Braised Red Cabbage for Christmas: Our Easy Recipe + Jamie Oliver Video

Braised red cabbage is one of the great make-ahead heroes of Christmas dinner: slow-cooked with apple, warm spices and a little vinegar until it is glossy, sweet and just sharp enough to cut through all the richness on the plate. It can be made a day or two ahead, and it freezes beautifully, so it is one less thing to juggle on Christmas morning. Below is our own easy braised red cabbage recipe, followed by Jamie Oliver’s video if you would rather cook along with him.

Easy braised red cabbage recipe

This is a forgiving, traditional Christmas red cabbage — the kind that quietly cooks down at the back of the stove while you get on with everything else. It serves about eight as a side, and the quantities scale up happily for a crowd.

Ingredients (serves 8)

• 1 medium red cabbage (about 1kg), quartered, cored and finely shredded
• 1 large red onion, thinly sliced
• 2 apples (Bramley or a firm eating apple), peeled and diced
• 50g butter (or 2 tbsp olive oil to keep it vegan)
• 3 tbsp soft brown sugar
• 4 tbsp red wine vinegar (or balsamic)
• 1 cinnamon stick
• ¼ tsp ground cloves
• Zest and juice of 1 orange
• A handful of raisins (optional)
• 1 tbsp redcurrant jelly, to finish (optional)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. Melt the butter in a large, heavy pan over a medium heat and soften the red onion for 5 minutes without colouring.
2. Add the shredded cabbage, apple, brown sugar, vinegar, cinnamon stick, ground cloves, orange zest and juice, and the raisins if using. Season well and stir to coat.
3. Bring to a gentle simmer, then cover and cook very slowly for 1 to 1½ hours, stirring every 20 minutes or so, until the cabbage is tender and glossy and most of the liquid has cooked away.
4. Stir in the redcurrant jelly, if using, and check the seasoning — it should taste sweet, sharp and warmly spiced. Remove the cinnamon stick before serving.

Prep 15 minutes · Cook 1–1½ hours · Serves 8 · Vegetarian (vegan with oil in place of butter)

Make it ahead & freeze it

This is the real reason braised red cabbage earns its place on the Christmas table — you can get it out of the way before the day itself. Cook it up to two days ahead: cool it quickly (within two hours of cooking), cover it and refrigerate straight away, then use it within two days. Reheat gently in a pan or a low oven with a splash of water until it is piping hot all the way through, and only reheat it once. This follows current Food Standards Agency advice on cooling and storing cooked food.

If you want to cook further ahead than that, freeze it instead. Cooked braised red cabbage keeps its quality well in the freezer for up to three months. Cool it quickly, pack into tubs or freezer bags and freeze on the day you make it. Defrost overnight in the fridge and reheat gently until piping hot. Making a batch in November and freezing it is one of the easiest ways to take the pressure off Christmas Day.

What to serve with Christmas red cabbage

Braised red cabbage is the classic partner to roast turkey, goose or a glazed Christmas ham, and it is just as good with sausages, pork or a nut roast. Its sweet-sharp edge is designed to balance rich, fatty meats and buttery mash, so it belongs anywhere the plate needs lifting.

Jamie Oliver’s braised red cabbage (video)

Our recipe above is our own. If you would also like to see the dish demonstrated, Jamie Oliver has his own braised red cabbage recipe and this short video shows how he cooks it:

Here is another red cabbage recipe from ‘The Skint Cook’, who came second on Jamie Oliver’s recipe book competition show. Personally, I think he should have won!

Braised red cabbage: your questions answered

Can you make braised red cabbage ahead of time?

Yes — make it up to two days ahead. Cool it quickly (within two hours), refrigerate it covered, use it within two days and reheat it once, until piping hot. To get further ahead than two days, freeze it instead.

Can you freeze red cabbage?

Cooked braised red cabbage freezes well and keeps its quality for up to three months. Cool it quickly, pack into tubs or freezer bags and freeze on the day you cook it. Defrost overnight in the fridge and reheat gently until piping hot.

How long does braised red cabbage keep in the fridge?

Use it within two days. Cool it quickly after cooking, refrigerate it in a covered container straight away, and reheat only once until piping hot — this follows Food Standards Agency guidance for cooked food.

Do you have to put apple in braised red cabbage?

Apple is traditional and adds a gentle sweetness and body, but you can leave it out and lean on the brown sugar and orange instead. A cooking apple like Bramley breaks down into the cabbage; a firm eating apple keeps a little texture.

Do let us know if you cook this, and how it turns out. If you have a great red cabbage recipe of your own, we would love to hear it.