This Instant Pot braised red cabbage is a German side dish that goes great with bratwursts or any of your favorite German main dishes! Red cabbage, onion, and apples are cooked with an amazing sauce right in an Instant Pot. It’s super easy to make, incredibly delicious, and ready on the table in less than 25 minutes!
Easy Braised Red Cabbage Recipe
Braised red cabbage (or Rotkohl) is a traditional German side that’s paired with sausages, schnitzel, and so many other delicious mains! Thinly sliced red cabbage gets cooked down with aromatic onions, sweet apples, and an amazing sauce that has butter, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, and warm spices!
My take on this classic recipe gets made in an Instant Pot pressure cooker, so it’s done in no time at all! There’s no need to stand over a hot stove for hours – it takes just minutes to whip up this easy, healthy recipe!
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❤️ Why I Love This Recipe
A Hearty Side! Braised cabbage is a filling and nutritious side dish that pairs perfectly with so many meals!
Packed with Flavor! Onions, apples, spices, and apple cider vinegar all make this side dish full of amazing flavor!
Uses an Instant Pot! Pressure cookers are so popular because it gets lengthy dishes done in a breeze!
🥘 Instant Pot Braised Cabbage Ingredients
This simple braised red cabbage recipe uses apple cider vinegar to add a delicious tangy flavor to the sauce and tenderize the cabbage. Other than that, all it takes is some simple seasonings and a few ingredients that you might already have in your kitchen!
- Butter - 2 tablespoons of butter or use a butter substitute. You can use salted or unsalted butter for this recipe, whatever you prefer!
- Apple Cider Vinegar - 3 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar or use an apple cider vinegar substitute.
- Light Brown Sugar – 3 tablespoons of light brown sugar. Make sure the brown sugar is packed for the most accurate measurement!
- Salt - ¼ teaspoon of salt.
- Ground Nutmeg - ⅛ teaspoon of ground nutmeg.
- Ground Allspice - ⅛ teaspoon of ground allspice.
- Yellow Onion - ¼ cup of yellow or white onion, minced or finely diced.
- Apple - ½ cup of apple. Peel and thinly slice or chop the apple for the braised cabbage. *See notes.
- Red Cabbage – 2 pounds of red cabbage, washed and sliced (1 medium head of red cabbage).
*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*
🔪 How To Make Instant Pot Braised Red Cabbage
This incredibly easy recipe uses an Instant Pot, but you can use whatever brand of pressure cooker you may have! You will also need some measuring spoons, measuring cups, and a wooden spoon to get started.
This recipe will make about 4 servings, but you can always double the ingredients if needed. Make sure that you don't overcrowd your Instant Pot.
- Make sauce. Set your Instant Pot or pressure cooker to the 'Saute' function and melt 2 tablespoons (28 grams) of butter. Add 3 tablespoons (44 milliliters) of apple cider vinegar, 3 tablespoons (36 grams) of light brown sugar, and seasoning - ¼ teaspoon (1.5 grams) of salt, ⅛ teaspoon (0.25 gram) of ground nutmeg, and ⅛ teaspoon (0.25 gram) of ground allspice. Stir to combine.
- Add ingredients. Once the sauce is combined, add ¼ cup of minced or finely diced yellow onion (40 grams) and ½ cup (63 grams) of peeled, sliced apples. Then, stir the mixture to coat and add 2 pounds of sliced red cabbage (907 grams). Once you’ve added the cabbage, stir to combine all the ingredients.
- Seal. Place the lid of the Instant Pot on and seal it securely, making sure that the venting knob is in the sealed position. Once the pressure cooker is sealed, use the ‘Manual’ setting to cook the cabbage on high for 3 minutes.
- Release pressure. After your Instant Pot has built pressure and runs the cooking cycle, carefully release the pressure using the quick release with the venting knob. Allow the pressure to fully release before unlocking and removing the lid.
- Serve. Serve immediately when done.
🍴 What To Serve With
My quick and easy Instant Pot braised cabbage is served perfectly alongside smoked bratwursts or grilled bratwursts, jägerschnitzel, or any of your favorite main courses! Enjoy!
💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
- Use your favorite apple for this recipe! I like to use a sweeter apple like Gala or Honeycrisp, but you can even use a tarter apple like Granny Smith for a less-sweet taste!
- If you can, use freshly grated nutmeg. Fresh nutmeg has so much flavor compared to pre-ground nutmeg!
- Don’t have an Instant Pot? You can make this recipe in a large pot; just adjust the cooking time so that the cabbage is fully tender when served!
🥡 Storing & Reheating
My braised red cabbage will keep for about 5 to 7 days in your refrigerator when stored in an airtight container.
Freezing Instant Pot Braised Red Cabbage
If you’d like to extend the shelf-life of this braised cabbage, transfer to an airtight container or freezer storage bag and freeze it for up to 6 months.
Reheating Instant Pot Braised Red Cabbage
When you’re ready to eat leftovers, simply warm up the braised cabbage in a skillet over medium heat until thoroughly warmed. You can also microwave servings in 30-second intervals on high, stirring in between, until the cabbage has been warmed through.
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❓ Recipe FAQs
This German recipe makes a great side dish for various proteins like chicken, pork, or beef. You can also incorporate it into stir-fries, salads, sandwiches, or any of your favorite German main dishes!
Absolutely, you can freeze braised cabbage to extend its shelf life for up to 6 months! Allow it to cool completely before transferring to a freezer-safe container. Thaw and reheat when you're ready to enjoy it again.
Begin by rinsing the cabbage and discarding any dry or wilted outer leaves. Carefully use a sharp knife to trim the root end. Next, halve the cabbage through its stem and proceed to quarter it diagonally, removing the root. Finally, proceed to cut the cabbage into slices!
😋 More Fantastic Side Dish Recipes
- Broccoli Cauliflower Salad - This tangy salad is perfect for serving as a side dish for potlucks, picnics, and more!
- Baked Bacon Wrapped Asparagus - This asparagus recipe is an easy and elegant snack, appetizer, or side dish for any occasion!
- Sauteed Green Beans - It only takes 10 minutes to make this healthy veggie side dish that you can enjoy at any time!
- Green Garden Salad - This simple green garden salad is packed with fresh vegetables all tossed in a delicious vinegarette dressing!
- Roasted Mini Peppers - These roasted mini peppers are inexpensive to make and ready to serve in just 30 minutes!
- Instant Pot Cauliflower - This tasty vegetable side dish only requires 5 minutes of prep time before your pressure cooker takes over!
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📖 Recipe Card
Instant Pot Braised Red Cabbage
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 3 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 3 tablespoon light brown sugar (packed)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon ground allspice
- ¼ cup yellow onion (minced or diced, about ½ a medium onion or 1 small onion - or white onion)
- ½ cup apple (peeled and thinly sliced or chopped)
- 2 lbs red cabbage (1 medium head of red cabbage, washed and sliced)
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
- Set your Instant Pot or pressure cooker to the 'Saute' function and melt the butter. Add the apple cider vinegar, light brown sugar, and seasoning (salt, ground nutmeg, and ground allspice) then stir to combine.
- Once the sauce is combined add the minced or diced onion and the sliced apples. Stir to coat then add the sliced red cabbage and combine all ingredients.
- Place the Instant Pot lid on and seal securely then make sure that the venting knob is in the sealed position. Use the 'Manual' setting to cook the cabbage on high for 3 minutes.
- After your Instant Pot has built pressure and ran the cooking cycle, carefully release the pressure using the quick release with the venting knob. Allow the pressure to fully release before unlocking and removing the lid.
- Serve immediately when done.
Notes
- Use your favorite apple for this recipe! I like to use a sweeter apple like Gala or Honeycrisp, but you can even use a tarter apple like Granny Smith for a less-sweet taste!
- If you can, use freshly grated nutmeg. Fresh nutmeg has so much flavor compared to pre-ground nutmeg!
- Don’t have an Instant Pot? You can make this recipe in a large pot, just adjust the cooking time so that the cabbage is fully tender when served!
Robbie says
Is the liquid in the recipe enough for generating pressure in the instant pot? I was told to always add 2 cups of liquid so not sure. Thanks!
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
I think the cabbage, apple, butter, and apple cider adds enough liquid. I've made this multiple times, and I think it was perfect, but you can always add more liquid if you prefer. Let me know how it turns out 🙂
Robbie says
Thanks Angela for responding so soon! 😊 I will try with the lower liquid ratio then so the flavours will remain more concentrated 👍