Instant Pot Cabbage: An easy recipe for making steamed cabbage that’s quick, simple, healthy, and delicious. Perfect as a snack or simple side dish to any meal.
Steamed cabbage has easily turned into one of my favorite snacks. It pairs amazing as a side dish, but tossing some butter on it is enough to keep me satisfied. What I don’t love is how much of a pain it can be when going the traditional route.
Enter: the instant pot. If you’ve yet to purchase one – this is my urge to do so. It makes things like steaming vegetables about a million times easier.
What I really love about this snack idea though is not only how simple it is, but how incredibly healthy it is. The worst part is the butter but you can leave that off for an even healthier version.
Before we get to the recipe though, let’s go over how to pick the perfect head of cabbage. The last thing you want to do is make this with a mediocre selection.
How to choose the perfect head of cabbage
If you’re the kind of person to grab the first head of cabbage that looks decent and move on, I urge you to slow down and take your time in selecting your cabbage.
When selecting your cabbage, here are a few things to look for:
- A large, dense, and firm head that’s heavy in size and bright in color (you don’t want any cracking or bruising)
- When looking at the bottom, the leaves appear tightly packed (aged cabbage leaves will start to separate from the stem)
- It appears large in size indicating that leaves have not fallen off or been removed
Note: for best results, you’ll want to wrap it in a plastic bag and store in a dark, dry place upon arriving home from the store.
Preparing cabbage for cooking
Once you have your cabbage, you’ll need to prepare it before tossing it in the instant pot. But don’t worry – it’s pretty easy to do! Follow the tips below and you’ll have some well prepped cabbage ready for steaming!
- Always be sure to rinse your cabbage thoroughly before chopping
- Cut the cabbage in half and then remove the tough stems in the middle
- Place the cabbage side by side and cut each half into several pieces that are 1″ in size
Recommended cooking tools
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- Instant pot: I can’t recommend the instant pot enough as it makes cooking so much easier. I suggest either the 6QT or 8QT sizes for most needs.
- Chef’s knife: A good quality knife is a must for chopping and this one is the best. It cuts really well and fits great in your hand.
Instant pot cabbage ingredients
- Cabbage: choose a quality head of cabbage and chop it up to your liking
- Chicken broth: the amount of broth will vary depending on your instant pot (see notes)
- Butter: you’ll need just a bit of butter to give your cabbage some nice flavor
How to cook cabbage in an instant pot
- Add the chopped cabbage to the instant pot and pour in the proper amount of chicken broth according to your size of instant pot (see recipe notes).
- Close the lid and place the valve in the “sealing” position.
- Cook on manual high pressure for 5 minutes followed by a quick release.
- Add butter to hot cabbage and season with salt and pepper to taste.
How much broth should I add to my instant pot?
The amount of broth that you should add depends on the size of instant pot that you have and plan on using. Keep in mind that you do not ever want to fill it beyond the fill line inside of your pot.
- 6-quart: 1 cup of broth will be needed
- 8-quart: 1 1/2 cups of broth will be needed
Storing leftover steamed cabbage
Typically, you’ll eat this all in one sitting. But in the case of leftovers, you can reheat later and it will do just fine.
To store, move it to an airtight container and store in the fridge for 3-5 days. You can also freeze cooked cabbage for about 8 months.
To reheat, stick it in the microwave for 1-2 minutes, keeping a close eye on it.
Customize instant pot cabbage
I love my cabbage with some butter, salt, and pepper. If you’re looking to customize it a bit more though, there are a few things you can try.
- Seasonings: try adding thyme, oregano, or another one of your favorite seasonings.
- Liquid: you can use vegetable broth instead of chicken for a different flavor profile (you can also use water but you won’t get much flavor).
- Veggies: add sautéed onions, carrots, or bell peppers for added flavor and texture.
- Protein: add some shredded chicken and veggies to make it a meal!
More cabbage recipes:
Try these other simple sides:
Instant Pot Cabbage
Equipment
- Instant Pot
- Chef's Knife
Ingredients
- 1 head cabbage chopped
- chicken broth see recipe notes
- 1/2 cup butter
Instructions
- Add the chopped cabbage to the instant pot and pour in the proper amount of chicken broth according to your size of instant pot (see recipe notes).
- Close the lid and place the valve in the “sealing” position.
- Cook on manual high pressure for 5 minutes followed by a quick release.
- Add butter to hot cabbage and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Notes
- The amount of broth you need depends on the size of your instant pot
- 6-quart models will need 1 cup of broth
- 8-quart models will need 1 1/2 cups of broth
Don’t forget to pin this instant pot cabbage to save for later!
