Cabbage doesn’t get enough credit as a dinner ingredient. Roasted at high heat until the edges caramelize and the leaves turn tender through the center, a thick-cut cabbage steak bears almost no resemblance to the pale, soft vegetable most people grew up tolerating. Add a seasoned oil coating and a blanket of melted mozzarella and Parmesan, and what comes out of the oven is genuinely satisfying, whether you’re serving it as a vegetarian main or alongside a roasted protein.
The method is what makes the difference here. High heat, a hot baking sheet, and enough oil to coat every surface are what drive the caramelization on the exterior while the interior steams to a tender, slightly sweet finish. The cheese topping added in the final minutes melts into the browned edges and sets into a golden, bubbly crust that ties the whole thing together.
These roasted cabbage steaks with cheese are naturally low-carb, quick to prepare, and built from ingredients that are inexpensive and easy to keep on hand. They work on a weeknight when you need something fast and need the oven to do the heavy lifting.
Why You’ll Love These Roasted Cabbage Steaks with Cheese
The texture contrast is the most surprising thing about this dish for first-timers. The outer leaves crisp and caramelize while the interior layers become tender and almost buttery. It’s a combination you don’t expect from a head of cabbage.
The prep is minimal. Ten minutes of slicing, mixing, and brushing, and the oven takes over completely. No stirring, no monitoring a stovetop, no multiple components running simultaneously.
The seasoning blend is flexible. Italian seasoning and garlic powder give the base version a savory, herb-forward profile, but the method works just as well with smoked paprika and cumin for a more Southwestern direction, or simple lemon and thyme for something lighter.
These are also a reliable low-carb and keto-friendly dinner option that doesn’t feel like a compromise. The mozzarella and Parmesan topping makes each steak feel indulgent in a way that a plain roasted vegetable simply doesn’t.
Ingredients for Roasted Cabbage Steaks with Cheese
The ingredient list is short, and every component is doing something specific.
For the cabbage:
- 1 medium head green cabbage
- 3 tablespoons olive oil or avocado oil
For the seasoning blend:
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
For the cheesy topping:
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- Optional: fresh parsley or red pepper flakes for garnish
For the cabbage, a medium head that feels dense and heavy for its size gives you the cleanest steaks. Loose, lighter heads tend to have more air between the leaves, which means they fall apart more easily when sliced and don’t hold together as well under the cheese. Green cabbage is the standard here, but a small head of savoy cabbage roasts beautifully with the same method and has a slightly more delicate texture once cooked.
On the oil, I prefer avocado oil when I have it for high-heat roasting since its smoke point is higher than olive oil, which means it handles the 425°F oven better without turning bitter. Extra virgin olive oil works fine here too, especially if you’re pulling the steaks before they approach the very darkest level of caramelization.
For the cheese, the same principle applies as with any baked cheese dish: freshly grated Parmesan melts more smoothly and produces a better crust than pre-shredded. The cellulose coating on bagged shredded cheese prevents proper melting at the edges and gives the topping a slightly gummy texture.
How to Make Roasted Cabbage Steaks with Cheese
The core-intact slicing method is the most important technical detail in this recipe. Everything else is straightforward.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. The parchment prevents sticking and makes cleanup significantly easier since caramelizing cabbage can leave sticky spots on bare sheet pans.
- Remove any wilted or damaged outer leaves from the cabbage. Leave the core completely intact. The core runs through the center of each steak and is what holds the concentric leaf layers together as a single unit. Cut the cabbage from top to bottom into slices roughly 3/4 to 1 inch thick. A sharp chef’s knife and a single confident downward cut gives you a cleaner edge than sawing. Depending on the size of your head of cabbage, you’ll get 4 to 6 steaks. The two outermost cuts from each side will have more loose outer leaves and less core holding them together, which makes them more delicate to handle. Set those aside to use last.
- Whisk together the olive oil, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, and pepper in a small bowl until the seasonings are fully incorporated into the oil.
- Arrange the cabbage steaks on the prepared baking sheet with space between each one. Use a pastry brush to coat the top surface of each steak generously with the seasoned oil mixture, working it into the gaps between the leaf layers where possible. In my experience, being thorough with the oil at this step is what drives even browning across the whole surface rather than just the very outer edges.
- Roast for 20 to 22 minutes until the edges are visibly caramelized and browning, the outer leaf tips are crisping, and the center layers have softened. The aroma at this point should be noticeably sweet and savory rather than the raw, slightly sulfurous smell of fresh cut cabbage.
- Remove the tray from the oven. If you want more even browning on both sides, flip the steaks carefully with a wide, flat spatula at this point, supporting the full steak as you turn it to keep it from splitting. Top each steak with a generous mound of shredded mozzarella followed by a sprinkle of freshly grated Parmesan.
- Return the tray to the oven for 5 to 8 minutes until the mozzarella is fully melted and the Parmesan has turned golden and slightly crisped at the edges. The cheese should be bubbling across the surface and look set rather than wet.
- Rest for 2 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh parsley and red pepper flakes if desired.
What to Serve with Roasted Cabbage Steaks with Cheese
These work well as a standalone vegetarian dinner or as a side alongside a simple protein. The flavor profile is versatile enough to pair with a wide range of mains.
Roasted Chicken: A simply seasoned roasted chicken alongside these steaks makes a complete, balanced dinner that requires almost no coordination since both components can share oven time at similar temperatures.
Garlic Bread: A slice of toasted garlic bread alongside a cheesy cabbage steak keeps the meal vegetarian while adding something starchy to balance the lightness of the cabbage. It also works well for scooping up any melted cheese that slides off the edges.
Quinoa or Farro: A simple grain like quinoa or farro tossed with olive oil, lemon, and fresh herbs adds protein and makes the cabbage steaks into a more filling vegetarian main without adding much prep work.
Creamy Avocado Dipping Sauce: A smooth avocado sauce with garlic, lime, and a little salt served alongside for dipping adds richness and a cool, fresh contrast to the hot, caramelized cabbage. It works particularly well for people who want an extra element of creaminess beyond the melted cheese.
Simple Tomato Soup: A bowl of tomato soup alongside a cheesy cabbage steak is a quiet, satisfying combination that works especially well on a colder evening when you want something warm and uncomplicated.
Pro Tips & Variations
Keep the core intact. It cannot be overstated. The core is the structural element that holds each steak together from slicing through plating and serving. Cut it out and the steak becomes a pile of separate leaves the moment a spatula touches it. You can simply eat around the tougher core at the table.
Go higher heat for more caramelization. If your oven runs cool or you want darker, crispier edges, push the temperature to 450°F and check at 18 minutes. The difference in caramelization depth between 400°F and 450°F is substantial, and darker edges mean sweeter, more complex flavor.
Add bacon for a loaded version. Crispy bacon bits scattered over the cheese before the final melt is a popular variation that adds smokiness and saltiness without changing the method at all. It pushes the dish firmly out of vegetarian territory but is well worth it for a crowd that wants something more substantial.
Swap the cheese for something bolder. Sharp cheddar in place of mozzarella adds more pronounced flavor. Pepper jack brings a mild background heat that works well with the paprika in the seasoning blend. A mix of Gruyère and Parmesan gives you a deeper, nuttier profile that pairs beautifully with the caramelized cabbage.
Try a Southwestern variation. Replace the Italian seasoning with a half teaspoon each of cumin and smoked paprika, skip the onion powder, and use pepper jack in place of mozzarella. Add a drizzle of hot sauce over the finished steaks and serve with sour cream and cilantro.
Storage & Reheating Tips
Store leftover cabbage steaks in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. They compress slightly during storage as the cabbage continues to release moisture, but the flavor holds well.
For reheating, I find an air fryer at 375°F for 4 to 5 minutes gives the best result. It brings the edges back to a slight crispness and remelts the cheese without making the cabbage mushy. An oven at 375°F for 8 to 10 minutes on a parchment-lined tray works nearly as well. The microwave is the fastest option but produces a softer texture, which is fine for a quick lunch but less satisfying than oven or air fryer reheating.
These do not freeze well. The cabbage structure breaks down significantly during freezing and thawing, which produces a watery, soft result.
Common Questions
My cabbage steaks are falling apart. What am I doing wrong? The most common cause is cutting through or too close to the core when slicing. The core needs to run through the center of each steak to hold the leaf layers together. The second cause is slicing too thin. At less than 3/4 inch, the steaks don’t have enough structural mass to hold together through the roasting process. Aim for a full inch of thickness if your cabbage steaks have been breaking on you.
Can I use red cabbage instead of green? Red cabbage works with the same method and roasts to a deeply colored, slightly more dramatic result. The flavor is similar though slightly more peppery than green cabbage. One difference to note is that red cabbage takes a few extra minutes to become fully tender at the center, so add about 5 minutes to the initial roast time and check for tenderness before adding the cheese.
How do I know when the cabbage is tender enough before the cheese goes on? Insert a thin knife or toothpick into the thickest part of the center of one steak. It should pass through with minimal resistance. The outer layers will be visibly browned and the leaf edges will look crisped. If the center still feels firm and dense, return the tray to the oven for another 3 to 5 minutes before adding the cheese.
Roasted cabbage steaks with cheese are the kind of recipe that surprises people who assume a head of cabbage can’t anchor a real dinner. The caramelization at high heat is the technique that makes it work, and once you’ve seen how a thick cabbage slice transforms in a hot oven, it changes how you think about the vegetable entirely. Worth keeping in regular rotation, especially as a fast weeknight option when the pantry is running low.
Roasted Cheesy Cabbage Steaks
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Remove any wilted outer leaves from the cabbage. Leave the core intact. Cut the cabbage from top to bottom into slices 3/4 to 1 inch thick using a sharp chef’s knife. You should get 4 to 6 steaks depending on cabbage size.
- Whisk together the olive oil, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, and pepper in a small bowl until fully combined.
- Arrange the cabbage steaks on the prepared baking sheet with space between each one. Use a pastry brush to coat the top surface of each steak generously with the seasoned oil, working it into the leaf layers.
- Roast for 20 to 22 minutes until the edges are caramelized and browning and the center layers have softened. A thin knife inserted into the thickest part should pass through with minimal resistance.
- Remove the tray from the oven. Flip the steaks carefully with a wide flat spatula if desired for even browning. Top each steak with a generous mound of shredded mozzarella and a sprinkle of freshly grated Parmesan.
- Return to the oven for 5 to 8 minutes until the mozzarella is fully melted and the Parmesan is golden and beginning to crisp at the edges.
- Rest for 2 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh parsley and red pepper flakes if desired.
