This post contains affiliate links.

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.
save this recipe!
Save this recipe!
Get this sent to your inbox, plus get new recipes from us every week!

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

Add your review

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.
rate pin print remove ads

Easy Pickled Red Cabbage

4.75 from 286 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
Save this recipe!
Enter your email & we’ll send it straight to your inbox. Plus you’ll get great new recipes from us every week!

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!)

Eat vegetarian cookbook.

Let's eat more plants!

Packed with over 100 reader-favorite vegetarian recipes, my cookbook is your go-to guide for easy, healthy meals that make plant-based eating a breeze.

grab a copy

You May Also Like

4.75 from 286 votes (231 ratings without comment)

Leave a comment

Question? Ask your question here! Sarah personally answers comments every weekday.

Rate this Recipe:




221 Comments

  1. Francesca says:

    What is the brine that people are referring to? I don’t see mention of it in the recipe.
    Thank you

    Reply
    1. Sarah Bond says:

      It’s just the combination of the water, vinegar, sugar, and salt 🙂

  2. Alara Mert says:

    what size jar did you use?

    Reply
    1. Sarah Bond says:

      16 oz glass mason jar!

  3. Janice says:

    Pickled cabbage is delicious middle eastern dish that goes well with shish kabobs and Peta bread BBQ and is a good healthy side dish

    Reply
  4. JAMES says:

    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]

    Reply
    1. Gaylene says:

      4 stars
      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. 🙂

  5. Baker Marilyn says:

    3 stars
    It was pretty good. Next time I will add more brine to cover.

    Reply
    1. Jacquie says:

      Can I use green cabbage?

  6. Nik says:

    5 stars
    Hi, how would I make itnif I wanted the pickled cabbage to last months on a shelf ?

    Reply
    1. Sarah Bond says:

      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).

  7. Gloria says:

    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~

    Reply
  8. Jenn says:

    Can I reuse the water vinegar mixture for another chunk of cabbage or should I start from scratch with a new jar?

    Reply
    1. Sarah Bond says:

      Yes you can!

  9. Lydia says:

    5 stars
    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😋😜

    Reply
  10. Wilma says:

    5 stars
    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.

    Reply