The Best Southern Stove Top Cabbage (With Tender Smoked Turkey)!!!

This Southern-style cabbage recipe has to be one of the best stove top cabbage recipes online. It’s full of flavor, juicy, and packed with smoked salty fat meat.

I am a fan of cabbage so it’s no surprise this is the 2nd cabbage recipe I’ve posted. Check out my Fried Cabbage Recipe, it’s a fan favorite and received tons of views on YouTube and Facebook. 

Listen, you have to try this if you’re looking for a delicious, simple, and easy-to-follow cabbage recipe. It’s juicy, tasty, and packed with flavor—this is what I call cabbage at its best.

I think it’s the perfect vegetable side dish, especially for a family dinner. I didn’t experiment with this recipe because cabbage is one of my favorite vegetables, and I have made it a thousand times!

This was pretty easy to perfect. I just had to add numbers to it to make it an official recipe. So here it is, y’all, some of the best soul food-style cabbage around. Give it a shot; you won’t be disappointed.

Looking for another recipe to go with this? Search for it here!

Why I love this recipe:

• Crowd-pleasing: This will definitely get people talking! I know because every time I take some to a big get-together, people rave about how good it is.
• An all-in-one dish: You get your veggies and protein all in one serving. I can eat this ALONE; I don’t even need a main course, but that’s usually how I serve it. Lol!
• Convenient: It’s convenient because all you need is one skillet, two heads of cabbage, some smoked meat, and a few simple ingredients. 

Smoked meat and alternatives

Now, when it comes to my choice of meat, honestly, I just switch it up from time to time and usually use whatever smoked meat I have on hand. I like using turkey necks and ham hocks the most though.

But since this recipe is for you all, and since people are pretty health-conscious nowadays, I decided to use smoked turkey tails. Turkey necks and legs are great alternatives, too, and even pork bacon.

Be mindful that different meats take different amounts of time to cook. For example, turkey tails don’t take as long as turkey necks and Ham hocks. Just make sure you add the cabbage to about 2 cups of liquid by the time your meat is done.

That’s about the amount of liquid your cabbage needs to cook in. Covering it will help produce the moisture and steam you need to cook it through. Cabbage produces a lot of liquid, as I talked about in my Fried Cabbage Recipe, so a lot of liquid isn’t needed. 

Do you wash cabbage?

Now, I get this question a lot from people on YouTube, and I always tell them that washing cabbage is not necessary. Cabbage is different because it’s in a ball!

So, unlike collard greens, for example, where each leaf and its crevices are exposed, cabbage’s outer layer protects it from dust particles, germs, and debris. So no, you don’t need to clean the cabbage!

How to cut cabbage

When it comes to cutting the cabbage, it’s very simple once you get it down-packed. All you’re trying to do is get rid of the inner core and outer layers of cabbage. Why?

Because the very inner core, the STALK, is too hard, bitter, and doesn’t taste good, and the very outer layer is dirty. I’m going to assist you in cutting the cabbage with step-by-step instructions and photos for illustration. 

1. First, remove the outer layer and slice off the rough stems, as seen in the photo to the far left.
2. Then, cut the head of cabbage in half and remove the hard circular stalk at the bottom.
3. Remove the very white and very inner core. You can keep most of it but remove the hard pieces, if any.
4. Then, chop all the cabbage up into small pieces.
5. Weigh the cabbage on a scale! You want 2 lbs worth of chopped cabbage.

What you need:

Here are all the ingredients we’ll be using for this fiya cabbage recipe and some of the tools you’ll need to make preparing this an easy process.

• Main ingredient: We’re going to using 2 heads of Cabbage
• Liquid: I’m using chicken broth to cook the meat and simmer the cabbage.
• Smoked meat: I’m using smoked turkey tails to add a smoked turkey flavor to the cabbage.
• Vegetables: Onions, Peppers, carrots, and minced garlic are my add-ins for depth of flavor.
• Seasonings: Seasoning Salt, Tony’s, Garlic & Onion Powder, Parsley, Sugar, Chicken bouillon cube, black pepper, and Crushed Red Peppers
• Fat: Butter

How to make Southern stovetop cabbage

1. Place a skillet or pot over medium heat, add in the broth and turkey tails, then cover with a lid and simmer until tender, for about 45 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, chop up the cabbage making sure to remove the stalk.
3. Chop the vegetables into small pieces.
4. Once the turkey tails are tender, remove and chop into small pieces.
5. Add the cabbage and chopped vegetables to the pot or skillet along with the chopped meat.
6. Add in the butter and seasonings (except the parsley & crushed red peppers), cover with a lid, and cook for 45 mins to 1 hour or until cabbage reaches your desired tenderness.
7.  Sprinkle in the crushed red peppers and parsley once done. 
   
   

Tips for success:

• If you’re unsure about the amount of salt, add the salt last because this dish has quite a few high-sodium ingredients. So add a little salt at a time once the cabbage is done to ensure it doesn’t come out on the salty side. Ok?
• Don’t add too much liquid! As I said, cabbage creates a lot of liquid, so be sure not to add more broth than needed. You may want to start off with even less liquid than what the recipe calls for and add a little more as it cooks if needed.

Main dishes perfect for this recipe

Here are some popular main dishes I often make cabbage with that I think taste great with it. Feel free to search my blog for other recipes you think you might want to serve with it. These are just a few good suggestions. 

• Grandma’s Sunday Dinner Meatloaf
• Simple Juicy Oven Roasted Whole Chicken Recipe 
• Baked BBQ Chicken Recipe 
• Slow Cooker Smothered Turkey Wings

Storage and reheating

• How to store cabbage? Place it in a container like a tupperware bowl. Cover with a lid plastic wrap or aluminum foil and store it in the refrigerator.
• Can you freeze cabbage? I’m not big on freezing cabbage because it’s already pretty soft, and once you unthaw it after days in the freezer, it’ll be a mushy, unedible mess.
• Reheat cabbage in a microwave: Place it in a microwave-proof dish for 3 minutes. Give it a nice stir half way through.
• Reheat Cabbage in a skillet: In a skillet, you can warm it up over medium heat for 8-10 minutes, stirring periodically. Make sure to check it to make sure it’s warm. It may take longer, depending on how much you have left over.

Frequently Asked Questions

• How long does cabbage last? I recommend finishing it off no later than 3 days after cooking it because cabbage isn’t meant to last long and taste it’s best eaten right after it’s made. If it sits in the refrigerator for too long, it can become soggy and wont taste nearly as good.
• How to double this recipe? You can simply double all the ingredients. I wouldnt double the broth. Just stick with 1 qt of broth and add more if needed.

Equipment:

• Knife: You’ll need a sharp knife to remove the stalk and chop up the cabbage and vegetables.
• Large Skillet: We’re making a nice amount of cabbage, so a large skillet is necessary.
• Slotted Spoon: Use a big spoon to stir the cabbage as it cooks and to serve it.
• Measuring Cups: A measuring cup will help us accurately measure the vegetables we’ll be using.
• Measuring Spoons: Measuring spoons are great for accurately measuring the seasonings.

All right, I think you have all the information you need to get started on this recipe. It’s super delicious and a cabbage recipe your pots will definitely get familiar with. Haha!

I have many recipes to come that I think you’ll love. So make sure you subscribe to get email notifications every time I post and follow me on social media. I’m on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

Enjoy, later!

PBJ~

The Best Southern Stove Top Cabbage (With Tender Smoked Turkey)!!!

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 1 review

• Author: PhillyboyJay
• Prep Time: 30 Mins
• Cook Time: 2 Hrs
• Total Time: 2 Hr 30 Mins
• Yield: 8
• Category: Vegetable Sides
• Cuisine: Soul Food

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Description

This Southern-style cabbage is succulent and tasty with a flavor you’ll die for, making it the perfect vegetable side dish for a family dinner.

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Ingredients

• 2 Heads of Cabbage
• 1 Qt Chicken Broth
• 1 Lb Smoked Turkey Tails
• 1/2 Cup Onions, finely chopped
• 1/4 Cup Carrots, grated
• 1/4 Cup Green Bell Peppers, finely chopped
• 1/4 Red Bell Peppers, finely chopped
• 2 Tsps Minced Garlic
• 2 Tbs Butter
• 1 Tbs White Sugar
• 2 Tsps Seasoning Salt
• 2 Tsps Tony’s Creole Seasoning
• 2 Tsps Parsley Flakes
• 1 Tsp Garlic Powder
• 1 Tsp Onion Powder
• 1/2 Tsp Black Pepper
• 1/2 Tsp Crushed Red Peppers

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Instructions

1.  Place a skillet or pot over medium heat, add in the broth and turkey tails, then cover with a lid and simmer until tender, for about 45 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, chop up the cabbage making sure to remove the stalk.
3. Chop the vegetables into small pieces.
4. Once the turkey tails are tender, remove and chop into small pieces.
5. Add the cabbage and chopped vegetables to the pot or skillet along with the chopped meat.
6. Add in the butter and seasonings (except the parsley & crushed red peppers), cover with a lid, and cook for 45 mins to 1 hour or until cabbage reaches your desired tenderness.
7.  Sprinkle in the crushed red peppers and parsley once done. 

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