German Red Cabbage

German Red Cabbage (Rotkohl) is a popular German side dish that is very easy to make from scratch! It makes a perfect side for a roast dinner together with spaetzle or potato dumplings. This recipe for Rotkohl with apples is a family favorite!

Growing up in Germany, braised red cabbage has been one of my favorite side dishes together with Spaetzle! It’s vibrant, comforting, and packed with flavor infused by apples and spices. Traditionally served with German Sauerbraten or Schweinebraten (pork roast), this easy German dish tastes so delicious with a distinctive sweet and slightly sour flavor.

In northern Germany this dish is called Rotkohl, but where I’m from in the south (Bavaria), we call it Blaukraut. No matter what you call it, it can be found in every German restaurant and grocery store. This easy side dish is not only super tasty but also feeds a crowd; you have to try it!

Best of all, this recipe is incredibly low maintenance. It braises to perfection while the roast is in the oven. In fact, it tastes even better the next day as the flavors meld together, making it the ultimate make-ahead side dish for stress-free hosting!

Ingredient Notes

Here is an overview of the ingredients you’ll need for this recipe. Scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom for quantities.

• Butter: I use unsalted butter to sauté the apples and onions. It adds lots of taste. You can also use lard.
• Apples: You need two medium semi-tart apples for this recipe. Belle de Boskoop or Granny Smith work best, but any apple will work. The apples need to be peeled and finely diced.
• Onion: One small to medium onion is needed for this recipe. Finely dice it and sauté it with the apples.
• Red cabbage: You need one medium head of red cabbage. It should weigh about 2 pounds, and after thinly slicing it, you should have about 8-10 cups.
• Apple cider vinegar: Adding a little bit of vinegar adds some sour notes. Apple cider vinegar works best but you can also use red wine vinegar.
• Apple cider: For even more flavor, I add apple cider or unsweetened apple juice to the Rotkohl.
• Jelly: Many recipes call for adding a little bit of jelly or jam. Lingonberry jam (Preiselbeermarmelade) or red currant jelly is usually used, but cranberry sauce is a great alternative. If you don’t have any on hand, just leave it out.
• Juniper berries: These are often difficult to find. Many European stores carry them in the spice section. If you can’t find them, just leave them out.
• Sugar: For some added sweetness, white sugar is often used.

How to make this recipe 

Detailed measurements and instructions can be found at the bottom of the page on the printable recipe card.

Step 1:  Slice the cabbage very finely, using a mandoline or a sharp knife. Peel, core, and finely dice the apples and the onion.

Step 2: In a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot, melt butter over medium-high heat and sauté diced apples and onions for 2-3 minutes.

Step 3: Add the red cabbage and vinegar, and stir until combined. Then add the apple cider, cloves, bay leaf, and juniper berries. Season with sugar, salt, and pepper.

Step 4: Reduce the temperature to medium, cover the pot, and let simmer for 50-60 minutes until the cabbage is soft but not mushy. Stir occasionally. Adjust seasoning and serve.

My Top Tips for this recipe

• Slice it paper-thin. For that authentic texture, the cabbage needs to be sliced very finely. A mandoline works best! If you hand-cut the cabbage not as thinly as in the photos, it will take longer to braise and may stay tough.
• Use the right pot. Raw cabbage has a lot of volume before it wilts down. Make sure to use a large enough Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot.
• The “secret” sweetener. Many traditional cooks (including my family) add a spoonful of jelly or jam for extra depth. Try adding 1-2 tablespoons of red currant jam (Johannisbeergelee), lingonberry jam, or even cranberry sauce.
• Don’t skimp on spices. To make authentic German Blaukraut, use the spices listed in the ingredients. Please don’t skip them; these are traditional German spices that give this dish its signature aromatic flavor.
• Skip the garlic. Don’t add garlic! Garlic is almost never used in traditional German recipes. Especially not in sweet-and-sour dishes like this because it overpowers the balance of apples and spices.
• Make it ahead (highly recommended). You can cook the red cabbage one day in advance and reheat it before serving. It tastes even better the next day because the flavors have time to blend! I usually make a big batch a day or two before serving and freeze part of it. Just reheat it gently before serving.

Recipe FAQs

Serve it with

Rotkohl is traditionally served with roasts and other meat dishes. But it is not only delicious with German dishes but would also be a perfect side dish for a Thanksgiving turkey! Any of these main dishes would taste delicious with it.

• Venison: Rothkohl is the perfect side dish for any venison dish. It’s often served with deer or wild boar goulash and medallions.
• Roasts: Sauerbraten, pork roast, or beef roast all go well with it.
• Duck: Duck is very popular in Germany and is usually served with Rotkohl, orange sauce, and Kartoffel Knödel (potato dumplings)
• Goose: Serving a roasted goose is very popular during the holidays in Germany.
• Chicken: In some regions in Germany, it’s popular to serve braised red cabbage with roasted chicken.
• Turkey: Turkey is not very common in Germany, but Rotkohl would make a great side dish for a whole roasted turkey or a turkey breast.
• Pork hock:
• Rouladen: German beef roulade is filled with onions, bacon, and pickles and rolled up into small rolls, and served whole.

Side dishes that go well with German braised red cabbage are potato dumplings (Kartoffel Knoedel or Klosse), bread dumplings (Semmelknoedel), Spaetzle, and potato pancakes (Kartoffelpuffer).

There are also some dishes that are not traditionally served with Rotkohl. For example, breaded dishes, like German Schnitzel and Jaegerschnitzel are not served with it. Bratwurst is also usually served with Sauerkraut and not with Blaukraut.

Make-ahead, storage, and freezing

Make ahead and storage: You can make the Rotkohl 2-3 days in advance and store it in the fridge in an airtight container after letting it cool down.

Freezing: You can also freeze the cooked Rotkohl. Let it cool down, divide it into portions into large freezer bags, and freeze it for up to 3 months. Let it thaw overnight in the fridge or at room temperature for a few hours.

Reheating: Rotkohl is always served warm but reheating is very easy. Put the defrosted red cabbage in a large enough pot and gently reheat it for a few minutes over low-medium heat until hot. If it looks dry add some apple cider.

More German dishes to try

German Recipes

Cheese Spaetzle Recipe

Sides & Salads

German Cucumber Salad Recipe

German Recipes

German Cheesecake

Cakes

Black Forest Cake

Are you looking for even more recipes from Germany? Check out my whole collection of German Recipes.

Tools and Ingredients

These links are affiliate links.

Mandoline Slicer: This slicer is the BEST! It’s super sharp, made in Germany, and you can slice different thicknesses, julienne, and shred. Perfect for super thin cucumber slices, coleslaw, and making homemade fries! I bought this for my husband’s birthday last year and he loves it.
Cut Resistant Gloves: Get a pair of these with the slicer! Trust me this thing is extremely sharp. Luckily we haven’t had any accidents since we bought these but I wish we had these a few years ago when my husband tried to make coleslaw.
Juniper Berries: These dried berries are often used in German Recipes!

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4.98 from 35 votes

German Red Cabbage (Rotkohl)

By: Julia Foerster

German Red Cabbage (Rotkohl) is a popular German side dish that is very easy to make from scratch! It tastes so aromatic with a distinctive sweet and sour flavor and makes a perfect side for a roast dinner together with spaetzle or potato dumplings. This recipe for braised red cabbage with apples is a family favorite!

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes

Servings: 6

Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, or lard
• ▢ 2 medium apples, peeled, cored, and finely diced
• ▢ 1 medium onion, finely diced
• ▢ 2 pounds red cabbage, one medium head, thinly sliced
• ▢ 3 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• ▢ 1 cup apple cider, or unsweetened apple juice
• ▢ 1 Tbsp lingonberry jam, optional
• ▢ 2 cloves
• ▢ 1 bay leaf
• ▢ 2 juniper berries, if you can find them
• ▢ 1 Tbsp white sugar
• ▢ 1/2 tsp salt
• ▢ 1/4 tsp pepper

Cups – Metric

Instructions 

• In a large Dutch Oven or heavy-bottomed pot melt butter over medium-high heat and saute diced apples and onions for 2-3 minutes.
• Add the red cabbage and vinegar, stir until combined. Then add the apple cider, cloves, bay leaf, and juniper berries. Season with sugar, salt, and pepper.
• Reduce temperature to medium, cover the pot, and let simmer for 50-60 minutes until the cabbage is soft but not mushy. Stir occasionally. Add a little bit more apple cider if needed.
• Adjust seasoning and serve hot.

Notes

• Slice the cabbage very thinly. A mandoline works best! If you cut the cabbage not as thinly as in the photos it will take longer to cook.
• Make sure to use a large enough Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot.
• This recipe works with every kind of semi-tart apple! German recipes often don’t specify which apple variety works best in a recipe so I always use what I have on hand. Granny Smith apples are not traditionally used but work well.
• Some traditional recipes use jelly or jam as a sweetener besides sugar. So feel free to add 1-2 Tbsp red currant jam, lingonberry jam, or cranberry sauce to the cabbage while it’s cooking.
• For an authentic flavor use the spices listed in the ingredients. These are traditional German spices that give the Blaukraut its distinctive aromatic flavor.
• Don’t add garlic! Garlic is not used in traditional German recipes.
• You can cook the red cabbage one day in advance and reheat it before serving. It tastes even better the next day because the flavors have time to blend together!
• Red Cabbage tastes great with roasts, roast goose or duck, and turkey. Serve it together with dumplings or German Spätzle.

Nutrition

Calories: 156kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 272mg | Potassium: 498mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 1840IU | Vitamin C: 91mg | Calcium: 79mg | Iron: 1.4mg

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This recipe was originally published in 2018 and updated in 2023.