Cabbage and Sausage – This fuss-free family weeknight meal is super quick, easy, and budget-friendly to boot. It’s one of my favorite simple skillet meals. I can guarantee it will satisfy your soul and pocket!
To me, the combination of cabbage and sausage was meant to be. They go so well together that my entire family loves this meal and happily goes back for seconds every time. It’s proof that comfort food doesn’t have to be fancy or expensive. 😅
Even if you’re a beginner in the kitchen, this recipe is for you. I’m telling you, it is insanely easy to make. With a little chopping and a little sauteing, your dish is ready to devour! And even if you’re an experienced cook, who doesn’t want to throw together something simple occasionally?
The Best Sausage for Cabbage and Sausage
Let me start by saying you can use any sausage you like for this recipe. Spicy Italian sausage, ground sausage, kielbasa, chorizo, or anything else works just fine. My go-to is kielbasa or another smoked sausage because the smoky flavor is so good with the Creole seasoning, bacon, and veggies.
Recipe Ingredients
- Sausage – You’ll need about 12 ounces of your favorite sausage.
- Cabbage – You’ll also need one whole medium to large head of cabbage. Remember, the cabbage will cook down quite a bit.
- Other Veggies –Bell pepper, onion, tomatoes, and minced garlic add complementary flavors without overpowering the cabbage and sausage.
- Seasonings – Paprika, Creole seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, white pepper, and some pepper flakes give this dish depth of flavor and a little kick of heat. 💥
- Bacon – Is any recipe not improved by adding a couple of strips of bacon? I didn’t think so. 😜
How to Make Cabbage and Sausage
- Prep – Slice or chop cabbage and set aside. (Photos 1-2)
- Sauté – In a large skillet over medium heat, sauté the bacon until it’s nice and browned and then set aside. Add the sausage, letting it brown for about 2 minutes, along with the onions, garlic, paprika, and Creole seasoning. Stir frequently to prevent any burning. (Photos 3-6)
- Cook – Next, add the tomatoes and green bell pepper to the pan and cook everything for another 5 minutes. (Photos 7-8)
- Simmer – Finally, add the cabbage, Worcestershire sauce, and white pepper. Bring everything to a simmer, cover the pan, and let it cook for about 10-14 minutes or until the cabbage reaches your desired tenderness. (Photos 9-10)
- Adjust – Taste test your cabbage and sausage and add more Creole seasoning, salt, and pepper flakes as needed.
- Serve – Plate cabbage and sausage piping hot and enjoy!
Recipe Variations
- This dish is hearty, but add potatoes if you want to make it even heartier! You may need to add just a touch of water to the pan while the cabbage cooks after sauteing them so they become tender.
- You can leave out the spicy seasonings if you want a mild version of this recipe. (But I wouldn’t recommend it. 😜)
- You can leave the bacon out for a leaner version, and this dish will still taste amazing.
Tips and Tricks
- Be sure to stir everything frequently when sauteing. If you notice anything sticking or trying to burn, you can add another tablespoon of oil to the pan.
- When you’re shopping for cabbage, pick a head that is firm and heavy. Choose a different head if it has blemishes, brown spots, or looks moldy.
Make-Ahead Instructions
You can definitely make this dish a day or two ahead of when you plan to eat it. Just store it in the fridge in an airtight container and reheat it on the stovetop or microwave. I don’t recommend freezing it because the texture of the cabbage gets a little funny when you thaw it out.
Serving and Storage Instructions
Serve cabbage and sausage fresh out of the skillet, piping hot. Store leftovers in airtight containers in the fridge.
When reheating leftovers, you’ll get the best texture if you warm them up on the stovetop over medium heat. You can microwave if you’d like, but I feel like it makes the cabbage a little soggy.
FAQs
Some cooks like to soak the cabbage in cold water for a few minutes before draining and cooking it to keep it nice and crispy. You can soak it if you’d like for this recipe, but it isn’t necessary.
Just to be safe, it’s always good to remove the outer leaves, quarter the cabbage, and rinse it under running water. If any little worms or bugs have gotten inside, you’ll rinse them out. 💦
Yes. If you do, it will become limp and pasty and also pretty pungent. So keep an eye on your cabbage and stop cooking when it’s barely tender for the best results.
What Goes With Cabbage and Sausage
You can serve cabbage and sausage over a bed of steamed rice if you’d like. Personally, I like serving it with other Southern specialties, such as hot water cornbread or Southern hoe cakes.
If you’re aiming for a full-on Southern feast, also consider making a couple of other sides. Southern baked mac and cheese and Southern black-eyed peas are two of my favorite sides for this! 😋
More Crazy Good Cabbage Recipes to Try
- Southern Fried Cabbage
- Stuffed Cabbage Rolls
- Vegan Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls
- Cabbage Egusi Soup
- Ethiopian Cabbage
Conclusion
Could it get any easier? No, I don’t think so! This is comfort food at its quickest in a simple, down-home one-skillet recipe. Have you tried this cabbage and sausage recipe? If so, let me know what you think in the comments below! ❤️
Watch How to Make It
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This blog post was originally published in March 2018 and has been updated with additional tips, new photos, and a video.
Cabbage and Sausage
Ingredients
- 12 ounces (340g) sausage (kielbasa or smoked sausage works great)
- 2 tablespoons (28g) butter (or cooking oil) add more as needed
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 teaspoons (7g) garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon (2g) paprika
- 1 teaspoon (2g) Creole seasoning (adjust to taste)
- 1-2 strips bacon
- 2 medium tomatoes, diced
- ½ green bell pepper, diced
- 1 medium to large head cabbage, chopped (about 9-10 cups)
- 1-2 teaspoons (5-10ml) Worcestershire sauce (or chicken bouillon) adjust to taste
- 1 teaspoon (2g) white pepper
- 1 teaspoon (2g) pepper flakes, or more (optional)
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Slice or chop cabbage and set aside.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, sauté bacon until brown (it may take about 5 minutes). Set aside. Add sausage and brown for about 2 minutes.
- Add butter to the pan, followed by onions, garlic, paprika, Creole seasoning, and sausage. Let it simmer for about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent burning. Then add tomatoes and green bell peppers, and continue cooking for about 5 minutes.
- Then add the cabbage, Worcestershire sauce, and white pepper. Bring it to a simmer, cover it, and let it cook for 10-14 minutes or more, depending on preference.
- Adjust for seasoning with Creole seasoning, salt, and pepper flakes.
Tips & Notes:
- Be sure to stir everything frequently when sauteing. If you notice anything sticking or trying to burn, you can add another tablespoon of oil to the pan.
- When you’re shopping for cabbage, pick a head that is firm and heavy. Choose a different head if it has blemishes, brown spots, or looks moldy.
- Please remember that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.
Erica says
OMG I LOVED this! Deliscious combination of flavors. Thank you!
imma africanbites says
Thanks for dropping by.Yes, it is a simple yet tasty dish, indeed.
Cea from KC says
First of all I used 2- 12 oz linked sausage. This was amazing. Love the red pepper taste too. My green pepper went bad , so I used sweet peppers red, yellow and orange.
I am not a fan of cooked soft cabbage. However with all the marrying of all the seasons
It was fabulous. I took some to work for the Guys and they thought it was great.
imma africanbites says
Yaaay! So happy you guys loved it. Thank you for dropping by.
maria koziol says
Absolutely delicious, this recipe became one of our favorite ones, I like to add purple cabbage as well. I make it a least once a month.
Thank you!!!
imma africanbites says
Thanks for sharing that tip.
Gary says
Looks great and going to try it, but I’m trying to Keto and this looks like it should be Keto friendly, but I can’t figure what’s creating the 20 grams of carbs and 10 gr of sugars, unless it’s the tomatoes? Cabbage has next to no carbs. It looks too good to pass on.
C. Bell says
It’s probably the tomatoes but could also be the brand of sausage used in the recipe. Some sausage has added sugars.
Julia says
Loved this! I modified the steps a little bit (browned the sausage in the bacon fat, removed, and then added the onions/etc, didn’t have peppers or tomatoes and continued on). Next time I’ll add a bit of mustard to the cabbage to replace the tang from the tomatoes. This has officially taken over as my favourite version of this recipe!
ImmaculateBites says
I’m so happy to hear that Julia! Thanks for the feedback.. 🙂 It’s definitely a favorite around here too!
Esa Koskinen says
Usually you already know from pictures is the recipe good or not and this just underlined it. Loved it. I did it with chorizo and prosciutto. Love your recipes, thank you!
Greetings from Finland, Esa
imma africanbites says
I love chorizo, too! Thanks for dropping by, Esa! =)
Austin says
Can these foods serve as weight loss foods?
Cos i want to lose weight while enjoying good food.
Can they be Ketogenic?
imma africanbites says
Hi, Austin! My apologies. I don’t have in depth information about Keto diet.
Kathy says
My roommate wants cabbage, I her I’d go buy it & she could cook it. I told her, I’ve never cooked cabbage & I don’t like it. She said she’d never cooked it either, just Google it she says. So, I did & I choose your recipe. Guess what? We all ate it & loved it. I hadn’t eaten it since I was 6/7 years old, I guess my taste buds have changed. I really liked it. Thank you…♥️
imma africanbites says
Glad you and your roommate love this one, Kathy! This is one of our go-to meal since it’s easy to prep yet so tasty. Thanks for stopping by. 🙂
Vira says
Lo-ove sautéed cabbage! It is always good: with sausages, or any meat, or mushrooms, even just with onions and carrots, but then there has to be sour cream and butter added for the richer taste.
Cabbage is done when it is very soft, and tastes better after resting for few hours.
I like eating it either warm with boiled small potatoes, or even cold on the buttered slice of good solid bread. Yummy
imma africanbites says
Thanks for sharing your insight, Vira! I got to try your version with sour cream next time.
Alexandra Ashland says
I am making this today. Sounds so flavorful, loo carbs, and just what I want on a rainy day.
Thank you.
Alexa
ImmaculateBites says
Awesome! Do let me know how it works out for you. Thanks
mama ka AziPop says
Definitely trying this tonight.
Urban says
This was really good. I cooked it just a bit longer to really soften up the Cabbage. The bacon really added some good flavor to this. I think fresh sausages are harder to slice up being softer vs the other firmer sausages. Easy simple dish to make and enjoy. Traveling a lot for work and often on short notice away from home can make it take awhile to get around to some these recipes even on a short list.
Urban @ urbanskitchen.com says
I like this dish as it’s a really easy dish to make. I think one can even do this with some chicken or cut up chicken breast an option. But i like that Cabbage gets some good luv here as I just don’t think most people give Cabbage a look to even use it much. Plus for a good veggie, its dirt cheap at less than a dollar per head. I’ll have to try this one sometime as a back pocket quick meal or lunch and good way also to use up some sausage.
Akilah says
This was tasty this evening. Thank you!
Paige S Crawley says
This looks so yummy! I’m going to try it tonight because its very low carb!
Thank you!