This How to Air Fry Cabbage recipe is a quick and easy way to do something a little different with a traditional seasonal vegetable. The leaves turn crisp and caramelised at the edges while staying soft in the middle which makes for a fun mix of textures. Whether you know it as a hispi, a pointed cabbage or sweetheart like me, this is an excellent way to cook and serve this leafy green.
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It felt really strange to effectively roast cabbage. I know it is something that people do but I’ve always been a boil, drain and butter it girl -> Simple Buttered Savoy Cabbage or I sauté it with the help of a little steam -> Sautéed Cavolo Nero. But roasting turned out to be a delight and of course it made the most sense to share this method for the air fryer.
I’ve written this recipe specifically for the density of a sweetheart/pointed/hispi cabbage but it is going to work for any looser leafed cabbage too – especially savoy. I say looser to exclude white cabbages which are extremely dense and I don’t think would adapt well for this recipe.
How to Serve
Cabbage is really versatile – you can serve it with a beautifully crispy pork chop, with seasoned lamb ribs and Turkish rice or as part of a Japanese inspired rice bowl with chicken and sticky rice. Along with a myriad of other options.
Cabbage is always a stalwart of any roast or “things and gravy” type meal. These roasted cabbage wedges would make an excellent side for a Thanksgiving or Christmas meal along with roast turkey and all the appropriate trimmings.
Here I’ve served with a super traditional steamed suet steak and ale pudding (recipe incoming), creamy mashed potatoes, petite pois peas and buttered carrots. It was the ultimate comfort food dinner.
Ingredients
Cabbage
Sweetheart cabbage has a myriad of names depending on where in the world you are. Hispi and pointed are the most common alternatives. It is a pale green cabbage with fairly smooth leaves and a vague cone shape. You’ll certainly know it when you see it.
You will undoubtedly need to remove a couple of the outer leaves before cooking. This is normal and for the most part, even if you end up with one that really doesn’t look it’s best – you can just keep removing those leaves until you get rid of the dodgy parts.
The shape makes it extra easy to cut into wedges. The trick is to start cutting at the harder base rather than the point to make sure the wedges are as even as possible in size.
Oil
I used a neutral vegetable oil but melted butter or another fat would work just fine here. I would recommend melting any hard fats before adding the seasoning and brushing on the cabbage. This will give you the most even coverage.
Seasoning
You can keep things extra simple and just use sea salt to season the cabbage. But I used a mix of garlic salt and paprika to add an extra punch. You can use any seasoning you wish, but you should make sure that it does contain a decent proportion of salt.
Allergen Information
This recipe is free from egg, dairy, gluten and nuts.
Please note that this recipe may contain other allergens not referred to above and any variations suggested have not been tested unless otherwise stated. For more information regarding any dietary information provided on this website, please refer to my Nutritional Disclaimer.
How Long to Air Fry Cabbage Wedges
The heat from the air fryer gets a little boost from some water in the bottom to heap penetrate the centre of the cabbage wedges. This is step one of making sure the cabbage is cooked all the way through.
The second stage is to air fry at a lower temperature for a longer time. So I’ve written this recipe for the cook time to be a total of 20 minutes. 15 on the first side and a further 5 after the wedges are turned over.
How to Air Fry Cabbage From Frozen
I do not recommend trying to air fry cabbage from frozen or if it has been frozen at all. There is no issue in freezing cabbage per se but the texture does change. It is absolutely fine to boil or add to anything where you expect the cabbage to be very soft. But it is not suitable for roasting or eating raw.
Leftovers – Storage & Reheating
Leftover air fried cabbage can be easily stored in the fridge for several days. It can be reheated in the oven, pan or air fryer. Or cut up and added to other dishes. The cabbage will be softer once stored and reheated so it is worth bearing this in mind. The same is true for freezing it but even more so.
If you want the full experience of the crispy bits of cabbage, I would intend to cook it right before serving rather than in advance.
Common Air Fryer Questions – A Brief Guide to Air Frying
- What exactly is an air fryer?
- What are the benefits of using an air fryer?
- Are all air fryers the same?
- Is an air fryer always better to use than an oven?
- Do air fryers need to be pre-heated?
- What is the best temperature to air fry at?
- What setting is best to use? Air fry, bake, dehydrate, etc…
- Can food be cooked from frozen in an air fryer?
- Can I reheat food in an air fryer?
- Are air fryer liners a good idea?
The Air Fried Feast Community
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What Exactly is an Air Fryer?
Very simply, an air fryer is a small convection (fan) oven. The benefit is that the hot air is circulated all around the food being cooked which speeds up the cooking time and cooks the food more evenly.
What are the Benefits of Using an Air Fryer?
Size, time and energy usage. Air fryers are ideal for cooking smaller quantities. Heating up a space that the food just fits into requires less energy and means that the heat source is much closer to the food. Combining these two things can speed up the cooking time.
Are all air fryers the same?
Nope! The term air fryer is now used very broadly. I consider there to be 4 main types:
Basket Air Fryers
These are what I would consider to be the most common, especially in the UK. A boxy type unit has a pull out drawer/basket. Food isn’t usually visible whilst cooking.
Some larger models have two drawers so different items can be cooked at different temperatures or for different times.
This is the type that you’ll see in the images in this recipe. I mostly use a Cosori Lite 3.8L (CAF-LI401S) with a 3.8 litre capacity. The square(ish) shaped basket is 21cm x 21cm and 24cm on the diagonal. It isn’t an overly expensive or fancy model.
I’ve also recommended to several friends and family the model with a slightly larger basket. This is the Cosori 4.7L (CAF-L501) with a 4.7 litre basket. The unit is no larger than the 3.8 litre model on the outside but does have a larger internal basket capacity. I’ve since bought this version to use for some recipes where my smaller model was just too small. I’ll always note this in the recipe.
Rotary Air Fryers
Round air fryers with a paddle in the centre that rotates to move the food. This is the type I used for years – the most common is a Tefal Actifry.
Rotary types are not usually good for recipes where the food is breaded, glazed, likely to break up or in a tray/container. They do however make the best chips and roasted veg.
My 2 in 1 version like the one I’ve linked also has a rotating tray for things that could be broken up by a paddle, but the height clearance with the lid isn’t deep enough to use it to cook some items like sausage rolls. I’ve now actually retired by Actifry in favour of having my two basket type fryers.
Mini Oven Air Fryers
These usually have a glass door, shelves and overall are really quite large. You can cook quite a decent quantity of food in them so are best if regularly cooking for multiple people. They often come with extra features like a rotisserie spit or kebab skewers.
Multicookers with Air Fryer Functions
Some like Ninja 11 in 1 and some of the earlier versions with a few less functions, have an air fryer option. They mostly operate the same as a basket fryer but the basket drops in the top rather than sliding in like a drawer.
Some electric pressure cookers like Instant Pots can also air fry when used with a specific lid.
Is an air fryer always better to use than an oven?
As much as I do love air frying, the honest answer to this is no. And the more detailed answer is that it will always depend on what you’re cooking, how much of it you’re cooking and what type and size of air fryer you have.
Once you need to cook in more than 2 batches, it often makes more sense to use an oven. If you already have the oven on to cook other items, it may make more sense to throw one more item in rather than using an additional appliance.
I don’t think either method is often necessarily better than the other. The important point to note is that there is absolutely no difference in the finished product.
Do Air Fryers Need to Be Pre-Heated?
The answer to this is rather annoying – it depends. It depends entirely on your model and type of air fryer. The best advice I can offer is to check your manual and follow their guidance. My Cosori models have a preheat function. I press a button and it heats at 205c/400f for 4 minutes.
It’s also worth noting that regardless of whether you are supposed to pre-heat or not, if you are cooking in batches, it is quite likely that anything after the first batch will cook a little quicker because of the retained heat. It is best to check on them before the cooking time is completed.
What is the best temperature to Air Fry at?
It will always depend on what you are cooking and from what state. All of my air fryer recipes don’t use temperatures above 200c/390f because many of the most common fryers in the UK don’t go above this. Mine goes to 230c/450f and I use this temperature a lot but it is no help for me to share recipes which many people can’t use.
What setting is best to use? Air fry, bake, dehydrate, etc…
Not all air fryers have different settings like this. When they do it usually relates to the fan speed. The default setting to use will always be “air fry” so unless something else is specifically stated in the recipe, always use the air fry option.
There are other air fryers that have an additional heating element which cooks from underneath rather than just the top. Just as with the other settings, unless you are using a recipe which states to use a second heating element, stick with just using the top down air fry option.
Of course if and when you become more confident with air frying, using recipes and the settings of your air fryer, you can start adapting them to suit.
Can Food Be Cooked From Frozen In An Air Fryer?
Absolutely! To cook from frozen you usually will need to reduce the cooking temperature and increase the time to make sure your food is cooked right through to the middle.
It is best to check my individual recipes for cooking from frozen advice as some items are a little different. And there are occasionally exceptions to the rule.
Can I Reheat Food In An Air Fryer?
Yes. As a general rule I reheat food for roughly 1/3 of the original cooking time at the same temperature. Or at 10 degrees lower for half the time for larger items.
Are Air Fryer Liners a Good Idea?
Unless otherwise stated, I do not use liners when air frying. Basket and rotary type air fryers are designed to be used without liners. Mini oven types will generally require some kind of tray like with a regular large oven although most come with crisper racks to use.
There are many air fryer liners available including quite thick silicone ones. These will affect the cooking times and possibly temperatures of your cooking/baking. I also don’t like how cooking juices are prevented from dripping through the basket rack. This can stop food from crisping all the way around.
When I do want to collect the juices, I mostly use some foil, or occasionally a foil tray which can be washed and reused.
If you do prefer to use them, once you have got a feel for how they affect your cooking and baking, you may need to make adjustments to the recipe accordingly.
More Air Fryer Recipes
All my recipes with instructions for how to cook or bake them in the air fryer can be found in my Air Fryer Recipe Index.
Don’t forget to let me know in the comments if you try making this recipe – I want to know what you think and if you made any substitutions, how did it turn out?
Still Have Questions?
Simple! Just contact me and I will do my best to help as quickly as I am able. Head over to my Contact Me page, any of my social media channels or post a comment at the bottom of this page and I’ll see what I can do.
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The Recipe
How to Air Fry Cabbage – Sweetheart/Hispi Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 Sweetheart/Hispi/Pointed Cabbage - around 650g/23oz
- 2 tbsp Vegetable Oil - see notes
- 2 tsp Seasoning - see notes
Instructions
- Add around 250ml water into the bottom of your air fryer basket. If your air fryer requires pre-heating, start this setting now.
- Remove any outer leaves from the 1 Sweetheart/Hispi/Pointed Cabbage that aren't in good condition.
- Use a sharp knife to cut off the very end of the cabbage root. You don't want to take so much off that the leaves start to separate but it does need cleaning up.
- Use a large sharp knife to cut the cabbage in half. Start with the root end so you get an even cut.
- Cut each half in half again, again starting at the root end.
- If any of the leaves seem like they're going to fall off or separate, use cocktail sticks poked all the way through the cabbage to secure them.
- Mix around 2 tbsp Oil and 2 tsp Seasoning in a small bowl.
- Brush the seasoned oil all over the cabbage wedges.
- Place the cabbage wedges into the air fryer basket. It's fine if they're a little snug fitting.
- Air fry for 15 minutes at 180c/350f.
- Carefully turn the wedges over.
- Air fry for a further 5 minutes at 180c/350f.
- Serve hot and be careful when moving the air fryer basket to wash it as there will still be water in the bottom.
Notes
- Oil – Choose your oil to match your flavouring. For example use garlic, salt and rosemary with olive oil or for a more neutral flavour, sea salt and black pepper with vegetable oil.
- Seasoning – Choose any seasoning mix, spices or dried/fresh herbs. Make sure that salt is included in the mix. You can also add a little citrus juice.
- I used vegetable oil with a 50/50 mix of garlic salt and paprika.
- The air fryer version of this recipe is tested in a Cosori Lite (CAF-LI401S) with a 3.8 litre capacity. The square(ish) shaped basket is 21cm x 21cm and 24cm on the diagonal.
- Not all models advise preheating is required. Please follow the recommended instructions for your model. Mine has a specific preheat setting which is 4 minutes at 205c.
- For this recipe, I can just fit a quartered 650g cabbage in the basket at a time. This gives plenty of room to allow air to circulate.
- As all air fryer models are a little different, you may find that you can fit more or less in at a time. Some models include stacking shelves which will increase capacity.
- Required cooking times and temperatures can also vary between models and brands. If you know that your air fryer runs a little hotter than most recipes suggest, use a lower temperature. And vice versa. Equally if you find that food cooks more quickly in your machine than instructions usually state, reduce the cooking time (or check it earlier) and vice versa.
Janice says
I was excited to see this recipe as I’m growing hispi cabbage in my garden! They are not ready yet so I bought one to try out the recipe, what a revelation. Absoultely delicious, I’m looking forward to making using the air fryer method again.
Lesley says
I love hispi cabbage and cooked like this is was perfection a lovely caramelisation round the edges which just added to the flavour.