How to Grill Cabbage

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: October 20, 2020 References Tested

There’s a pretty good chance you’ve never heard anyone say, “Hey, let’s grill up some cabbage.” But, believe it or not, the humble cabbage and a hot grill go together fabulously! Try grilling up some cabbage wedges or cabbage “steaks” as a great side dish. You’ll never look at a ho-hum head of cabbage the same way!

Ingredients

Grilled Cabbage Steaks

Makes 4-6 servings

1 large head of cabbage
1 tsp (2.5 g) of salt
1/4 tsp (0.5 g) of black pepper
crushed red pepper flakes, to taste (optional)
¹⁄₂ fl oz (15 ml) of cooking oil
optional toppings, such as ranch dressing, blue cheese, fresh herbs, balsamic dressing, etc.

Char-Grilled Cabbage Wedges

Makes 4-8 servings

1 medium head of cabbage
¹⁄₂ fl oz (15 ml) of grapeseed or canola oil
juice of 3 limes
2 cloves of garlic, coarsely chopped
2 fl oz (59 ml) of olive oil
1 tsp (5 g) of fish sauce (optional)
1/4 c (6 g) of fresh cilantro leaves
1/2 tsp (2.5 g) of salt
1/2 tsp (1 g) of cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp (1 g) of granulated sugar
lime wedges (for serving)

Bacon-Wrapped Cabbage Wedges

Makes 4 servings

1 medium head of cabbage
4 slices of bacon
4 tsp (20 g) of butter
1 tsp (5 g) of salt
1/4 tsp (0.5 g) of black pepper
1/2 tsp (1.5 g) of garlic powder
2 tbsp (12 g) of grated parmesan cheese

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:
Grilled Cabbage Steaks

1
Cut a large head of cabbage into ³⁄₄ in (1.9 cm) rounds. Peel off the loose outer leaves of a large head of cabbage—for reference, a large cabbage weighs roughly 2.5 lb (1.1 kg). Cut off just enough of the stem side to create a flat bottom when you stand the cabbage upright. Looking (and cutting) straight down, use a long chef’s knife or serrated bread knife to cut about ³⁄₄ in (1.9 cm) off of the cabbage on the left and right sides. Then, starting at either the right or left side, cut 4-6 rounds (or “steaks”) of even thickness.
- For thinner steaks that highlight the grill char on the outside, cut the rounds ¹⁄₂ in (1.3 cm) thick.^{[1]
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  Research source} For thicker steaks that remain a bit crunchier on the inside, cut the rounds 1 in (2.5 cm) thick.^{[2]
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2
Brush the cut sides of each cabbage steak with your preferred oil. Canola or grapeseed oil are good choices here, since they hold up well to high heat. Olive oil and avocado oil are also options, though they tend to burn more readily on the grill. Don’t use butter, as it will definitely burn.^{[3]
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- A thin, even coating of oil is all you need in order to keep the cabbage from sticking to the grill.
3
Sprinkle on salt, pepper and—if desired—crushed red pepper flakes. Add each seasoning to taste—a good starting point is 1 tsp (2.5 g) of salt, 1/4 tsp (0.5 g) of black pepper, and a small pinch of crushed red pepper flakes. Stir them together in a bowl before sprinkling them on to make sure they’re evenly mixed.^{[4]
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- Feel free to add or omit spices according to your taste. Don’t add any dried herbs at this point, though, because they’ll just burn on the grill.
4
Place the cabbage steaks on a medium-high grill for 5-6 minutes. Medium-high grill temperature is roughly 350 to 450 °F (177 to 232 °C). Leave at least 1 in (2.5 cm) of spacing between the steaks. Don’t disturb the steaks until it’s time to turn them.^{[5]
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- According to the “palm test” you should be able to hold your palm 2 in (5.1 cm) above the grill grate for 2-3 seconds at medium-high heat.^{[6]
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5
Flip the steaks and grill them for another 4-6 minutes. To turn a cabbage steak, use a grilling spatula and grilling tongs in tandem. Carefully slide the spatula under the steak while holding it in place, then lift and flip it. You’ll see some great grill marks on your cabbage steak!^{[7]
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- Thinner steaks may only need about 4 minutes more on the grill, while thicker steaks may need around 6 minutes. The goal is for them to have a nice char on the outside while still being slightly crisp on the inside.
6
Serve the cabbage steaks with your preferred toppings. Truth be told, the cabbage steaks will taste great as-is! That said, try taking things up another notch by adding your favorite topping combinations. Try, for example:
- Sprinkling on crumbled bacon, crumbled blue cheese, and chopped scallions, then drizzling on ranch dressing.^{[8]
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- Drizzling on balsamic dressing, then sprinkling on your favorite fresh-chopped herbs.^{[9]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:
Char-Grilled Cabbage Wedges

1
Cut a medium cabbage into 8 wedges. Remove any loose outer leaves, then cut straight down through the cabbage from top to bottom. Cut each half in half, then halve the quarters to end up with 8 equal wedges.^{[10]
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- A medium cabbage weighs about 2 lb (910 g).
2
Brush canola or grapeseed oil on all sides of each wedge. Use an oil with a mild flavor that can stand up to high heat. Olive oil and butter, for example, will burn when you put them on the hot grill. Be sure to brush oil on both cut sides and the uncut side of each wedge.^{[11]
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- ¹⁄₂ fl oz (15 ml) of oil should be plenty.
- A light coating of oil prevents the cabbage from sticking to the grill.
- If you don’t plan to use the dressing described later in this recipe, sprinkle on some salt, pepper, and any other spices you wish to add at this point.
3
Space out the cabbage wedges on a hot grill. Use grilling tongs to set each wedge, cut side down, on the grill grates. Leave at least 1 in (2.5 cm) of spacing between wedges. Don’t try to reposition the wedges once you’ve placed them until it’s time to turn them.^{[12]
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- High heat on a grill equates to roughly 400–500 °F (204–260 °C). At this temperature, you should be able to hold your palm 2 in (5.1 cm) above the grill grate for 1-2 seconds before it gets too hot to handle!^{[13]
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4
Blend up a spicy lime dressing for your cabbage wedges. While the cabbage is on the grill, create a quick sauce in your blender or food processor. Combine the following ingredients until the sauce is smooth in texture and pale orange in color:^{[14]
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- Juice of 3 limes
- 2 cloves of garlic, coarsely chopped
- 2 fl oz (59 ml) of olive oil
- 1 tsp (5 g) of fish sauce (optional)
- 1/4 c (6 g) of fresh cilantro leaves
- 1/2 tsp (2.5 g) of salt
- 1/2 tsp (1 g) of cayenne pepper
- 1/4 tsp (1 g) of granulated sugar
5
Grill each side of the wedges for 5-7 minutes. After 5-7 minutes of grilling, use your tongs to flip each wedge from one of its cut sides to the other. After another 5-7 minutes, flip each wedge onto its uncut side, and grill the wedges for another 5-7 minutes.^{[15]
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- You should see nice grill lines and some light charring around the edges when you flip the wedges. If the wedges are getting too charred for your liking, move them to a cooler section of the grill (if charcoal) or turn down the grill (if gas).
- If you’re having trouble flipping the wedges without them coming apart, slide a long grill spatula under each wedge while grasping it with your tongs.
6
Dress and serve your grilled cabbage wedges. Move the wedges to a platter, then pour the dressing over them. Squeeze on a bit of fresh lime juice or surround the edge of the platter with cut lime wedges.^{[16]
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- Serve the cabbage wedges within 5 minutes so they remain slightly crispy on the outside.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:
Bacon-Wrapped Cabbage Wedges

1
Cut a medium head of cabbage into 4 wedges. Remove the loose outer leaves of the head of cabbage. Stand it upright on its stem side, hold it firmly with your free hand, and use a large chef’s knife to slice straight down through the center of the head. Cut each half into even halves, creating 4 equal wedges.^{[17]
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- Alternatively, use a long, serrated bread knife and saw through the cabbage.
- If you have a large head of cabbage, cut each quarter in half one more time to create 8 wedges. Basically, if each quartered wedge looks too big to serve as a side dish, cut them in half again!
2
Spread butter over the cut sides of each cabbage wedge. Use as much or as little butter as you like—4 tsp (20 g) total is plenty for 4 wedges. Alternatively, brush on olive oil or another oil that you prefer.^{[18]
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- Allow the butter to soften at room temperature to make spreading easier.
3
Sprinkle on a mixture of spices and grated parmesan cheese. For a simple, crowd-pleasing seasoning mix, combine 1 tsp (5 g) of salt, 1/4 tsp (0.5 g) of black pepper, 1/2 tsp (1.5 g) of garlic powder, and 2 tbsp (12 g) of grated parmesan cheese in a small bowl. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the buttered sides of each wedge.
- Try adding a bit of cayenne pepper or crushed red pepper flakes if you want your grilled cabbage to have a little more kick!
4
Wrap a strip of bacon around each cabbage wedge. Wrap the bacon in a spiral pattern so it doesn’t overlap. If you have larger cabbage wedges or just really like bacon, go ahead and use 2 slices per wedge.^{[19]
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- If you want to skip the bacon, no problem—the dish is still great without it!
5
Seal each wedge tightly in heavy-duty aluminum foil. For each wedge, rip off a strip of aluminum foil that’s more than large enough to completely wrap it. Lay a wedge on one half of a sheet, fold the foil over, and crimp up the edges tightly to seal the cabbage wedge inside.^{[20]
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- Heavy-duty aluminum foil stands up better to the high heat of your grill. If you only have regular aluminum foil available, use 2 strips per cabbage wedge.
6
Place the wrapped wedges on a medium-heat grill. In general terms, medium heat on a grill is typically considered to run between about 300 and 400 °F (149 and 204 °C). Leave at least 1–2 in (2.5–5.1 cm) of spacing around each wedge on the grill.^{[21]
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- If you don’t have a grill thermometer or temperature setting, you can use the “palm test.” Hold your palm flat over the grill, about 2 in (5.1 cm) from the grill surface. If you can keep it there for about 3-4 seconds before you have to pull it away, the grill is at medium heat.^{[22]
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7
Grill the wedges for 40 minutes, turning them twice during grilling. Use grilling tongs to turn the wedges after about 12-15 and 25-28 minutes of grilling. Make sure both cut sides and the uncut side of each wedge gets time against the grill grate.^{[23]
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- Let the wrapped wedges cool for 5 minutes after the grilling time is up, then unwrap and serve them as a surprisingly fantastic side dish!