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When I lived in Europe, pickled red cabbage was everywhere: piled onto sandwiches, tucked into vegan döner kebabs, served alongside meals. Back home, I started making it myself and haven’t stopped. It takes almost no effort and makes every meal it touches more interesting.
Skip boiling! This guide shows you how to bring delicious, tangy crunch to your meals with extra-easy quick-pickled red cabbage. It’s a total back-pocket recipe that feels like a cheat code: zero cooking, just big color and bigger flavor.
Serve it on these cauliflower tacos or these tofu shawarma wraps, or make a pickled appetizer spread with more pickled veggies!
save this recipe!I’ve tested this recipe dozens of times. We’ve tried salting, simmering, shredding different ways…you name it. But the magic combo for fast flavor and vibrant crunch? A no-boil, vinegar-heavy brine and thinly shredded cabbage.
Toss it on chickpea tacos, layer it in veggie wraps, or pile it high on black bean burgers. It’s the kind of bold, briny crunch that makes your whole plate pop.
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Why You’ll Love This Pickled Red Cabbage Recipe
After testing this recipe more times than I can count, here’s why it’s earned a permanent spot in my fridge:
- Just a handful of pantry ingredients (and no special equipment required)
- Keeps for weeks in the fridge, so one batch goes a long way
- The color is stunning! That deep purple-pink is all from the cabbage reacting with the vinegar, no dye needed
Pickled Cabbage Recipe Ingredients
Jump to the recipe card for measurements and printable instructions!
- Red cabbage: We tested mandolin vs knife and found both worked, but a mandolin slicer gives those satisfyingly delicate ribbons.
- Apple cider vinegar: You can sub red wine vinegar, but you’ll lose a little sweetness.
- Seasonings: I use sugar, garlic, salt, and pepper, but feel free to throw in your favorite dried herbs or spices!
- Water
How to Use Pickled Red Cabbage
Pickled red cabbage is one of those condiments that quietly makes everything better. Here are some of the best ways to use it:
- On tacos. The acidity cuts right through the richness of taco fillings. Try it on mushroom carnitas tacos, air fryer eggplant tacos, or kimchi tacos.
- On burgers and sandwiches. It adds crunch and brightness that lettuce can’t match. Layer it onto veggie burgers, halloumi burgers, or vegan carrot hot dogs.
- On grain bowls and salads. A spoonful of pickled cabbage does what a dressing can’t. It adds acid, crunch, and color all at once.
- As a side. Serve it alongside anything rich or smoky as a palate cleanser. It’s especially good next to BBQ dishes like sticky BBQ chickpeas!
How to Store Pickled Cabbage
Store pickled red cabbage in a clean, airtight glass jar in the fridge. A standard mason jar works perfectly and keeps the brine from absorbing any off-flavors from plastic.
It keeps for up to 2 to 4 weeks refrigerated, and the flavor actually improves over the first few days as the cabbage continues to absorb the brine. Make sure the cabbage stays submerged — if it starts to poke above the liquid, press it back down or top off with a small amount of extra brine.
It does not need to be processed or canned. This is a quick pickle, meaning it lives in the fridge rather than on a shelf.
Easy Pickled Red Cabbage
Ingredients
- ¼ medium red cabbage
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar, 120 mL
- ½ cup water, 120 mL
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
Instructions
- Cut: Remove the core from the cabbage then shred with a mandolin slicer or knife.
- Assemble: Add cabbage to a large glass jar or bowl, along with all other ingredients. Seal jar and shake, or simply stir bowl and cover.
- Pickle: Set on the counter for at least 2 hours (up to 6), shaking/stirring occasionally. Store tightly sealed in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 weeks. Serve over salads, wraps, tacos, or burgers!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information calculated by Sarah Bond, degreed nutritionist.
did you make this?Leave a comment below and tag @liveeatlearn on social media! I love seeing what you’ve made!
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Love Pickles?
Be sure to try our other pickling recipes! Similar to this pickled cabbage recipe, these are all quick pickle recipes (meaning they’re ready in just a few hours instead of a few weeks!)
A weight measurement for the cabbage would be very helpful. As written the “¼ of a red cabbage” doesn’t mean too much given varying sizes of cabbage. I’d also suggest a thick cut on the mandolin.
Ive made this 3 times now, perfect. I chop up the cabbage in the food processor at the same time im making coleslaw for dinner. Its so easy and delicious. Thank you! I just tried similar with some cucumber, see how it goes.
I’d like to try this recipe but what would happen if you fermented it? Presumably without the acid of the vinegar until the end? Or would I just be making red sauerkraut?
I haven’t tried fermenting this one so I can’t say for sure! This is a quick pickling technique (so pickling without the fermentation).
I made it and we love it I have to make more because my daughter took what was left in the jar it is so yummy thank you for the recipe.
Do you heat the pickling liquid or combine everything cold??
You can just stir it all together cold! 🙂
Do you realise saying brine, NOT all know what you mean, asked 5 friends 1 had an idea, please add instructions, think, 5 year old.
The “leave in fridge 2-3 weeks”… does that mean it goes bad after that? Or that it will be ready after that?
It will be good to eat up until that point, then it starts getting a bit too old 🙂
Hi Sarah, can i use garlic puree instead of cloves,
Many thanks
Jeff Jones.
Yes that should work! Use less though, as the flavor will infuse into the brine more easily.
Thanks Sarah, i will let you know how it goes.
Jeff.
Hi so after the six hours is it good to eat , thanks
Yep!
Thank you for this recipe! I have made this about one every other week for the last 2 years. It is the perfect condiment to so so many meals. I sometimes add coriander and cumin seeds and sometimes even a bit of cinnamon depending on what I’ll cook that week. Always tasty!
I’m so happy you’ve loved this recipe for so long, Annette! Thanks a ton for dropping back to leave a review – it means the world!
You mean we can do the recipe and after 2 hours at least we can eat it ?
Yes!