Air fryer cabbage steaks make a wonderful savory side dish to go with your meal. The simple mix of seasonings adds great flavor and these are a quick way to get a healthy side dish on the table.
The first time my son ordered cabbage in a restaurant, I knew I’d be doing something right. He was 10. What 10 year old orders cabbage as a side dish when french fries are an option? I don’t know, but I do know that we love cooking up cabbage in a variety of ways. Usually, in the air fryer, I make an air fryer fried cabbage. There’s bacon involved!
Today though, I went another tasty route with these cabbage steaks. I love cabbage steaks for their simplicity and their flavor.
You’ll often see cabbage steaks made in the oven – taking somewhere around 25-30 minutes to properly roast. We use the air fryer and it only takes 10-15 minutes, plus no need to wait for the oven to preheat! I love how much time the air fryer saves us!
These go great with our air fryer boneless pork chops!
Ingredient Notes:
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Cabbage – We’ll need one small head of cabbage.
Seasonings – Olive oil, smoked paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, brown sugar, and salt are used for added flavor.
Want your recipe to be keto/low carb? Instead of using brown sugar, use your favorite brown sugar substitute. We like to use either Lakanto or Swerve golden sugar substitutes.
How to Make Cabbage Steaks in an Air Fryer:
- Seasoning Mix – Add all of the seasonings (smoked paprika, brown sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt) to a small bowl and whisk them together.
- Cut the Cabbage– Cut the stem from the cabbage to start. Then cut the cabbage into round slices about a half-inch thick or so. You should get roughly 4 evenly-sized flat discs of cabbage when it is done.
- Season the Cabbage – Brush both sides of your cabbage discs with oil and then sprinkle on the seasoning blend.
- Air Fry the Cabbage – Spritz your air fryer with oil and place your cabbage steaks in an even layer in the air fryer. It’s okay if they slightly overlap, but you’ll likely need to work in batches. Air fry for 10-15 minutes at 360 degrees. They will be tender after cooking for 10 minutes which is good for most people. If you like to have crispy edges, cook for closer to 15 minutes. So take a look at 10 minutes and cook to taste after that!
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FAQ:
Store refrigerated in an air-tight container for up to 4 days.
Reheat in your air fryer for 5 minutes at 350 degrees F.
This recipe will be low carb if you skip the brown sugar or use a brown sugar substitute. The sweetener isn’t strictly necessary, but we do think it helps balance the flavors and do recommend it.
Nearly any meat is good! Steak, cheeseburgers, or pork chops are probably best. Cabbage steaks are also tasty with chicken or ham!
Serving Suggestions:
We like these as a side dish with a protein for the main course. These air fryer cabbage steaks go great with:
Some people serve cabbage steaks as a vegetarian main dish. That’s not my personal favorite way to serve these as they don’t contain a lot of protein and we’re always trying to get in more protein for my vegetarian daughter.
If serving these as a meatless main dish, try one of these sides (most with a bit of protein to help balance the meal):
- Air Fryer Mushrooms
- Air Fryer Cauliflower Tots
- Air Fryer Green Bean Casserole
- Air Fryer Broccoli and Cheese Casserole
More Side Dish Recipes:
- Air fryer bacon wrapped asparagus
- Air fryer fried deviled eggs
- Air fryer cauliflower tots
- Air fryer poutine
Air Fryer Cabbage Steaks
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 small head of cabbage
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Cut the stem off the cabbage and then cut the cabbage into rounds about ½ inch thick. Depending on the size of your cabbage, you’ll have around 4 flat discs of cabbage steaks.
- Brush both sides of the cabbage with oil.
- Add the spices to a small bowl and stir to combine. Sprinkle over each side of the cabbage.
- Place the cabbage in a greased air fryer basket in a single layer. You may need to work in batches, dpeending on the size of your air fryer.
- Air fry at 360 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until the cabbage is cooked to your liking, golden brown and tender.
Notes
Nutrition
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Comments & Reviews
Tara says
Hello! I attempted it tonight and found that it’s taking much longer to cook than suggested. After 30 minutes in the air fryer at 375 degrees it’s still quite firm. Do you know what I might be doing wrong? This is my first time air frying cabbage like this.
Karly Campbell says
Oh gosh, that seems like a long time to still be firm! A lot of recipes recommend adding 1/4 cup of water to the base of the air fryer and that will help soften the cabbage up. We like the texture of it without the water (and are hesitant to add water unless the manufacturer says it’s okay to do so). If your air fryer is safe to add water to and you want a more tender bit of cabbage, you could try that! Otherwise, if the edges aren’t burning, I’d just keep cooking until it’s done to your liking.
Usually air fryers do all cook a bit differently depending on manufacturer and style, but not so drastically as that. Hopefully the next recipe you try works out a little closer to the directions!
joe hopper says
great recipe