Yield: 8–10 large fritters
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 20–25 minutes
Total: about 45 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Cuisine: Vegetarian / snack / breakfast / side dish
Ingredients
For the fritters
½ large green cabbage — about 600–700 g, very finely shredded
3 large eggs
½ medium onion, finely chopped
2 green onions/scallions, finely sliced
1 small carrot, grated — optional, but gives the golden color seen in the photo
½ cup all-purpose flour — about 60 g
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 tbsp fresh parsley or dill, chopped
1 tsp salt, divided
½ tsp black pepper
½ tsp paprika
¼ tsp garlic powder, optional
½ cup shredded cheddar or mozzarella, optional
2–4 tbsp cooking oil, for frying
Important: Shred the cabbage very thinly. Thick cabbage pieces don’t soften properly and can make fritters difficult to hold together.
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Optional dipping sauce
½ cup Greek yogurt or sour cream
1 tbsp mayonnaise
1 small garlic clove, grated
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp chopped dill or parsley
Pinch of salt
Black pepper to taste
Full Step-by-Step Method
1. Shred the cabbage
Remove the tough outer leaves and core.
Slice the cabbage into very thin shreds. A mandoline makes this especially easy, although a sharp knife works perfectly well. Thin cabbage cooks faster and produces a more cohesive fritter.
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Put the cabbage into a large bowl.
2. Salt and soften
Add ½ teaspoon salt to the cabbage.
Massage the cabbage with your hands for about 1–2 minutes.
Let it stand for 10 minutes.
This helps soften the cabbage and release some water.
3. Remove excess moisture
This step is important.
Grab handfuls of cabbage and gently squeeze out excess liquid. You don’t need to make it completely dry, but it shouldn’t be dripping wet.
Too much moisture can make the mixture loose and cause the fritters to fall apart.
4. Prepare the vegetables
Add to the cabbage:
chopped onion
green onions
grated carrot
garlic
parsley or dill
Mix well.
5. Add eggs
Crack the 3 eggs into the bowl.
Mix until the vegetables are evenly coated.
Egg is one of the main binders in cabbage fritters.
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6. Add flour and seasoning
Add:
½ cup flour
½ tsp salt
black pepper
paprika
garlic powder, if using
Add the cheese at this stage if you want a cheesy version.
Mix thoroughly.
The finished mixture should be moist and sticky, but not watery.
If it looks extremely wet, add another 1 tablespoon flour at a time.
Don’t add too much flour—the fritters can become heavy or gummy.
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7. Rest the mixture
Let the mixture rest for 5–10 minutes.
Then stir it again.
If liquid has collected at the bottom, mix it back through before forming each batch.
8. Shape the fritters
For the shape in your photo, take approximately ½ cup of mixture.
Squeeze it gently between your hands and form it into a thick oval/cylinder-shaped patty, approximately:
8–10 cm long
4–5 cm wide
2–3 cm thick
For easier cooking, you can make smaller patties instead.
9. Heat the pan
Place a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.
Add enough oil to lightly coat the bottom.
The oil should be hot enough that a small piece of cabbage sizzles immediately, but it should not smoke.
10. Fry
Carefully place the cabbage fritters into the pan.
Don’t overcrowd the pan.
Cook for approximately 3–4 minutes on the first side, until the bottom is deep golden brown.
Carefully turn them over.
Cook another 3–4 minutes.
For the thick pieces shown in the photograph, lower the heat slightly after browning so the cabbage and egg mixture cooks through without burning the outside.
Cabbage fritter recipes commonly use medium heat and several minutes per side for a crisp exterior and cooked center.
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11. Crisp the sides
For the photograph-style cylindrical fritters, use tongs to turn the fritters onto their remaining sides for 30–60 seconds each.
This gives you that all-around golden crust.
12. Drain
Transfer the finished fritters to a wire rack or paper towels.
A wire rack is preferable because it allows steam to escape and helps preserve the crisp bottom.
13. Serve
Serve immediately with the yogurt-garlic dip, sour cream, spicy mayo, ketchup, or your favorite chili sauce.
Quick Garlic-Yogurt Dip
Mix together:
½ cup Greek yogurt
1 tbsp mayonnaise
1 grated garlic clove
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp chopped dill
Salt and pepper
Refrigerate for 10–15 minutes before serving.
For a spicy version, add ½–1 tsp hot sauce or chili flakes.
en-Baked Version
If you don’t want to pan-fry them:
Heat oven to 425°F / 220°C.
Line a baking sheet with parchment.
Lightly brush the fritters with oil.
Arrange with space between them.
Bake for 15 minutes.
Flip.
Brush lightly with additional oil.
Bake another 10–15 minutes, until golden and cooked through.
For extra browning, use the broiler for 1–2 minutes at the end.
They won’t be quite as fried-crispy as the skillet version.
Air-Fryer Version
Preheat air fryer to 390°F / 200°C.
Lightly spray both sides of the fritters with oil.
Place in a single layer.
Air-fry for 8–10 minutes.
Flip.
Cook another 5–7 minutes, until golden and crisp.
Don’t stack them.
Approximate Nutrition
Because the exact nutrition depends heavily on the amount of oil, cheese and cabbage used, these are estimates, not laboratory values.
For the basic recipe divided into 10 fritters, approximately:
Nutrient Per fritter
Calories ~100–120 kcal
Protein ~4–5 g
Carbohydrates ~10–12 g
Fat ~5–7 g
Fiber ~2 g
Sugars ~2–3 g
Sodium ~200–300 mg
If you use a generous amount of oil or add cheese, calories and fat will increase.
Cabbage itself provides fiber and vitamins, while the eggs contribute protein and help bind the fritters. A comparable cabbage-fritter recipe using cabbage, eggs, flour and seasonings lists cabbage as the principal vegetable ingredient and uses eggs as the binder.
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❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Why are my fritters falling apart?
Usually one of these problems:
cabbage is too wet
cabbage wasn’t shredded finely enough
insufficient egg/flour binder
fritters were turned too early
pan wasn’t hot enough
Squeezing excess moisture from the cabbage and shredding it very finely are particularly important.
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Why are they soggy?
The pan may be too cool, or there may be too much moisture in the batter.
Cook over medium to medium-high heat, depending on your pan, and don’t overcrowd it. Low heat can allow the fritters to absorb oil rather than crisp.
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Why are they burned outside but raw inside?
They’re probably too thick or the heat is too high.
Brown them over medium heat first, then reduce the heat slightly and allow the center to cook.
Can I make them without flour?
Yes, but flour helps bind the cabbage and egg mixture. Some recipes specifically rely on the egg-and-flour combination for structure.
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You can experiment with:
oat flour
gluten-free 1-to-1 flour
chickpea flour
The texture will change somewhat.
Can I make them gluten-free?
Yes. Replace the all-purpose flour with a gluten-free 1-to-1 flour.
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Can I add cheese?
Absolutely. Add ½ cup shredded cheddar, mozzarella, Parmesan or Gouda.
Cheese makes the center richer and helps produce an especially crisp crust.
Can I add potatoes?
Yes, but I wouldn’t add them to this particular photo-style recipe unless you want a more croquette-like texture. Potato changes the moisture and starch balance considerably.
Can I add meat?
Yes. Cooked bacon, minced cooked chicken or finely chopped cooked sausage can be added. Make sure any meat is fully cooked before mixing it into the fritters.
Can I prepare the batter ahead?
It’s best to cook the mixture the same day. Cabbage can continue releasing water while it sits, making the batter progressively looser.
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A better make-ahead option is to cook the fritters completely, cool them, refrigerate them, and reheat them.
How long do they keep?
Refrigerate cooked fritters in an airtight container for about 3–4 days.
For best texture, reheat in an air fryer, oven or skillet rather than the microwave.
Can I freeze them?
Yes.
Cool completely, place parchment between the fritters, and freeze in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to about 2–3 months for best quality.
Reheat from frozen in a 375°F/190°C oven or air fryer until hot and crisp.
Can I use red cabbage?
Yes. Green, red, Napa and Savoy cabbage can all work, although the color and texture will differ.
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Can I use Napa cabbage?
Yes, and it works particularly well because it’s tender. Some established cabbage-fritter recipes specifically prefer Napa cabbage.
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What can I serve with these?
Great options include:
Garlic yogurt
Sour cream
Sriracha mayo
Sweet chili sauce
Soy-ginger dipping sauce
Ketchup
Green chutney
Fresh salad
Pickles
Fried or poached egg
A soy-vinegar-ginger dipping sauce is also a particularly good pairing for cabbage fritters.
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Laura in the Kitchen
⭐ Best Tips for Getting the Photo-Like Result
Shred cabbage extremely thin.
Don’t skip squeezing out excess water.
Keep the batter sticky rather than runny.
Make the fritters fairly thick if you want the cylindrical appearance.
Fry in a thin layer of oil rather than deep-frying.
Don’t turn them until the first side is firmly golden.
Use medium heat so the cabbage cooks before the crust becomes too dark.
Give the fritters space in the pan.
Drain on a wire rack for maximum crispness.
Serve immediately—the crust is at its best when hot.
This recipe is an adapted, photo-matched version rather than a claim that the exact original recipe used for the photograph is known. The core technique—very thin cabbage combined with egg
With years of experience in restaurant research and local SEO, Sara creates accurate, user-friendly guides that work for both people and search engines. Her goal is to help users go from search results to their nearest restaurant or menu choice with as few clicks as possible.
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