My quick pickled red cabbage recipe is a ridiculously easy way to add a pop of tangy, fresh-tasting flavor and vibrant color to your meals. Just pour a hot brine over fresh shredded cabbage and sliced red onion. Peppercorns, allspice, and a touch of red pepper flakes add depth to the simple vinegar brine. Once cooled, store in the refrigerator for up to 4 weeks. Enjoy the crisp-tender pickled cabbage as a condiment or side dish, whenever you want to add a little excitement to your plate!
Just When I Thought I Had Pickled All The Things…
I’ve pickled lots of fresh produce, but it wasn’t until recently — when I was enjoying street tacos at one of our favorite Mexican restaurants — that it dawned on me. I didn’t have a recipe for pickled cabbage. This crunchy, tangy, stunning magenta condiment makes a taco come alive, and all of a sudden I just had to have a jar in our fridge!
And I knew right where to start, with my super popular pickled red onions and its base of apple cider vinegar and red wine vinegar. The main ingredients from that recipe translated beautifully to the cabbage.
After my first recipe test, with cabbage being the only vegetable, I knew I wanted a little crisp, sharp bite in the jar. So I sliced up some fresh red onion, nice and thin, and mixed that in with the shredded cabbage. I also wanted to coax out more of the cabbage’s natural peppery notes, so I added black peppercorns to the brine along with the allspice and red pepper flakes. Perfect.
There’s no canning required here, and I’m done in 20 minutes. Oh, how I love that! Also, quick-pickled vegetables are known for their fresher taste and crisper texture (compared to canned vegetables), so that’s a huge win for me. And a jar of pickled red cabbage keeps really well in the refrigerator for up to 4 weeks. Talk about an awesome make-ahead jar of homemade deliciousness!
I’ve found that pickled red cabbage offers a lot more versatility than just topping my shrimp tacos. We now serve this as a condiment for grilled hotdogs, brats, and burgers, and it perks up simple grilled pork chops so very nicely. I’m also looking forward to cozy winter and holiday meals, where I know this’ll be perfect for cutting through rich, heavy dishes. And my latest lunchtime indulgence? I make an open-faced grilled cheese sandwich with toasted sourdough, melty Havarti and Gruyère, and pickled red cabbage. It’s SO GOOD!
Here’s How I Make It
A Few Notes From My Summer of Testing This Recipe
Be sure to use clean jars. While this recipe doesn’t utilize a canning method, clean jars are still the way to go. This ensures the best flavor and helps them last longer.
And whenever you remove some pickled cabbage from the jar, make sure the remaining cabbage is fully submerged in the brine before returning the jar to the fridge. This also helps keep them at their freshest best.
I prefer a very thin shred, no bigger than 1/8″ thick. This helps the cabbage pickle faster, but it’s more about the texture for me. I find the bite is much more pleasing and easier to chew when the cabbage is thinner. I always use a mandoline because it guarantees everything is the same size, but a sharp knife works, too.
If you want to make this ahead of time, I recommend that you make it 2-3 days in advance if serving for a special occasion. This gives the cabbage ample time to pickle while still having a crunchier texture. As the cabbage sits in the brine, it will take on more pickled flavor, but it will also become softer.
Quick Pickled Red Cabbage
Ingredients
- 3 cups packed, thinly shredded red cabbage
- ½ cup thinly sliced red onion
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
- ½ cup red wine vinegar
- ½ cup water
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons pure sea salt* or canning & pickling salt
- ¼ teaspoon whole black peppercorns
- ⅛ teaspoon ground allspice
- pinch of red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Add cabbage and onion to one 1-quart jar (or two 1-pint jars).
- In a medium saucepan over medium/medium-high heat, whisk together apple cider vinegar, red wine vinegar, water, sugar, and salt. Bring to a boil, whisking until sugar and salt dissolve. Remove pan from heat and whisk in peppercorns, allspice, and red pepper flakes.
- Carefully pour hot brine into the jar, over the cabbage and onion. Cover tightly with a lid. Gently turn jar upside down and then right side up again, and repeat a couple more times to combine. Remove lid and let cool to room temperature, pressing down on the cabbage occasionally with a spoon to fully submerge.
- Once cool, cover tightly with a lid and refrigerate overnight or until thoroughly chilled. The pickled flavor will intensify over time. This recipe is for refrigerator pickling only and needs to be stored in the refrigerator.
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