Pickled Red Cabbage

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This Pickled Red Cabbage is crunchy, tangy and a fabulous sandwich or taco topping. Made for refrigeration, it’s quick and easy too!

Pickling is one of those things that can seem a bit daunting when you start looking into it. There is usually special equipment, canning and a lot of time waiting. BUT what if I told you you can get the same delicious pickle flavor by doing quick pickling?

Quick pickling involves making a brine and pouring it over the top of whatever you want to pickle. Then you stick them in the fridge and they are ready in as little as an hour.

I love making quick refrigerator pickles, quick pickled red onions and pickled jalapenos and now, I’m kind of obsessed with this Quick Pickled Red Cabbage. It’s tangy, it’s super crunchy and it is so easy to make. And oh my gosh, can we talk about the color?! It is so pretty!

Pickled Red Cabbage Ingredients:

You only need a handful of ingredients to make this pickled red cabbage. You might even have all of the ingredients on hand.

• SHREDDED RED CABBAGE: You’ll only need about 1/4 of a small head of cabbage for this recipe. If you have a sharp knife you can shred it easily with thin slices or you can use a food processor to shed it. Or you can purchase pre-shredded cabbage.
• APPLE CIDER VINEGAR: Gives this pickled red cabbage the tanginess that you associate with pickles.
• SUGAR: helps cut the acidity of the vinegar.
• SALT: No special salt needed, kosher works fine.
• FRESH GARLIC: Chopped in big pieces or simply crushed will give a subtle garlic flavor.
• BLACK PEPPERCORNS: Whole peppercorns gives the brine a peppery flavor but won’t overpower the cabbage.
• MUSTARD SEEDS: Give the brine a little bite.

Step by Step Photos and Instructions:

One of my favorite things about making Pickled Red Cabbage is how easy it is. You simply need to make the brine and pour it over the cabbage. The hardest part? The wait for it to pickle.

STEP #1: Combine water, vinegar, sugar, salt, peppercorns and mustard seeds in a small sauce pan. Heat over medium heat until the sugar and salt have dissolved.

STEP #2: Pack shredded red cabbage and garlic into a clean 16 ounce mason jar. Pour the brine over the top. You may not use all of it, I like to make sure that I scoop out all of the peppercorns and mustard seeds and make sure that they are in the jar and discard the rest of the brine. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

You can serve after an hour or so and it will be flavorful and crunchy.

Storage and Leftovers:

Because this Pickled Red Cabbage recipe is a brining process and not a canning, this cabbage won’t last as long as canned cabbage. It’ll keep for a couple of weeks in a tightly sealed jar in the refrigerator.

I loved snacking on this cabbage right out of the jar but it would also be good on these recipes:

Fish Tacos: Perfectly crispy panko coated cod and spicy slaw piled into a corn tortilla, the perfect taco for your next Taco Tuesday.

Smash Burgers: This Smash Burger Recipe is going to be your new favorite. Follow this easy recipe to make drool worthy restaurant style burgers in no time.

Shrimp Rice Bowl: This Shrimp Rice Bowl is packed with flavor. Spicy shrimp, seasoned black beans, pico de gallo and cilantro cream sauce. Perfect for lunch or dinner!