If you're looking for a fast and easy vegetable side dish, try this Instant Pot Cabbage. It's perfect for any weeknight dinner, or for your Irish St. Patrick's Day celebration.
Cabbage is such an underrated, versatile vegetable.
You can slice it up raw and enjoy it in salads, like this CPK Copycat Thai Crunch Salad or this Summer Slaw.
Toss it into Vegetarian Soba Noodles or Chicken Yakisoba for added texture, vitamins, and minerals.
Cabbage is also a key ingredient in our family's Filipino lumpia recipe.
And for those who appreciate the cruciferous vegetable, it's a delightful side dish all on its own. It just needs a little seasoning and some butter, and you've got a vegetarian side dish perfect for dinner tonight! And thanks to the electric pressure cooker, you can make this Instant Pot Cabbage recipe in under 30 minutes.
Jump to:
🌟 Why this recipe works
The cabbage is the star of this easy side dish. If you like cabbage, you'll love this recipe!
- Fast: you can make this from start to finish in under 30 minutes.
- Easy: the recipe is easy-to-follow. making it a great recipe for Instant Pot beginners too!
- Customize your crunch: you can adjust the pressure cooking time to make this cabbage the way you want it.
- Versatile: see the Serving Ideas section for different ways to enjoy this buttery cabbage dish!
- Nutritious: this dish is an easy way to enjoy the health benefits of cabbage, which is known for being packed with Vitamin C, Vitamin K, and known for increasing heart health and lowering blood pressure.
🛒 Ingredient notes
Cabbage - You'll need a small green cabbage -- the whole head of cabbage. Be sure to slice off the stem base and remove the outer leaves, then cut into wedges. Give the cabbage a rinse before drying it and adding to the Instant Pot.
Butter - Use unsalted butter. If you want to make this a vegan cabbage dish, you can use your favorite dairy-free vegan butter.
Garlic - fresh minced garlic cloves add a lot of flavor to this dish. You can use less if you prefer, but 6 cloves adds a nice amount of flavor!
Vegetable stock - you can use homemade stock or store-bought stock. And if you don't need this dish to be completely vegetarian, you can substitute chicken stock. You can even mix and match for flavor: a cup of chicken broth and a cup vegetable broth, as long as you have 2 cups of liquid total.
✅ Step-by-step instructions
Full instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post. Here's a visual step-by-step guide to help you make this easy recipe!
- Press Sauté mode on the Instant Pot. Add the butter.
2. Once the butter is melted, add the garlic and onions. Stir and sauté about 1 minute, just until the garlic and onions are soft and fragrant.
3. Add the thyme, kosher salt, and black pepper.
4. Pour in the vegetable stock.
5. Add the cabbage leaves and gently push down to submerge in the liquid (cabbage does not need to be fully submerged). Secure the Instant Pot lid, ensuring the pressure release valve is in the SEALING mode. Select PRESSURE COOK or MANUAL, set the temperature to high pressure, and set the time to 5 minutes.
The Instant Pot will take a few minutes to come to full pressure. Once the pressure cooking is complete, carefully do a Quick Release.
Once all pressure is released and the release valve pin has fallen all the way down, carefully twist and open the lid. If there is excess liquid, carefully strain out the liquid, reserving the cabbage. Serve immediately.
👩🏻🍳 Substitutions, additions, and recipe FAQs
- Substitute Italian seasoning, rosemary, or oregano for the thyme.
- Use your favorite dairy-free vegan butter to make vegan Instant Pot cabbage.
- Substitute chicken stock or chicken broth for vegetable stock if you don't need this to be a vegetarian dish.
- Add in your choice of red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper for a slight kick to the flavor profile.
- Want to add more vegetables? Feel free to add sliced red bell pepper, green beans, green bell pepper, red cabbage, or red onions to the dish. Just be sure to reduce the same amount of chopped cabbage as you put in of the new vegetables.
First, be sure you are using fresh cabbage. The older the cabbage, the mushier it may get. Second, watch your pressure cooking time. If you want crisper cabbage, start with high pressure for 3 minutes.
You may have overcooked the cabbage. If cooked for too long, sulfur compounds are released and the cabbage starts to smell funky (well, funkier than normal cabbage smell).
Store cabbage in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three to five days. But it's best to eat cooked cabbage soon after you cook it, as the texture and taste start to deteriorate within a day or two even with proper storage.
🍽 Serving ideas
This delicious side dish is great to serve with Instant Pot Pork Chops and Rice, Instant Pot Pork Roast, or Herb Crusted Rack of Lamb.
Serving an Irish feast for St. Patrick's Day? Include this cabbage dish alongside Instant Pot Irish Lamb Stew, Guinness Brown Bread, and Green Velvet Cake. Throw in some Shamrock Shakes for good measure! ( I know, the mint milkshakes are not really Irish, but they're fun!).
🍳 Kitchen tools and equipment
Ready to make this recipe? You'll need an electric pressure cooker -- any brand will do!
We use our Instant Pot Duo 8-quart electric pressure cooker and our Ninja Foodi XL Deluxe Pressure Cooker to make this dish.
More delicious recipes
So many good recipes to try, so little time! Here are a few we think you might like to try next:
Did you make this recipe? Don't forget to leave a 5-Star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the recipe card, and if you really loved it, please leave a comment further down on the page. Thank you!
Instant Pot Cabbage
Ingredients
- 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ cup diced yellow onion
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 cups vegetable stock
- 1 small cabbage head, with the end cut off, the outer leaves removed, and the cabbage head cut into small wedges
Instructions
- Press Sauté mode on the Instant Pot. Add the butter.
- Once the butter is melted, add the garlic and onions. Stir and sauté about 1 minute, just until the garlic and onions are soft and fragrant.
- Add the dried thyme, salt, and pepper.
- Pour in the vegetable stock.
- Add the cabbage leaves and gently push down to submerge in the liquid (cabbage does not need to be fully submerged)
- Secure the Instant Pot lid, ensuring the pressure release valve is in the SEALING mode. Select PRESSURE COOK or MANUAL, set the temperature to high pressure, and set the time to 5 minutes.
- The Instant Pot will take a few minutes to come to pressure. Once the pressure cooking is complete, carefully do a Quick Release.
- Once all pressure is released and the release valve pin has fallen all the way down, carefully twist and open the lid. If there is excess liquid, carefully strain out the liquid, reserving the cabbage. Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is a general estimate. Actual nutrition details may vary depending on the exact foods & brands you use to make this recipe. It does not take into account any substitutions, toppings, or optional ingredients.
Sara Welch says
Another great recipe for my Instant Pot! This was excellent! Can't wait to serve again for St. Patricks's Day!
Mindy says
Easy and delicious way to make cabbage. I served it with some baked chicken and rice.
Carrie Robinson says
Such a great idea for a side dish! :) I love that this recipe is made in the instant pot.
Anjali says
This made such an easy and healthy side dish for our dinner tonight!! The cabbage cooked perfectly in the instant pot!