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Pickled red cabbage is ready to eat in as little as 30 minutes, though it gets better with time. Toss shredded cabbage with a vinegar brine, pack it into a jar, and enjoy!
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.
Pickled Red Cabbage FAQs
About 3 to 4 weeks in a sealed jar. The color and crunch actually improve after the first day or two as the cabbage absorbs the brine.
Easy Pickled Red Cabbage (Super Crunchy)
Ingredients
- ¼ medium red cabbage
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar, 120 mL
- ½ cup water, 120 mL
- 1 Tbsp granulated white 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 is calculated by Sarah Bond, degreed nutritionist, and should be taken as an estimate. For the most accurate nutritional information, calculate it using the actual ingredients in your recipe.
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!)
What is the brine that people are referring to? I don’t see mention of it in the recipe.
Thank you
It’s just the combination of the water, vinegar, sugar, and salt 🙂
what size jar did you use?
16 oz glass mason jar!
Pickled cabbage is delicious middle eastern dish that goes well with shish kabobs and Peta bread BBQ and is a good healthy side dish
brilliant…not very good at culinary things.i have put jar in fridge and will leave for 2 weeks. looks good so far.[this is pickled red cabbage]
the shelve life is 2 to 3 weeks so don’t leave it that long to try it. It is ok to eat after about 24 hours in the fridge. 🙂
It was pretty good. Next time I will add more brine to cover.
Can I use green cabbage?
Hi, how would I make itnif I wanted the pickled cabbage to last months on a shelf ?
This will last for a while in the fridge, but to make it shelf stable you would need to pay a bit more attention to the exact acidity and sugar levels, and you would have to treat it in a water bath (here is a guide to that).
Just finished making this and am anticipating trying out later tonight for dinner! Although as some others have said, the brine didn’t cover my cabbage all the way even though I packed it into the jar as much as I could. No biggie though, just doubled the brine recipe and it filled up 🙂 I guess the weight of the cabbage would be a better indicator of how much to use rather than the size of the head, as different cabbages have different densities and size is pretty relative. Anyways, still looking forward to eating this! Thank you~
Can I reuse the water vinegar mixture for another chunk of cabbage or should I start from scratch with a new jar?
Yes you can!
I love how easy this is. It’s my go to when I’m making tacos but especially poke bowl! My hubby can’t get enough of this😋😜
I can make 4 jars of pickled cabbage and give three away.
I too have a small fridge.
I never know what to do with an entire head of cabbage now with your recipe using 1/4 cabbage I CAN SHARE.
Thank you soooo much for your healthy recipes.