Southern, soul food style cabbage made in the slow cooker with smoked ham hocks, onions, garlic and more!
Cabbage flavored with smoked ham hocks, celery, garlic, onions, and bell peppers. Doesn’t that sound good? Just imagine it with a big ol’ piece of sweet buttery cornbread. It sounds pretty darn good right? What If I told you that it was easy to make? Guess what? I have a foolproof recipe for true soul food style cabbage that is made in the slow cooker. No more having to watch the ham hocks for hours, then tossing in other ingredients. This recipe is pretty much a throw-it-all-in-the-pot kinda recipe… Well Kinda. I’m going to show you how to make some real deal southern cabbage, just like grandma used to make, with just a few simple steps. Let’s get started!
So let’s talk about the ingredients that I will be using! First things first, I am using greens cabbage ( obviously right?). Whenever I make cabbage, I peel of the first layer of cabbage. I then cut the cabbage in small sections, and pull it apart. After those steps I rinse the cabbage thoroughly. Be sure to not skip out on the rinsing. You don’t want to cook dirty cabbage! Trust me, I did it when I was in my preteens, and it was horrible. My mom still reminds me of terrible event ( I wish she would just forget about it already!!! GEEZ!)
For flavor you’re going to need some smoked meat. This time around I used smoked ham hocks. I cooked the ham hocks for 4 hours on high in slow cooker. Down below I will list substitutions  for ham hocks and cooking times. Keep in mind that the setting should still be on HIGH
- Smoked pork neck bones – 3 hours
- Smoked turkey wings or legs – 3 hours
- bacon ends – 1 hour
- smoked sausage – 1 hour
Other than the smoked meat I also use celery, garlic, onions, and bell pepper to flavor up my southern cabbage. If you don’t like any of the ingredients, feel free to leave it out.
Watch my video tutorial for this quick and easy soul food style cabbage
Soul Food Cabbage Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 - 3 lbs head of green cabbage chopped & rinsed
- 3 medium sized smoked ham hocks
- 1 medium sized yellow onion diced
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 3 stalks of celery diced
- 1 large bell pepper diced
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper you may add more seasonings
- 6 - 8 cups water
Instructions
- Place the smoked ham hocks into the slow cooker.
- Add in the celery, onions, bell pepper, and garlic.
- Pour in the water, then put the lid on the slow cooker.
- Cook on high for 4 hours.
- After the 4 hours, add in the cabbage, then sprinkle in the black pepper ( and any seasonings that you may wish to add).
- Let cook for an additional one hour.
- Serve and enjoy!
What else can be used instead of Ham hocks
It’s in the post
Thank you just seen it
Hi Rosiei love this recipe Its the bombs it’s cooked just perfect for my husband the cabbage was nice and tender will always use the recipe. Thanks
I used baked chicken I bought at the local supermarket. minus bones , skin and fat. Added one package of lipton onion soup mix, onions , celery, garlic . Cooked on high for 2 hours then added cabbage for an hour. Delicious!
I used andouille sausage and smoked ham hock. This recipe is amazing. I had a garden full of Napa cabbage and I was able to use the most raggedy heads and they turned out great. I also added poblano peppers with the bell. I will make this again!
I am from South Carolina, we use fat back, in the north it is called salt pork! Which is a better taste.
Yummy! Pinned. Thanks for sharing!
Yes Chile! Thanks for including other meats that can be used in this recipe also; because i’m a Smoked Turkey Wing kind of girl! 🙂 I can’t wait to make this.
Hey Rosie, I’m Chris new subscriber love the recipe trying the cabbage with smoked pork neck bones me and my 10 year old son is doing this together.
Hi Chris! Awesome! I love it when my son cooks with me 🙂
Hoping to try this recipe tomorrow. Can I cook on low and double the cooking time for the smoked meat? I would like the meat to cook while I’m at work.
Yes indeed 🙂
Hi Rosie making it right now
I used spiral ham , sugar, carrots, celery onion, potatoes and used a small pressure cooker to cook down the cabbage.
This is the very best recipe site I have found and, trust me, I have found hundreds. I love your recipes and style. Thanks so much.
Hi Judy! I’m glad that you like my recipe. It’s super easy, and delicious! XOXO
Can I cook or fry the smoke ham hocks on the stove and then add the cabbage?
No, You can’t fry the ham hock. You can cook it on the stovetop though.
How long should you cook the ham hocks on top of the stove?
It depends on how big they are. If you want them to be falling off the bone tender, it may take approximately 2 hours or so.
What do you think about substituting red for green cabbage? Would it alter the recipe at all?
Hi Mary. I actually never tried this recipe with red cabbage. I don’t think it would taste much different though.
Ok! So you think it would be worth a go? I love red cabbage.
Also, your blog has been my absolute favorite for months now. I’ve made your Mac N Cheese, greens, honey jalapeño cornbread, candied yams, and cabbage and tonight I’m trying your peach cobbler. I’m becoming quite popular amongst my friends as being an amazing soul food chef, lol, and I just tell them about your blog.
I think that it maybe worth a try. I might try it myself! LOL. I’m glad that you like the recipes! XOXO
Hey I’m going to try to make this for my boyfriend tonight before he gets home for work, do you think I could use smoked pig tails instead of hamhocks?
You sure can!
And can I cook this in a regular pot?
Yes. You can.. Just keep an eye on in.
HI Rosie. I love the white part of the cabbage. Is it ok to use that instead of the green.
You can use whatever you’d like.
Hello Rosie, I was looking for a very easy
and delicious way to make green cabbage.
I found your recipe and fell in love! This
will be a hit with my family who are all experts
in the kitchen, it’s my time to shine this
Sunday! Thank you so much
Hi Roshonda! Yes I LOVE this recipe. It’s definitely a crowd pleaser!
Hi Rosie,
Found your site today while looking for Soul Food Cabbage. This recipe looks amazing and am anxious to try it. I do have a question, can this be frozen? I would like to prepare a batch of this and portion it out for future meals. Thank You.
Hi Greg! I actually haven’t froze it. I’m unsure. I think it would be okay, but again I never tried it.
I make a very similar cabbage/bacon dish, and find that it freezes very well.
i’ll bet you learned a lot from your mothers/grandmother teachings on cooking.your blog is really good on all the food recipes. i have read a few and tried a few . pictures/video are great, cabbage looks like you can really tast /smell it cooking. i havent tried this one yet, but i have put it on my cooking list….(only a 3 star because i havent cooked it yet )
Girl, I am ruined. Your site is awesome. I have the cabbage in my crock as we speak and the corn casserole in the oven. Just found your site. Love it. Thank you so much. I finally found someone who cooks like my grandma did.
Awee. I’m glad that you found my blog! XOXO
Hi Rosie
Thank you for this blog. This is the very first time I found one really interesting and beneficial for me personally. I like how thorough you are. I didn’t have anymore questions nor did I need anymore instructions. I also like the step by step instructions and how you inject your own personal stories, making it entertaining as well as instructional. Again, job well done, thank you and I will be coming back to this cite often for cooking tips and recipes.
Thanks Makava! I’m glad that you found my blog!
Got this cooking right now! Used smoked sausage!
Hello Rosie
I was looking for a different way to prepare my cabbage and came across your blog. I looked at the ingredients, then watched your video, and said to myself “this is it”!!! So while I was very pleased with my decision I continued to look further at more recipes that you had to offer. Came across the baked yams, omgoodness Rosie!!! Cabbage on point, and my yams were devine, my family went for seconds. I have you to know, no more cabbage or yams left in the house. You are my new best friend. I look forward to trying more recipes for days ahead.
Hi Annette! So glad that you found my blog!
Have you ever tried sautéing the “trinity” (bell pepper, onion and celery) in a little butter first before adding it to the crock pot? Thinking about trying it out and wanted to see your thoughts.
Hi Amber! No I haven’t tried that method. It sounds good though!
Happy Holidays to you and your family. I want to make this cabbage for new years. My question is l don’t own a slow cooker so can you kindly tell me how to make the cabbage with ham hocks without using a slow cooker. Thank you
Hi Diane. I have Slow Cooker & Stovetop conversion charts available. Please check them out under the “Printables”.
Making it right now and it smells AMAZING!!! Thank you so much for sharing your recipe with us! Can’t wait for the final product….LOVIN IT!!’ Btw…not sure if it let me rate it or not down below but I gave it 5 *’s!!!
Hi Tylor! Thanks for trying my recipe!
Store bought smoked ham hocks are already cooked. Do I still cook 4 hours in crock pot before adding cabbage?
Yes, because they are not tender. I cook them for a long time to get them tender.
Hi Rosie! I have a question about the ham hocks, when they are done cooking after the 4 hours, do you remove them from the crockpot and take the meat off the bones and return meat to the pot? It wasn’t mentioned so I thought I would ask. I am really excited to try this and many more of your recipes!!
Hi Kim! You can remove it from the pot, and take the meat off. 🙂
Giiiirrrlll I’m giving you 5 stars and I’m not even done cooking the cabbage yet. I tasted the mix before adding the cabbage and it is great so far. Awaiting the finished product.
Hi. Rosie! Is this recipe a main course or a side dish?
HI Alexandra! It can be either. 🙂
I’d be using smoked sausage and chicken stock since it says only 1 hour do i do 30 with the sausage and 30 with the cabbage or do I throw it all in the pot and do it for the full hour
Also do i use less stock since it won’t be going for 5 hrs if so how much
Hey Briana, that would be another recipe.
Is this a diabetic friendly recipe? I hop it is, because my husband is a diabetic and this looks like a very good recipe.
There isn’t any sugar, but it’s not low in sodium nor fat.
I will be trying a few of your recipes for Thanksgiving. Thank you for your recipes.
Thanks for coming by Leslie!
I am using smoked turkey for this recipe. Will the cook time be the same?
No, it will not be the same time.
Made it today with smoked pork neck bones. Great tasting! Thank you for the recipe
Can i add the cabbage at the same time as i do everything else? I want to cook it on low for 8 hours and want to add everything at once.
No. For best results follow the recipe listed.
Hi Rosie,
I’m a homesick American living overseas in Australia. I just got a slow-cooker so I can make some of my favorite comfort foods from back home. We have a frozen ham bone from Christmas that I just sawed in half, and I’m about to follow your recipe. I love your blog, and I can’t wait to try some more of your dishes. Thanks for bringing me down-home comforts on the other side of the world!
I’m glad that you found my blog!
Rosie, your cabbage recipe has reminded me of something my Southern Momma used to make. I’d love to find a recipe for it. She called it “Pigs In The Blanket” or something like “Glunkies”. It was a mixture of hamburger, tomatoes, & rice stuffed into a cabbage leaf. She used string to hold them together while cooking them in a tomatoey broth. If you’ve heard of this, or have any ideas, I’d love to hear from you.
THANK YOU,
Matt
Hi Matthew! That sounds similar cabbage rolls. I think I have one uploaded ( I did it a few years back)
This is my third comment. I suggested that you try to fry the cabbage with your spices and diced smoked ham in butter, this is very good.
Thank you
Katherine
Hi, new to your page. Everything I’ve seen so far looks scrumptious! Love cabbage and glad to see different ways to use. I often use a 16 oz bag of precut multicolored cabbage/carrot blend instead of green cabbage. If I use this substitution with this recipe, do you think one or two bags would be better?
Thanks for your input and for your super blog!
Cathy
I think you would probably need 2 bags 🙂
Very good. I got the ham hocks because they’re cheaper than bacon in my area. Didn’t have a bell pepper but still tasted good without it.
This was the bomb recipe. I used turkey neck bones, chicken broth, and added crushed red peppers. I will us this dish forever. Also I would like your permission to lie to all my family, friends, and coworkers about how I came up with this dish. lol
Thank you so much
Hi Rosie. I love your site. I think I want to use smoked sausage for this recipe. Should I use 1 pound or 2?
Hi there! You can try using 2 lbs 🙂
I made this last night with your Sweet Southern Cornbread – Y.U.M.
Bonus – Next-day leftovers are even better!
Thanks Rosie you’re amazing!
Can I just used one smoke turkey leg, If I am not making a lot of cabbage in the crockpot or do you prefer two?
Yes
Wow Rosie!! This recipe is the bomb! I made it with ham hock and neck bones cause I’m greedy..lol. But I love cabbage and this tasted amazing!!
This is FABULOUS! Thank you so much for sharing the recipe! Will be trying your Southern Fried Cabbage next weekend! It looks delicious!
Hey Rosie! I was searching for a ham hock and cabbage recipe and yours was the first one I came across and I will be making this tomorrow for Sunday dinner. And adding the cornbread on the side…amazing idea and it answered my question of what can I serve with this. Thanks!
Hi Jessie! Thanks for coming by!
Is it ok to add cheese once it’s is cooked?
No, do not add cheese.
First of all you are beautiful and the “soul” in the food is felt. Yummy! My mom used to make this and all of my friends thought I was crazy for eating odd things to white people. LOL until they were all begging to eat at mom’s. Great recipe, I never put in celery it made the flavor so great! And as always I triple the garlic. Thank you, for a fun food blog and a new twist on something I love.
Thanks so much for the sweet comment! XOXO
The recipe turns out good . I used lest water because cabbage make liquid. I will make it again good job
Absolutely amazing, my husband even ate it and he never eats anything with cabbage in it , unless it’s coleslaw!
Love,love the recipe very easy and delicious, can’t wait for the fried cabbage. I need a book of you recipes. My husbands family live in S.C. So now I’m going to show him
a thing or too.
I wished I had read this article first before I started cooking blindly with I my slow cooker. I’m going to the market tomorrow buy these ingredients follow your recipe and live a beautiful life.
Thank you for sharing this easy to make, tasty, and soulful cabbage recipe. My friends just wanted more and more….