Name: Instant Pot Cabbage
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons avocado oil; 2 cloves garlic (minced); 1 head of cabbage (green or purple); 1 cup vegetable broth (or water); ½ teaspoon sea salt (to taste); ¼ teaspoon black pepper (to taste)

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The humble cabbage is one of the most versatile vegetables and cooking it in the Instant Pot makes a quick and easy side dish to round out your meal.

A bowl of cabbage cooked in the Instant Pot.

There are so many reasons to love this recipe. It's made with only 4 ingredients (not including salt and pepper) and takes only 5 minutes to make in the Instant Pot.

This recipe creates a tender, yet slightly firm, cabbage packed with flavor. And since cabbage is available all year round, you can cook this side dish any time of the year.

When shopping for cabbage, look for the following:

The head should feel heavy.
Brightly colored, whether it’s a green or purple cabbage.
The leaves should be tightly packed together.
It doesn’t have any brown spots or withered leaves.

A head of cabbage sitting on a cutting board.

How to cook cabbage in the Instant Pot

1. Prepare cabbage: Start with removing the outer leaves from the cabbage head and rinse well with water. Then cut the cabbage into quarters. Using a sharp knife, removing the core from the wedges and chop each quarter into 1-inch pieces.

2. Cook garlic: Set pressure cooker to Sauté on Normal and heat oil in the inner steel pot of the pressure cooker. Add the garlic; sauté until garlic starts to become fragrant, stirring occasionally, about 1 minute. Press Cancel.

3. Add ingredients: Place the diced cabbage into the Instant Pot. Then add the water or vegetable broth and stir.

4. Pressure cook: Lock pressure cooker lid in place and set steam vent to Sealing. Select Pressure Cook (Manual) and cook for 5 minutes on High Pressure.

5. Quick-release: Carefully quick-release the steam and remove the lid.

6. Season and serve: Season with salt and pepper before serving.

Step-by-step instructions on how to cook cabbage in the Instant Pot.

Ingredient substitutions and variations

Make it a soup: What I love about this recipe is just how versatile it is. If you want to turn this side dish into a soup, just double the amount of liquid used.
This dish tastes even better the next day, giving the cabbage a chance to soak up the flavors. It’s perfect for meal prep or if you know you’ll be busy the next day.
To warm up the cabbage, either microwave it or warm it up in a small saucepan on medium heat for about 5 minutes.
If you eat dairy and enjoy butter, substituting the avocado oil with grass-fed butter adds a creamy delicious taste.
Add onion for added flavor. To bring out the flavor, be sure to sautee it with the garlic in the beginning until it’s fragrant and starts to appear translucent. Then add the cabbage.
Fresh herbs elevate the flavor with any dish, especially cabbage. When sauteing the garlic, add dried or fresh thyme, oregano, or a bay leaf for added flavor.

Serving suggestion

Whether you cook your cabbage in the Instant Pot or the stovetop, it makes for a delicious side dish. Pair it with:

Rice or quinoa.
Black beans or any other protein.
Roasted potatoes or any other starchy vegetable.
Add it to a Buddha bowl paired with quinoa and chickpeas

More easy Instant Pot Recipes

Are you looking to cook other vegetables in your Instant Pot? Check out beets, carrots, asparagus, cauliflower, and broccoli.

I hope you love this Instant Pot Cabbage recipe as much as I do! Sign up for email updates to get delicious recipes delivered straight to your inbox. You can also follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook!