Cabbage wedges are seared in a pan and then transferred to the oven and braised in broth at 350F for 30 minutes. Final touch is a quick oven roast of the cabbage wedges at 450F to crisp them up.

4 roasted cabbage wedges seared brown sitting in brown broth on a white plate with wood bowls in the background. Top down view.

Serve seared and braised cabbage wedges with a complimentary easy main dish like: coconut red lentils, perfect strip steak, or easy pan fried chicken thighs.

Whole head of cabbage sitting on a wood cutting board with a knife and cup of broth in the background.

Perfectly Tender Braised Cabbage Wedges

The trick to perfectly tender cabbage wedges is to pan sear first to get that sticky caramelization taste and then to soak them in a sauce ( AKA braising liquid) to ensure that they cook all the way through.

I have tasted plenty of cabbage wedges that were just roasted in a ton of oil and ended up tough and greasy and not flavorful.

Trust me. It takes both the pan sear and braising sauce to come up with the perfect blend of caramelization and tender cabbage wedges.

Four wedges of raw cabbage on a wood cutting board with a cup of broth in the background. — *Medium cabbage are cut into 4 wedges. Large are cut into 6 wedges. Make sure that there is a little piece of stem in each piece to hold the cabbage together while cooking.*

Variations on Seared and Braised Cabbage Wedges

The beauty of a simple cabbage wedge recipe is really showing a simple technique that can be expanded on.

Some ideas to change up this versatile seared and cooked cabbage wedge recipe include:

changing the broth: vegetable, chicken, beef
a splash or two of vinegar or wine: apple cider vinegar, white wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar, white wine
splash of fresh lemon or orange juice and zest
favorite fresh or dried herbs: rosemary, thyme, oregano, sage...
favorite spices: curry, coriander, paprika, chili powder, cumin, turmeric...
Add some cheese: Parmesan cheese, feta cheese, colby jack...

Four cabbage wedges seared brown on the side in a cast iron skillet on the stove top. Side view. — *Second Side Seared.*

Tips For How To Sear and Briaise Cabbage Wedges

Keep most if not all of the cabbage stem intact so that the wedges stay together. So cut the wedges with the stem in mind.
Use a cast iron pan if you have it. Cast iron holds heat well and heats evenly and can go from the stovetop to the oven.
It's hard to penetrate a raw cabbage wedge with salt so don't salt it until it's softer. I salt once after the sear lightly. I salt once during the flip lightly. The broth should have enough salt to flavor it. Salt can always be added later.

Four cabbage wedges seared and steaming in broth in a cast iron skillet on the stovetop. Side view. — *Add the broth, bring to a boil, and transfer to the oven at 350F for 30 minutes.*

Use An Ovenproof Skillet For Braised and Roasted Cabbage Wedges

These pictures and video show a cast iron skillet being used for braised and roasted cabbage wedges.

Use any skillet you want to cook cabbage wedges, but make sure that it can go straight from the stovetop to the oven.

See notes below for baking cabbage wedges in the oven and skipping the sear.

Four seared cabbage wedges cooked in broth in a black cast iron skillet. — *Straight out of the oven after roasting.*

Easier Seared and Braised Cabbage Wedges

Sometimes it's ok to skip some steps when there's not enough time or energy to sear and roast the cabbage wedges. I get it and I go that route sometimes too.

If energy levels are low then skip searing and roasting the cabbage wedges and bake them instead. Having said that, it does not make this braised cabbage wedge recipe faster. It just makes it easier.

Nestle cabbage wedges into a baking dish.
Bake for 1 hour in the broth covered. Turn the wedges once at 30 minutes.
Check for desired tenderness.
Serve with broth sauce and add salt to taste. Eat!

4 roasted cabbage wedges seared brown sitting in brown broth on a white plate with wood bowls, forks, and napkins in the background. Side view.

Seared and Braised Cabbage Wedges

4 roasted cabbage wedges seared brown sitting in brown broth on a white plate with wood bowls in the background. Top down view, close up.

Print Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

No reviews

Wedged cabbage pieces are seared in a pan and then transferred to the oven at 350F to braise in a broth "sauce" for 30 minutes. Final touch is a quick oven roast of the cabbage wedges at 450F to crisp them up.

Author: Beckie Hemmerling
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Yield: 4
Category: Side Dish
Method: Stovetop / Oven
Cuisine: International
Diet: Vegan

Ingredients

2 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 medium head of cabbage, stem left on, cut into 4-6 wedges
1 ½ cups vegetable broth
salt to taste
black pepper to taste

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F
Bring a 12" oven safe skillet to medium high heat and add enough vegetable oil to coat the bottom.
Sear the cabbage wedges on both flat sides for ~ 4 minutes each side or until browned. You may need to do this in batches if the cabbage is too big for the pan.
Add broth and bring to a simmer.
Once simmering, cover with aluminum foil or oven safe lid and transfer to oven for 30 minutes total, but carefully flip cabbage to the other side after 15 minutes of cooking.
Remove aluminum foil / lid and turn oven up to 450F and cook an additional 5-7 minutes or until top of cabbage is browned. Watch carefully so it doesn't burn.
Serve cabbage wedges with remaining sauce. Add salt to taste.

Notes

Variations to this braised wedged cabbage recipe are endless. Use your favorite broth (chicken, beef, vegetable), or a little white wine or vinegar, or your favorite herbs and spices, or a touch of Parmesan cheese.
Cabbage wedges don't fit into the skillet? Sear cabbage in two different batches and then nestle them all in together to bake.
Wanna skip searing? Cool, nestle all the wedges into a baking dish with the broth and cook at 350F for an hour or until tender. Remember to flip the cabbage wedges halfway through.

Things In My Kitchen:

12" Cast Iron Skillet - Made in the USA. Pre-seasoned. Has a hot handle. Affordable.
Teak Cutting Board - Sustainably harvested, easy on knives, got the juice grooves, and pretty.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.