Hawaii Style Corned Beef and Cabbage

Since St. Patrick’s Day is on March 17th, I’m sharing a Hawaii Style Corned Beef and Cabbage dish that can be made in about 30-minutes.

This Hawaii Style Corned Beef and Cabbage recipe was a dish that my mom and grandma would cook quite often. It’s an economical, quick-n-easy, and tasty dish that fills up hungry tummies when served over rice. So it’s probably one of the reasons it’s so popular in Hawaii. Fresh meat is expensive in Hawaii, heck everything is expensive there, and this dish is a way to feed a large family on the cheap.

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Hawaii Style Corned Beef and Cabbage

Prep work: 1. Quarter the cabbage, remove the core, and chop into 1″ slices. 2. Half an onion and slice into 1/4″ slices. 3. Chop THICK CUT bacon into 1/4″ pieces.

Brown bacon in a large pot over medium heat. When there is a nice layer of fat in the bottom of the pot, add in the sliced onions and cook till almost translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Psst…I forgot to add the onions here, so they aren’t cooked through as they should be in the next photo. And if you forget like me, don’t worry, this recipe is VERY forgiving.

Add in all of the cabbage, pepper, and garlic powder. Mix thoroughly until everything is coated with bacon fat. Continue to cook and stir until the cabbage is wilted and softened.

Some people like to add water to ‘steam’ the cabbage, but I don’t find this necessary and omit it. If you find your cabbage mix is too dry, go ahead and add the water. It’s also optional to add soy sauce at this point, but I let each person add it into their own bowls as needed.

Add corned beef to the pot and break-up into chunks/pieces with two forks. Cook just until the corned beef is heated through and serve!

Alternative – Substitute corned beef with kalua pork. Add the pork juices and season.

What’s your family’s quick-n-easy economical meal?

Hawaii Style Corned Beef and Cabbage

Print recipe

Serves	6-8
Prep time	10 minutes
Cook time	15 minutes
Total time	25 minutes
Meal type	Lunch, Main Dish
Misc	Serve Hot

A quick-n-easy economical family meal.

Ingredients

4 thick slices chopped bacon
1 Medium sliced onion
1 head chopped cabbage
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder (add more to tase)
1/4 teaspoon pepper (add more to taste)
1 can corned beef

Optional

1/4 cup water
soy sauce (for serving condiment)

Note

It's important to use thick cut bacon as this will give you enough oil to cook everything without adding water. Many Hawaii style corned beef recipes will add water and soy to the mix. I don't like 'wet' corned beef and tend to omit the water as the cabbage has enough liquid. I also omit adding soy sauce while cooking and let each individual add sauce to their own bowls.

Directions

Step 1
Prep: Quarter a head of cabbage, making sure the remove the core. Chop the quarters into 1" slices. Next, half an onion and slice into 1/4" slices. Set these aside.
Step 2
Cut and brown the bacon in a large pot over medium heat. When the bacon has rendered it's fat, add in the sliced onions. Cook until almost translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Add in the cabbage, pepper, and garlic powder. Mix thoroughly and cook another 3-5 minutes until softened. *If there is not enough moisture, add up to a 1/4 cup water.
Step 3
Add corned beef to the pot and break up into pieces/chunks with forks. Cook for a few minutes until the corned beef is heated through. Turned heat off. Serve over rice with soy sauce condiment.