Okay, so I messed this cabbage fritters recipe up twice before I got it right. The first time they fell apart in the pan like soggy mush, and the second time I somehow managed to burn the outside while leaving the inside raw. Not my finest cooking moments.
But here’s the thing—once I figured out the secret to making crispy cabbage fritters, they became my go-to recipe for using up that half-cabbage sitting in my fridge for way too long. You know the one. We all have it.
Now I make these easy cabbage fritters probably once a week, and my kids actually eat them without complaining. Which is basically a miracle in my house because getting them to eat vegetables is usually like negotiating with tiny terrorists.
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Why This Cabbage Fritters Recipe Actually Works
Look, I’m gonna be honest—I never thought I’d be that person who gets excited about cabbage. Like, it’s cabbage. It’s boring. It’s what you throw in soup when you’ve run out of interesting vegetables.
But pan fried cabbage fritters? They’re crispy, golden, savory, and somehow taste way better than they have any right to. And the best part is they cost like $2 to make a whole batch because cabbage is ridiculously cheap.
I think… no, I know this works better when you squeeze out the excess water from the cabbage. That was my big breakthrough. First two attempts, I skipped that step because it seemed unnecessary. Spoiler alert: very necessary.
My Journey to Perfect Crispy Cabbage Fritters
This whole thing started when my neighbor Sarah mentioned she’d made “cabbage pancakes” and I was like “that sounds terrible but also I’m curious?” She brought some over and I basically ate five of them standing in my kitchen.
So I went down this rabbit hole trying to recreate them. Found about ten different recipes online, all claiming to be “the best cabbage fritters recipe,” and they were all slightly different. Some had cheese, some didn’t. Some added carrot, others kept it simple.
My first batch? Disaster. Complete disaster. They literally disintegrated when I tried to flip them and I ended up with cabbage scramble. My husband walked in, looked at the pan, and very diplomatically said “interesting texture choice”.
Second attempt was better but they were too thick and didn’t cook through properly. Crunchy outside, raw-tasting middle. Not ideal.
But third time’s the charm, right? Finally figured out the right ratio of cabbage to egg to flour, and BOOM. Golden, crispy, perfectly cooked homemade cabbage fritters.
Ingredients for Cabbage Fritters Recipe
Main ingredients:
- 4 cups shredded cabbage (about half a medium head—I use green cabbage but purple works too)
- 3 large eggs, beaten
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour (or use almond flour for low carb version)
- 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese (the good stuff, not that dusty can situation)
- 2 green onions, chopped (or regular onion if that’s what you’ve got)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced (I use 4 because garlic is life)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika (smoked if you’re fancy)
- Oil for frying (I use olive oil or avocado oil)
For the sour cream dip:
- 1 cup sour cream (or Greek yogurt—used it once when I ran out, worked fine)
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- Squeeze of lemon juice
- Salt to taste
Shopping tip: Buy the pre-shredded coleslaw mix if you’re lazy like me sometimes. Just make sure it’s plain cabbage without dressing. Saves like 10 minutes of chopping.
How to Make Cabbage Fritters (Step-by-Step)
Prep the Cabbage
Step 1: Shred your cabbage into thin strips. I use my food processor with the slicing blade because hand-chopping four cups of cabbage sounds like punishment.
Put the shredded cabbage in a large bowl and sprinkle with about 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Mix it up and let it sit for 10 minutes. This draws out moisture.
Step 2: Here’s the critical part—oh wait, I forgot to mention—do NOT skip this step. After 10 minutes, grab handfuls of cabbage and squeeze the water out over the sink. Really squeeze it hard like you’re mad at it.
You’ll be shocked at how much liquid comes out. If you skip this, your fritters will be soggy and sad. (Learned this the hard way on attempt number one).
Mix the Batter
Step 3: Once your cabbage is properly squeezed dry, put it back in a clean bowl. Add the beaten eggs, flour, Parmesan, green onions, garlic, and all your seasonings.
Mix everything together with a fork or your hands until it’s all combined. The mixture should be thick enough to hold together when you form it into patties. If it’s too wet, add a bit more flour. Too dry? Add another egg.
It’ll look kinda weird at first, kinda chunky and lumpy, but that’s normal. Don’t worry about it.
Cook the Fritters
Step 4: Heat about 2-3 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Don’t crank it to high or they’ll burn before cooking through—medium is your friend here.
Test if the pan is ready by dropping in a tiny bit of the mixture. If it sizzles immediately, you’re good to go.
Step 5: Scoop about 1/4 cup of the mixture and drop it into the hot pan. Gently press it down with your spatula to flatten it into a patty about 1/2 inch thick. Don’t make them too thick or the middle won’t cook properly.
I usually cook 3-4 fritters at a time, depending on pan size. Don’t overcrowd the pan or they’ll steam instead of getting crispy.
Step 6: Cook for about 3-4 minutes on the first side until golden brown and crispy. You’ll see the edges start to look set and golden.
Flip carefully with a wide spatula—they’re delicate until they’re fully cooked. Cook the other side for another 3 minutes until golden and crispy.
Step 7: Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess oil. Or just eat them straight from the pan like I do when no one’s looking.
Make the Dip
Step 8: While the fritters cook, mix together sour cream, dill, garlic, lemon juice, and salt. Taste it and adjust seasonings. Some people like more garlic (me), some prefer more lemon.
This dip is SO good with the fritters. Game changer, honestly.
My Random Cabbage Fritters Tips
Squeeze that cabbage: I know I already said this but seriously, this is the make-or-break step. Wet cabbage = soggy fritters. Dry cabbage = crispy perfection.
Temperature control: Keep the heat at medium. Too hot and you’ll get burnt outsides with raw insides. Too low and they’ll absorb too much oil and be greasy. Medium is the sweet spot.
Add cheese: The Parmesan helps bind everything together and adds flavor. Don’t skip it. I’ve tried making them without cheese and they just weren’t as good.
Make them ahead: These freeze beautifully. I make a double batch and freeze half. Reheat in the oven at 375°F for about 10 minutes and they crisp right back up.
Air fryer option: If you’re trying to be healthier, you can make these in the air fryer at 375°F for about 12-15 minutes, flipping halfway. They’re not quite as crispy as pan fried but still pretty good.
Size matters: Keep them relatively thin (about 1/2 inch). Thick fritters don’t cook through properly and you’ll end up with that raw center situation I had.
Best Cabbage Fritters Recipe Variations
Want to mix it up? Here’s what I’ve tried:
Add veggies: Grated carrot or zucchini work great. Just make sure to squeeze out excess moisture from those too.
Go vegan: Use flax eggs (1 tablespoon ground flax + 3 tablespoons water per egg) and nutritional yeast instead of Parmesan. Honestly works pretty well.
Make them gluten free: Swap all-purpose flour for almond flour, coconut flour, or chickpea flour. Coconut flour absorbs more liquid so use less.
Spice them up: Add a pinch of red pepper flakes or cayenne. My husband likes them spicy, I don’t, so I make his batch separately.
Cheese variations: Try cheddar, feta, or even mozzarella instead of Parmesan. All work, just different flavors.
What to Serve With Cabbage Fritters
These work as an appetizer, side dish, or honestly just a random snack when you’re hungry at 3pm.
Serving suggestions from my actual life:
- With that sour cream dip (obviously)
- Next to eggs for breakfast
- As a side with grilled chicken or fish
- With a big salad for a light dinner
- Plain with ketchup (my kids’ weird preference—don’t judge)
- With sweet chili sauce (surprisingly delicious)
Anyway, they’re super versatile and work with pretty much anything.
Why These Cabbage Fritters Are Perfect
Budget-friendly? Check. Cabbage is like $0.89 a head at my grocery store.
Healthy-ish? Check. It’s mostly vegetables with just enough egg and flour to hold them together.
Kid-approved? Somehow, yes. My picky 7-year-old calls them “veggie pancakes” and eats them willingly.
Easy? Once you nail the technique, they’re stupid simple. Takes maybe 30 minutes start to finish.
And they genuinely taste good. Like, I crave these sometimes, which is weird to say about cabbage but here we are.
Troubleshooting Your Cabbage Fritters
Falling apart? You didn’t squeeze enough water out, or you need more egg/flour to bind them better.
Too soggy? Again, squeeze that cabbage. Or cook them longer on lower heat to dry them out.
Burning? Heat is too high. Lower it to medium and be patient.
Too greasy? You’re using too much oil or the pan isn’t hot enough when you add them. They should sizzle immediately.
Raw in the middle? Make them thinner, or lower your heat and cook them longer.
The Honest Truth About This Recipe
These homemade cabbage fritters aren’t fancy restaurant food. They’re just simple, tasty, budget-friendly comfort food that happens to use up vegetables nobody gets excited about.
If I can make these after two failed attempts and minimal cooking skills, anyone can. The key is just squeezing out that moisture and not overthinking it.
Let me know how yours turn out! And seriously, if you have other veggie fritter recipes I should try, drop them in the comments because I’m always looking for ways to make my kids eat vegetables without realizing it 😊
Now excuse me while I go make another batch because talking about them made me hungry…
