If youโre looking for a new and delicious way to jazz up ramen noodles, then youโre in for a treat with this Fried Cabbage Ramen recipe! With the addition of smoky bacon, savory onions, and salty Parmesan cheese, these noodles are bursting with flavor. This amplified ramen will quickly become a new favorite in your recipe collection!
Mashing Up Two Favorite Recipes
This Fried Cabbage Ramen recipe is a delicious mashup of two classic dishes: Fried Cabbage and Cacio e Pepe.
By combining the flavors of pepper, Parmesan cheese, and noodles, we get the Cacio e Pepe inspiration. To this, weโve added our quick version of fried cabbage, which includes cabbage and loads of bacon! The result is a truly unique and flavorful meal thatโs sure to become a new family favorite. This dish is filling and satisfying, making it perfect for any night of the week.ย
Shortcuts
Fried Cabbage Ramen Short-Cuts
To make Fried Cabbage Ramen as quick and easy as possible, we have a few shortcuts that we like to employ:
- Ramen noodles. These noodles cook quickly and only need two minutes in boiling water. They finish cooking as they are tossed with the fried cabbage mixture, making them a great shortcut noodle to use.
- Packaged angel-hair coleslaw. This ingredient is easy to find in the produce section of your local grocery store, near other packaged salad mixes. When buying coleslaw mix, be sure to check the ingredient list and choose a mix that only contains green cabbage. Of course, you can slice your own green cabbage, but this will add to overall prep time.
Letโs Chat Parmesan Cheese
If youโre making this Fried Cabbage Ramen dish, itโs important to pay attention to the cheese that you use. While we aim for this recipe to be quick and easy, we highly recommend using a block of Parmesan and grating it fresh. This will give you the best possible flavor and texture for the dish.
- When grating the cheese, be sure to use the small holes of a grater and gently pack it into the measuring cup to get an accurate amount. This will ensure that you have the right amount of cheese for the recipe and that itโs evenly distributed throughout the dish.
- If youโre in a pinch, you can use finely grated Parmesan cheese, but be sure to choose a refrigerated, finely grated version. Donโt use Parmesan cheese from a can, as it can be too salty and wonโt integrate or melt smoothly into the dish.
- When youโre tossing the noodles with the cabbage mixture in Fried Cabbage Ramen, itโs important to add the Parmesan cheese gradually and in small amounts. This will help to ensure that the cheese is evenly distributed throughout the dish and that it doesnโt clump together.
Fried Cabbage Ramen Tips
Here are some tips to help you make the most delicious Fried Cabbage Ramen:
- Prep all ingredients before starting: This recipe moves quickly! Itโs helpful to have everything out and ready before starting.
- Cook the bacon and onion well: Take your time cooking the bacon and onions until theyโre golden brown and fully cooked. This will help infuse the dish with delicious flavor.ย
- Be careful not to overcook the ramen: The ramen noodles only need to cook for two minutes in boiling water, so be sure not to overcook them since theyโll cook a bit more as theyโre tossed with the fried cabbage mixture.
- Season the dish well: Taste the dish as you go along and adjust the seasoning as necessary. You can add more salt and pepper to taste, depending on your preference.
- Use a large skillet: To ensure that all of the ingredients are well combined, use a large skillet that can accommodate all of the ingredients without overcrowding the pan.
- Garnish with fresh parsley and lemon: For an extra burst of freshness and flavor, consider garnishing the dish with fresh parsley and lemon wedges. A squeeze of lemon is SO delicious if youโre into that.
Quick Tip
Ramen Noodles
When making Fried Cabbage Ramen, any brand of instant ramen noodles will work, but itโs important to get the right amount. For this recipe, youโll need 9 ounces of ramen noodles. Discard (or save for another recipe) the seasoning packets and just use the noodles. Otherwise, the dish will be too salty and the flavor will be off.
If youโre looking for a different type of noodle, you can also use chow mein noodles (not the fried kind) instead of ramen. Just be sure to cook them according to the package instructions (minus 1 minute) before adding them to the skillet.
Storage
Fried Cabbage Ramen Storage
As with most pasta dishes, this Fried Cabbage Ramen recipe is best enjoyed the minute everything is tossed together. The flavors are at their peak when the dish is freshly made, and I donโt recommend freezing this dish.
If you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. When reheating, add a splash of water (or chicken broth) to the skillet and gently reheat over low heat, stirring occasionally until heated through. Note that the texture and flavor are slightly different from when the dish was first made.
More Ramen Recipes:
- Pork Ramen Stir Fryย with edamame
- General Tso Ramenย with bok choy
- Chicken Ramenย with broccoli and red pepper
- Garlic Beef and Veggie Ramenย with flank steak
- Peanut Butter Ramen ready in 15 minutes
Recipe inspired by Budget Byteโs Fried Cabbage Noodles.
Fried Cabbage Ramen
Video
Equipment
- Large skillet 12-inch
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 9 slices bacon diced to 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 medium yellow onion cut in half and sliced as thinly as possible, about 1-1/2 cups
- 1 (10-ounce) package angel hair coleslaw see note 1
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt and pepper
- 3 (3-ounce) packages instant ramen noodles 9 ounces total, see note 2
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese see note 3
- Fresh parsley optional
- 1 lemon optional
Instructionsย
- Dice the bacon and thinly slice the onion. Heat the olive oil in a large (12-inch) skillet over medium-high heat. Once oil is hot, add in diced bacon and cook. Stir frequently with a wooden spoon for 2 minutes before adding the sliced onion. Cook the bacon and onion, stirring often, until the onion is tender and the bacon is golden brown and fully cooked.
- Add the unsalted butter to the center of the skillet. Sprinkle in garlic powder and season everything to taste with salt and pepper (I add 1/2 teaspoon each). Add the bag of coleslaw to the skillet and stir until it is tender and wilted, about 1โ2 minutes. Turn off heat.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to boil. Season the water with 2 teaspoons of fine sea salt. Add in all 3 packages of ramen noodles (discard seasoning packets) and cook, stirring frequently, for only 2 minutes (or 1 minute less than indicated on package). Immediately drain the noodles, but do not run under cold water.
- Add drained, cooked ramen to the skillet. Switch to tongs, and toss ingredients well, gradually adding in the Parmesan, about 1-1/2 tablespoons at a time, until smoothly melted. Season again; I add 1/2 up to 1 more tsp pepper (I love the subtle heat hereโsimilar to a Cacio de Pepe!) and sometimes 1/4 tsp salt depending on how salty things are tasting. Flavors should sing!
- Serve with fresh parsley if desired. Scoop onto plates and use a zester to grate a touch more Parmesan on top. Serve lemon wedges on the sideโa squeeze of lemon is so delicious too.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Love this recipe but I add chopped celery and green pepper after I take the bacon out and fry with the onions and fresh garlic in the bacon drippings. Just makes more! I also add some red pepper flakes for zing.
Delish! So glad this was a hit! Thanks Irene!
Nice fairly easy my son and I used panchetta that we had instead of bacon
Delish! So happy you enjoyed! Thanks so much Terri! ๐
Cant wait to make this soon for me can i use mushrooms / vegan butter and parmesan cheese i never had fried cabbage ramen before perfect for my after office meals love your recipes as always brightens up my day everyday after work
Iโm so excited for you to try! Thanks so much Ramya! ๐