Oma's Traditional German Braised Cabbage (Schmorkohl)

by: Gerhild Fulson  / Oma Gerhild shares German recipes rooted in family tradition.

Updated: June 12, 2025

My northern German braised cabbage (Schmorkohl) is traditional comfort food ... perfect with sausage and potatoes.

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Oma's German Cabbage, aka schmorkohl, is very traditional. Full of immense flavor!

This recipe is the one I grew up with. Mutti (who came from the Berlin area) made it all the time because she knew that we loved it so much.

This recipe works for both green cabbage and savoy cabbage. Although the cooking time for the cabbage takes about one hour, the preparation time is fairly quick.

The most flavor comes from the browning of the cabbage. This, along with the browned onion, makes the resulting cabbage dish so delicious.

Top Tips For Best Results

1. Brown It Right: Lightly caramelize onions and cabbage before simmering for depth.
2. Keep It Juicy: Maintain about an inch of liquid ... add broth/water if needed.
3. Season Last: Add vinegar, salt, and pepper at the end to brighten the dish.
4. Vegan Hack: Use olive oil instead of bacon fat and vegetarian broth to keep it plant-based.

Leftovers are great when they are stirred into some leftover potatoes that have been fried with any bits of leftover meat and gravy. Such a yummy lunch the next day.

How to Get the Sweetness and Acidity Just Right

• Too sour? Add sugar 1–2 teaspoons at a time, stir well, and taste again.
• Too sweet? Add vinegar 1 teaspoon at a time until the balance feels right.
• Cabbage still firm? Simmer 5–10 minutes longer, then check again.
• Too soft? Remove from heat sooner and avoid over-stirring during cooking.
• Flavor feels flat? A small pinch of salt helps bring everything together.

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How to Make Schmorkohl

(Find the printable recipe with measurements in the recipe card below.)

This is one of those recipes Mutti never wrote down. Why? It was made instinctively. Just chop, brown, and simmer. Done!

The main work is chopping that cabbage.

I find it easiest to quarter the cabbage and then remove that core from each piece.

Then start shredding it. Either keep the pieces 'long' like shown here, or cut the quarters in half lengthwise to get shorter shreds. Your choice.

Once you've done the chopping, it's time to start browning. Adding that bit of sugar to the onion, helps it to caramelize quicker ... and then browning some of that cabbage. It just amplifies the final flavor. Then, just add the liquid and it simmers away quietly on the stove.

Stir occasionally to make sure there's enough liquid to keep it from burning, but that's it. Yummy cabbage!

This is an easy way to learn how to cook cabbage and is one of my favorites to include among my Oktoberfest recipes. It's a comfort food and goes so well for cool autumn days and cold winter nights.

Looking for another great cabbage recipe? Check out my Bavarian braised cabbage. It's just a bit sweeter than this one, the way many like it in southern Germany.

Substitutions & Variations

• Type of Cabbage: Green cabbage is traditional, but savoy cabbage works well and becomes slightly more tender when braised.
• Fat: Bacon fat gives the best flavor, but butter, a mild oil, or a mix of butter and oil can be used if needed.
• Vinegar: White vinegar is classic. Apple cider vinegar can be used for a slightly milder, rounder acidity.
• Sweetness: Sugar is traditional, but a small amount of honey can be used if that is what you have on hand.

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Oma's Traditional German Braised Cabbage (Schmorkohl)

My northern German braised cabbage (Schmorkohl) is traditional comfort food ... perfect with sausage and potatoes.

Prep Time:

15 minutes

Cook Time:

65 minutes

Total Time:

1 hour 20 minutes

Servings:

makes 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons (45 milliliters) oil or (26 grams) bacon fat
• 1 tablespoon (13 grams) granulated sugar
• 1 large onion, thinly sliced
• 1¾ lb (800 g) green cabbage, shredded
• 2 cups (480 milliliters) beef broth or water
• 1 teaspoon (2 grams) caraway seeds
• salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) white vinegar, or to taste

Instructions:

1. Heat the oil in a large pot. Add the sugar and sliced onion. Brown slightly. Add the cabbage and brown slightly.
2. Add the broth and caraway seeds. Stir.
3. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and cover.
4. Simmer for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally. If necessary, add extra broth or water so that there is at least 1 inch of liquid in the pot.
5. When the cabbage is tender, season with salt, pepper, and vinegar. Serve.
6. Serve with homemade German sausage or meat loaf and boiled potatoes.

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Unless otherwise noted recipe, images and content © Just like Oma | www.quick-german-recipes.com

Recipe updated June 12, 2025

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Hi, I'm Oma Gerhild! As a food writer and cookbook author, I'm always looking to find ways to pass on my German heritage using local ingredients. Quick and easy. That's my goal. Wunderbar food. That's the result.