This delicious Southern Fried Cabbage with Sausage comes together in less than 30 minutes with 5 simple ingredients for an easy dinner the whole family will love.
Sausage and cabbage is a classic food pairing because the mild and slightly sweet flavor of the cabbage compliments the spices and bold flavors of sausage. This particular sausage cabbage preparation is one of my family's favorite main dishes and there are so many reason we love it! This Fried Cabbage and Sausage meal is simple enough to make for the busiest of days but still packs a big flavor. Since everything cooks in one pot, you'll also have minimal dishes to wash after dinner. This dish works for a variety of dietary restrictions including keto, gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free, low-carb, paleo and Whole30. Fried Cabbage with Sausage is also super affordable and budget-friendly since it doesn't require a lot of ingredients and the ingredients it does use aren't pricey.
I like to serve Fried Sausage and Cabbage with Roasted Mini Potatoes and sometimes I'll even drizzle a little Red Wine Vinaigrette over top to take things up a notch.
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Ingredients
Here's what you need to make Southern Fried Cabbage with Sausage:
- olive oil
- medium head cabbage
- smoked sausage
- salt
- black pepper
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Here's how to make Southern Fried Cabbage with Sausage:
Core and chop the cabbage into bite-size pieces and slice the cabbage into rounds.
Heat a large deep skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the oil and swirl to coat the pan. Add the sausage slices and cook, until brown, about 5 minutes, then flip and cook an additional 5 minutes.
Once the sausage is browned, add the chopped cabbage and the remaining tablespoon of olive oil.
Cook, stirring intermittently, until the sausage has browned and softened, about 10 minutes. Add the salt and pepper and give everything a good final stir. Serve immediately.
Hint: Here's how to core and cut cabbage.
Substitutions
Want to substitute an ingredient in Fried Sausage with Cabbage? Here's how:
- Smoked sausage - I like to use smoked turkey sausage to keep this dish lighter but use any pork, beef, chicken or meatless smoked sausage or kielbasa sausage you prefer here.
- Olive oil - use an equal amount of a different mild oil such as canola or avocado oil.
- Green cabbage - use a red cabbage in place of the green cabbage.
Variations
Try one of these variations of Southern Fried Cabbage with Sausage:
- Spicy - add ½ teaspoon of red pepper flakes when adding the salt and pepper.
- Cajun - use 1 teaspoon of cajun seasoning such as Tony Cachere's in place of the salt and pepper.
- Gluten-free, paleo, whole30 - check your label to ensure the sausage you use is compliant with your dietary needs or buy this paleo and whole30-compliant sausage.
- Vegan - use an equal amount of meatless sausage to make this dish vegan.
- Onion and garlic - add a sliced onion when browning the sausage and 3 cloves of minced garlic when adding the cabbage.
Equipment
This equipment comes in handy when making Southern Fried Cabbage with Sausage:
Storage
Once cooled, store leftover Fried Cabbage with Sausage in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or the freezer for up to 3 months.
FAQ
Cabbage has a mild and slightly sweet flavor enabling it to pair well with pork, beef, chicken, turkey or seafood. I particularly like cabbage with sausage because the strong flavor of sausage balances nicely with the subtle flavor of cabbage.
Cabbage shrinks significantly when cooked, especially when cooked until browned and crisp, so use roughly double the amount of cabbage you think you need based on how it looks raw.
Related
Looking for other quick and easy main dish recipes? Try these:
Pairing
Pair Fried Cabbage and Sausage with one of these side dishes:
Recipe
Southern Fried Cabbage with Sausage
Equipment
- 1 knife
Ingredients
- 1 (13 oz) pack smoked turkey sausage
- ½ medium head green cabbage
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil (divided)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Core and chop the cabbage into bite-size pieces and slice the cabbage into rounds.
- Heat a large deep skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the oil and swirl to coat the pan. Add the sausage slices and cook, until brown, about 5 minutes, then flip and cook an additional 5 minutes.
- Once the sausage is browned, add the chopped cabbage and the remaining tablespoon of olive oil.
- Cook, stirring intermittently, until the sausage has browned and softened, about 10 minutes. Add the salt and pepper and give everything a good final stir. Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Food safety
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
Shannon
Yum!