My Grandma Yola made cabbage and onions for Grandpa Joe for lunch all the time when I was very young, but after I stopped spending every day at their house it wasn’t a vegetable I had very often. By the time I became an adult with her own kitchen, cabbage wasn’t somethig I knew what to do with, or even knew I liked.
Enter Sakkio Japan at the Belden Village Mall Food Court in Canton, Ohio. It was a super standard mall chicken teriyaki joint, with awesome stiry fried veg, including cabbage. I was OBSESSED. Fast forward to today, and cabbage is in the rotation for my family just as often it was for my grandparents so long ago. This prep is super simple, and lends itself to pretty much any dinner vibe you’re going for. It cooks up crunchy and salty and pretty much perfect for any dinner, any time.
Snapshot
- Implements: large skillet; spatula or tongs; knife; cutting board
- Stove setting: medium heat
- Batch size: about 3–4 servings
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp chicken schmaltz
- 1 Tbsp butter
- 1 medium yellow onion, sliced
- ½ large green cabbage, sliced into ribbons
- Salt, to taste
- Black pepper, to taste (optional)
- Red pepper flakes, a pinch (optional)
- Vinegar or lemon juice, a small splash (optional)
Method
Heat the pan and melt the fat
Place a large skillet over medium heat and let it warm for a minute. Add the schmaltz and butter. Let them melt together and coat the pan.
Cook the onion first
Add the sliced onion and cook for 3–4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and lightly golden. This builds sweetness and prevents the onion from getting lost later.
Add the cabbage and sauté until tender
Add the sliced cabbage and a generous pinch of salt. Toss to coat in the fat. Cook for 5–7 minutes, tossing occasionally, until the cabbage is tender with some browned edges. Let it sit against the pan between tosses so it can actually brown. If the pan goes dry and the cabbage starts to stick before softening, add 1–2 Tbsp water and continue cooking. Do not add liquid preemptively.
Finish
Serve as-is, or finish with a small splash of vinegar or lemon juice and/or a pinch of red pepper flakes.
Notes, swaps, and guardrails
Vegan / vegetarian / dairy free variation
The vegan, vegetarian, and dairy-free labels apply to this variation (fat swap), not the base recipe above, which uses schmaltz and butter. The base recipe is gluten-free.
This recipe converts cleanly with one intentional fat swap.
- Replace the chicken schmaltz with olive oil or a neutral oil.
- Keep the butter if vegetarian, or replace it with vegan butter or an additional drizzle of olive oil if fully vegan.
The method stays exactly the same. Onion-first cooking still matters, and the cabbage will still release enough moisture to cook properly without added liquid.
Flavor will be slightly cleaner and less savory than the schmaltz version. If you want to compensate without adding complexity, finish with a slightly larger splash of vinegar or lemon juice.
Fat choice matters
Chicken schmaltz adds savory depth without dominating. Duck fat was tested and rejected for this dish due to its stronger flavor.
Order is not optional
Onion first, cabbage second. Reversing this leads to uneven cooking and flat flavor.
Moisture control
Cabbage releases its own water. Adding liquid too early guarantees steaming instead of browning.
Holding behavior
This dish is forgiving. It can sit warm on the stove while other components finish without suffering.
- Do not start with water.
- Do not rush the onion stage.