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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
If you don’t already have it, I recommend picking up Gina’s One and Done cookbook!
Cabbage and Sausage Recipe
- 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. Serve warm.
Cabbage and Sausage
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
Nutrition
{originally published 1/21/19 – recipe notes and photos updated 7/8/21}
Miss Kim says
I’m going to try this one right now!
Mary Younkin says
I hope you love it!
Brenda says
I make a variation of this quite often. I just cook the cabbage and kielbasa with some sliced carrots, and I serve it with pierogies (the frozen ones) and caramelized onions. I don’t add any seasonings as I find the kielbasa flavors everything nicely. A great and quick meal!
Mary Younkin says
That’s awesome, Brenda.
Krystian says
If I don’t have red wine vinegar would this recipe work with red cooking wine? (Which I happen to have in abundance) or could I use white wine vinegar? What works best?
Mary Younkin says
I’ve added a splash of apple cider vinegar in the past too. I’m guessing cooking wine would work fine. While you could skip it too, the vinegar / wine will add a bit of acidity that works well here.
Yvette says
A new staple has been added to the family favorite meals. Simple to make. Very flavorful and tasty. I made ours with andouille sausage. It is a very good combination.
Mary Younkin says
YAY! I’m glad the recipe is a hit.
Mike says
I’ve been making this for years. I tried it the other day and while preparing it I noticed a ripe tomato that needed something done with it so I diced it up along with the cabbage and it was awesome. I really like trying some of your recipes. Thank you and keep cooking!
Mary Younkin says
I bet that was a great addition, Mike.
CS Volkman says
This is exactly how my Polish Babbka, Grandmother Amelia Swiercinsky made this dish (taught by her Mother Anne Zavadsky. This is our go to meal in the winter months.
4 star rating for ;sure.
C.S. Volkman
Sheri Cartwright says
Awww! What a wonderful memory. Thank you for sharing it.
Mary Younkin says
Sheri – So sweet of her to share.
Tracy Theisen says
Simple, fast and very tasty! I used medium italian sausage and mushrooms plus I increased the vinegar to 1 tablespoon. I will add this to my regular meals.
Karen Walsh says
Made this tonight! It was a big hit.
I am vegetarian so I used beyond sausages!
Worked great . I didn’t have red wine vinegar so substituted apple cidar.
Thanks for this great , straight forward recipe!
J.B. says
I Added a can of spicy Ro-tel instead of the vinegar. It came out great.
John says
I used turkey sausage and the only thing extra that I added was seasoning powder!
REBECCA J HARMS says
I am 85 years old, handicapped and doing all my cooking in an air fryer and microwave. Is there a way to do this in an air fryer. It sounds so good.
Mary Younkin says
I’ve never tried that, Rebecca.
Mary says
Hi Rebecca, I’ve never tried this either but I would give it a go in the air fryer. It might not be exactly the same in texture, but I don’t see why it couldn’t work.
Kris says
Hi Rebecca- I definitely think you could make this using both the microwave AND the air fryer. I’d do the sausage in the airfryer, maybe halve it lengthwise and just keep an eye on it and turn it halfway through. It’ll cook quick. The chopped cabbage you could cook in the microwave easily. Then mix it all together:)
Mary Younkin says
It will take a bit of experimenting. You could also do the cabbage in the air fryer in small batches. Honestly will just have to experiment a bit to find what works best for you. I do prefer the skillet it is just so fast and easy that way.
andrew says
I followed your recipe exactly except I add some oven bake sweet potato chips to the bottom of the bowls I served it in (had a big sweet potato I needed to use). Awesome.
Brenda S Naused says
A simple ingredients one pan dish of comforting food that’s quick to prepare.
I like the red wine vinegar splash. Lends a hint of complimentary flavor.
Mary Younkin says
I’m glad you like the recipe, Brenda!
Sheri Cartwright says
I didn’t have red wine vinegar so I used apple cider vinegar and it was great! My 79 year old mother especially loved it.
Mary Younkin says
Sheri – Thank you for letting me know. I always appreciate knowing how substitutions work for people because we have all been there making something and open the cupboard doors to find we don’t have what we thought we had in there.
Sara says
Staple in our home growing up that I’ve carried over into mine and now passing down to my babies! Sometimes I add a touch of beef broth to mine😊
Mary Younkin says
Sara – That is perfect. Handing down recipes to our babies is what I love the most about creating this blog. It is my forever recipe box.
Lisa Beth says
I love this, just made it today. Thank you Mary for such easy, tasty recipes! 😀
Mary Younkin says
I’m thrilled you like it, Lisa!
Christine Gregory says
I live in my rv and I’m always looking for easy recipes. I get a basket of vegetables from my friends farm and cabbage is always in the basket. I’m trying this recipe tonight, wish me luck! It looks delicious and my husband can’t wait! Thanks!
Mary Younkin says
Christine – Let me know how it turns out. Do you love living full-time in your RV? We have an RV as well and while we aren’t full time we do enjoy weeks of travel and long trips with our boys in it.
Cindy Cassel says
Great dish! Tasty, easy and quick – my idea of a great meal. I happened to have red cabbage on hand so that’s what I used. The sweetness of the cabbage really complimented the slightly spicy sausage. This recipe is definitely one I will make again and again. Thanks!
Mary Younkin says
Cindy, I am glad you found this recipe. It is one of our favorite ways to eat cabbage.
Donovan says
I threw this together with some leftover cabbage (green & red) I had from making coleslaw last weekend. I cut the sausage according to the recipe, then cut those pieces in half to get a nice browning in the cast iron. Didn’t have red wine vinegar, so I used white and it was just fine. Surprisingly tasty given the minimal ingredients, and would definitely make again.
Mary Younkin says
Donovan – Thank you for the comment. It is surprising how much flavor is in this dish. I am glad you enjoyed it!
Busy mama says
Turns out good every time! My kids love it and it’s a quick, easy, cheap meal.
Mary Younkin says
Agreed! So easy to make and on the grocery budget.