Slow Cooker German Red Cabbage with Apples: An Effortless & Flavorful Side Dish
Imagine walking into your home to the comforting aroma of sweet and sour red cabbage, simmering perfectly with apples and aromatic spices. This is precisely what you’ll experience with our incredible Slow Cooker German Red Cabbage with Apples recipe. Thanks to the magic of the crock-pot, transforming a humble head of cabbage into a deeply flavorful, tender, and utterly delicious side dish has never been easier or more hands-off. Say goodbye to constant stirring and worrying about boiling dry; your slow cooker handles all the hard work, leaving you free to enjoy your day while a classic German delicacy comes to life.
Why You’ll Love This Crock-Pot Red Cabbage {German-Style}
My slow cooker is a true kitchen hero, especially for crafting the most tender and flavorful stews and braises. From rich Dutch Granny’s Hachee to succulent pulled beef, it consistently delivers delicious results with minimal fuss. But until recently, I hadn’t fully explored its potential for vegetables, particularly those that benefit from long, slow cooking – like red cabbage. This discovery has been a game-changer for preparing healthy and delicious side dishes.
Traditional red cabbage recipes often require extended simmering on the stovetop, demanding your attention to prevent it from drying out or overcooking into a mush. This German-style red cabbage, with its signature balance of sweet and sour notes, along with warming spices like cloves, juniper berries, bay leaves, and a cinnamon stick, truly shines when slow-cooked. The prolonged, gentle heat allows these flavors to meld and deepen beautifully, creating a rich, complex taste that’s simply irresistible. This method ensures that every shred of cabbage is infused with the sweet, tangy, and aromatic essence of the dish.
The greatest advantage of preparing red cabbage in the slow cooker is the liberation it offers. No more hovering over the stove, constantly checking liquid levels, or stirring to avoid sticking. You simply combine the ingredients, set the slow cooker, and let it do its magic. This hands-off approach ensures your red cabbage emerges perfectly cooked every time – tender, vibrant, and bursting with that traditional, deep flavor you crave, without ever becoming a purée. It’s the ultimate set-it-and-forget-it recipe for a beloved classic side dish, allowing you to focus on other tasks or simply relax while dinner practically makes itself.
Essential Ingredients for Sweet & Sour Red Cabbage with Apples
Crafting this delightful crock-pot red cabbage requires a thoughtful selection of ingredients that contribute to its distinctive sweet and sour profile and rich aroma. Each component plays a crucial role in building the layers of flavor that make this dish so memorable. Here’s what you’ll need (find the precise measurements in the comprehensive recipe card at the bottom of this page):
Choosing Your Red Cabbage: Sliced or Whole?
Red cabbage is a wonderfully hardy vegetable, but preparing it from a whole head can be quite labor-intensive – from removing the tough outer leaves to finely slicing it. The vibrant color and firm texture are key to this dish. While a mandoline can certainly speed up the slicing process, many supermarkets now offer pre-shredded or pre-cut red cabbage. Opting for pre-cut cabbage can save you a significant amount of time and effort, making this already easy recipe even more convenient. Just be sure to give it a quick rinse before adding it to your slow cooker to ensure freshness.
Selecting the Best Apples for Flavor and Texture
The apples are a key component in achieving the perfect sweet and sour balance in this German-style dish. They break down slightly during cooking, releasing their natural sugars and creating a wonderfully tender texture that complements the cabbage. For the best results, choose varieties that are both sweet and hold their shape well during long cooking. Excellent choices include Honeycrisp, Jonagold, Pink Lady, or Braeburn apples. Their natural sweetness complements the tang of the vinegar and the earthiness of the cabbage, while their firm texture ensures they don’t turn to mush, adding a lovely, tender bite to the finished dish. Avoid overly tart or mushy apple varieties for this recipe.
The Aromatic Spices: The Heart of German Red Cabbage
What truly sets German-style red cabbage apart is its distinctive blend of whole spices. Don’t skip these! Whole cloves, juniper berries, bay leaves, and a cinnamon stick infuse the cabbage with a warm, complex, and traditional flavor profile. These spices slowly release their aromatics over hours of cooking, contributing to the deep, comforting taste that defines this classic side. For easy removal before serving, consider placing the smaller spices like cloves and juniper berries in a tea infuser ball or a small sachet made from cheesecloth. This simple trick makes serving a breeze.
Sweet & Sour Balance: Sugar, Honey, and Vinegar
The interplay of sweetness and acidity is crucial to the authentic German flavor profile. Dark brown sugar and honey provide a rich, nuanced sweetness that mellows the cabbage’s natural bitterness and the sharp tang of the red wine vinegar. The vinegar, an essential ingredient, brightens the flavors, tenderizes the cabbage, and contributes to the characteristic sweet and sour profile, a hallmark of this classic dish. A touch of tomato paste adds umami depth and a subtle richness, enhancing the overall savory notes without overpowering the main flavors.
Other Flavor Boosters: Onion, Garlic, and Vegetable Stock
Finely chopped red onion and crushed garlic form the aromatic base, adding foundational layers of savory flavor. These humble ingredients become wonderfully mellow and sweet during the long cooking process. Vegetable stock ensures there’s enough liquid for the cabbage to stew in gently, preventing it from drying out while infusing it with additional savory notes and keeping it moist and tender throughout the long cooking process. This combination of ingredients ensures every bite is packed with deliciousness and creates a harmonious flavor profile.
Step-by-Step Guide: Making Slow Cooker Red Cabbage with Apple and Cinnamon
Preparing this flavorful side dish in your slow cooker is incredibly straightforward, allowing for maximum flavor development with minimal active cooking time. The beauty of this recipe lies in its simplicity – just a few minutes of prep and your slow cooker does the rest! For a detailed breakdown of steps and exact ingredient quantities, please refer to the printable recipe card at the very end of this blog post.
Here’s a simplified overview of how easy it is to achieve this deliciousness:
- Prepare the Spices (Optional but Recommended): For easy removal later and to prevent accidentally biting into a whole spice, place smaller spices like juniper berries and cloves into a tea infuser or a small spice bag (made from cheesecloth). This thoughtful step makes serving much more pleasant.
- Combine All Ingredients: Add the thinly sliced red cabbage, finely chopped red onion, crushed garlic, dark brown sugar, sweet honey, savory tomato paste, crisp apple pieces, pungent red wine vinegar, and rich vegetable stock directly into the ceramic pot of your slow cooker. Give everything a good stir to ensure it’s well combined and the cabbage is somewhat coated in the liquid and seasonings. This initial mix helps distribute flavors evenly.
- Add Whole Spices: Nestle the bay leaves, cinnamon stick, and your tea infuser (with juniper berries and cloves, if using) on top of the cabbage mixture. These will slowly release their complex aromas throughout the cooking process.
- Slow Cook: Cover your slow cooker with its lid and set it to the LOW setting. Allow it to cook gently for 7 to 8 hours. This low, consistent heat is absolutely key to tenderizing the hardy cabbage and allowing all the sweet, sour, and aromatic flavors to fully develop and meld into a harmonious whole.
- Finish and Serve: Once the cooking time is complete and the cabbage is perfectly tender, carefully remove and discard the juniper berries, cloves, cinnamon sticks, and bay leaves. These have done their job infusing flavor. Taste the red cabbage and adjust seasoning with additional salt and freshly ground black pepper as needed. It’s now ready to be served and enjoyed as a truly comforting and flavorful side dish!
Pro Tips for Perfect Slow Cooker Red Cabbage
- Spice Management: As mentioned, using a tea infuser or cheesecloth bag for the smaller spices (cloves, juniper berries) is a fantastic trick. The bay leaves and cinnamon stick are larger and typically easy to spot and retrieve, but the infuser makes cleanup for the smaller ones a breeze, ensuring a smooth texture in your finished dish.
- High vs. Low Setting: While the optimal cooking method is on the LOW setting for 8 hours (this truly allows the flavors to deepen and the cabbage to become incredibly tender), if you’re pressed for time, you can cook it on HIGH for 4 hours. Keep in mind that the “Low and slow” method generally yields a richer, more developed flavor and a more consistent texture.
- Serving Suggestions: This versatile side dish pairs beautifully with a variety of meals, making it a staple for many occasions. It’s traditionally served with classic German fare like roast pork, succulent bratwurst, delicate schnitzel, or rich goulash. It’s also a fantastic accompaniment to our suggested pairings: creamy mashed potatoes, sweet applesauce, and the hearty Old Fashioned Dutch Hachee. Don’t limit yourself; it’s wonderfully versatile with any roasted meat or poultry, adding a vibrant splash of color and a burst of flavor.
- Don’t Peek! Resist the urge to lift the lid of your slow cooker during the cooking process. Each time you open it, the internal temperature drops significantly, extending the cooking time by at least 20-30 minutes and potentially affecting the tenderness of the cabbage. Let the slow cooker do its work uninterrupted for the best, most efficient results.
- Adjusting Sweetness/Tartness: After cooking, always taste the cabbage. The balance of sweet and sour is a matter of personal preference. If you prefer it sweeter, add a little more brown sugar or honey, stirring until dissolved. If you like it tangier, a splash more red wine vinegar will do the trick. Season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper to your liking, as this enhances all the other flavors.
Did you make this delicious recipe? Tag #byandreajanssen via Instagram! I love to see what your creation looks like and regularly share the most beautiful photos of you! Did you like this recipe? Then leave a rating on the recipe card below! Your feedback helps other home cooks and me enormously.
Need more inspiration?
- You can find video recipes and cooking tips on my YouTube channel.
- And don’t forget to save your favorite recipes on Pinterest, so you can easily find them again next time!
📖 Recipe Card
RECIPE CARD
Andréa
Pin Recipe
Equipment
-
1 tea infuser (optional, for easy spice removal)
-
1 crock-pot (slow cooker, 6-quart or larger recommended)
Ingredients
- 2 juniper berries
- 2 cloves
- 1¼ Pound red cabbage, sliced (about ½ medium head)
- 1 red onion , finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic , crushed
- 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 Apples, Pink Lady, Honeycrisp, Jonagold or Braeburn apples, peeled and cored. Cut in 1-inch pieces.
- 1½ tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 cup vegetable stock
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- salt and pepper , to taste
All my recipes are written both in Metric (gram / ml) and US Customary (cups / pounds). Here you can select which type of amount you would like to see.
Instructions
-
Optional: Place the juniper berries and cloves in a tea infuser (or a small cheesecloth bag). This makes it significantly easier to remove them before serving, ensuring a smooth texture.2 juniper berries, 2 cloves
-
Combine the sliced red cabbage, finely chopped red onion, crushed garlic, dark brown sugar, honey, tomato paste, apple pieces, red wine vinegar, and vegetable stock in the slow cooker. Stir everything together thoroughly to ensure the ingredients are evenly distributed and the cabbage is well coated.1¼ Pound red cabbage, 1 red onion, 1 clove garlic, 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 tablespoon tomato paste, 2 Apples, 1½ tablespoon red wine vinegar, 1 cup vegetable stock
-
Nestle the bay leaves, cinnamon stick, and the tea infuser (if using for juniper berries and cloves) on top of the cabbage mixture.2 juniper berries, 2 bay leaves, 1 cinnamon stick, 2 cloves
-
Cover the slow cooker and set it to the LOW setting for 8 hours. If using the HIGH setting, cook for 4 hours. Avoid lifting the lid during cooking to maintain consistent heat.
-
Once cooked, carefully remove and discard the juniper berries, cloves (or tea infuser), cinnamon sticks, and bay leaves from the cabbage.
-
Taste the finished red cabbage and season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper to your preference. Adjust the sweetness or tartness with a little extra sugar or vinegar if desired.salt and pepper
-
Serve immediately as a delicious and comforting side dish, hot and fragrant.
Notes
Preparing a whole head of red cabbage can be tedious due to its hardiness and the effort required for cleaning and slicing. Many supermarkets offer pre-shredded or pre-cut red cabbage, which can significantly reduce preparation time. If using pre-cut, a quick rinse under cold water is recommended to remove any lingering debris.
2. Managing Spices:
For an easier dining experience, it’s best to remove the whole spices (cloves, juniper berries, bay leaves, and cinnamon stick) before serving. Using a tea infuser or a small cheesecloth bag for the smaller spices will allow for their effortless retrieval, preventing guests from unexpectedly biting into them. The larger bay leaves and cinnamon stick are usually easy to spot and remove individually.
3. Slow Cooker Settings:
For optimal flavor development and tender texture, cooking on the LOW setting for 8 hours is highly recommended. This “low and slow” approach allows the ingredients to fully meld, creating a richer and more complex flavor profile. However, if you are short on time, you can cook the red cabbage on the HIGH setting for 4 hours, though the depth of flavor might be slightly less pronounced.
4. Delicious Pairings:
This German-style red cabbage is an incredibly versatile side dish that complements a wide array of hearty meals. It’s a classic accompaniment to rich main courses like roast pork, crispy duck, savory bratwurst, or a warming goulash. Traditionally, it’s often served alongside creamy mashed potatoes, sweet applesauce, and robust Dutch dishes such as Old Fashioned Hachee. Feel free to experiment; it pairs wonderfully with almost any roasted meat or poultry, adding a vibrant touch of color and a delightful sweet-sour contrast.
5. Scaling the Recipe:
While many recipes can be easily doubled by simply pressing a button, slow cooker recipes require a bit more nuance due to the confined space and cooking method. If you choose to increase the quantity (e.g., doubling the red cabbage), you should also add approximately ¼ – ⅓ cup (50 to 100 ml) of extra liquid to ensure there’s enough moisture for the extended volume of ingredients and to prevent the bottom from drying out or scorching. You may also need to extend cooking time slightly.
6. Storage Guidelines:
Ensure the red cabbage cools down quickly and completely before storing to maintain freshness and food safety.
- Refrigerator: Store any leftover red cabbage in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days. The flavors often deepen even further overnight!
- Freezer: For longer storage, transfer the cooled red cabbage to a freezer-safe container or heavy-duty freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. To enjoy, let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.
- Reheating: Gently reheat the red cabbage in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until it is thoroughly warmed through. A splash of water or vegetable stock can be added if it seems too dry during reheating to restore moisture.
7. Nutritional Information:
The provided nutritional values are calculated per serving based on the ingredients listed and are estimates. They do not include any additional side dishes or accompaniments that might be served alongside the red cabbage.
Nutrition
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!
More Delicious Slow Cooker Recipes You’ll Love
If you’re a fan of the convenience and incredible flavors that come from slow cooking, you’ll be delighted by these other fantastic crock-pot recipes. They are perfect for busy weeknights or lazy weekends, delivering hearty and delicious meals with minimal effort, just like our German Red Cabbage:
- Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes
- Slow Cooker No Bean Chili
- Crockpot Spaghetti Sauce with Ground Beef
- Slow Cooker Spicy Indonesian Chicken (Ayam Pedas)