While I haven’t spent much time in the Caribbean, I can confidently say that I am a big fan of their food. Every dish I’ve tried has been absolutely packed with flavors and fresh ingredients, making it a favorite in our takeout rotation. A side that captured my attention right away was Jamaican Cabbage. This dish is loaded with veggies and steamed in delightful spices. The final flavors are sweet, caramelized, and a little tangy. All round, it’s a knockout side dish alongside jerk chicken or your favorite grilled meats.
Traditional recipes use a scotch bonnet pepper for this dish, but we subbed in a jalapeno pepper for a more mild heat. If you can handle spicy foods feel free to make it the traditional way. We recommend adding the pepper whole in that case and then removing it before serving.
Don’t forget the splash of white vinegar and sprinkle of sugar at the end of the cooking process. These flavors round out the dish beautifully and give it that sweet and tangy flavor. Serve this side with grilled fish, chicken, or pork for a dinner that is sure to wow. Expand your culinary horizons and give this Jamaican Cabbage recipe a try!
Jamaican Cabbage
Yield(s): Serves 4-6
10m prep time
20m cook time
Ingredients
- 1 small head green cabbage
- 3 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- ½ sweet onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 cup shredded carrot
- 1 jalapeno or habanero, finely diced
- 3 green onions, chopped
- 2-3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ¼ cup water
- 2 tablespoons white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
Preparation
- Chop cabbage into thin strips and place in strainer. Rinse in cold water.
- In a pot or dutch oven (with lid), add oil and butter over medium heat. Add onion and cook for 2-3 minutes, then add garlic. Stirring frequently, cook for 1 minute.
- Add peppers, carrot, and green onion. Stir to combine and cook for another 3-4 minutes.
- Add cabbage, dry seasoning, thyme, and water (do not add sugar and vinegar until the end).
- Reduce heat to medium low and place lid on pot. Allow cabbage to steam for about 10 minutes.
- Once cabbage is tender, mix in vinegar and sugar and cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Remove thyme and serve warm.
