Pair this Garlic Butter Roasted Cabbage with any main entree for an impressive meal! This melt-in-your-mouth delicious cabbage is loaded with buttery garlic flavors and looks beautiful to boot!
Looking for an impressive side dish to tantalize the tastebuds and infuse mealtime with joy?
While cabbage may not seem exhilarating, I’m here to tell you that this garlic butter roasted cabbage is just that!
The thrilling combination of garlic and butter when paired with the soft, natural sweetness of cabbage is a great way to enjoy the cruciferous vegetable
In addition to big bold, delicious flavors, roasted cabbage presents beautifully due to its golden brown caramelized layers. Even if you aren’t a cabbage fan, you’ll rejoice in these thick slices of buttery bliss the next time you’re looking for some hearty comfort food.
The inspiration for this recipe came from wanting to create a quicker and easier version of my Caramelized Cabbage with Bacon recipe.
Rather than monitoring cabbage slowly caramelizing in a skillet on the stove top, we’re simply allowing the oven to do all the hard work.
Simple to prepare, low-fuss, and minimal cleanup, you’ll want to put this amazing side dish on constant rotation.
Because cabbage is low in calories and the only calories we’re adding is coming from butter, this easy recipe pencils out to about 136 calories per serving, which is suitable for a low-calorie diet or a low-carb or keto diet.
You can find everything you need for this easy recipe at any grocery store.
Let’s discuss the simple ingredients for baked cabbage.
Ingredients for Garlic Butter Roasted Cabbage:
Green Cabbage: The main ingredient! Pick up a medium-sized head of green cabbage for this simple roasted cabbage recipe!
I like using medium-sized heads of cabbage instead of a large head of cabbage because I find the cabbage steaks are easiest to flip when the diameter is smaller.
I haven’t tested the recipe using red cabbage. My suspicion is it will work great but purple cabbage may need more time in the oven because it is slightly heartier than green cabbage, which is softer and caramelizes easier.
Butter: Unsalted butter not only brings iconic butter flavor to the otherwise subtle flavor of cabbage, but it also generates crispy edges for an amazing texture.
Fresh Garlic: Mince up a few fresh garlic cloves to bring a boost of delicious garlic flavor to this amazing side dish! Use 1 large clove of garlic for less garlic flavor and up to 3 large cloves for a lot of garlic flavor.
Seasonings: Sea salt, paprika, onion powder, and dried parsley. This combination of ingredients boosts the flavor of the cabbage and pairs nicely with the buttery flavors.
Add black pepper to your personal taste. You can sprinkle a little garlic powder on too if you have it available.
Recipe Adaptations:
- Love crispy bacon? Pan cook 4 slices of thick cut bacon, chop them into bacon bits and sprinkle the bacon over the cooked cabbage just before serving.
- You can use ghee or vegan butter spread instead of regular butter. For the best results, I do recommend sticking with a butter product as the creaminess and richness is miraculous here. If all else fails, you can brush the cabbage wedges with a generous amount of extra virgin olive oil.
- For some added spice, you can sprinkle the cabbage with red pepper flakes.
- Sprinkle the slices of cabbage with sesame seeds and a little sesame oil for a little Asian flair.
- Drizzle a little pure maple syrup over the cabbage rounds prior to baking them for a nice contrast to the savory butter.
- Serve with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and/or lemon zest to give this versatile side dish some citrus flair.
Now that we’ve covered the basic ingredients, let’s make this easy roasted cabbage recipe!
How to Make Garlic Butter Roasted Cabbage:
Bring 4 tablespoons of butter out of your refrigerator about 10-20 minutes ahead of time to soften, or use the ‘soften’ mode on your microwave to soften it.
Preheat the oven to 420 degrees Fahrenheit. The high heat results in a caramelized effect with a lovely crisp around the edges.
Place the cabbage on a cutting board and use a sharp knife to cut the rounded head and the hard tail off of the head of cabbage.
Cut the head of cabbage into 1/2-inch to ¾-inch thick wedges. This thickness results in super tender cabbage with crispy edges. If you’re looking for less crispy edges, cut the cabbage into 1-inch rounds and bake for slightly longer. Thicker cabbage rounds will also be easier to flip and will therefore present better if you’re trying to keep the aesthetic fancy.
Lightly spray a large baking sheet with cooking oil and place the cabbage slices on the sheet in a single layer. I recommend using a large rimmed sheet pan. If you don’t have cooking spray, you can use a sheet of parchment paper for easy cleanup.
Spread the 4 tablespoons of softened butter over the cabbage wedges. It will look like you have more butter than you need, but trust me – you’ll want to use all of it. You can also drizzle a little bit of olive oil over the cabbage to help protect it from the high heat of oven roasting if you’d like.
Sprinkle the cabbage with sea salt, onion powder, paprika, and dried parsley.
Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.
Carefully flip the cabbage using a sturdy spatula. I use a metal spatula and I get all the way underneath the cabbage rounds before flipping them, which makes them maintain their shape better.
Bake for another 5 minutes, or until the cabbage is golden brown, softened and beginning to caramelize.
As the cabbage roasts, you can prepare the final garlic butter drizzle.
Microwave the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter in a ramekin or small bowl for 20 to 30 seconds to melt it. Stir the minced garlic into the butter.
Spread the garlic butter mixture over the cabbage rounds. Note: you can also sprinkle fresh parmesan cheese (or cheese of choice) at this time too.
Continue baking for another 3 to 5 minutes, or until the garlic is very fragrant, and the cabbage has reached your desired level of doneness.
Note: if you don’t have fresh garlic on hand, you can skip this step and sprinkle garlic powder over the cabbage wedges at the same time as the other seasonings before roasting.
The exact cooking time depends on the thickness of the wedges as well as how you like your savory cabbage cooked.
Serve garlic butter roasted cabbage with your main dish, and enjoy!
Store leftover cabbage in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
And that’s it! The perfect side dish, even for picky eaters!
These crispy roasted cabbage steaks make a delicious side dish that requires very little prep work or direct contact.
This low-carb side dish is the best way to use up an entire head of cabbage while also enjoying the luxurious best flavors of your new favorite side dish.
What To Serve With Cabbage:
Here are my favorite main dishes to pair with this delicious cabbage recipe.
- Garlic Butter Roast Chicken
- BBQ Ribeye Steak
- Garlic Butter Salmon
- Mediterranean Shrimp Skillet
- Garlic Butter Baked Halibut
- The Best Roast Tri Tip
If you’re looking for more healthy side dishes, also try out these gems!
More Healthy Side Dishes:
- Smashed Sweet Potatoes
- Garlic Butter Blistered Shishito Peppers
- Apple Cider Glazed Roasted Carrots
- Zucchini Fritters with Herb Garlic Aioli
- Crispy Cauliflower Potato Cakes
- Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad with Roasted Butternut Squash
Crispy cabbage for life!
Garlic Butter Roasted Cabbage
Equipment
Ingredients
Instructions
- Bring 4 tablespoons of butter out of your refrigerator about 10-20 minutes ahead of time to soften, or use the ‘soften’ mode on your microwave to soften it.
- Preheat the oven to 420 degrees Fahrenheit. The high heat results in a caramelized effect with a lovely crisp around the edges.
- Place the cabbage on a cutting board and use a sharp knife to cut the rounded head and the hard tail off of the head of cabbage.
- Cut the head of cabbage into 1/2-inch to ¾- inch thick wedges. This thickness results in super tender cabbage with crispy edges. If you’re looking for less crispy edges, cut the cabbage into 1-inch rounds and bake for slightly longer. Thicker cabbage rounds will also be easier to flip and will therefore present better if you’re trying to keep the aesthetic fancy.
- Lightly spray a large baking sheet with cooking oil and place the cabbage slices on the sheet in a single layer. I recommend using a large rimmed sheet pan. If you don't have cooking spray, you can use a sheet of parchment paper for easy cleanup.
- Spread the 4 tablespoons of softened butter over the cabbage wedges. You can also drizzle a little bit of olive oil over the cabbage to help protect it from the high heat of oven roasting if you’d like.
- Sprinkle the cabbage with sea salt, onion powder, paprika, and dried parsley.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Carefully flip the cabbage using a sturdy spatula. I use a metal spatula and I get it all the way underneath the cabbage round before flipping – this helps keep the cabbage held together. Don't worry if the cabbage unravels a little. You can always arrange it neatly again. Bake for another 5 minutes, or until the cabbage is golden brown, softened and beginning to caramelize. As the cabbage roasts, you can prepare the final garlic butter drizzle. The exact cooking time depends on the thickness of the wedges as well as how you like your savory cabbage cooked.
- Microwave the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter in a ramekin or small bowl for 20 to 30 seconds to melt it. Stir the minced garlic into the butter. Spread the garlic butter mixture over the cabbage rounds. Continue baking for another 3 to 5 minutes, or until the garlic is very fragrant, and the cabbage has reached your desired level of doneness. Note: if you don't have fresh garlic on hand, you can skip this step and sprinkle garlic powder over the cabbage wedges at the same time as the other seasonings before roasting.
- Serve garlic butter roasted cabbage with your main dish, and enjoy!
Nutrition
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Perfect timing to share this recipe! With cooler temps outside, I serve this according to your directions, but at the last step drizzle with good marinara and turkey pepperoni strips, and a light sprinkle of aged Parmesan. Gosh it’s a meal in itself if you have two thin steaks and a nice glass of red wine!
Ooh, I love the idea of adding pepperoni and parmesan! Sounds incredible! Thanks for sharing your idea, Diane!! xo
I had a terrible time slicing the cabbage this way but that’s just me. The pictures show sliced (Very yummy looking) the written says wedges. It would be helpful to clarify. The sauce was good but I would use thin wedges if I make this again.
I’ve made this a couple of times now but with a little twist. I roasted a clove of “Elephant Garlic” and whipped it into soft butter, then rubbed it onto the cabbage steak with a spatula. I added all the other ingredients too and it came out great. The second time I use some chipotle “Better than Bouillon” along with the other ingredients and that was also delicious. Thanks for this recipe it was a nice change from my regular cabbage dishes.
WOW! That sounds incredible! I love the idea of using roasted garlic and this better than bouillon idea sounds amazing to me too! Thanks so much for sharing, Cynthia!
This recipe was incredible. I will make it again soon!
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@Jocko, comment