Blackened Cabbage with Chipotle Mayo

Yes, this cabbage is burned. But we’ll just call it “blackened cabbage” because it sounds nicer, good? No matter what you call it, I promise it is deeeeeeelicious.

Let me just give you a little background to explain why I burned my cabbage. We had some friends in town a couple weeks ago and we met them at a new BBQ joint in town. While searching the menu for something even remotely healthy I spotted their “spicy grilled cabbage”. I didn’t know what to expect, but I knew I loved cabbage, so I ordered it. What I got was a dish of smoky charred cabbage covered in a light layer of creamy, spicy sauce. To say it was delicious would be an understatement.

Blackened Cabbage is Actually a Thing! 

Fast forward to me at home brainstorming about how to recreate that yummy dish at home without a grill. I did a quick google search for “charred cabbage” and found that I wasn’t the only one who loved burned cabbage. I took notes from this recipe found on Bon Appétit and did my burning in a cast iron skillet instead of using a grill. It worked like a charm. I added a few minutes with a lid at the end to steam the cabbage and make sure it was tender all the way through, but the process was still incredibly simple.

How to Serve Blackened Cabbage

This cabbage is great on its own (with just the pinch of salt and pepper added during cooking), but I had to have that creamy spicy sauce. I don’t know what they used at the restaurant, but this quick chipotle mayo that I whipped up did the trick. You can drizzle it over top, smear it on the charred surface, or even cut the cooked cabbage into pieces and toss it in the sauce. Either way, it’s awesome.

Goes great with: Chili Rubbed Pulled Pork, Chili Lime Pork Loin, Honey Spice Chicken Thighs, Glazed Pork Chops, or any grilled or BBQ meat.

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Blackened Cabbage with Chipotle Mayo

4.77 from 21 votes

Blackened Cabbage is a fast and simple side dish that pairs beautifully with any grilled or BBQ meat. Add a creamy chipotle mayo for extra punch.

Author: Adapted from Bon Appétit

Servings 4

Prep 5 minutes mins

Cook 20 minutes mins

Total 25 minutes mins

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Ingredients

• 1/2 head green cabbage* ($0.39)
• 2 Tbsp high smoke point cooking oil ($0.08)
• Pinch of salt and pepper ($0.05)
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise ($0.28)
• 1/4 tsp chipotle powder ($0.03)
• 1/8 tsp garlic powder ($0.02)
• 1/8 tsp salt ($0.02)
• 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice ($0.09)
• 1 Tbsp olive oil ($0.13)

Instructions 

• Begin heating a 10″ or larger cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Allow it to preheat, before adding the oil, for at least five minutes.
• Remove any damaged leaves from the cabbage and rinse it well. Cut it in half, then cut one of the halves into four wedges. Leave the core intact (cut off the very end if it is dirty or damaged). Reserve the second half for a different recipe.
• Once the cast iron skillet is fully heated, add 1-2 Tbsp of oil and swirl to coat the surface of the skillet. Add the cabbage wedges to the skillet, making sure that each piece is laying flat on the surface of the skillet. Season the pieces with a pinch of salt and pepper. Let the cabbage cook undisturbed for about 7 minutes, or until the bottom side is well blackened.
• Flip the cabbage and season the second side with a pinch of salt and pepper. Let cook undisturbed on the second side for about 7 minutes, or until well blackened. The skillet may be smoking, so be sure to turn on your vent hood.
• Once the cabbage pieces have a good amount of black on each side, turn off the heat, place a lid on the skillet, and let it steam until the cabbage (including the core) is tender (5-7 minutes).
• While the cabbage is cooking, prepare the chipotle mayo by combining the mayonnaise, chipotle powder, garlic powder, salt, lemon juice, and olive oil in a bowl. Set the chipotle mayo aside until ready to use. Once the cabbage is tender, place a wedge on each plate and drizzle the chipotle mayo over top.

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Notes

*The head of cabbage I used was 3 lbs. when whole.

Nutrition

Serving: 1ServingCalories: 235.1kcalCarbohydrates: 11.55gProtein: 2.3gFat: 21.55gSodium: 331.68mgFiber: 4.45g

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How to Make Blackened Cabbage – Step by Step Photos

Before you begin prepping the cabbage, start to preheat a 10″ or larger cast iron skillet (I use this one) over medium-high heat. It needs to have about 5 minutes to fully heat through. You want it hot, hot, hot. Remove any dirty or damaged leaves from the cabbage, and cut it in half. You’ll only need half of a 3 lb. cabbage for this recipe. Cut the half into four wedges. Leave the core intact to hold the wedges together as they cook.

Once the skillet is very hot, add one to two tablespoons of a high smoke point cooking oil (like canola or peanut) to the skillet and swirl it to coat the surface. Add the cabbage wedges, making sure that each piece is laying flat on the skillet. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Let the cabbage wedges cook undisturbed for about 7 minutes, or until they are charred on the bottom.

Carefully flip the cabbage (I used tongs) and cook on the second side for another seven minutes, or until the second side is blackened. Season the second side with a pinch of salt and pepper again. You can flip them again if you want even a little more blackening action. After cooking on the second side the cabbage should be fairly tender and probably slightly brighter green. The skillet may produce quite a bit of smoke as it cooks, so make sure to turn on your vent hood or open a window!

Once it’s blackened to your liking, turn the heat off, place a lid on top, and let it steam for 5-7 minutes, or until the cabbage is nice and tender. This also helps hold in some of the smoke and infuses that smoky flavor throughout.

While the cabbage is cooking, prepare the chipotle mayo. In a small bowl stir together 1/4 cup mayonnaise, 1/4 tsp chipotle powder, 1/8 tsp garlic powder, 1/8 tsp salt, 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice, and 1 Tbsp olive oil. I added the lemon juice and olive oil just to thin it out a bit so that I could drizzle the sauce, but if you don’t have lemon juice don’t despair. It’s good without it, too. 

Plate the cabbage wedges and drizzle that delicious sauce over top (or just skip it if you want to keep things simple). 

And that’s it! Super simple, super delicious, Blackened Cabbage with Chipotle Mayo.