Cabbage and Sausage Skillet

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Cabbage and sausage are truly a perfect match and never more so than when fried together in this Cabbage and Sausage Skillet.

I’ve made endless dishes combining these two ingredients, but when I saw this simple recipe inside my friend Gina’s new cookbook, One and Done, I knew it needed to happen soon.

Cabbage and Sausage is a hearty meal that only takes a few minutes to make. Get the recipe at barefeetinthekitchen.com

This dish highlights everything delicious about these two ingredients without adding too much more to the dish. It’s cabbage and sausage in their simplest most flavorful state.

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As a bonus, this skillet meal is easy to throw together without much notice making it perfect for a busy weeknight dinner.

Cabbage and Sausage Recipe

Nothing special is required to make this recipe. Start with cabbage and sausage, then chop an onion, add a little garlic, salt, pepper, and a tiny splash of vinegar.

You’ll be done cooking dinner in hardly any time at all it will be delicious too!

Cabbage and Sausage

What is it about the combination of cabbage and sausage? These two ingredients complement each other so wonderfully, that it hardly matters what else is combined with them.

Salty, smoky sausage, with tender sauteed cabbage, is a guaranteed win with my family. While raw cabbage has very little flavor on its own and can even be a little bitter or peppery, cooked cabbage tastes sweeter and it picks up additional flavors from the foods you cook with it–for example, sausage.

When these two ingredients are cooked together the result is a meal that everyone in my family requests again and again. I like it so much that I’ve lost count of all the recipes I’ve made that contain some combination of cabbage and sausage.

Cabbage and Sausage Skillet Dinner - get the recipe at barefeetinthekitchen.com

Fried Cabbage and Sausage

I love a good baked cabbage recipe like Layered Cabbage Rolls  or Cabbage Roll Soup and you’ll never hear me complain about a soup with cabbage simmered to tender sweet perfection like in this Mexican White Bean and Cabbage Soup recipe.

But pan fried cabbage and sausage? That’s what I find myself craving most when I want to cook sausage and cabbage together.

This fried sausage and cabbage recipe starts by browning kielbasa sausage in a skillet with just a tiny bit of oil. Once the meat is cooked, onion and cabbage are pan fried with nothing more than salt, pepper and garlic.

A splash of red wine vinegar adds a tang to the meat and vegetables bringing the whole dish together.

If you’ve been reading here for any length of time you know that I’m not usually shy about adding spices and herbs to my recipes.

Sometimes, though, you just want the unadulterated taste of the cabbage and sausage without any extras. Kielbasa is plenty spicy all on its own and I can’t imagine a better combination for a simple skillet dinner.

Cabbage and Sausage One-Pan Meal is a hearty dinner that everyone loves! get the recipe at barefeetinthekitchen.com

Kielbasa Recipes

Kielbasa recipes are my go-to meals for quick and easy dinners. It’s a rare day when you won’t find a kielbasa sausage waiting to be used in my refrigerator. The convenience factor cannot be beaten.

I tend to pick up a few kielbasa sausages at a time and use them in our favorite recipes.

These Herbed Potatoes with Kielbasa and Corn have been one of my go-to easy dinner recipe for years. Try this Skillet Mexican Street Corn with Kielbasa or this Kielbasa Cabbage and Potato Skillet for something a little different.

Kielbasa and Shrimp Fried Rice is a hearty meal that my whole family enjoys. And if you have a green chile lover in your life, you’ll want to try this Garlicky Potato, Kielbasa, and Green Chile Skillet.

If you love sheet pan meals as much as I do, you’ll want to try this Kielbasa and Pierogies Sheet Pan Dinner. This Asparagus Kielbasa Bow Tie Pasta is another great way to use sausage for an easy dinner.

Juicy, salty kielbasa sausage, tender-crisp cabbage, some chopped onions, and flavorful garlic make this Sausage Stir Fry a simple one-pan dinner the whole family loves.

Cabbage and Sausage recipe from the One and Done cookbook!

If you don’t already have it, I recommend picking up Gina’s One and Done cookbook!

Cabbage and Sausage Recipe

  1. Halve the kielbasa lengthwise and then slice it into 1/2-inch pieces.
  2. Heat a large deep skillet or dutch oven over medium heat. Add ½ tablespoon oil and the kielbasa. Toss to coat and then cook until browned, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer the kielbasa to a plate.
  3. Return the pan to the stove and reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil and the onion. Cook, stirring occasionally until the onion has softened.
  4. Add the garlic, cabbage, salt, and pepper. Toss well to combine. Cover and cook, stirring every 4-5 minutes until the cabbage is wilted, about 12 minutes.
  5. Stir in the vinegar and return the kielbasa to the pot. Stir and cover for about 3 more minutes, until the cabbage is tender and the kielbasa is hot.
  6. Taste and add salt, if needed. Serve warm.

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Cabbage and Sausage One-Pan Meal is a hearty dinner that everyone loves! get the recipe at barefeetinthekitchen.com

Cabbage and Sausage

4.95 from 107 votes
Cabbage and sausage are a perfect match and you’re going to love this one skillet meal.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients 

  • 1 lb kielbasa smoked sausage
  • 1 1/2 tbsps olive oil, divided
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 medium head cabbage, cored and chopped into 1-inch pieces (about 2 lbs)
  • 3/4 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
  • 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tsp red wine vinegar

Instructions

  • Halve the kielbasa lengthwise and then slice it into 1/2-inch pieces. Heat a large deep skillet or dutch oven over medium heat.  Add ½ tablespoon oil and the kielbasa. Toss to coat and then cook until browned, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer the kielbasa to a plate.
  • Return the pan to the stove and reduce the heat to medium low. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil and the onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion has softened. Add the garlic, cabbage, salt, and pepper. Toss well to combine. Cover and cook, stirring every 4-5 minutes until the cabbage is wilted, about 12 minutes.
  • Stir in the vinegar and return the kielbasa to the pot. Stir and cover for about 3 more minutes, until the cabbage is tender and the kielbasa is hot. Taste and add salt, if needed. Enjoy!

Notes

The original recipe is written with turkey sausage. If that’s your preference, it will work nicely in this recipe. My family prefers traditional kielbasa, so that is our choice for this dish.

Nutrition

Calories: 484kcal · Carbohydrates: 17g · Protein: 19g · Fat: 38g · Saturated Fat: 12g · Cholesterol: 79mg · Sodium: 1035mg · Potassium: 694mg · Fiber: 6g · Sugar: 8g · Vitamin A: 225IU · Vitamin C: 86.2mg · Calcium: 111mg · Iron: 2.8mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @barefeetkitchen or tag #barefeetkitchen!

{originally published 1/21/19 – recipe notes and photos updated 7/8/21}

This Cabbage and Sausage Skillet is a keeper!

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Mary Younkin

Mary Younkin

Hi, I’m Mary. I’m the author, cook, photographer, and travel lover behind the scenes here at Barefeet In The Kitchen. I'm also the author of three cookbooks dedicated to making cooking from scratch as simple as possible.

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  1. Debbie says

    Made this for the first time ever tonight! Absolutely delish!! Thoughts on how to reheat without becoming mush 🙂5 stars

  2. Gabrielle says

    Loved!! I only had balsamic vinegar so that’s what I used. It was good, but I could tell that the red wine vinegar you called for would have been better – brighter and a fresher flavor. I also sprinkled on a few caraway seeds because I basically go through life looking for excuses to use them. But other than that I didn’t change anything and it was a hit, even with one guy who “hates cabbage.” Thanks for sharing this recipe!5 stars

  3. Irene Lano says

    Good recipe. Kielbasa is already salty so I didn’t add any salt just black pepper. Served with white rice!!! Enjoy.5 stars

  4. Wesley Ryan Tibbets says

    Thanks for the recipe. It was really good. I didn’t have red wine vinegar. So I just used white vinegar instead. I can see where the red wine vinegar would make it more flavorful. But it was still delicious.5 stars

  5. Julie says

    Made this recipe a bit differently in the past. The addition of the tomato red wine vinegar and Sriracha was a beautiful change, everyone loved it. (and the hubbs doesn’t like changes to his food)5 stars

  6. Jim says

    Very good,made it tonight did not have caraway so used little dill and red pepper flakes and some slices carrots. Very tasty. Great recipe5 stars

  7. Mary Evans says

    Say what!!! I have always HATED cabbage, maybe because my Mom boiled hers as I was growing up, I would hide my cabbage in a napkin or under a slot under the dinner table. The other day someone gave me a cabbage and my son asked me to cook it, reluctantly I thought I will for him, I found this recipe and made it, I called him to ask how was the cabbage? his response ” It is so good!!! Do you mind if I eat it all” I had him save me a serving and oh my goodness, it was delicious!!! Now I can actually say I love fried cabbage, Thank you.5 stars