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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!

A jar filled with pickled red cabbage, with a fork lifting some cabbage out. The jar sits on a white surface with a green tiled background.
Tangy, crunchy, and unapologetically purple, this quick pickled red cabbage is the secret weapon you didn’t know your fridge was missing.
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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.

A woman smiles while holding a jar of pickled red cabbage inside a home with green and white decor.
A jar of pickled red cabbage sits on a wooden surface in natural sunlight, with a fork lifting vibrant strands of the tangy, pickled red cabbage.

Reader rating

★★★★★

“This was delicious and so simple to make-thank you!” —Kath

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Key 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!
Overhead view of ingredients for a recipe: a head of purple cabbage, sugar, salt and pepper, water, apple cider vinegar, and minced garlic in separate containers.
Multiple glass jars filled with sliced red onions and pickled red cabbage are arranged on a countertop. Text reads “Quick pickled red onions.”.
This pickled cabbage has been a reader fav for years.
A hand holds a jar labeled pickled red cabbage, use by: 3/28. A halved red cabbage and a plastic bag rest on the counter.
Tag @liveeatlearn if you make a batch!
Pickled red cabbage in a glass jar with a green background.
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Easy Pickled Red Cabbage

4.75 from 285 ratings
By: Sarah Bond
Prep: 5 minutes
Resting Time: 2 hours
Total: 2 hours 5 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Breaking down the basics of how to add delicious and tangy crunch to your life with this guide to 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
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Instructions 

  • Cut: Remove the core from the cabbage then shred with a mandolin slicer or knife.
    A half head of red cabbage being sliced with a knife on a wooden cutting board.
  • 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.
    A glass jar filled with chopped purple cabbage and minced garlic, viewed from above, on a white surface.
  • 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!
    A plate of shredded pickled red cabbage sits on a ceramic dish with a fork, surrounded by jars and a cutting board with cabbage.

Notes

To lid or not to lid? You’ll want some sort of jar with a lid if you want to store this in the fridge for future recipes. A glass jar is optimal as it’s less porous. Plastic jars can make for some off flavors once the vinegar has been sitting in it for a while.
Can you can it? Keep in mind, this isn’t canning, it’s quick pickling, so it will keep for 2-3 weeks in the fridge with a sealed jar. Tight fitting lids will keep longer than loose lids or just a covering.
Shelf Life: Raw ingredients will lessen your shelf life. For example, raw garlic, while a delicious edition, guarantees that your final product won’t last longer than the 2-3 weeks. Try to store in the middle of the fridge, as storing it in the back will risk freezing and storing in the doors can lessen the shelf life.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 22kcal | Carbohydrates: 4.6g | Protein: 0.5g | Fat: 0g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 396mg | Potassium: 82mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3.3g | Calcium: 18mg | Iron: 0mg

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!

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!)

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4.75 from 285 votes (231 ratings without comment)

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219 Comments

  1. Michelle Sabatini says:

    Is the water supposed to be hot or room temperature??

    Reply
    1. Sarah Bond says:

      Either! I do hot water if I want to enjoy this sooner and room temperature if you’re not going to enjoy it for a day or so.

  2. Edward says:

    Is the salt necessary? It adds a lot of sodium per serving(396 mg). I’m watching my sodium intake so this is important to me. Does eliminating the salt affect the pickling process and/or the taste?

    Reply
    1. Sarah Bond says:

      For quick-pickled cabbage, the salt isn’t just for flavor—it helps draw out moisture, keeps the texture crisp, and balances the acidity of the brine. You can reduce it, but the cabbage may turn out softer and a bit less vibrant in flavor. I wouldn’t skip it completely, but cutting the salt in half still gives good results while lowering the sodium.

    2. Jamie Hester says:

      The liquid doesn’t come close to covering the cabbage. Is that ok? Or maybe my jar is too big. Its the bigger typical size.

    3. Sarah Bond says:

      You can mix a little more brine if needed so that the cabbage is more covered!

  3. MARY NESEL says:

    Could the sugar be omitted?

    Reply
    1. Sarah Bond says:

      You can omit the sugar, it’ll just be a bit more tart because the sugar helps to balance out the tartness of the vinegar!

  4. Kristin says:

    Curious about the sugar in the recipe. I’m removing added sugar from my diet so is the sugar absolutely necessary? TIA for response! ps-I’ve made so many of your recipes!! I love chickpeas too! 🙂

    Reply
    1. Sarah Bond says:

      I’m so happy you’ve made and loved so many of the recipes. You can omit the sugar, it might just make the recipe a bit more tart than intended because the sugar really helps to balance out the vinegar.

  5. Joy Comaroff says:

    Do you have a recipe for a quick pickle green cabbage salad with caraway seeds?
    Also a recipe for pickled sliced cucumbers where the cucumbers stay crispy!
    Thank-you so much. 💐

    Reply
  6. Brenda says:

    I usually use Swerve as my sugar substitute. How do you think this would work in this recipe?

    Reply
    1. Sarah Bond says:

      I think it could work. The sugar is really to balance out the tartness of the vinegar. I would love to hear how it goes if you try it out!

  7. Philippa says:

    5 stars
    I made this at Christmas with the quarter red cabbage leftover from the braised Christmas Day red cabbage. It was absolutely delicious, so much better than shop bought pickled cabbage. So impressed about to make another jar today.

    Reply
  8. Lisa says:

    5 stars
    Would monk fruit sweetener work in place of the sugar?

    Reply
    1. Sarah Bond says:

      Yes that should work!

  9. Pam says:

    Since this calls for 1/3 medium cabbage, what would you do with rest. I hate to waste food?

    Reply
  10. Christalina says:

    Can I use green cabbage instead of red?

    Reply
    1. Sarah Bond says:

      This recipe is intended for red cabbage, which has a bit of a different flavor than green cabbage!