Easy Sausage & Cabbage Skillet

Easy Sausage & Cabbage Skillet – This easy one pan dinner is done in a flash. Try the original or check out our flavor variations for more ideas! (Gluten-Free, Paleo, Whole30)

Quick! It’s 5:00, you’ve got just a few minutes to pull dinner together and you need something easy. What do you make?

At my house, there are nights where this is pancakes or scrambled eggs + smoothies, or quesadillas, or fried rice. But I’ve been working on a handful of quick, easy dinners to keep in our rotation for the busiest nights. One of our recent picks is this Sausage & Cabbage Skillet.

It started with an Imperfect Foods order (not sponsored) that included a head of cabbage. We don’t usually eat *tons* of cabbage (other than Cilantro Lime Taco Slaw, Sesame Chicken Salad, or Cabbage Roll Soup), but I wanted to come up with something new that incorporated this humble veg.

Our Sausage & Cabbage Skillet really delivered! I know it’s not super glamorous, but it’s inexpensive, easy, fast, AND tastes good. Which is basically all the boxes I need to check. This lower-carb dinner is a great one to keep in your back pocket for crazy nights (the cabbage, sausage, and onion all last a long time so they’re easy to keep on hand).

Did I mention it’s EASY? Because IT. IS. EASY.

Here’s all you’ll need to get started…

Here’s What You Need To Make Our One-Pot Sausage & Cabbage Dinner:

• A Dutch Oven Or (Very) Large Skillet. Although I’ve called this recipe a skillet dinner, most people don’t quite have a skillet big enough. I’d recommend a Dutch oven if you don’t have a 14” skillet!
• Olive Oil Or Butter. It might be tempting to skimp here, but I promise the flavors and texture will be best if you don’t!
• Kielbasa Or Cooked Sausage. I used kielbasa for the recipe in the photos, but this sausage cabbage skillet dinner can be made with any sliced cooked sausage—Andouille for some kick, Chicken & Apple for something more mild, etc.
• Diced Onion. Add a layer of flavor with some diced onion. I love how it gets sweeter as it cooks, which provides a nice balance of flavor.
• Shredded Or Chopped Cabbage. A sausage cabbage dinner would be complete without cabbage! Shredded cabbage will cook more quickly, while chopped cabbage (cut into 1” squares) will keep more of their texture. Choose whichever works best for you!
• Salt & Pepper. The seasonings stay pretty simple for this one pot dinner, so salt and pepper are your friend!
• Cajun Seasoning. Then, to add some serious flavor, I add Cajun seasoning. You can add as little or as much as you like, depending on how much kick you prefer.
• Fresh Herbs. Finish things off with some fresh herbs for brightness—cilantro or parsley work well!
• A Splash Of Cider Vinegar. It might seem unusual, but a splash of cider vinegar at the end adds brightness and acidity that helps balance the dish.

Try One Of These Variations On Our Sausage & Cabbage Skillet:

1. Change Up The Sausage. The easiest way to really mix up the flavor profile in our Sausage Cabbage Skillet. Is to swap the sausage. Add some heat and kick with spicy Andouille sausage. Take this in a Mediterranean direction with some Italian sausage, or add sweetness with chicken & apple sausage, or a Tex-Mex vibe with mango & jalapeño sausage. Any fully cooked, slices sausage can work here!
2. Add A Chopped Tomato. Add a pop of color with a chopped plum tomato or two. This works especially nicely with Italian sausage or Andouille!
3. Mix In A Bell Pepper. Or add color and flavor with a diced bell pepper. Add it along with the onion to highlight the Cajun flavors.
4. Try Shredded Or Diced Apple. If you like a bit of sweetness, you can add a diced or shredded apple along with the cabbage. This works well with Kielbasa or Chicken & Apple sausage.
5. Go For Some Garlic. Some folks love to add garlic to their sausage and cabbage dinner. Feel free to add a clove (or two!) if that’s your jam.
6. Mix in Some Roasted Potatoes. Or, fill this out a bit more with some roasted potatoes (use just potatoes & the seasoning linked). They’re a great easy side dish, or they can be mixed right into the skillet once they’re roasted. (Cooking the potatoes separately will give them the best texture)

FAQ + TIPS & TRICKS FOR THE BEST SAUSAGE CABBAGE SKILLET:

Make It Lighter With Chicken or Turkey Sausage. If you need to, you can absolutely lighten this dish up a bit by using Turkey kielbasa or a cooked chicken sausage (like Aidell’s brand). Just make sure it’s a fully cooked sausage that you can slice.

How To Shred Cabbage Easily. You can certainly shred your cabbage with a knife, but I love shredding mine in a food processor. Cut the cabbage into chunks that fit the mouth of your food processor fitted with the shredding “S” blade, then shred the cabbage in seconds.

What’s The Best Cajun Seasoning? I’ve tried lots of brands over the years, but this Cajun seasoning is the one I keep in my cupboard. This one gets rave reviews, or you can even make your own Cajun seasoning.

PS – Love to save money & help the planet? We’ve been loving Imperfect Foods (not sponsored, just use and love it). They deliver perfectly good food that would otherwise go to waste for a discount. They include produce that doesn’t always meet standards (excess inventory, irregular shapes, etc.), excess stock of perfectly good, high-quality meats and meat alternatives, high-end goodies like fancy oat milk or fine cheese, and pantry items, snacks, and staple goods we use all the time. You can have a random box chosen for you each week, or hand-pick all your items, and you can skip any weeks you want. Get $20 off your first 4 orders with our link!

Print