I know I’ll love it :)
Thank you Lisa!!
Do report back and let us know how it turns out Alisa!