This air fryer cabbage and bacon also features onions and southern style seasonings for a tasty side dish. It’s naturally gluten free, low carb, and Keto friendly too!
Dice your bacon (about ½” squares), dice your onion, and then core the cabbage and roughly chop it (into around 1” pieces)
½ Small head green cabbage, ¼ yellow onion, 4 Strips bacon
Remove the grate from your air fryer if possible (for basket style air fryers), or line the grate or rack with foil if that’s not possible (the idea is to trap the bacon grease for this dish)
Add the cabbage to your air fryer’s basket or rack (try not to go more than 1” deep). Sprinkle the salt, pepper, garlic powder, sugar, and red pepper flakes over top
1 ½ Tsp granulated sugar, ½ Tsp salt, ½ Tsp black pepper, ½ Tsp garlic powder, ⅛ Tsp red pepper flakes
Evenly top the cabbage with the onion and then finish with the bacon pieces
Cook on the air fry setting at 400°F for 10 minutes
The bacon should start to render, so give everything a stir to mix the grease in with the cabbage and distribute the seasonings around. Then, cook an additional 10-15 minutes (stir every 5) until the cabbage and onions are tender and the bacon reaches your desired level of browning
Serve hot
Notes
Green cabbage is most traditional, but you can sub red, Napa, or another variety if you prefer
You can adjust the amount of bacon to taste (more or less). Turkey bacon may also be used, but you’ll need to add 1-2 Tbsp of olive oil or melted butter to make up for the reduced grease to achieve the same overall dish
The sugar is technically optional but it’s not truly “Southern style” without it
All seasonings are adjustable to taste. You can also use fresh garlic instead of powder, or add onion powder for a stronger onion flavor. Cajun seasoning is also good instead of the red pepper flakes!
I do not preheat my air fryer for this recipe, since you’ll just have to stir it around anyway. If you do, however, you can reduce the cooking time by around 3 minutes to start to account for the warmer starting temperature
Your cooking time can vary based on your specific air fryer, desired bacon crispiness level, as well as the size of your cuts and the variety of your produce. That said, I made this in my Ninja air fryer and cooked it for 25 minutes total as a reference point
Store any Southern fried cabbage and bacon leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days
To reheat cabbage and bacon, air fry at a lower temperature of 375°F for 3-5 minutes, until warmed through and the bacon is re-crisped to your liking. Time can vary based on your air fryer and the quantity being heated
Exact nutritional values will vary based on brand, size, and variety of ingredients, any swaps or additions, and actual quantity consumed, so please consider this a guideline only
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