These Grilled Cabbage Steaks are super easy, quick, and flavorful and require only 4 ingredients! Serve with a cilantro lime avocado sauce, fresh herbs, dressing, or any way you like! Gluten free, dairy free, vegan, paleo, whole30, and low carb.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Only 4 ingredients with super delicious savory flavor thanks to extra char!
- A fun, unique way to eat more veggies with different cooking methods!
- Crowd-pleasing and a showstopping side dish for any occasion.
- Super customizable with different sauces, toppings, and garnishes.
If you love cabbage as much as we do, be sure to make Vegan Coleslaw or Thai Coleslaw.
Cabbage Nutrient Information
Cabbage is an underrated vegetable with tons of nutritional benefits. It’s packed with vitamin C, vitamin K, folate, manganese, and potassium. Plus, it’s easy to incorporate into a low calorie diet as one serving is only 25 calories and 2 grams of fiber.
Cabbage is also super cheap (usually about $2-3 / head) and when stored properly, can last for up to 2 months. To store raw cabbage, keep it in the fridge and do not wash it until you are ready to use.
Recipe Ingredients
So, let’s be real. It only takes 4 simple ingredients to make the grilled cabbage steaks. But I like to jazz it up a bit with a cilantro lime avocado sauce that I feel adds a nice chef’s kiss, so I included the ingredients here, too. Here’s what we need for the cabbage steaks and sauce:
Cabbage Steaks
- whole cabbage – purchase a whole head of cabbage at the grocery store. I like green cabbage or bright green and beautiful savoy cabbage, but red cabbage will also work.
- oil – use olive oil or avocado oil as the cooking oil.
- salt – to enhance those delicious thick cabbage slices.
- black pepper – a touch of black pepper complements the grill flavor.
Cilantro Lime Avocado Sauce
- cilantro – a handful of tender cilantro leaves gives the sauce a bright finish.
- lime juice – use freshly squeezed lime juice, from about 3 limes, for the best flavor.
- oil – feel free to use olive oil or avocado oil here.
- avocado – you will need about half of a small avocado, pitted with the skin removed.
- garlic – fresh garlic adds a punchy bite, but garlic powder can be used if in a pinch.
- seasonings – a flavorful blend of salt, black pepper, chili powder, and cayenne pepper gives the sauce some bite.
- sweetener – optionally, you can add some sweetness with any liquid sweetener such as honey (if not vegan), agave syrup, or maple syrup.
- water – refrain from adding the water until you have blended the sauce, then add water one tablespoon at a time until your desired consistency is reached. It should still be slightly thick but pourable.
Find the full detailed instructions with measurements in the recipe card below, at the end of this post.
How to Cut Cabbage Steaks
The thickness of the cabbage steaks should be roughly 1-inch, which means you can get 4 slices from a medium head of cabbage. To cut cabbage steaks, simply:
- Remove the tough outer leaves. Optional: Trim off a little bit of bottom/core, just don’t cut too far or the cabbage will fall apart when you slice.
- Then, with the core side of the cabbage on the cutting board, slice in half.
- Slice each half into 1″ thick slices with a sharp knife (you should get 2 slices from each half). Reserve the end pieces for cabbage salad or coleslaw.
How to Make
Now, onto the cabbage steak recipe. Here are the step-by-step instructions:
Prep Cabbage Steaks
Preheat a charcoal grill or grill pan to medium-high heat. Use a pastry brush to lightly cover each side of the steaks with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
Grill Cabbage
Carefully place the cabbage slices on the grill over direct heat. Cook for 5 minutes on each side, or until the cabbage gets some color (char) and the outer leaves start to curl.
TIP: Be careful when flipping, as some of the loose leaves will try to fall off from the core.
Make the Avocado Sauce
In a small blender or food processor, add cilantro, lime juice, olive oil, avocado, garlic, salt, pepper, chili powder, cayenne, and sweetener. Blend until smooth. Add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, to thin sauce as desired.
Alternative Method: Crispy Roasted Cabbage Steaks
If you don’t have a grill, no problem! Prep the cabbage steaks as directed and place them on a parchment paper lined baking sheet (or greased aluminum foil) in a single layer. Roast in a preheated oven (400 degree F) for 30-35 minutes, or until tender and crispy on the edges.
Serving Suggestions
The serving possibilities for cabbage on the grill is endless. Try any of the following:
- Simple Veggie: Finish off with freshly squeezed lime juice or lemon juice and garlic salt.
- Sauce / Dressing: Give it a generous drizzle of Greek Yogurt Ranch Dressing or Cilantro Lime Dressing.
- Cheese: Give it a good sprinkle of parmesan cheese, blue cheese, goat cheese, or nutritional yeast if vegan.
- Healthy Side Dish: Serve it as an easy side dish with your favorite protein like Sweet Spicy Salmon, Easy Chicken Kebabs, Pesto Turkey Meatloaf, or Chipotle Turkey Burgers.
How to Store & Reheat
Leftover cabbage will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 day.
Reheat: Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and reheat in a 350 F oven until warm. Top with your desired toppings and enjoy!
Recipe FAQs
How to cut cabbage for the grill?
Remove the tough outer leaves, then slice the cabbage in half, core side down. Proceed by slicing the halves into 1-inch thick slices and reserve the small ends for salad or coleslaw.
How do you cook cabbage without making it soggy?
Grill it, of course! Grilling cabbage makes it tender in the center with crispy edges and savory grill marks.
Should cabbage be cooked over high heat?
I like to cook the cabbage over medium-high heat, which creates a tender core and crispy outer leaves. It will scorch too much over high heat.
More Vegetable Recipes You’ll Love:
If you make this Grilled Cabbage Steaks recipe, be sure to leave a comment and star rating on the blog! I love hearing from you, and it helps others learn more about the recipe too. Xx Ashley
How to Make Grilled Cabbage Steaks
Ingredients
- 1 medium head cabbage
- oil, for cooking
- salt and pepper
Cilantro Lime Avocado Sauce
- ½ cup loosely packed cilantro
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed lime juice, about 3 small limes
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ small ripe avocado, pitted and fleshed
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon chili powder
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon honey or agave syrup, optional
- 3-4 tablespoons water, to thin as desired
Instructions
- Heat grill to medium-high heat.
- Remove the outer layer of the cabbage, slice in half with the core side down on the cutting board. You can trim off a little bit of bottom/core, just don't cut too far or the cabbage will fall apart when you slice.
- Slice the cabbage into about 1" thickness and use a pastry brush to lightly cover with olive oil. Sprinkle with a dash of salt and pepper, if you'd like.
- Carefully place the cabbage slices on the grill; cook about 5 minutes or so each side. Once the cabbage gets some color (char), and the outer leaves start to curl, the cabbage should be done. Carefully transfer grilled cabbage to dish and serve with sauce, if desired.
- To make sauce: add all ingredients except water to a blender; process until smooth. Add water to thin sauce as desired. Taste test for more salt, spice, or sweetness.
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