Buttered Cabbage and Eggs

By Christian Reynoso

Updated April 6, 2026

  • Julia Gartland for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Spencer Richards.
Media 1 of 1
Ready In
20 min
Rating
5(170)
Comments
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Pure and light with a tender buttery crunch, this delicate breakfast or lunch starts with some pretty hearty ingredients. Salted cabbage is gently sautéed in butter until it softens and becomes glossy while keeping its color, then dill is stirred in for its gentle perfume. The eggs are cracked in and steamed, covered, until the whites are just set and the yolks are still somewhat runny, begging for buttered toast. If you want this to serve 4, double everything. If you only want to cook 1 egg, halve the recipe and use an 8-inch skillet. 

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Ingredients

Yield:1 to 2 servings

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 

  • 3 tightly packed cups thinly sliced cabbage, such as green, Napa or Savoy, (5 to 7 ounces) 

  • Salt 

  • 2 sprigs fresh dill, roughly torn 

  • 2 large eggs

  • Freshly ground white or black pepper 

  • Flaky salt 

  • Lemon wedges, for serving 

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Add the butter to a medium (10-inch) skillet over medium heat and swirl the pan to help the butter melt. Once fully melted, add the cabbage and a big pinch of salt. With tongs, toss the cabbage well to gloss it with the butter.

  2. Step 2

    Cook the cabbage, tossing frequently, until it’s translucent, mostly softened and a soft celery-green (not browned), 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in 2 tablespoons of water, then toss in the dill. 

  3. Step 3

    Using the tongs, make 2 wells in the cabbage. Crack an egg into each well. Adjust the heat to medium-low, cover and cook until the eggs are cooked to your liking, 4 to 7 minutes for medium with just a little bit of runny yolk. Remove from the heat. To serve, season with pepper and flaky salt and squeeze some lemon juice over everything.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
170 user ratings
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Comments

West of wierd

So I made this for my dinner tonight. I have only myself to cook for, but I always set the table and plate my food. It just makes everything taste even better! Well, never have I ever stood at the stove and devoured everything on the spot straight from the cooking pot! So simple, so sublime, so worth every dime I spend on on my NYT cooking app. Just....wow!

Suzanne Kelly

I added avocado on the side. I usually cook rice and eggs for a quick dinner but this was faster, tastier and healthier.

Chris

Easy and surprisingly tasty. I used dried dill, and put it over buttered sourdough toast. I skipped the lemon juice, but imagine it may brighten the flavor.

Byron Coley

Amazingly simple, quick and delicious recipe. The recent spate of new cabbage recipes has been quite revelatory, but this one is my fave thus far. Had I been more familiar with this humble vegetable's potential back in my starving student days, I would have been far less reliant on ten packs of ramen.

Glowbe

Amazing! I added some Feta as suggested. This is an anytime meal.

Louisa

I added a thinly sliced leek because I had one on the crisper that I needed to use up and it was great!

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