Roasting vegetables brings out their best flavors. And when you add a little garlic, you have the perfect side dish. These crispy roasted cabbage steaks have crispy edges and are tender in the middle. They're infused with spices while they roast plus garlic for a delicious side dish.
Serve this as a great side dish or top them with a soft poached egg for lunch. It's ideal for a side dish to your St. Patrick's Day dinner.
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Want to make this cabbage steak recipe perfectly the first time? I want to help with that. So, check out this Table of Contents to see which sections of this post will help you the most.
Jump to:
- ๐ฅฌ Is Cabbage Nutritious?
- โค๏ธ Why you'll love this recipe
- ๐ง Main Ingredients + Notes
- ๐ช Recommended Equipment
- ๐ How to Make Oven Roasted Cabbage Steaks
- ๐ Grilled Cabbage Steaks Recipe
- ๐ฏ Top Tip for Slicing Cabbage Steaks
- ๐ฅ Make CRISPY Roasted Cabbage Steaks
- ๐ก Ideas for Variations
- ๐ง What's the Best Way to Store Roasted Cabbage Steaks?
- ๐ฉโ๐ณ Uses for Leftover Roasted Cabbage Steaks
- ๐ฑ Other Veggie Steaks!
- โค๏ธ More Cabbage Recipes I Love
- Oven Roasted or Grilled Garlic Roasted Cabbage Steaks
With millions of recipes literally at our fingertips, it's tempting to think you need to complicate things with at least 15 ingredients to get a great-tasting dish. And I've done it.
But I'm simplifying my life and my cooking. Simply roasting vegetable side dishes like these cabbage steaks, citrus roasted carrots, roasted Brussels sprouts, and roasted peppers burst with flavor.
🥬 Is Cabbage Nutritious?
Yes! Cabbage is a great way to get nutrition! And it's low carb - great news for those of you following a low-carb or keto diet.
Cabbage is a cruciferous vegetable belonging to the same family as Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, and kale. These vegetables are among the healthiest we can eat thanks to their potent mix of nutrients.
❤️ Why you'll love this recipe
- Very simple recipe.
- Only 4 ingredients plus salt and black pepper.
- Low-carb side dish.
- Lots of uses in addition to being a great side dish.
- Flexible recipe with lots of variations and multiple cooking methods.
🧅 Main Ingredients + Notes
The secret to faster and easier meals often lies in the ingredients. For example, store-bought items and ingredients you make ahead and store in the refrigerator (or freezer) can turn a 60-minute recipe into a 30-minute meal or less.
Go to the Recipe Card at the bottom of this post for all the ingredients, measurements, and directions for this roasted cabbage recipe.
- Cabbage - The best cabbage for this cabbage steaks recipe is green cabbage. Napa cabbage is too frilly to hold together into steaks. Savoy cabbage doesn't roast up as well with crisp edges.
- Herbs - I often use fennel seed, but many other dried herbs also work. For example, thyme, caraway seed, and dill seed. After roasting, feather some coarsely chopped parsley on top before serving.
- Garlic - I recommend using a garlic paste. Its smooth texture makes it much easier to apply to the cabbage steaks. You can make your own or use Gourmet Garden Garlic Paste. I've tried several brands, but many brands soak the garlic paste in water, which mutes their flavor. Garlic butter and garlic powder are two other options for garlic (See the below Variations section.)
- Extra virgin olive oil - or use a garlic-infused olive oil. Here's a recipe if you want to know how to make garlic oil.
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links to products and foods I use in my kitchen. Clicking on these links means that at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. To view my entire storefront of recommended kitchen tools and equipment, check out my shop on Amazon.
🔪 Recommended Equipment
Having the right equipment for recipes makes prepping so much easier. If you want more fuss-free prepping and cooking, check out my updated list of favorite kitchen tools and equipment.
- Rimmed baking sheet
- Sharp chef's knife
- Cutting board
- Silicone basting brush for basting the cabbage.
- Metal spatula - to flip the cabbages halfway through roasting or grilling.
📝 How to Make Oven Roasted Cabbage Steaks
Detailed instructions for this simple recipe are in the recipe card below, but here's an overview!
Step 1
Prep the cabbage. Remove any wilted or discolored outer leaves from the head of cabbage. Next, slice it into steaks.
There are at least 2 ways to slice a head of cabbage into steaks. Both work fine, but I find the flat discs easier to flip over halfway through the roasting process.
- The first method requires you to slice the cabbage head into 1 inch thick flat discs (pictured above).
- The second method creates wedges. Slice the cabbage in half, and lay each cabbage half on its flat end. Next, cut each half into wedges that are 1 ยฝ inch thick at the thickest end.
Arrange the thick slices on the prepared baking sheet and brush their tops with olive oil and garlic paste. Lightly sprinkle with fennel seed, salt and black pepper. Carefully flip over and repeat.
Step 2
Roast. Roast the cabbage slices in a 400˚F oven for a total of 45 minutes, flipping them once halfway through roasting.
Step 3
Serve. Sprinkle any last toppings over the cabbage slices and serve warm.
📝 Grilled Cabbage Steaks Recipe
The Recipe Card below is for oven roasted cabbage steaks. Follow these instructions if you prefer to grill this dish instead.
Step 1
Heat up the grill. Heat up your grill to a medium-high temperature, and close the lid to allow it to preheat. If you have a dial on the grill that shows specific temperatures, heat the grill to 400˚F.
Step 2
Prep the cabbage. Follow the instructions for oven-roasted cabbage steaks for prepping the cabbage.
Lightly brush a perforated metal grill basket with cooking oil that has a high smoke temperature, such as avocado oil or safflower oil. Arrange the thick slices (or wedges) on the grill basket.
Mix the same cooking oil with 1 tablespoon garlic paste in a small bowl. Using a silicone basting brush, coat the top surface of the cabbage slices and sprinkle with the fennel seed, salt, and black pepper. Flip over the cabbage slices and repeat.
Step 3
Grill the cabbage. Place the grill basket containing the cabbage steaks over direct heat and cook for 6 - 8 minutes before flipping over to cook another 5 - 6 minutes. A wide metal spatula is the best utensil to use to flip the grilled cabbage steaks.
The cabbage is ready when the outer surfaces are a bit crispy, and the inside is tender when a knife blade is inserted into the leaves.
Step 4
Serve. Serve warm with favorite toppings, such as grated Parmesan cheese, Ranch dressing, or garlic oil.
🎯 Top Tip for Slicing Cabbage Steaks
Make sure the cabbage steak slices are thick enough to flip. They should be 1 inch thick and no more than 1 ยฝ inches thick. If they're too thin, they fall apart more easily.
🔥 Make CRISPY Roasted Cabbage Steaks
Only the cabbage steak surface directly in contact with the baking sheet will crisp up. The remaining cabbage "meat" will be tender.
- Don't move the cabbage steaks while they roast in the oven's high-heat environment, except to flip them once.
- Arrange the steaks in a single layer on the baking sheet.
- Getting the surfaces of the cabbage slices to crisp if you live in a humid area will be more difficult. Pre-salting the cabbage slices may help. To do this, arrange the cabbage steaks on the parchment paper, lightly salt, and let sit for 30 minutes. Use a paper towel to dab up any moisture on the cabbage, and then make the recipe as directed.
- Preheating the baking sheet also crisps the cabbage steaks faster.
💡 Ideas for Variations
- Use red cabbage in place of green cabbage and make red cabbage steaks.
- Swap out the fennel seed for dried thyme, onion powder, chili powder, or taco seasoning.
- Add a little ginger paste to the garlic for a slightly Asian twist.
- Use garlic butter in place of olive oil and garlic paste.
- Substitute 1 tablespoon (or more) of garlic powder for the garlic paste. Adjust to your own garlic preferences.
🧊 What's the Best Way to Store Roasted Cabbage Steaks?
Storing leftovers: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 5 - 7 days. The crispy texture of the outer leaves will soften by the next day. Rewarm any leftovers in the microwave, oven, or air fryer.
Freezing leftovers: I have yet to freeze leftovers since there are many ways to use them. But you can freeze leftover roasted cabbage in freezer-safe containers or freezer plastic bags that seal. The crispy texture will soften. Thaw in the refrigerator.
👩🍳 Uses for Leftover Roasted Cabbage Steaks
Roasted cabbage steaks are so good you might not have leftovers. But if you do, here are some ways to use them.
- Add to casseroles, soups, or stews, such as this vegetarian Irish stew.
- Make colcannon (Irish mashed potatoes).
- Sprinkle freshly grated Parmesan cheese over the tops of the steaks and reheat in the oven.
- Chop and add to scrambled eggs with some grated Parmesan cheese.
- Make a roasted cabbage salad with Caesar dressing or lemon vinaigrette. Or toss the salad with apples!
🌱 Other Veggie Steaks!
Cauliflower is the obvious steak choice. And I have a few recipes on the blog you might try. This cauliflower steak recipe explains how to create steaks from a cauliflower head, using a few different methods.
Or make these pesto cauliflower steaks topped with pesto and buttery, crispy breadcrumbs.
In fall and winter, my go-to steaks are butternut squash steaks for a main dish.
❤️ More Cabbage Recipes I Love
I'm a cabbage lover. Here are some ways I love to use it:
- Shredded green or red cabbage on a tostada like this Black Bean and Avocado Tostada topped with Cabbage Salad. It's an easy-to-make lunch or dinner that comes together quickly.
- Braised cabbage is one of my family's favorite recipes, as in this French Braised Cabbage. Shredded cabbage is simmered in vegetable stock with white wine, cream, mustard, and caraway seeds.
- I also make homemade sauerkraut, which can improve gut health.
This is a useful guide on the 5 major different types of cabbage that includes tips for purchasing the best cabbage at your market, how to store it for a longer life, and how to use the various types.
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Oven Roasted or Grilled Garlic Roasted Cabbage Steaks
Equipment
- Chef's knife
- cutting board
- small bowl
- Grill (for grilling)
- Perforated metal grilling basket (for grilling)
Ingredients
- 1 head green cabbage
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon garlic paste
- 2 teaspoons fennel seeds or caraway seeds
- 1 teaspoons kosher salt to taste
- ยฝ teaspoon ground black pepper to taste
- fresh parsley for optional garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400˚F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Slice the cabbage head into 1 inch thick wedges (or slices) and arrange on the prepared baking sheet. Brush each cabbage steak with half of the oil, garlic paste, fennel, salt, and pepper. Carefully flip and apply the remaining oil, garlic, and spices.
- Roast for 25 minutes or until the cabbage edges that are in contact with the baking sheet turn a golden brown. Carefully flip over using a metal spatula. Roast for another 20 minutes, or until the cabbage steaks become tender but are crispy around the edges. Pro Tip: Do not move the slices while the cabbage roasts, other than this one flip. This constant contact with the sheet pan in a high-heat environment of the oven produces crispy edges.
- Serve warm and garnished with coarsely chopped parsley.
- Note: Leftover cabbage steaks lose their crispiness by the following day.
Liz
Sounds good and a little different. Thank you.
The Wimpy Vegetarian
The roasting really brought out the flavors! Thanks for stopping by!
Florian @ContentednessCooking
This looks fantastic, thanks for sharing!
Britiany Gaskins
It does not give me the option to post a picture. But I did make this and the flavor was amazing but my 'steaks' did not come out as steaks. I had a hard time with the 'root' of the cabbage while cutting..maybe I had a bad one. But my cabbage fell apart fairly quickly. I loved the char and the flavor! I can't complain! I made these with corned beef and roasted mini potatoes for st Patrick's day!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
I'm so glad you liked them! But I'm sorry for the trouble you had with the root, and it falling apart so quickly. I'm going to make them again and write some clearer instructions to avoid this, if I can. I love the feedback - thanks so much!!
Martha @ A Family Feast
You sound very much like my husband at our dinner parties and holiday gatherings - he's always afraid we'll either run out of food or some guests won't be happy with fewer choices. So we always have too many leftovers! I love this recipe - roasted cabbage is so simple to make and tastes fantastic!
Alisa @ Go Dairy Free
I love cabbage, but haven't tried it roasted yet - on the must make list now!
Kathy Hester
When can I come over for dinner? I hope you have these when I do ๐
Susan | LunaCafe
I love cabbage and this is such a novel treatment. Will definitely try it.
Amy Basso @ amysapron.net
What a fantastic idea! A nice change from shredded cabbage...
mjskitchen
This is a cabbage recipe that my husband would love. Cabbage isn't his favorite vegetable, but with lots of garlic, he'll eat this up. I know I certainly will. Clever recipe!
Norma Chang
Cabbage is one of my favorite veggies and I just love this recipe, definitely making when cabbages are ready for harvesting.
Lindsay Cotter
Such a delicious side! And so easy to make!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thanks so much! It really is! I make this all. the. time!!!
Toni | Boulder Locavore
I seriously need to give this a try! Looks SO good!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
I think you'd love this, Toni!!! It's the most popular recipe on my blog by far!!
Suzy
This is the best way to prepare cabbage! It's so good and the flavor is amazing!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thanks so much!!! It's absolutely my favorite way of making cabbage ๐
Andrea Metlika
I too am a cabbage fan. These steaks sound awesome and I have all the ingredients in my kitchen so I believe this will be tomorrow nights dinner.
The Wimpy Vegetarian
That's what I love about these - I almost always have all the ingredients on hand that I need to make them!
Jess
This is the yummiest looking cabbage I've ver seen! It looks and sounds delicious! Sign me up!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thanks so much!!! I hope you give them a try!
C
What a delicious and easy recipe to make. Quickly becoming a family favorite:)
The Wimpy Vegetarian
They're a family favorite here too!! Thanks so much!
Christy Atiles
F**cking delicious! I didn't have plain garlic only a garlic and ginger paste and it was amazing! I'm surprised how sweet the cabbage got when cooked. Great vegan side!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
I'm sooooo happy you liked this!!!! I love that you added a little ginger paste to it! Thanks so much for letting me know ๐
G.
Can you put them in an air fryer?
The Wimpy Vegetarian
I don't (yet) own an air fryer, so I haven't tried it. But I would think it would work great. If you try it, I'd love to hear how it works!
Kristine
What can I use in place of Fennel or Caraway seeds? I don't have either in my pantry and I'm trying to use up other spices instead. Thanks!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
I think a good option is dried thyme. Do you have any in your pantry?
Kristine
That i have! Thanks!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Great! Yay team!!
Anthony Scudder
Sesame seeds work great. Black sesame seed is even better.
Liz
I wish I would have found this recipe sooner! I had so much cabbage from the garden this summer. What a great recipe!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thanks so much! It's super simple, and so rewarding!
Jen
Served this with a side of mushrooms and onions in red wine sauce - it was heavenly. Thank you so much!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
That sounds wonderful!!! Thanks so much for letting me know!
Ile
I was looking to do something different with cabbage rather than the usual coleslaw as the temperature is a little cooler now. This was the perfect option. It was soooo easy to prepare and the flavor was delicious. I especially liked the flavor the fennel seed brought to the dish. Iโll definitely put this on our cold weather dinner rotation
The Wimpy Vegetarian
I'm so happy you liked it! Thanks so much for letting me know!