The Best Pan Fried Cabbage and Sausage Recipe (2024)

Home Recipes Meats Pork

By Courtney ODell

Mar 05, 2018, Updated Aug 29, 2022

Jump to Recipe

This post contains affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

The Best Pan Fried Cabbage and Sausage Recipe Ever is the perfect easy way to celebrate Saint Patricks Day with a one pot cabbage and sausage dinner skillet that is low carb and keto diet compatible, family tested and approved, and goes from the fridge to the table in under 20 minutes in just one pot!

The Best Pan Fried Cabbage and Sausage Recipe (2)

One Pot Sausage and Cabbage Skillet

Cabbage is one of those things a lot of people are a bit skeptical to try – it’s rich, delicious, buttery – and cooks quickly without much fuss – but because it can be bitter and boring when not cooked down, a lot of people turn their noses to using cabbage as a major part of a dish. Cabbage is something people usually only think of when it’s around Saint Patricks Day when it is hugely popular in America as an homage to Irish cuisine – or as a garnish in tacos, salads, and more.

In this easy one pot sausage and cabbage skillet, it takes on a perfect rich and meaty flavor your whole family will love!

The Best Pan Fried Cabbage and Sausage Recipe is super easy and can go from your fridge to the dinner table in just one pot and under 30 minutes – making it a delicious, hearty, and family friendly dinner that you’ll want to eat long after Saint Patricks Day when you’re thinking of easy Irish Recipes.

I love to cook cabbage and sausages when we’re in a pinch and need something quick for dinner – or as a swap for heavier, greasier comfort foods since it still tastes nice and indulgent!

Check out my web story about this delicious recipe!

The Best Pan Fried Cabbage and Sausage Recipe (3)

How to Pan Fry Cabbage and Sausage

To make this recipe, you’ll need:

  • Sausage
    • Beef, Chicken, Turkey, or Vegan Polska Kielbasa style smoked sausages, sliced into thin rounds
    • Cheddar Stuffed Bratwurst, sliced thin, for a cheesy twist on this dish.
    • German Breakfast sausages, cooked in the pan before frying the onions and cabbage (simply brown before adding the onions in the pan, don’t cook all the way through since they will continue to cook with onions and cabbage, but you want to give them a good nice sear before adding in the veggies. Reduce butter to 1 tbsp if cooking raw sausage or your dish will be too greasy.)
    • Andouille Sausage, sliced into thin rounds, for a slightly spicy twist!
  • Onion – I love the earthy, hot, sweet, pungent flavor onion brings to dishes when it is caramelized. It is fabulous with smoked sausage.
  • Butter – butter helps add fat to the cabbage, so it won’t stick to your pan, or burn as we pan fry, as well as adding a creamy salty richness to the dish.
  • Cabbage – while we’re making this recipe with green cabbage for the best color (in my opinion), if you can only get red cabbage, it works just fine.

Tips and Tricks to Perfect Pan Fried Sausage & FAQs

Try other sausages. If you’re worried about the nutritional profile of adding smoked Polska Kielbasa (my personal pick for this dish), you can easily swap for chicken, turkey, and even meat-free sausages!

Skip the onions. I personally LOVE the flavor onions give to this dish, but you can sub them out for garlic if you’d like.

Use red cabbage. If you can’t find any green cabbage, you can use red for this dish too. It will look different, but taste very similar.

FAQs

Is cabbage healthy?

Cabbage is extremely good for you, and something I try to incorporate more into our diets. I really love the rich and buttery flavor of cabbage when it’s cooked – and it is a great vegetable to get kids into, since when cooked it has a subtle flavor kids love

Can I use oil instead of butter?

If you’re watching fat and calories, and worried about adding butter, this recipe works great with olive oil as well – so it can work in any diet or healthy eating plan!

How do I store this recipe?

This recipe can be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days, or frozen for up to four months.

The Best Pan Fried Cabbage and Sausage Recipe (4)

Other Irish Inspired Meals You’ll Love:

If you love this deliciously easy cabbage and sausage skillet, you’re going to love some of my other favorite Irish inspired meals!

The Best Pan Fried Cabbage and Sausage Recipe (5)

The Best Pan Fried Cabbage and Sausage Recipe

If you love thisThe Best Pan Fried Cabbage and Sausage Recipeas much as I do, please write a five star review (click the stars below)in the comment section below and help me share on facebook and pinterest!

CONNECT WITH SWEET C’S!
Be sure to follow me on social media and get in on all the fun!

Only have 30 minutes to get dinner on the table? Sign up for my 30 minute dinner plans direct to your inbox!
Find and shop my favorite products in my Amazon storefront here!

The Best Pan Fried Cabbage and Sausage Recipe (6)

The Best Pan Fried Cabbage and Sausage

Yield: 6 people

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

The Best Pan Fried Cabbage and Sausage Recipe Ever is the perfect easy way to celebrate Saint Patricks Day with a one pot cabbage and sausage dinner skillet that is low carb and keto diet compatible, family tested and approved, and goes from the fridge to the table in under 20 minutes in just one pot!

Ingredients

  • 3 tbsp butter
  • 1 white onion, diced
  • 1/4 cup garlic, whole or crushed cloves, skin off
  • 1 cabbage, (use half if very large cabbage - whole head if small) sliced into thin strips
  • 1 tsp salt, celtic sea salt preferred
  • 1 lb polska kielbasa, sliced into thin rounds

Instructions

  1. Heat butter in large pan on medium-high heat until melted and foamy.
  2. Add diced onions to pan, cook until soft and transparent, about 4 minutes. Stir to prevent sticking or burning.
  3. Add garlic to pan, cook until fragrant and soft, about 3 minutes.
  4. Add cabbage to pan and toss well to coat in butter.
  5. Generously season with salt.
  6. Let cabbage reduce by half, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally as it cooks down to prevent burning and allow it to cook evenly.
  7. Slice smoked polska kielbasa into thin rounds and add to pan with cabbage and onions.
  8. When cabbage has lost much of it's volume and started to turn shiny, slightly translucent, and has lovely browned bits - and polska kielbasa has browned slightly (smoked kielbasa has been cooked already, so you're just adding some browning and flavor to it), it is ready to serve.
  9. Remove from heat and plate with your favorite meat, casserole, fish, or other main dish!
Nutrition Information

Yield 5Serving Size 1
Amount Per ServingCalories 386Total Fat 34gSaturated Fat 13gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 18gCholesterol 85mgSodium 1602mgCarbohydrates 9gFiber 1gSugar 3gProtein 12g

Nutrition is automatically calculated by Nutritionix - please verify all nutrition information independently and consult with a doctor or nutritionist for any and all medical and diet advice.

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Pinterest

Categorized as:
gluten free, keto, Main Dishes, One Pot, paleo, Pork, Recipes, Side Dishes

About Courtney

Courtney loves to share great wine, good food, and loves to explore far flung places- all while masting an everyday elegant and easy style at lifestyle blog Sweet C’s Designs. Sweet C's devoted to finding the best food and drinks you'll want to make or find, around the world!

Read More About Me

You May Also Like

Caramelized Onion Brie Tarts

Goat Cheese Pepper Carrots

Best Crunchy Buffalo Chicken Legs

Mushroom Quiche

The Best Pan Fried Cabbage and Sausage Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Is pan fried cabbage good for you? ›

As soon as the cabbage is tender and browned like the photos, it's ready to serve! This healthy Sautéed Cabbage is low in calories (just 77 per serving!). It also offers tons of vitamin C and fiber. Plus, it's rich in antioxidants, which may help reduce inflammation.

Can you freeze cabbage and sausage? ›

Yes, this dish can be frozen. Make sure to freeze the leftovers as soon as they have cooled. Move them into a freezer-friendly zip bag or a container, and label with a date and a description. Consume within 3 months.

Do you rinse cabbage before frying? ›

Cabbage
  1. Remove the thick outer leaves of the cabbage head.
  2. Cut the cabbage into wedges.
  3. Rinse the wedges in a colander under running water.
  4. Shake them dry as best as you can, then pat them with a clean cotton towel to remove additional moisture.
Dec 7, 2023

Why do you put vinegar in cabbage when boiling it? ›

Green is the heartiest variety; it takes well to all cooking methods. Red can turn a funny blue color when cooked, so it's best used raw. If you do want to cook it, add a touch of acid like lemon juice or vinegar to lessen the effect.

Is it better to freeze raw cabbage or cooked cabbage? ›

Once it's washed and cut up, cabbage can be frozen, but for longer-term storage, it's best to blanch it first. Blanched cabbage can be frozen for up to nine months, while unblanched cabbage will only keep for one to two months.

How long does cooked cabbage and sausage last? ›

Cook's Tips and Recipe Variations:

Prep ahead: This dish can be made in advance and then reheated throughout the week for easy lunches or quick dinners. The sausage and cabbage will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

Does cabbage get soggy after freezing? ›

If you're wondering if you can freeze cabbage for coleslaw, the answer is no. You can try to thaw frozen cabbage in the fridge and then use it in raw preparations like slaws and salads. However, I've found that defrosted cabbage gets too soggy and doesn't have the same crunchy texture that you want in a coleslaw.

Should you poke holes in sausage before smoking? ›

When you leave the casings on your links, you might be quick to poke holes or score them before cooking to prevent an explosion — but all you're doing is damaging the sausage's structure, causing it to turn out dry.

Is it better to cook sausages in the oven or pan? ›

The great thing about cooking sausages in the oven is that there's less risk of burning them, and you don't need to turn them quite so frequently as you would when frying. The oven does most of the work for you.

How long do sausages take to cook in a frying pan? ›

Heat a non-stick pan over a medium heat, then add the sausages. A little of the fat from the sausages will start to come out as they warm up; turn the sausages in the hot fat to coat them. Keep cooking for 15-20 mins, moving them around in the pan and turning them over regularly so they cook evenly.

Does cabbage lose nutrients when fried? ›

Kale, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, courgettes, spinach and peas have a good amount of these vitamins. Heat also degrades these vitamins, so cook veg that are rich in them gently and in as little water as possible. Steaming, microwaving and stir frying are better options than boiling.

Is cabbage still healthy if you cook it? ›

Half a cup of cooked cabbage has about a third the vitamin C you need for the day. It also gives you doses of fiber, folate, potassium, magnesium, vitamins A and K, and more.

Is fried cabbage hard to digest? ›

Why is cabbage hard to digest? That said, however, cabbage and cruciferous vegetables contain indigestible sugars. When these sugars are digested, some people experience gas, flatulence, belching and abdominal discomfort. Consume in small quantities, if you suspect cruciferous vegetables aggravate the symptoms.

Does fried cabbage have a lot of carbs? ›

Iron Skillet Fried Cabbage (3 oz) contains 5g total carbs, 3g net carbs, 3g fat, 1g protein, and 50 calories.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Recommended Articles
Article information

Author: Laurine Ryan

Last Updated:

Views: 5574

Rating: 4.7 / 5 (77 voted)

Reviews: 84% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Laurine Ryan

Birthday: 1994-12-23

Address: Suite 751 871 Lissette Throughway, West Kittie, NH 41603

Phone: +2366831109631

Job: Sales Producer

Hobby: Creative writing, Motor sports, Do it yourself, Skateboarding, Coffee roasting, Calligraphy, Stand-up comedy

Introduction: My name is Laurine Ryan, I am a adorable, fair, graceful, spotless, gorgeous, homely, cooperative person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.