Thai Pickled Cabbage

This quick pickle - Thai Pickled Cabbage has all the Thai flavors you love.  That perfect combo of salty, sweet, and hot. 

I'm sure when most of you think of pickled cabbage you think of sauerkraut or kimchi.

But there is a world of quick pickled cabbages out there as I learned when I was flipping through a book on Asian Pickles by Karen Solomon. If you love Asian food, I encourage you to seek out this gem of a book. You'll find so many yummy pickles and garnishes, you won't know where to begin!

I settled on the Thai Pickled Cabbage. It was so easy and everything I hoped it would be. That perfect mix of salty, sweet, hot, and that funky hit from the fish sauce. So good. My stepson, who loves all things Thai, came for a visit and kept grabbing a fork and eating it straight out of the jar! It's that good!

Step by Step Instructions.

Wash your cabbage and trim off any rough outer leaves. Cut the cabbage into about 1-inch size pieces.

Place the cabbage in a colander in the sink or in a larger bowl. Sprinkle with the salt. Using your hands toss the cabbage to evenly distribute the salt.

Let the cabbage rest for about 20 minutes. You might want to give it a toss or two during that time. It should be losing some liquid.

Meanwhile, juice the limes.

Mince the garlic and ginger and add to a large bowl. Slice the jalapeño and add it to the bowl along with the lime juice, fish sauce and sugar.

The cabbage should have lost a lot of liquid at this point, compare the above photo with the one above it to see how much the cabbage has shrunk.

Rinse the cabbage in cool water to remove some excess salt and squeeze to remove the excess moisture. Let it drain well.

Place the cabbage firmly in a clean, sterilized jar. I like to use a muddler to really press the cabbage down.

Pour over the brine liquid and refrigerate. It gets better with age and will keep for about 3 weeks!

It can be used in so many ways and since it keeps in your fridge for about 3 weeks, you have plenty of time to try them all!  

I love it on top of fried rice.  It's great stirred into a big bowl of noodles, or on top of grilled pork or fish.  It can even be used as a sort of Thai coleslaw.

More quick pickles.

Vietnamese Pickled Carrots

These quick pickled carrots can be used on just about anything! Sweet and tart and so delicous!

Click here to see the recipe

Quick Pickled Radishes

Ready in about 2 hours and even better the longer they sit, these are crisp, tangy and a little spicy!  Great on an appetizer tray, sandwiches, salads or even just for snacking! 

Click here to see the recipe

Quick Pickled Onions

These Quick Pickled Onions are easy and delicious and perfect on everything from salads to sandwiches! 

Click here to see the recipe

Recipe.

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5 from 26 votes

Thai Pickled Cabbage

This Thai Pickled Cabbage is a quick pickle, no canning involved.  It's a wonderful condiment that has so many uses - I love it on fried rice and stirred into noodle bowls! 

Course Condiment

Cuisine Asian

Prep Time 45 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 12

Calories 23kcal

Ingredients

• 1 ½ pounds napa cabbage
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt
• ½ cup lime juice
• 3 tablespoons fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 clove garlic finely minced
• 1 ½ inch piece of ginger peeled and finely minced
• 1 small jalapeño chile

Instructions

• Discard the tough outer leaves and quarter the cabbage. Chop into about 1-inch pieces. Place in a colander and sprinkle with salt. Toss it with your hands. Let the cabbage sit in a sink, draining for about 20 minutes. Stir it about halfway through. The cabbage will start to wilt and look wet.
• Combine the lime juice, fish sauce, sugar, garlic, and ginger in a large bowl. Stem the jalapeño and slice it into thin rounds and add to the bowl.
• Rinse the cabbage with cool water to get rid of some of the salt. Squeeze it to get rid of all the excess moisture, then let it drain well.
• Add the drained cabbage to the brine and toss to combine. It can be eaten immediately, but it is much better the next day. Can be refrigerated for at least 3 weeks.

Notes

Can use regular cabbage, but napa cabbage has a more tender bite. 

Equipment

Muddler

Asian Pickles

Nutrition

Calories: 23kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 1g | Sodium: 1526mg | Potassium: 124mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 75IU | Vitamin C: 25.2mg | Calcium: 26mg | Iron: 0.3mg

This post was originally published in 2014 and has been updated for 2023.