How Long to Boil Cabbage

Cabbage is a versatile, leafy vegetable from the brassica family that’s been a reliable, popular favorite in many cultures for hundreds of years…and for good reason. All you need to know is how long to boil cabbage, and you can have a tasty, flavorful vegetable dish in mere minutes.

So, how long does it take to boil cabbage? Keep reading to learn all about how to boil cabbage and how long it takes to boil all kinds of cabbage.

How to Boil Cabbage

Boiling cabbage is one of the simplest ways to cook this leafy vegetable. The way you boil it will depend on the type, size and cut of the cabbage you’re using, but the basic process remains similar, regardless of these variations.

Follow these simple steps to boil virtually any type of cabbage:

1. Rinse the cabbage well, remove the outermost leaves (and any that are wilted or damaged), and cut it into desired size and shape. You can skip this step for frozen cabbage.
2. Fill a large pot halfway with water, add salt and bring the water to a rolling boil.
3. Add the cabbage and cook for the appropriate amount of time (see below for details).
4. Carefully remove the cabbage from the boiling water using a fine mesh strainer, or drain the pot using a colander in the sink, being careful not to spill the boiling water.
5. Add the boiled cabbage to your desired recipe, or season it and serve as is!

Now that you have a basic understanding of how to boil cabbage,you may be wondering, how long does cabbage take to boil? Keep reading, or scroll through to find the section that best fits your situation to find out how long to boil cabbage in different scenarios.

How Long to Boil Cabbage by Temperature

How Long to Boil Fresh Cabbage

If you’re working with fresh, room temperature or refrigerated cabbage, boil it for 7-16 minutes, depending on the size of the cabbage, whether it’s cut or whole and the type of dish you plan to use it in. See the tables below for details.

How Long to Boil Frozen Cabbage

Frozen cabbage should be blanched prior to freezing, so cooking frozen cabbage often goes faster than cooking frozen cabbage, because it has already been partially cooked. To boil frozen cabbage, add it to boiling water and boil for 3 – 5 minutes until completely heated through and tender.

Table: How Long to Boil Cabbage by Temperature

Temperature of Cabbage	How Long to Boil
Fresh or refrigerated cabbage	7-16 minutes
Frozen cabbage	3 – 5 minutes

How Long to Boil Cabbage by Cut

How Long to Boil a Head of Cabbage

Boil a whole head of cabbage, leaf-side down without the stem, for 12 -16 minutes to cook it through.

How Long to Boil Halved Cabbage

If you’re boiling a cabbage that’s been cut in half, you can submerge each half in a pot of boiling water (either together or one at a time, depending on the size of the pot) and allow them to boil for 10-14 minutes.

How Long to Boil Quartered Cabbage

For cabbage that’s been cut into quarters, boil each quarter (either all together or individually) for between 8 -12 minutes.

How Long to Boil Sliced Cabbage

Cabbage that’s been sliced should be boiled for 11-15 minutes, depending on how thick the slices are. For thicker slices of cabbage, boil them for closer to 15 minutes, but thin slices of cabbage should only be boiled for 11-12 minutes.

How Long to Boil Cabbage Leaves

If you’re boiling individual leaves of cabbage, you can add them all to a large pot and boil them for 7-10 minutes, until soft but not mushy. You can also boil the whole head for 7-10 minutes before removing the leaves.

Table: How Long to Boil Cabbage by Cut

Cut of Cabbage	How Long to Boil
Whole head of cabbage	12 -16 minutes
Halved head of cabbage	10 -14 minutes
Quartered head of cabbage	8 -12 minutes
Sliced cabbage	5 -8 minutes
Cabbage leaves	7-10 minutes

How Long to Boil Cabbage by Type

How Long to Boil Chinese Cabbage

Chinese cabbages, like Napa cabbage, can be boiled for 3-10 minutes, depending on whether it is shredded, quartered or left whole.

How Long to Boil Green Cabbage

To boil green cabbage, add it to boiling water and allow it to boil for 5-16 minutes.

How Long to Boil Red or Purple Cabbage

Purple cabbage can be boiled for 5-10 minutes, depending on the size and cut of the head of cabbage.

How Long to Boil White Cabbage

White types of cabbage should be boiled for 6 – 9 minutes, adjusting the time as necessary to accommodate different sizes of cabbage.

Table: How Long to Boil Cabbage by Type

Type of Cabbage	How Long to Boil
Chinese cabbage	3 -10 minutes
Green cabbage	5 -16 minutes
Red or purple cabbage	5 -10 minutes
White cabbage	6 – 9 minutes

How Long to Boil Cabbage by Dish

How Long to Boil Cabbage for Soup

If you’re planning to boil the cabbage to add it to soup (or within the soup), boil it for about 15 minutes.

How Long to Boil Cabbage for Cabbage Rolls

To make cabbage rolls, boil individual leaves of cabbage for seven minutes. The leaves should be soft and tender, but not mushy or falling apart.

How Long to Boil Cabbage and Potatoes

Cabbage and potatoes can be made by boiling cabbage with diced potatoes for 10-15 minutes before draining the excess water.

How Long to Boil Cabbage and Sausage

For cabbage and sausage, the cabbage should be boiled for 10 -15 minutes.

How Long to Boil Cabbage for Corned Beef and Cabbage

If you’re making corned beef and cabbage for a special occasion or a weeknight meal, boil the cabbage for 15 minutes.

Table: How Long to Boil Cabbage by Dish

Type of Dish	How Long to Boil Cabbage
Cabbage soup	15 minutes
Cabbage rolls	7 minutes
Cabbage and potatoes	10 -15 minutes
Cabbage and sausage	10 -15 minutes
Corned beef and cabbage	15 minutes