German Braised Red Cabbage | Rotkohl

Rotkohl is a traditional German cabbage dish with a delicious sweet and sour flavor. I am very excited to share my family’s braised red cabbage recipe with you!

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What is Rotkohl?

Depending on the region and how the dish is prepared, Germans know this dish as Rotkohl, Blaukohl or Blaukraut. The red cabbage has a distinct sweet and sour flavor, achieved by braising it with apples, onions, vinegar, and spices.

It’s the type of side dish that’s perfect to serve with mains such as a Sunday pot roast, Rouladen, your holiday roast goose, or any other meat. This is truly German comfort food at its best!

Why You’ll Love My German Cabbage Recipe

1. Authentic, tried and true recipe. This rotkohl recipe has been handed down from my German ancestors. The flavors are as authentic as possible!
2. Better than anything store-bought. Unfortunately, many Germans these days buy red cabbage already made and in a jar. In my humble opinion, the taste cannot compete at all. Especially since this classic German side dish is really easy to make!
3. Versatile and adaptable. Cabbage is the type of vegetable that pairs well with a lot of different spices and ingredients. You can easily make the dish with whatever you have on hand.

Key Ingredients

If you don’t have access to all of the ingredients shown here, it’s okay. There are some simple substitutes shown below.

• Red cabbage: obviously this is the star of the dish. Green cabbage is not a workable substitute, because the flavor difference between red and green varieties is pretty substantial. You’ll need a full head of cabbage.
• Onions: they always give some body to the recipe
• Apples: tart apples like Granny Smith or Pink Lady work best.
• Vinegar: I use balsamic vinegar, for the best zingy flavor in braised red cabbage.
• Goose fat: while not strictly necessary, I find that it gives this dish its characteristic flavor and sheen.
• Spices: Whole bay leaf, cloves, granulated sugar, and a coarse-grain sea or Kosher salt.
• Red currant jelly: this is a very traditional ingredient, but completely optional as it is a little bit hard to come by here in the United States.

Ingredient Substitutions

• onions: White or yellow onions are the best choice, but in a pinch, you can use red onion.
• apples: Any tart variety will work well, or even apple juice. Just reduce the amount of water the recipe calls for by the amount of juice you use.
• vinegar: I really like using balsamic vinegar, especially if I can’t find red currant jelly. However, you can use red wine vinegar, white vinegar, or apple cider vinegar.
• fat: I usually reserve the fat when I make roasted goose. Alternatively, you can use tallow, lard, or any other cooking oil
• spices: I like using whole cloves, but ground cloves are fine too. Some people like to add juniper berries for add extra flavor. Feel free to omit the bay leaves if you don’t have them or don’t like them.
• preserves: Cherry jam or jelly is a good substitute for red currant jelly, and it’s easier to find.

Useful Kitchen Tools for Braising Cabbage

Given that people have been making this traditional recipe for generations, you will not need much. However, here’s what I like to use:

• Large pot: I like using my large Dutch oven but any big pot will work
• Sharp knife: there will be some cutting so I always love using my old-fashioned carbon steel paring knife but these everyday knives will do or
• Mandoline: a mandoline will make shredding your cabbage go very fast

How to Make Rotkohl

This is just a summary of the steps for the German red cabbage recipe. For full instructions, see the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

1. Clean and prep the ingredients. Peel and dice the onions (small dice). Remove and discard the outer leaves from the head of cabbage. Cut it into quarters and make a couple of angled cuts at the core to remove it. Cut the red cabbage into very fine strips, or use a mandoline for this. Peel, core and chop the apple into small pieces.
2. Sauté the cabbage, onion, and apple.
3. Simmer. Be sure to stir occasionally so it doesn’t burn on the bottom. I often braise my cabbage for up to 2 hours.
4. Taste, season, and serve.

Storing and Freezing Braised Red Cabbage

Rotkohl is a great make-ahead dish because the flavor is even better the next day. I always make a big batch of braised red cabbage so there are some leftovers. It keeps well in the fridge for several days, and I always find it tastes better the longer it sits.

For storage up to 6 months, you can freeze it. Just be sure to store it in a freezer-safe, airtight container. Let it thaw overnight in the fridge, then gently reheat it on the stovetop or in the microwave.