There is nothing better than a classic braised red cabbage to enjoy on your roast dinner, providing sweet sharpness and plenty of flavour.
Though you can buy ready made braised red cabbage in jars, it’s very easy to make yourself and it freezes well too. Red cabbage (and the other ingredients you’ll need) tends to be very affordable too – so why not give it a go yourself.
Braised red cabbage doesn’t just have to be served on a roast dinner, either. It’s superb with cold meats on sandwiches, or on burgers or even in salads.

Classic Braised Red Cabbage – The Ingredients
- Red cabbage – use a whole red cabbage and shred it yourself if you can. It will be fresher than pre shredded cabbage.
- Red onion – red onion is best in braised red cabbage because of the sweeter, milder flavour. You could switch for shallots.
- Light brown sugar – adds the sweetness that you need for this dish, along with a gentle toffee flavour.
- Cider vinegar – you could also use red or white wine vinegar.
- Red wine – adds a depth of flavour but it is optional. If you don’t want to use wine, switch for the same amount of water or vegetable stock.
- Butter – for richness. Salted butter is best.
- Cinnamon stick – a simple cinnamon stick gently spices the braised cabbage and makes it utterly delicious!

More side dishes to enjoy with your roast dinner:
- The Most Incredible Stir Fried Kale
- The Best Cauliflower Cheese
- Potato Gratin with Pancetta
- Carrot and Potato Gratin
- Creamy Potato and Leek Gratin
- Welsh Style Potato Dauphinoise (Potato au Gratin)
- Incredible Truffle Mash
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Classic Braised Red Cabbage

This classic braised red cabbage recipe is a must for your next roast dinner.
Ingredients
- 1 red cabbage
- 1 red onion
- 70 g light brown sugar
- 70 ml cider vinegar
- 150 ml red wine
- 20 g butter
- 1 cinnamon stick
Instructions
- Shred the red cabbage. Peel the onion and finely slice it.
- Put all of the ingredients into a saucepan with a lid. Put on a low heat and cook – with the lid on, stirring occasionally – for 1 hour 30 minutes.
- Either serve immediately or store in the fridge for up to a week or the freezer for 3 months (reheat thoroughly before serving).
Nutrition
Calories: 144kcalCarbohydrates: 25gProtein: 2gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.2gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 7mgSodium: 65mgPotassium: 426mgFiber: 4gSugar: 18gVitamin A: 1646IUVitamin C: 81mgCalcium: 86mgIron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Red cabbage is an amazing side dish for roast dinners, and this one is simple and packed full of flavour