Rotkohl (German Red Cabbage)
This post may contain affiliate links. See my disclosure policy.
A quintessential and popular German side dish, Rotkohl (braised German red cabbage) is the perfect accompaniment to your Sunday roast, beef rouladen, brats and more! This traditional Rotkohl recipe is the way my Mutti and Oma made it and is easy to prepare, can be made in advance, and can even be frozen!
What is Rotkohl?
Known as Rotkohl, Blaukohl or Blaukraut in Germany, depending on the region, this braised red cabbage is a staple side dish that is served throughout Germany. It has a distinct sweet and sour flavor profile achieved by braising the red cabbage with apples, vinegar, and spices. A traditional accompaniment for beef dishes in particular, I grew up in Germany enjoying Rotkohl on a regular basis served with our Sunday roasts, Sauerbraten, and Rouladen.
This sweet and sour red cabbage has been around for, well, seemingly forever. And that’s how it usually works, doesn’t it? Great dishes stand the test of time. And Rotkohl takes the humble red cabbage and transforms it into something wonderful. If you’ve traveled to Germany or have sampled traditional German food, you’re likely familiar with Rotkohl. And this authentic German red cabbage recipe will transport you back to your favorite German dinner tables with memories of your favorite German meals.
Rotkohl Ingredients
Butter, apples, vinegar, red currant jam, bay leaves, cloves and juniper berries are some of the ingredients that mingle together to create this delicious braised sweet and sour red cabbage. Just be sure to make time for the slow cooking process. It’s that long simmering process that’s key to the final outcome. The other key is to be sure to include all of the ingredients called for, including the spices, in order to achieve that authentic German Rotkohl flavor.
This traditional Rotkohl recipe is simple to prepare and can slowly cook with minimal attention while you’re preparing the other dishes or going about your daily business. It’s a great make-ahead dish because the flavor is even better the next day. Feel free to double or triple the batch because this sweet and sour cabbage also freezes well. Simply let it thaw and gently reheat it on the stovetop or in the microwave.
Rotkohl Recipe
Let’s get started!
Finely chop the red cabbage. Achieving exact uniformity isn’t necessary so you can do this either by hand or with a mandolin or food processor.
In a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, melt the butter and cook the onions until lightly caramelized, 7-10 minutes.
Add the red cabbage and cook for 5 minutes.
Add the diced apple along with the broth, bay leaf, whole cloves, juniper berries, red wine vinegar, sugar and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Add more broth if needed. Mix a tablespoon of flour with 2 tablespoons of water until dissolved and stir it into the cabbage. Add salt, sugar and vinegar to taste.
Enjoy!
Serving Suggestions
In Germany, Rotkohl is the quintessential side to serve with roasts and a variety of meat dishes along with a carb of choice. Here are few dishes you’ll commonly see served with Rotkohl in Germany:
- Sauerbraten
- Rouladen
- German Goulash
- Schweinshaxe
- Spätzle
- Bread Dumplings (Semmelknödel)
- German Potato Dumplings (Kartoffelklöße)
For more traditional German dishes be sure to try my:
- Spätzle
- Käsespätzle
- Rouladen
- Sauerbraten
- German Goulash
- Schweinshaxe
- Maultaschen
- Schnitzel
- Königsberger Klopse
- German Potato Dumplings (Kartoffelklöße)
- Bread Dumplings (Semmelknödel)
- Zwiebelkuchen
- German Bread (Vollkornbrot)
- Bratwurst
- Currywurst
- Swabian Potato Salad
Save This Recipe
Enter your email address and we’ll send it straight to your inbox!
Rotkohl (German Red Cabbage)
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds red cabbage , very thinly sliced
- 1 large yellow onion , finely diced
- 1 large Granny Smith or other semi-tart apple , peeled, cored and diced
- 1/4 cup butter (vegan: substitute oil)
- 2 tablespoons red currant jam or jelly , this is traditional but can substitute cherry jam
- 2-3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1/2 cup vegetable broth
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 whole cloves
- 3 juniper berries
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoons all-purpose flour (gluten free: omit)
- 2 tablespoons water
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat and cook the onions until just beginning to brown, 7-10 minutes. Add the cabbage and cook for 5 minutes. Add the apple, broth, bay leaf, cloves, juniper berries, red currant jam, red wine vinegar, sugar and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Add more broth if needed. Combine the flour and water until dissolved and stir into the Rotkohl. Simmer for another minute. Add more salt, sugar and vinegar to taste.
- Traditionally served with roasts, Rouladen, and Sauerbraten along with potatoes, Spaetzle, German Potato Dumplings, or German Bread Dumplings.
Nutrition
Originally published on The Daring Gourmet July 23, 2014
Hi, I’m Kimberly Killebrew and welcome to Daring Gourmet where you'll find delicious originals, revitalized classics, and simply downright good eats from around the world! Originally from Germany, later raised in England, world-traveled, and now living in the U.S., from my globally-influenced kitchen I invite you to tour the world through your taste buds!
OMG so amazing, have been trying various recipes over the years and this is totally the best. Magic on a plate
YES!! I’m so happy to hear that, Elaine, thank you!
My mother-InLaw made her red cabbage with a green cabbage apple red wine maybe onions any help with this recipe please
Hi Gerri, Rotkohl is only ever made with red cabbage so this must have been her own creation. I can think of dishes made with green cabbage, apples and onions but there is no red wine in them – generally it would be white wine and a touch of vinegar. Again, this sounds like a mother-in-law original recipe :)
still can’t wrap my head around cooking shredded cabbage for 2 hours without ending up with mush.
Hi Petra, no it won’t result in mush – you’ll just have to try it and see for yourself :)
Grew up on jarred Red cabbage. Then moved. They didn’t even know jarred German style red cabbage, but they have the heads of fresh.
Gonna try to make a Sauerbraten for Xmas (with dumplings)
My Q on this recipe:
I’m not very big on sweet foods, and question the apples. Onions add sweetness along with the sugar and jam. So where would be the best place to cut back on sweetness?
(I plan on a practice run or 2 on the cabbage and dumplings)
Thanks
Hi Bubba, if you’re going to do a practice run anyway, my recommendation is to make it as written (you can use tart apples) and then determine if it’s too sweet for you. It really isn’t what I would call “sweet” – it’s not like candied cabbage or something like that. But there are some sweet fruit notes in it. If it’s still sweeter than you like it eliminate the sugar and the jam. Happy cooking!
Thank you Kimberly for this fantastic recipe for Rotkohl, returning to some of my German roots. Very similar to a recipe in my German Great Grandmother’s recipe book. In fact I am cooking it as I type this comment. To be served with some fine pork sausages and steamed baby red potatoes. So I will let you know the result, which I certain will be delicious. By the way all the ingredients are readily available here in Australia at very reasonable prices. Thank you once again for your website.
Wonderful! I can’t think of a better way to return to your German roots than through cooking. Yes, please let us know how it turns out. Thanks again and greetings to Australia!
This was awesome. I was just in Germany last month and had a taste for this dish. I didn’t have the berries and I used blueberry jam (what I had). So delicious. I will be making this again. I put my cloves in a little bag and then fished it out. Do they dissolve? It was too red to see.
Thanks so much!
I’m happy to hear that, B, thank you! No, the cloves don’t dissolve but there’s so few of them and they’re very easy to see, so we usually just fish them out at the end.
Best recipe for Rotkohl I’ve ever used!!! Thanks! Reminds me of when I was an exchange student in Germany a long time ago. I added a little bit of “smokey bacon” they call it Arkansas bacon.
Fantastic, I’m so glad, thank you!
Omg! Better than all the restaurants around here in Pittsburgh! Made this twice now it is amazing! Thank u!!! I didn’t like the last step so I omitted it the 2nd time around! Thank u love it!!!
Awesome, I’m so glad to hear it, thank you!