Y’all, tell me what is more comforting than the Southern classic that is cabbage and sausage, nothing at all! This extra filling and hearty dish is so wildly easy to make yet so flavorful and perfect for meal prepping. You can serve this one as a side dish or as a main entree, a simple meal to have in your cozy rotation!

cabbage and sausage on large antique blue and white platter

One of the things I love about food is how it’s more than just sustenance to fuel our bodies. Certain meals or ingredients have a way of transporting us back to very distinct memories and feels. To this day I can remember the food that I made for various occasions, people, and more. Meals that I leaned on when I was going through things, foods that I whipped up when I was trying to impress someone, my Grandma’s cream of wheat, etc. It’s something about the way she uses her cinnamon, condensed milk, and vanilla essence.

When I think about cabbage and sausage, I’m instantly taken back to my childhood when my mom would make this dish. It was a generally quick + easy meal that she could get on the table after coming home from one of her three jobs. It’s also a quintessential Southern classic that shows up at nearly any huge get together we have. Whenever I’m craving something nostalgic, cozy, or simply just want a taste of the south- cabbage and sausage usually makes the list. It’s a family staple that I’ve put my touch on.

cabbage and sausage on white plate with gold fork

The Best Southern Fried Cabbage And Sausage

Honestly, you can find cabbage and sausage recipes nearly everywhere but this one here is guaranteed to check off all the boxes! Well, all the boxes that I’d hope you’d want, ha! This dish is surely to be a family favorite that everyone will love. While cabbage and sausage is a fairly straightforward + simple recipe, this dish doesn’t compromise on flavor at all. This insanely delicious recipe is one that keeps on giving!

Cabbage And Sausage Ingredients

(Note: the full ingredients list, including measurements, is provided in the recipe card directly below.)

>> While the main stars are cabbage and sausage, a few other ingredients help make this dish pop!

  • Butter: This is what we’re frying the sausage and cabbage in, so good! #butterbeready
  • Andouille sausage: This is the pre-cooked sausage that I usually get to make my cabbage and sausage (it’s smoked, nicely seasoned, and a staple among cajun/creole cuisine) but you can also use kielbasa or really any other pre-cooked sausage links that you favor.
  • Onion: Plain and simple, I use a nice yellow onion to impart even more flavor and texture.
  • Garlic: Every dish is better with plenty of garlic- 4 cloves, finely minced.
  • Brown sugar: Adds a touch of sweetness with some molasses content and balances the flavors.
  • Green cabbage: One full head, about 2 pounds, seems like a lot but cooks down tremendously.
  • Apple cider vinegar: Adds some acidity and helps to balance out the flavors.
  • Cajun seasoning: This seasoning is loaded with a blend of unique flavors (like salt, pepper, dried red chili pepper, chili powder, and garlic powder to name a few)…most grocery stores carry it and Tony Chachere’s or Slap Ya Mama are my two go-to’s. A good substitute would be seasoned salt.
  • Ground nutmeg: I add a slight pinch here as it gives this cabbage and sausage a lovely nutty and warm bite that compliments the other spices perfectly. Nutmeg helps to enhance a lot of savory dishes, too.
uncooked sausage rounds in speckled bowl
uncooked chopped cabbage on speckled oval platter
sautéed sausage rounds in white skillet
sautéed cabbage in white skillet

Reasons Why You Will Love This Recipe

IT’S SO EASY: A quick + easy dish is always a weeknight favorite huh?! Well, this cabbage and sausage recipe is the very epitome of easy peasy. Whether it’s for family meal nights, potlucks, or meal prepping; this recipe comes together in under 30 minutes! Additionally, this one is so easy that it’s dang near foolproof lol.

ONE SKILLET WONDER: I sure do love me a meal that whips up in one single vessel on the stove. Listen, ain’t nobody got time to be cleaning a million pots and pans, ha! I know you feel me on this because one pan meals are my favorite. This entire recipe is made using just one skillet or dutch oven, yassss.

LOW CARB: If healthier recipes or being more health conscious means something to you, this cabbage and sausage recipe is marking that box. It’s low in carbohydrates yet so hearty, filling, and leaves you full for longer. Personally, this is one of my favorite recipes to meal prep to have on hand throughout the week!

SAVES YOU COINS: Because this dish is super simple in terms of buying ingredients, you get to save yourself some extra coins. I’d be willing to bet that you already have most of the items in your pantry. Love to see an inexpensive meal- more coins in your pocket means you can go get you a fancy iced oat milk latte!

Other Delicious Recipes To Make

cabbage and sausage in white skillet

How To Make Cabbage And Sausage

(Note: please see the recipe card directly below for the complete written instructions.)

  1. Cook the sausage. Add the butter into the pan and once it’s sizzling, add in the sausage. Cook the sausage until golden brown and then transfer it to a plate and set it aside.
  2. Sauté the onion and add in the garlic. Add the chopped onion into the pan and sauté until translucent and tender. Then add in the garlic and cook until fragrant.
  3. Add in the brown sugar. Add the sugar into the pan and stir together until it dissolves.
  4. Introduce the cabbage along with the vinegar. Add the cabbage into the pan (only half, if needed) along with the vinegar and cover the pan with a lid to let the cabbage sauté until tender.
  5. Add in the sausage + spices. Add the cooked sausage back into the pan along with the cajun seasoning, nutmeg, and red pepper flakes. Stir everything together and continue cooking for a few minutes.
  6. Serve it up! Serve the dish immediately while hot, garnish with chopped parsley, if desired. Enjoy!

Tips + Tricks About This Recipe

>> Hey you! Here’s some additional tidbits + 411 about this cabbage and sausage recipe:

  • Add in some chopped/sliced bell peppers– sauté them along with the sausage.
  • Mustard fan?– drizzle on some dijon/stone ground (or your fave!) mustard on the finished dish.
  • Cooking cabbage– the cabbage should take about 8-10 minutes to achieve peak tenderness. However, some like their cabbage extra crispy so go on and cook until the cabbage is to your level of sautéed.
  • Are you on Keto or Whole 30 diets?– skip the sugar within the recipe to stay compliant, if so.

Can I Use Oil For Cabbage And Sausage?

Yes! To replace butter, I recommend using any kind of high heat cooking oil. For example; extra virgin olive oil, avocado oil, vegetable/canola oil, and grapeseed oil to name a few.

How To Store Cabbage And Sausage Leftovers

This is one of my favorite dishes to have prepped and ready to go in the fridge. Store any leftovers you have inside of an airtight container. When stored in the refrigerator, leftovers will keep for up to 4 days. Also, cabbage and sausage is one of those dishes that reheats beautifully in the microwave!

black hand holding the side of white plate filled with cabbage and sausage

REMEMBER TO LEAVE A ⭐️STAR RATING⭐️AND TAG ME ON THE ‘GRAM IF YOU MAKE ANY OF MY RECIPES! I ALWAYS LOVE TO SEE IT WHEN YOU DO!

UNTIL NEXT TIME…LOVE AND BUTTER,

Q.

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cabbage and sausage on large antique blue and white platter

Southern Fried Cabbage And Sausage

★★★★★ 4.9 from 23 reviews
  • Author: Quin Liburd
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 4-6 1x
  • Category: Main Course
  • Cuisine: American, Southern
Print Recipe

Description

What is more comforting than the Southern classic that is cabbage and sausage, nothing at all! This extra filling and hearty dish is so wildly easy to make yet so flavorful and perfect for meal prepping. You can serve this one as a side dish or as a main entree, a simple meal to have in your cozy rotation!

Ingredients

Scale
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, sub for bacon grease or duck fat
  • 12 ounces pre-cooked andouille or kielbasa sausage links, sliced into rounds
  • 1 cup chopped yellow onion
  • 4 garlic cloves, finely minced
  • 2 teaspoons packed brown sugar
  • 1 medium-sized head of green cabbage (about 2 lbs), roughly chopped into pieces
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, sub for red wine vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons cajun seasoning- I use Tony Chachere’s or Slap Ya Mama
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional
  • freshly chopped parsley, for garnish- optional

Instructions

  1. In a large deep skillet or dutch oven, heat the butter over medium heat. Once the butter is sizzling, add the sausage rounds into the pan in an even single layer. Cook until golden brown, about 3-5 minutes per side. Then use a utensil to transfer the sausage to a plate and set aside.
  2. Add the chopped onion into the pan and sauté together until the onion becomes translucent and tender, about 2-3 minutes. Then add in the garlic and stir together along with the onion until the garlic is fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.
  3. Add in the brown sugar and stir together with the onion/garlic until the sugar begins to dissolve.
  4. Toss in the chopped cabbage- note: depending on the size of your pan, you may need to add in about half of the cabbage first. Then pour in the vinegar and carefully stir together. Cover the pan with a lid to allow the cabbage to steam through until tender, about 3-4 minutes. Then add in any remaining cabbage, if needed, and continue cooking for another 3-4 minutes. 
  5. Add the cooked sausage rounds back into the pan and seasoning the dish with the cajun seasoning, nutmeg, and red pepper flakes (if using). Stir everything together to fully combine. Allow the dish to continue cooking together for another 3-5 minutes and then remove from heat.
  6. Taste the cabbage and sausage and adjust seasoning by adding more cajun seasoning, if desired. Serve immediately and garnish with freshly chopped parsley if you’d like. Enjoy!

Notes

  1. Please read the blog post in its entirety for more tips + tricks.
  2. Cajun seasoning substitute: seasoned salt works great!
  3. Storing: keep any leftovers stored inside of an airtight container in the fridge and it will last for up to 4 days. Simply reheat in the microwave as necessary. 

Keywords: sausage, cabbage, cajun, one pan, skillet, easy, southern