An authentic Hungarian fried cabbage and noodles recipe passed down by my great grandmother who emigrated from Austria-Hungary... Also known as Haluska, Krautfleckerl, or Káposztás Tészta, this simple buttery caramelized cabbage recipe packs a lot of flavor for VERY little money!
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Hungarian Cabbage and Noodles
Aside from the whole not allowing my food to touch thing, I was not a picky eater as a child. But there were a handful of foods that I would NOT eat: like asparagus, tomato soup, and this fried cabbage and noodles dish.
Strangely enough, I LOVE them ALL today! Though my aversion to different foods touching remains...
It was easy to tell when fried cabbage and noodles was on the menu for the evening. My mom would come home from the grocery store with an enormous green cabbage and a bag of No Yolks noodles. Even if I missed her unbagging the groceries, the smell of the cabbage cooking was a dead giveaway.
Back then, she'd always save some of the plain noodles before mixing the rest with the cabbage. I'd coat them with some melted butter and top them off with a generous shake of Parmesan cheese. Much as my own daughter does these days - pure comfort food!
But as I've grown older, I've gained a new appreciation for the Hungarian recipes my family has passed down. Also, I'm a sucker for budget-friendly dinners. And you can't get much more economical than this delicious dish! I mean, cabbage is always affordably priced, AND it's available year round.
Case in point: I picked up an massive green cabbage for $0.49/lb. and a bag of wide egg noodles for $1.99. Add in a little butter, salt, and pepper, and you've got a dinner big enough to feed an army for under $5 total.
Or at least a dinner that's enough to feed MY army!
Cabbage and Noodles Ingredients
This simple dish starts with a package of No Yolks egg noodles. My mom used these pantry staple egg noodles in everything, including this fried cabbage and noodles recipe. But also in chicken paprikash, chicken noodle soup, tuna casserole, you name it.
These smooth, firm, and fluffy noodles are incredibly versatile! So it's only natural that I continue to use them myself all these years later. My mom (and I) use the No Yolks Broad noodles variety most often. But they also come in Extra Broad, Fine, Kluski, Dumplings, and Stir-Fry cuts.
Additional Ingredients:
- Large head of green cabbage: Look for a head that's crisp, firm, and feels a bit heavy for its size.
- Lots of butter: SIX tablespoons of butter to be exact… And please use real butter!
- Salt and pepper: Note that the salt is added at different times in the cooking process, first to aid in wilting the cabbage and later to season the dish.
That's it! Three simple ingredients just like my dédanyja always made it. As easy dinner recipes go, you can't get much easier.
Recipe For Fried Cabbage Variations
As I've mentioned before in this sour cream cucumber salad post, it's common to find many variations on a recipe within a culture.
I consider them ALL to be "traditional versions" of a dish, even if they're different from my family's authentic recipe. I realize that our cabbage and noodles recipe is a pretty stripped down, basic dish. But please know that it DOES NOT mean that I forgot an ingredient!
Common Ingredient Variations:
- Caraway seeds: If you enjoy the flavor and texture of caraway seed, you can stir in a teaspoon along with the pepper when the cabbage is almost done cooking.
- Caramelized onions: Slice up a yellow onion and then sauté the sliced onions until translucent. Add cabbage and continue with the original recipe. I find the resulting cabbage onion mixture is a little sweeter than just cabbage alone.
- Cooked bacon or bacon fat: Many recipes call for sautéing the cabbage in bacon grease and/or adding cooked bacon to the cabbage and noodles. Polish Haluski recipes may add kielbasa sausage instead of bacon.
- Sour cream or cottage cheese: If you're looking to add a creamy component to this dish, you can stir in some sour cream or cottage cheese. Or you can simply top the basic dish off with either one.
Read through the comments for more variations on this recipe for cabbage and noodles. Sugar, paprika spread, walnuts, and Szalonna are mentioned, along with many others. Fascinating stuff!
NOTE: There's also a LOT of overlap in Eastern European cuisines. For example, you may be more familiar with this recipe as Polish Haluski (vs. Hungarian Haluska)...
Haluski is a very popular Polish dish in the Pittsburgh area. It features the same buttery noodles and cabbage base as this cabbage and noodles recipe. Essentially they're one and the same!
How To Make Fried Cabbage and Noodles
Just as No Yolks noodles are versatile, so is cabbage. This hardy vegetable stays crispy in the produce drawer for AGES. Meaning you can keep a head on hand to make this comforting dish at a moment's notice!
Start by removing the core from a whole head of cabbage. Slice the cabbage very thinly with a sharp knife. Melt the butter over medium heat in a large skillet and add the shredded cabbage. Sprinkle a half teaspoon salt over top, and give it a stir.
Cover and cook until the cabbage starts to wilt, stirring often. At this point, you can remove the lid and turn the heat up.
Add the remaining half teaspoon of salt, and cook over medium-high heat for about 15 minutes. You'll know it's done when the cabbage is tender and caramelizes to a deep amber color.
In the meantime, cook the egg noodles in a large pot of water according to the package directions and drain well. Fold the sautéed cabbage mixture into the cooked noodles. Season with additional salt and the pepper and serve.
What To Serve With Cabbage and Noodles
This recipe for fried cabbage is super flexible! We eat it most often as a main dish, but it also doubles as a great side dish.
Noodles and cabbage pairs well with chicken paprikash and pork paprikash. It's also perfect with a pork roast main course for Sunday dinner.
Or keep it super simple and serve it with some grilled bratwurst or kielbasa sausages. Perfect for busy weeknights!
Printable Recipe ↓
Hungarian Fried Cabbage and Noodles
Ingredients
- 1 (12-ounce) package egg noodles
- 1 large green cabbage - cored and sliced thinly
- 6 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 teaspoon salt - divided
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Melt the butter over medium heat in a large skillet. Add the shredded cabbage, sprinkle about ½ teaspoon salt over it, and give it a stir. Cover and cook until the cabbage starts to wilt, stirring often.
- At this point, you can remove the lid and turn the heat up to medium-high. Add the remaining ½ teaspoon of salt, and cook until the cabbage turns an amber color and starts to caramelize a bit. Stir the pepper in when the cabbage is just about finished cooking.
- In the meantime, cook the egg noodles in a pot of water according to the package instructions; drain well. Finally, fold the sauteed cabbage mixture into the cooked noodles.
- Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately with a sprinkle of Hungarian sweet paprika, as desired.
Recipe Notes
Featured Products
More Easy Hungarian Recipes
If you like this cabbage and noodles recipe, you might also enjoy these other delicious Hungarian recipes:
- Hungarian Sour Cream Cucumbers
- Chicken Paprikash Recipe
- Pork Chops with Sour Cream and Onions
- Hungarian Cherry Tomato Salad
Did you make this recipe?
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Marcia Sharp says
I cooked some polish/hungarian sausage with the cabbage, so it has some pork flavor. Added some black pepper and cooked noodles. It’s yummy!
Tara Kuczykowski says
Mmm, sounds delicious!
Vicky says
Oh my! The memories! I just made the recipe again, I use onion and bacon, cabbage from the framer’s market, butter and the noodles. My Hungarian Grandmother Julia made this for us many times. She came here in 1920, my Dad being first generation American. I just made it today, delicious! So nice to read all the comments. We live in the Villiage of Williamsville, a burb of Buffalo, NY.Julia came via Ellis Island to the Hungarian section of Buffalo.
Bev says
I grew up eating this and never got the recipe and this is as good as the one I had, however one difference is walnuts added.
Paul Berkuta says
My grandmothers last name was Haluska and she made the BEST Káposztás Haluska!!!
Tara Kuczykowski says
Aww, love this SO much!
Liz Brandon says
Hungarian fried cabbage
Evelyn says
Cabbage and noodles
Dr.Hanson Farkas says
Born in São Paulo,Brazil,of Hungarian mother,And I grew up on the amazing Hungarian cooking ! Keep up teaching us,how to cook this great Hungarian cousine .Love you all ! Koszonom !! Farkas
Michele says
Love love love me some cabbage and noodles!!! My gma fixed it like this but, as you mentioned, fried the cabbage in bacon grease along with the butter. Yum yum!
John says
I’ve made this a number of times so far. I have a Hungarian background and have made fried cabbage numerous times before but I’ve never thought about putting broad noodles in with it. I usually dice up a package of bacon or dice up a smoked Ukrainian sausage first with onion slivers. When the sausage or bacon or both and onion is cooked I remove it from the Dutch oven, keeping the bacon fat in it, add some butter to it and throw in the sliced cabbage. When cabbage is caramelized toss the meat and onions back in, season and stir. I’ve tried a bit of smoked paprika too. It gives it a good flavour
Michael Pasko says
The best.......
Beth Calvey says
This brings back childhood memories! My father was from Hungary and would make this with bacon and cottage cheese. We loved it.
Brett Horvath says
My father would cook haluska for my 3 brothers and me, a lot of it. He fried the bacon crisp and set aside. Added a table spoon or two of sugar (depending on how much he was making) to the rendered fat and cooked the chopped cabbage in it until slightly wilted. He did not use onions which is one of the few dishes he made without starting with sweating chopped onions. Mix the cabbage and wide noodles (cooked) and then placed in a shallow 2x9x13 casserole dish lightly greases with butter or left over bacon fat. Cook in 350 oven for 20 minutes and remove. Then he spread sour cream about a quarter inch deep across the top, then sprinkled with paprika and the bacon bits he reserved. He then put it back into the oven for 10 minutes. We boys would eat half a casserole each. Also, your cucumber salad recipe was spot on. I still have my dad’s old wooden mandolin he shredded cukes and onions with. He got it from his mom. They came to America in 1911.
Tara Kuczykowski says
Hi Brett — so happy you loved my cucumber salad recipe! This haluska version with bacon and sour cream sounds divine. Definitely going to try it soon!
Liesl says
Our family recipe is essentially the same. We use a different noodle (bowties) and paprika in addition to salt and pepper. A family favorite. My family comes from a town near border of Austria-Hungarian border.
Tara Kuczykowski says
So interesting — my family came from approximately the same area! I can't believe I've never tried adding some paprika. Definitely giving it a try next time I make it!
Kathy says
Croatian ancestry here & I have this in the oven right now. Neither my grandma or my mom made this dish, but they made their own noodles. Dough spread over the dining room table thin as can be & my mom would cut it into noodles. We always had cabbage & I still like to fry cabbage & onions in bacon grease. Yum!!
Tara Kuczykowski says
Oh, yum!! I really need to make
homemade noodles more often - so good!
Kevin Toth says
We called this dish kaposzta teszta. Haluska would be the Slovak name. Either way, it's the same dish, simple and delicious!
Tara Kuczykowski says
Thanks for sharing, Kevin! These little nuances always make me think about the whole pop/soda, buggy/shopping cart, and other debates here.
Linda Silvasi Kelly says
I'm of Hungarian decent. My family made this dish, but also fried the noodles. They added walnuts.
Tara Kuczykowski says
I love the idea of adding walnuts — they would add some nice texture to the dish. I'm going to try your version next time I make it!
Michele Halfhill says
My maternal grandmother was Hungarian and cabbage and noodles is one of our favorite dishes! I love that your family recipe is the same as ours and doesn’t contain onion or other unnecessary ingredients.
Tara Kuczykowski says
Yes, I love a good stripped down recipe, too! I suspect this one came about as a way to make the dish more budget-friendly for weeknights. Cabbage is almost always a bargain, but bacon is not!
Joyce says
We still szalona to this day. Bacon grease (salt pork) drizzled on Rosen rye with yomatoes onions green pepper and salt. Yummo
Lee says
@Joyce, we szalona except include Hungarian peppers and top with paprika!
Marge Barna says
@Joyce,
We still enjoy this !!! This was always a must on the 4th of July...we did this one 4th in our backyard and the neighbors came running wondering what smelled soooooo good!!! Needless to say, after a taste they were converts!!! Such wonderful memories reading these comments!!!
Joyce says
You forgot the bacon.
Susan says
My maternal grandfather also came from Hungary, to NYC, around 1900. Then ended up in Barnsboro, PA, the rest of his life. My mom would fix 'halupka' (?), cabbage rolls stuffed with ground beef and barley — wonderful. These are great stories. Thanks for sharing.
Tara Kuczykowski says
Is it maybe Halupki? I guess it might be that Halupka is the singular. Either way, so glad you stopped by, Susan! I love hearing these stories so much, too.
Brett Horvath says
Memories of childhood. I grew up in Ashtabula Ohio and my dad’s family immigrated from Ung County, now in Slovakia in 1911. He learned to cook from my grandmother and made haluska. Bacon (American or if we had it szalonna) fried in a skillet crisp. Remove bacon, 2 tablespoons of sugar into the bacon grease, add chopped cabbage, salt and pepper and fry until tender, mix with cooked wide egg noodles. Place in lightly greased rectangular casserole dish and into 350 oven for 15 minutes, remove and spread sour cream evenly over the top (1/4 to 1/2” thick), sprinkle on the bacon ( crushed into bits), sprinkle with paprika, back in oven for 15. Four boys in our family, he would make 2 or 3. Probably not healthy by today’s standards, but back then we lived on a diet from the old country- all made at home.
Tara Kuczykowski says
Sounds amazing!! And now you've got me wondering if maybe szalonna is what Laurie was referring to in her question about bread and onions cooked over an open fire. I speculated it might be Bauchspeck, but szalonna sounds much more likely. Your comment about your dad making 2 or 3 pans made me laugh. It's often a struggle for me to downsize my recipes properly when I post them, because I'm so used to cooking for seven!
Chuck says
We're vegan so I've been using Great Value Egg-Free wide ribbon noodles, which I order from Walmart. It was quite a challenge to find eggless egg noodles. I love making Haluska. We also add Beyond Meat sausages to kick up the flavor.
Tara Kuczykowski says
Thanks for sharing, Chuck! I had no idea the Great Value noodles were eggless — that's very helpful. My husband and I were vegan for awhile, so I know how challenging it can be to find substitutes for staples like those.
Roberta Trew says
It is like going home again discovering this recipe. And so nice to see so many Hungarians here who grew up with this tasty dish as I did. I think my mom used to use onion in hers but I am not sure. My grandmother came to American at around the same time as the others here and settled in the Cleveland Ohio area. We grew up in the Hungarian neighborhood of Buckeye Rd. , centered around St. Elizabeth of Hungary Church. For you Clevelanders, Miceli Dairy is still across the street from where the school used to be. This looks like a website for great recipes! thank you!
Tara Kuczykowski says
Welcome, Roberta — so glad you rediscovered this recipe on my site! St. Elizabeth of Hungary is such a beautiful church... I grew up in Mansfield and went to St. Peter's there. They look very similar on the inside!
Linda Silvasi Kelly says
The cabage+noodles was one of our go to family meals growing up. It was served with a dollup of cottage cheese. My Dad was from Budapaest(Mom was Italian)so we had many Hungarian dishes. I'm a vegetarian, so many of my favorites, I've adapted to meatless. Being 1/2Hungarian+1/2 Italian, I have best of both worlds. Linda Silvasi Kelly
Tara Kuczykowski says
I love cottage cheese, but I never thought about serving it with this dish!
Val Weaver says
My dad used to make this recipe with bowtie pasta. It was my favorite. He would call me at work and tell me when he was making it, so I would make it a point to be home for dinner. He emigrated to the US in 1906 at the age of 6 with his parents. He said he was born in Urkut, Hungary. His parents changed their last name from Novak to Nye after settling down in Cleveland, OH, then later moving to Akron, OH, where I grew up. My dad married my mother when he was 46 years old (after WWII). I'm glad I finally found this recipe so I can try making it. Thank you for sharing it.
Tara Kuczykowski says
I just love hearing these stories so much, Val. Thank you for sharing yours!!
Thomas Angyal says
Try a sprinkle of sugar on top it’s amazing.
Tara Kuczykowski says
Oh, I will try that — thanks for sharing, Thomas!
Illona H. Wilken says
Hi Tara, I am so happy to have found these recipes--all foods I grew up on. My father when he was age 6 imigrated to the US from Budapest(1906)with his family. These recipes were introduced to my mother when in 1935 she married my father. Our cabbage noodles were prepared with finely chopped cabbage, browned to almost black in lard. One recipe that got lost along the way is for Kugelof, a coffee cake made with a yeast and sour cream dough. Another is Kochinia(sp?) My father and his brother changed their name when they were young adults to Harley from Hareschleb, however my Hungarian heritage has remained important. Thank you again----Illona Wilken
Tara Kuczykowski says
Oh, I'm so glad you're here, Ilona! I just love hearing all of these stories. My great-grandparents changed their surname from Hrabal to Rabal when they emigrated. Someday I'd love to piece together a family tree so I can learn more about my German and Hungarian heritage.
Shadeslove aka BR says
My Grandmother taught us to make this with bacon grease vs oil or butter. Adds a nice flavor to the dish.
Tara Kuczykowski says
Yes, bacon grease is delicious in this recipe! Unfortunately, it's not a staple in many kitchens these days.
Laurie says
@Tara Kuczykowski, what kind of bacon a friend of mine said there is a certain kind of bacon and they used it on dirty bread with onions on an open fire
Tara Kuczykowski says
Oh, that's really interesting! We've always just used whatever bacon we had on hand. But I did a quick Google search, and it sounds like they may have been referring to Bauchspeck, which is a German bacon that is cured with salt, then cold-smoked with beechwood and air dried. Not really sure where to purchase it locally, though.
Danielle says
I've been clicking through your recipes ever since the paprikash and I'm loving your site. The European recipes are really tugging at my heart strings ( and stomach!). I love to do twists on recipes like these too since cabbage is so versatile! There's a cabbage and lentil recipe I make if I want to lessen the carbs and it has sautéed onion and garlic, thyme and bay leaf. And after the cabbage is wilted, I'll throw in the lentils and some Ajvar with a crushed paprika spread. It's so delish, you would probably love it!
Kathy N says
Exactly my Hungarian grandma's recipe! She called it Kapusta Haluska, and we grew up eating it often. One of my very favorite dishes :-)
Tara @ Unsophisticook says
Aww, I love hearing this, Kathy! This is a perfect recipe for the cooler weather we've had lately.
Kathy N says
Exactly my Hungarian grandma's recipe! She called it Kapusta Haluska, and we grew up eating it often. One of my very favorite dishes :-)
ROBERT SIEBENALER says
I have been making this for 40 years but with a twist. Fry off a lb. of breakfast pork sausage set aside and dump it in when combining the others stir in, and let set for about 10 minutes on a very slow simmer.... HEAVENLY.
Tara @ Unsophisticook says
That sounds amazing, Robert. Thanks for sharing!
Linda says
Sorry, but I like the Noodles WITH yolks since it gives a bit of extra protein!
Tara @ Unsophisticook says
So true — and you can certainly use any variety you like. It will be delicious either way!
Christine says
HI I made this ( our version) this week. Cabbage ,butter, salt,pepper,garlic powder and medium shell noodles. Love this dish. My mom and grandmother used to make this.
janet says
this sounded sooo good so i made a half a recipe, ate it for lunch, then dinner, and then finished it off as a late night snack! will do it again with the rest of the cabbage. so simple, so satisfying, so tasty! have you ever made it with kluski noodles? janet
Tara @ Unsophisticook says
Aww, I'm so glad you loved it, Janet! I've used Kluski noodles in my chicken noodle soup, but never in this recipe. I think they're be a tasty change of pace though, with their firmer texture!
Mels says
My grandmother made a version of this recipe. She added mushrooms and thin sliced green peppers with some vegetable oil and butter. So good!
Tara @ Unsophisticook says
Sounds like this is one of those dishes that every family has their own little twist on. Can't wait to try all of these suggestions!
Mels says
My grandmother made a version of this recipe. She added mushrooms and thin sliced green peppers with some vegetable oil and butter. So good!
Ruby says
I fix a similar dish. I cook ground beef and then add cabbage until it cooks down.Then add it to the cooked noodles and add paprika. I'd like to try yours if hubs won't have a hissy fit.
Tara @ Unsophisticook says
That sounds delicious! I bet the ground beef makes it a little more filling, and there's no such thing as too much paprika in my book. Thanks for sharing!
remax says
wow! so delicious :D
remax says
wow! so delicious :D
Samina says
That looks absolutely delicious, Tara! I've printed the recipe & will pick up some cabbage this week. I'm not picking up the noodles, though. I've already got a bag of them in my pantry! Good stuff.
Tara @ Unsophisticook says
Awesome — let me know what you think, Samina!